California Department of Education
Gaining by Giving
Community service is a win-win! Scholars discover how to gain valuable career skills through helping others using a lesson about volunteer work. Second in a six-part career and college readiness series, the activities focus on...
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African-American Soldiers After World War I: Had Race Relations Changed?
Students utilize an online database to conduct research and analyze the conditions for African-Americans before and after World War I. They consider the role of the 92nd and 93rd divisions in affecting social change.
PBS
Democracy in Action: Freedom Riders
This is a must-have resource for every social studies teacher covering the civil rights movement. Through an engaging video and detailed viewing guide, young historians learn about the Freedom Riders, and discover how everyday...
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People and Places
Fifth graders investigate how the geography of the land effected the human experience of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. They research using primary and secondary sources, design a map.
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Cultural Inquiry Lesson 2B: Finding Artifacts and Analysis
Students build on their knowledge of sources, by looking at 2 types of information sources: artifacts or primary sources and analysis or secondary sources. They brainstorm a list of primary and secondary sources connected to one of...
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Mildred Brown: "Community Treasure" Hunt
Fourth graders delve into a hunt for information on an African American activist from the state of Nebraska. Primary and secondary sources of data are utilized in this search.
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Old Hickories
Students analyze historical events to develop a historical perspective. In this critical analysis lesson, students read excerpts, primary sources and other materials in order to understand the Native American Removal that occurred during...
Facing History and Ourselves
Raphael Lemkin: Identifying Lemkin's Outrage
Students examine World War I war crimes. In this world history lesson plan, students use primary and secondary sources to research Armenian genocide and the trial of Soghomon Tehlirin.
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Sgt. Humiston, Where are You?
Students become familiar with the events of the Civil War. In this identification lesson, students use deductive reasoning to understand how the deceased soldier was identified. Students view primary documents for information...
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Louisiana's Indian Tribes At the Time of the Louisiana Purchase
Young scholars research primary readings concerning first hand accounts of the Indian tribes living in and around Louisiana's River systems. They complete a brief character sketch of each tribe characterized in the digital readings....
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To Kill a Mockingbird: A Historical Perspective
Students research the Great Depression. In this Great Depression lesson, students analyze primary sources to develop an understanding of life in the American south during the depression era as they read Harper Lee's To Kill a...
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Hidden Children and the Holocaust: A Lesson and Pledge for Action
Students read various personal accounts of children during the Holocaust. Using special identification cards, they relate the Holocaust to historical events in their lifetimes. Examining primary source documents, they describe how they...
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Learning About Location: Charting the Path of the George W. Elder
Young scholars acquire a working knowledge of the geographical concepts: absolute location, relative location, longitude and latitude. They analyze primary sources that shows the physical and human characteristics of the places along...
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Canada's Natural Regions and Their Varied Characteristics
Students examine Canada's six natural regions, with all their underlying human and economic activities, identify specific characteristics of each region, discover economic and human riches of natural regions and, create presentations to...
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Problems at Cliffs of the Neuse
Students assume the roles of members of the Cliffs of the Neuse Sate Park and must develop an action plan in response to a complaint about possible water quality problems and associated human illnesses. Students conduct research on the...
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Dangers of the West
Eighth graders explore the American West. In this Westward Expansion lesson plan, 8th graders examine primary sources to investigate the dangers travelling to and settling in the American West. Students design brochures that would help...
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Introduction to the Reformation
Ninth graders investigate the Protestant Reformation. In this global history lesson, 9th graders examine the provided primary sources that enable students to create posters and presentations that reveal how Catholicism, Lutheranism,...
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Bones, Bones, and More Bones
Young scholars describe the functions of bones in the human body. They describe the make up of a bone. They engage in a series of wonderful hands-on activitiies that reinforce learning of bones and the skeletal system.
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What's Civil About War?
Students study about the Civil War through primary sources used in the PBS production of "Freedom: A History of US" based on Joy Hakim's books, "A History of US", and the companion PBS Web site.
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A Pox No Longer Upon Us
Tenth graders research the development and use of vaccines. They examine historical documents for qualitative observations and the basis of immunization. They examine primary and secondary immune responses as they relate to the...
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The Freedom to Fight
High schoolers study the African American troop experiences in the Civil War. In this American history lesson, students examine primary and secondary sources regarding the experiences and contributions of African American soldiers who...
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Pacific Salmon and Mountain Pine Beetle
Learners compare fish anatomy. For this teacher demonstrated dissection lesson, students compare fish anatomy to that of humans. They explore different fish and their unique properties. There are 4 distinct activities which can be...
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Backyard Birds: Who's Who Out There?
Young scholars practice techniques of field observation and data-gathering while studying local bird population, describe ecosystem as complex combination of elements, which can affect or be affected by each other, and determine effects...
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Life in a Hurricane Zone
Students study the nature of hurricanes and examine in detail the effect of Hurricane Georges upon the Dominican Republic. They explain the way in which physical systems (e.g., a hurricane) can affect human systems (e.g., the life of a...