Third graders describe some of the factors that brought early settlers to Ann Arbor. They read Narrative-A Trip from Utica, New York, to Ingham County, Michigan in 1838. As an added challenge, 3rd graders can use maps to track Silas...

Our elected officials are supposed to represent us, but what does it mean when they aren't like us? Budding citizens explore the demographic makeup of the US Congress, the role of money in political elections, and the Citizens United...

Middle schoolers examine the trade network in Old Babylonia. They analyze maps, explore various websites, develop a list of goods imported to and exported from Babylonia, and write an essay.

Young scholars analyze maps, firsthand accounts, and archival documents to trace the path and aftermath of the Black Death. Connections between the plague and changes adopted by the ruling class are explored in this instructional activity.

Students analyze the movement of the blues from rural Mississippi to urban Chicago and how place and the environment affected the development of the blues. They define the blues, where it originated and how and why it moved to Chicago....

Students study a region. In this history activity, students discover how different people and events have affected the Middle East in its efforts to be a peaceful area. They work in small groups on an assigned topic and present their...

Win the war of the worlds! Scholars solve a variety of problems related to an alien invasion. They determine where spaceships have landed on a coordinate map, devise a plan to avoid the aliens, observe the aliens, and break a code to...

Eleventh graders compile a list of places in the United States where they have either traveled or where their relatives or friends live. They collect travel posters, brochures, postcards, and maps from their region of the United States.

Students explore the survey of the Louisiana Purchase by creating their own surveying and mapping techniques such as natural maps, pace maps, and orienting. Other students then try to follow the maps.

Students examine how the Inca communicated over large distances. They locate the Inca Empire on a map, define key vocabulary terms, play the game, 'telephone,' and create a quipu to show the year they were born.

Students investigate the Aztec civilization and locate it on a map. They explain the legend of the city of Tenochtitan and investigate the symbolism of the Mexican flag.

Pupils confront age-related stereotypes, explore how stereotyping impacts their lives, and discuss how they can make changes to reduce over-generalizations, unfair assumptions, and critical judgments about people groups. They use a...

Ninth graders research the causes of the major genocides of the 20th century. They participate in a jigsaw activity and complete a concept map of different genocides, watch and discuss excerpts from the movies "Hotel Rwanda," "The...

Compare the North and South of New Zealand. Exploritive minds identify which island is better to live on, taking into consideration such things as social, political, and economic aspects. They research an argument to present and debate...

Students investigate how the king of Benin used brass plaques to project an image of power to the people of Benin. They locate Benin on a map, explore various websites, and create a paper wall plaque that conveys symbols of power.

Students explore the overall strategies pursued by the Japanese and the Allies in the initial months of World War II. What each side hoped to accomplish what what actually happened forms the basis of a comparison made in this lesson plan.

Students investigate the hardships and difficulties that the Continental army faced in the early years of the American War for independence. the battles of Lexington and concord and the expectations of the Continental Army forms the...

This exercise includes a lengthy article on the history of the Olympics as well as a map of Ancient Greece. The last page includes 15 reading comprehension questions about the passage. A fairly thorough look at this topic - geared toward...

Through learning about the Oregon Trail and Nebraska, learners evaluate the elements of historical fiction. Coming with a comprehensive bibliography, this lesson has your class learn about settlers traveling along the Oregon Trail,...

Using GPS units, small groups participate in a scavenger hunt to find an object that you have hidden. They use coordinates for stopping points along a pre-planned path to get to the final cache. This is a terrific activity to include in...

The adventures of the New World came at a cost for Native Americans. Scholars investigate the economic side of settling the European colonies. Using video clips, statistical evidence, and primary sources, they create hypotheses and...

Students examine the military campaigns of the Pacific theater, tracing the path of the Allied offensives. The lesson presents what the Allies were trying to accomplish and why.

Students complete a unit of lessons that examine the goals of the Americans during the Revolutionary War. They explore an online interactive map of major campaigns, read and analyze primary source documents, and analyze diplomatic and...

Students analyze how transportation influenced the development of Stillwater, Minnesota, They use the same techniques to analyze the impact of transportation on the origination and development of their own community.