While cities had only a small fraction of the population in colonial America, they played a significant role in pre-revolutionary years, and this was certainly true for the largest city in the North American colonies: Philadelphia. Your...

Introduce your class to the Everest expedition to reenact a 1924 climb by George Mallory and Andrew Irvine. Discuss and show pictures of the types of clothing worn at that time and compare it to today's state-of-the-art climbing gear....

The devastating changes happening to the Native American inhabitants of an island off the coast of Louisiana are the topic of an informational lesson. After scholars break into groups to explore particular topics, they come back together...

First graders investigate the past and present by analyzing a group of images. In this community history lesson, 1st graders read the story Sarah Morton's Day by Kate Walters and discuss the time frame of the story. Students create a...

Students look at schoolhouses from the past. In this comparative analysis lesson, students visit a one room school house and look at the tools used for learning. Students then compare the schoolhouse of the past to the schoolhouse of today.

Students compare and contrast their community to what it was like 50 years ago. They research various aspects of their community and compare and contrast with what it is like now. Students present and discuss their findings.

After looking into the life, art, and social contributions of artist Emory Douglas, learners analyze several social art pieces. They use Emory Douglas as an example of social art, then consider 10 other pieces. They write a paper...

Through a series of activities, children discover the differences between their lives and the lives of children in the 19th century. They research and compare roles and responsibilities (in general and among genders), forms of education,...

Students listen to a story about school in a one-room schoolhouse.  In this cause and effect instructional activity, students create a Venn diagram to find the similarities and differences in schools then and now. Students discuss...

Students examine cultural assimilation. In this Native American history lesson, students read and analyze "The Spirit Survives: The American Indian Boarding School Experience: Then and Now." Students identify how American Indian Boarding...

Students explore the concept of philanthropy. In this philanthropic heroes lesson, students read Kate Shelley: Bound for Legend and discuss the Industrial Revolution. Students consider Kate Shelley's contributions to society as they...

Does your bank pay you for allowing them to hold your money? Class members research three different ways they can earn money using money already in the bank. Topics include certificates of deposit, statement savings accounts, and...

Couches, carpets, and even computer keyboards now advertise they are spill-resistant, but what does that mean? Scholars use physical and chemical methods to coat surfaces with thin films to test their hydrophobic properties. Then they...

Students develop imagery in literary and art works. They discuss Jacob Lawrence's painting, the "Tombstones, 1942", which conveyed overcrowded tenements and families living in Harlem (New York, New York). They design picture stories...

How are fact and opinion different? Middle schoolers explore fact and opinion and write articles pertaining to a football match, eliminating all opinion statements in order to focus on the facts. Then they discuss bias in the media....

Describe yourself or a character from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice with a biopoem activity. Using the provided format, kids write their own characteristics or the character traits from the novel to create a poetic portrait.

Explore a 1900s lunch pail. For this oral language and 1900s history lesson, students view a photograph of an old-fashioned lunch pail. Students describe the object and make predictions about what it is and its possible uses. Students...

Test your pupils' reasoning skills with several activities and a quick mystery to solve. Learners watch and analyze a few video clips that demonstrate reasoning in action, practice deduction with an interactive and collaborative...

Following an online activity, scholars listen to a read-aloud of If You Were at the First Thanksgiving by Anne Kamma. Pupils discuss their family traditions and complete a T-chart comparing the holiday then and now. Collages are made to...

If it's on the Internet, it must be true—right? How can someone tell if a website contains less-than-truthful information? Savvy surfers evaluate sources in the fifth of a six-part college and career readiness instructional activity...

Students write an essay discussing the balance between safety and restrictions when it comes to the placement of metal detectors in schools. They research the safety situation in their district, including discussions about safety issues...

Teach your special education students about cause and effect with this SMART board activity. After analyzing real-life examples of cause and effect -'What happens when you eat too much? What happens when you don't get enough sleep?"-...

Students explain the differences and time relationships between the past simple, present perfect (continuous) and present simple tenses when speaking about the past and present. They use a graphic organizer before speaking.

Students consider the benefits that so-called disruptive technology can have in the classroom, then design class activities that feature such technology prominently. They write essays responding (as students) to their classmates'...