Lesson Plan
PBS

Catch-22: What It Means to Be a(n Anti)Hero

For Teachers 11th - Higher Ed Standards
Catch-22, Joseph Heller's send-up of military organizational bureaucracy, provides readers with an opportunity to consider the importance of the anti-hero. Class members fill out a worksheet comparing and contrasting the qualities...
Activity
Macmillan Education

A Wrinkle in Time Discussion and Activity Guide

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
As you work through Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time, try out some or all of the 20 questions and activities included here. Useful for discussion questions, group assignments, or individual projects, this resource covers plot as...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Human Costs of War

For Teachers 6th - Higher Ed
Young scholars explore the concept of civilian cost to armed warfare. They explore the role of the military, civilians and of press coverage during armed conflicts, creating posters illustrating their research on post-WW II military...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Great Gatsby: Primary Sources from the Roaring Twenties

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars research the Roaring Twenties. In this 1920's America lesson, students analyze primary sources to develop an understanding of lifestyles and values of the era as they read F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby.
Worksheet
Curated OER

The Diary of Anne Frank: Fun Trivia Quiz

For Students 7th - 10th
This simple 10-question quiz from Fun Trivia asks basic recall questions about some of the people and events of Anne Frank's life. It is unclear which version of The Diary of Anne Frank this quiz is based on, so its content should be...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Life in the Secret Annex - The Diary of Anne Frank: Fun Trivia Quiz

For Students 7th - 9th
This is a mediocre online, interactive quiz on The Diary of Anne Frank, but your class may want to use it to self-assess their basic understanding of the work on their own time. It may also be useful to get ideas for your own quiz, but...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Breaching the Gulf Between Cultures

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students read excerpts from Jim Toner's memoir Serendib which chronicles his experiences as a Peace Corps volunteer in Sri Lanka. They work in small groups to analyze the excerpts and discuss how the author came to terms with Sri Lankan...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

World War I For the Soldier

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders examine the main events of World War I and identify the major points of the Treaty of Versailles. They read and discuss a scenario about boys fighting at school and create a treaty, read the poem "The Sentry" by Wilfred...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Star-Spangled Banner

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students explore the Star-Spangled Banner. In this civics activity, students read the lyrics of the song as well as a handout that details its creation. Students respond to discussion questions from the handout.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Talking Goat

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Learners read and analyze an African folktale. They read and discuss the folktale, analyze a map of Africa and Liberia, complete a worksheet, answer discussion questions, and analyze the patterns and analogies of the folktale.
Lesson Plan
Novelinks

The Book Thief: Anticipation Guide

For Students 7th - 12th
Introduce the major themes in Markus Zusak's award-winning novel, The Book Thief, with an anticipation guide that asks readers to agree or disagree with a series of statements.    
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Land of the Rising Guns?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students discuss the decision after World War II of Japan's to follow a policy of pacifism. After reading an article, they identify the ways Japan is strengthening its military. They watch a video to discover how their Constitution was...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Women's Roles in World War Two

For Teachers 5th - 10th
Students explore the various roles of women in the armed forces and their experiences at work. They discuss stereotypes of men and women during World War Two. They read extracts of stories from World War Two in small groups and report...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

World War II: Concentration Camps and Refugees

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students explore the experiences of the people in the concentration camps at liberation during World War II. Students read an article on the Liberation of Belsen Concentration Camp and D-Day and report to the class.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Noncombatancy and the Seventh ­day Adventist Church

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Upper graders investigate how the Seventh Day Adventists are objectors to the practice of war. The lesson plan covers the Civil War and examines the church's position about the practice of war. The research extends to modern wars and...
Interactive
DocsTeach

WWI Propaganda and Art

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Uncle Sam wants you! During World War II, the US government and military created a propaganda campaign to gain public support. The activity uses primary documents such as photos to explain how and why the propaganda campaign was...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hiroshima: Question Answer Response Strategy (QAR)

For Teachers 9th - 12th
“The crux of the matter is whether total war in its present form is justifiable. . .” After reading “The Aftermath,” the final chapter of Hiroshima, class members use a Question Answer Response (QAR) strategy to reflect on issues raised...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Jacob Have I Loved

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine visual images about the novel, Jacob Have I Loved. They compare pictures from "America from the Great Depression to World War II" that are described in the book and other studies of the Chesapeake Bay. They present their...
Interactive
US National Archives

Eastern Europe 1939-45 — Camps

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Britain's decision not to bomb German death camps in World War II has provided many questions for historians, but with a primary source analysis lesson, high school students may be a step closer to finding out the truth. Learners read...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Anti-Semitism Workshop

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Originating from the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Museum in Jerusalem, here is a resource to support your world historians in their study of World War II, the Holocaust, your cultural scholars learning about anti-semitism, or your...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Survivor Stories

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Trace a survivor's story using a timeline, map skills, poetry and/or prose and photography, and make a visual representation of a survivor's journey through his or her life as a culminating activity for the class and the survivor....
Lesson Plan
Facing History and Ourselves

Identity and Place

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Build scholars' ability to understand their own values and learn about World War II at the same time. Scholars write poetry and discuss identity and place in depth with an in-depth social studies resource. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Understanding JFK's Presidency through his Speeches

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Young scholars reflect and discuss the major events that happened in the United States in the 1950's and 1960's.  In this U.S. History lesson, students read and analyze the famous speeches during this time frame, then complete a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Vocabulary Strategy Instructional Routine: Maus I and II

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Pogrom, schlepped, meshuga. Kapo, reich, Wehrmacht. As part of a unit study of Maus I and II, readers use a list-group-label (LGL) strategy for vocabulary drawn from Art Spiegelman's famous graphic novels. The focus of the activity is...