National First Ladies' Library
Colonial America: The Original 13
Middle schoolers work in small groups to research the initial history of two colonies and answering a list of questions. They then prepare a PowerPoint presentation or poster that includes all the findings of the questions and share...
National First Ladies' Library
Let's Make a World Series Almanac
Middle schoolers discuss the meaning of the word, almanac and then decide which statistics about the World Series they think should be included in the almanac, browsing some websites to get some idea of what statistics are available....
Curated OER
Turbulent Times of the Sixties
Students explore 1960's America. In this American history lesson, students read about and research 1960's political and entertainment figures, social activism, the Civil Rights Movement, and environmentalism as they complete writing and...
Curated OER
The Great Depression: An Oral History
Young scholars examine the hardships experienced during the Great Depression through an oral history interview with person who lived through the event. Students transcribe their interviews and discover the contributions oral history can...
Curated OER
Student Created Murals
Learners, over the course of an acedemic quarter, paint a mural on a wall in their school. They decide on a theme, measure wall space, design images, decide on the amount of paint they need, designate teams, schedules, etc.
Curated OER
The History of Computers
Students study the people and inventions related to computers. They research famous people for each invention they created and create a timeline of the inventor and his inventions. They present an oral presentation about the person for...
National First Ladies' Library
King Tut and All That
Learners study the field of Egyptology and archeology. They create an artifact for posterity and create a special edition that tells the story in words, maps, and pictures. They create a storyboard for a "comic book" edition of the story.
Curated OER
Ancient Greece Unit
Students complete a unit of study on Ancient Greece. In this Ancient Greece lesson plan, students complete 16 sets of activities to learn about Ancient Greece. Students finish with a comprehensive test over the unit.
Curated OER
World War II in the Pacific and the End of the War
Students study the World War in the Pacific. In this Geography lesson, students develop an awareness of key issues and events from the conflict. Students write a well-organized essay describing this event.
Curated OER
The Four Religions of East Asia
Students compare and contrast the four main religions of Asia (Buddhism
Confucianism, Daoism, and Shinto). This lesson is intended for use in the middle school Social Studies classroom.
Curated OER
The Story of Magic: Centuries of Deception
Students examine the history of magic and the men and women who practice the art. The Story of Magic would be useful for classes on Religion, Culture, Mythology, Physics and Psychology. It is appropriate for middle school and high school.
Curated OER
Realism In Chinese Art
Young scholars examine the artistic terms realism and idealism through the study of Chinese art and artifacts in this instructional activity for the Social Studies classroom. Evaluation is accomplished through an in-class essay.
Curated OER
North or South? Which has a better way of life?
Sixth graders brainstorm what they believe are the causes of the Civil War. They copy the blank circle graph into their Social Studies journals twice once for their prediction and once for the actual. Students list the following...
Curated OER
Art, Literature, & Environment
Students communicate their thoughts on the environment by creating picture books for middle school students. Students include their thoughts on population, deforestation, water, energy, endangered species, and waste in their picture...
Curated OER
Education, Design & Empowerment: Part One
Learners consider the connection between poverty and education. In this language arts and social studies lesson plan, students research primary and secondary sources in order to explore the relationship between education and poverty.
Curated OER
Designing "Green" to Save Our Green Planet
Students design an environmentally friendly home. In this middle school math/science lesson, students watch videos on creating green design. Students work in collaborative groups to determine what makes a house green and to...
Curated OER
Water, Water Everywhere?
Learners discover the relationship between water availability and population growth. They change variables in a computer model using a worksheet to guide their hypotheses and conclusions. In small groups they choose a country undergoing...
Curated OER
Soil, Designer Soil: From Rainforests to the Prairie
Students explore the role and importance of soil in the ecosystem. In this Science and Social Studies lesson, students complete an experiment using various kinds of soil and clay and then examine how soil has a direct impact on our...
Curated OER
Making Stained Glass Windows
Students, in groups, research several European cathedrals from the Middle Ages. They design stained glass windows and decorate a school window with their design using black construction paper and cellophane.
Curated OER
Gandhi's Non-violent Revolutions: Examining Tools to Make Non-violent
Students analyze Gandhi's philosophy of nonviolent social change. For this nonviolence and social change lesson, students research a leader from the attached list who practiced nonviolent social change. Students write their own poem...
Curated OER
Keep It Academic
Students study various methods to learn about religion in the classroom. In this religion study instructional activity, students read and visit links to learn about various ways of teaching religion in schools. Students learn the model...
Curated OER
Aztec Dance
Seventh graders study Aztec dance to learn about their culture and civilization. In this Aztec study lesson, 7th graders watch a video of Aztec dancers and describe the dance on an index card. Students visit a website to learn the...
Curated OER
Warning Signs
Learners identify the signs that someone is being bullied. For this school climate lesson, students discuss the provided list of signs that one is being bullied. Links are provided to other lessons about bullying.
Curated OER
Conscience, Sin, and Correction
Twelfth graders consider the structure of the Roman Catholic Church in the Middle Ages. In this morality instructional activity, 12th graders examine the 95 Theses of Martin Luther and determine his reason for writing them. Students also...