Curated OER
Desegregating the Kentucky Public School System
Students watch a video which chronicles the struggle to desegregate Kentucky's schools. They write a paper on a given aspect of what they saw in the video.
Curated OER
Jacksonian America and the Indian Removal Act of 1830
Students utilize primary sources to explore the national climate concerning Native American Indians during the Andrew Jackson administration. They are presented with opinions for and against the Indian Removial Act of 1830 as they...
Concordia College Archives
Introduction and Student Inquiry
Introduce young musicians to the history of and different styles of music with an inquiry-based learning activity that asks them to play detectives to determine the similarities and differences among the sheet music found at a series of...
Curated OER
Courtship and Marriage
Students research the concept of courtship and marriage as it pertains to early New England and explore the values and culture that shaped our history. In this courtship and marriage instructional activity, students examine primary...
Center for History and New Media
Growing Up in a Segregated Society, 1880s–1930s
What did segregation look like in the beginning of the 20th century? Middle and high schoolers view images of segregated areas, read passages by Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois, and come to conclusions about how the influence of...
NPR
Progressive Era Lesson Plan
The women working for equal rights in the early 20th century weren't a part of one large group; rather, they were members of dozens of small groups focused on social reform. Explore the ways groups in the Progressive Era like National...
Curated OER
Family and Household Structure
Students examine what the word "family" means today. They identify cultural traditions that are still popular in the United States. They read primary source documents and discover how advice is passed on from generation to generation.
Curated OER
Family Life in the 1830s
Students compare and contrast family life today with family life in the 1830s. They conduct research on Old Sturbridge Village, read primary source documents, and develop a list of generalizations comparing/contrasting families of the...
Polar Trec
Arctic Smorgasbord!
Two blooms of phytoplankton, instead of just one, now occur in the Arctic due to declining sea ice, which will have widespread effects on the marine life and climate. In small groups, participants build an Arctic food web with given...
Scholastic
Dear Miss Breed
This compelling plan based on the letters in the book Dear Miss Breed engages readers in learning what it was like for Japanese Americans following the attacks at Pearl Harbor. After reading the letters, young scholars will...
Curated OER
The Presidential Nominating System
High schoolers examine the process by which candidates for U.S. president are nominated by the Democratic and Republican parties. They identify the differences between primaries and caucuses and key terms and issues related to the...
Curated OER
Immigration History Firsthand
Students interpret historical evidence presented in primary and secondary resources. In this immigration lesson, students conduct research regarding Ellis Island and the American immigrant experience. Students use...
Curated OER
From Smithson to Smithsonian: The Birth of an Institution
Students identify and evaluate primary and secondary sources relating to James Smithson and his gift to the United States. In this Smithson to Smithsonian lesson, students also examine the debate surrounding how to use the gift from...
Curated OER
Seals: From the National To the Local
Third graders investigate official government symbols by completing a scavenger hunt. For this U.S. Government lesson, 3rd graders participate in a scavenger hunt in which they locate seals or logos in their community....
Curated OER
Brown v. Board of Education
Young scholars examine school segregation and equal protection laws. In this Supreme Court activity, students examine primary documents from Brown v. Board of Education and discuss the implications of the decision.
Curated OER
Red Nose Day
Young scholars explore the lives of four African children who are too poor to go to school and consider what they can do to help. They discuss various scenarios to decide on two different endings, one with a good friend and one with a...
Curated OER
A New Deal for the Arts - WPA Photographs
Students examine school life during the 1930s. They discuss the Great Depression and the New Deal, examine and discuss photographs from the Library of Congress website, and complete a worksheet about school life during the Great Depression.
Alabama Learning Exchange
Introduction to the Universe
Fifth graders write descriptive imagery and identify facts about various components of the universe. They listen to the book "The Magic School Bus, Lost in the Solar System," develop a list of descriptive words from the story, compose a...
Curated OER
Primary Grades Vocabulary Instruction With Word Wizard Dictionary
Elementary schoolers discover that the world is at their fingertips as they acquire new vocabulary. Several suggested activities and strategies are provided here, building new reading and oral vocabulary.
Curated OER
Language Arts Assessment: Primary
Youngsters complete a four-question quiz. They correct spelling, compound words, and errors in sentences. Very nice practice for young writers.
Alabama Department of Archives and History
"Scottsboro Boys": A Trial Which Defined an Age
Here's a must-have resource. Whether your focus is racism, the Great Depression, the "Scottsboro Boys" trial, or part of a reading of To Kill A Mockingbird, the information contained in the seven-page packet will save hours of...
Curated OER
Winter Wonderland: Internet Literature Project
Students, using the Internet, communicate with peers around the world about winter-themed books. They study authors, write book reviews, re-write endings, interview book characters, create scene dioramas, paint murals, and write...
PBS
Standing Up Against Injustice
“Sometimes things are lawful yet are actually wrong.” Researchers examine primary and secondary source materials as they study five legal cases involving civil rights attorney William Kunstler in which he attempted to use the legal...
Curated OER
Making Parent Volunteers in the Classroom a Win-Win-Win
Volunteer class time help in the primary grades can benefit you, your class, and your parent volunteers.