An interesting lesson plan uses a hands-on-activity and group discussion to explore the 1864 presidential election and Lincoln's plans for ending the Civil War. Designed for high school, the resource also requires historians to...

What role has food played in the rise and changing nature of civilizations? Here you'll find a fantastic set of lessons and materials on such topics as where food is grown in the United States, the food of ancient peoples,...

A child tells a story of her visit to a fire house. How does her cognitive development impact how she remembers what she saw? Scholars explore a case study and a second prompt about psychological reactions using authentic College Board...

How did the environment and natural resources found on the Channel islands influence the culture of the Chumash? Archaeology meets technology in an activity designed for middle schoolers. After viewing West of The West's documentary Once...

In our increasingly multi-ethnic society, many students find it difficult to identify themselves as belonging to any one ethnicity. Gene Tagaban, a Tlingit, Cherokee, Filipino offers his personal experiences with these questions in his...

The 1960s marked a pivotal point for social and foreign policy in the United States. Using documents, such as speeches from Martin Luther King Jr. and John F. Kennedy, and authentic test prompts, class members consider the impact of this...

Students make two T charts, one for Sparta and one for Athens, showing pros and cons for living in either city-state. They use the physical information from the map and the cultural captions given for Athens and Sparts to come to their...

After analyzing both examples and non-examples of a variety of protests conducted by ethnic groups in Seattle and the state of Washington during the twentieth century, your class members will work to identify the key ideas and...

While many often associate Ben Franklin with his kite electricity experiments, budding historians find out he contributed much more. They discover Franklin's political savvy by examining primary sources in the informative installment of...

In small groups, teens take on different roles to discuss the qualifications for parenthood. An instruction sheet for group discussion is provided, as well as homework worksheets. Throughout these exercises, young adults take the time to...

Learners examine cyberbullying. In this lesson on democracy, students discuss the different ways to deal with cyberbullying. They then take a position on the question of whether a democracy should allow schools to take action against off...

As part of their study of the US Civil Rights Movement and the Montgomery bus boycott, class members read Dr. Martin Luther King's "Integrated Bus Suggestions." They then craft a short story about the first week of Montgomery...

What makes a cartoon political? The lesson plan provides learners with political cartoons and teaches how to analyze them using a five-step process. Scholars also complete a hands-on activity and participate in group discussions to...

What was it like to be a kid growing up during the Great Depression? Academics study primary sources to analyze the effect of school closures on children during the Great Depression. They then participate in group discussions and writing...

Designed as the culminating activity after a unit study of the Holocaust, class members assume the voice of a world leader, write a speech, and participate in a simulation of the Stockholm International Forum on the Holocaust.

Eleventh hour. Eleventh day. Eleventh month. 11th year. As part of a study of World War I and Remembrance Day, class members consider what it was like to be a soldier during war.

Fourth graders analyze posters that communicate an "active living" message, otherwise known as a public service announcement. Children identify techniques that are used in creating media texts including topic, purpose, and...

What is the European Union? Where is it? Why is it? To begin a study of the EU, class members examine the physical geography of Europe and the size and population density of 28-member countries in comparison to non-member countries...

How do interest groups try to influence elections? As part of their study of the election process, groups view 30-second advertisements produced by advocacy groups and use the provided worksheet to evaluate these ads. They then craft...

Class members investigate the role media should play in a healthy democracy. As part of this study, groups analyze political advertising, use FactCheck to assess not only the veracity of but the persuasions techniques used in candidates'...

Wicked is not just a Tony Award winning broadway musical. It also makes for a strong base to teach character education, specifically anti-bullying. Scholars listen, discuss, role play, and show what they know through a group...

How do you create a classroom environment where hot button topics may be discussed in a respectful manner? As part of a series of lessons that focus on immigration issues, class members examine the rules for civil discussion before...

To conclude their study of immigration and human rights, class members create a civic engagement project centered on an issue of immigration and designed to influence US immigration policy. They examine examples of attempts to...

A role-playing scenario has middle-schoolers imagining that they are refugees forced to flee their community and integrate into a new one. Then, some play the roles of members of the new community and the class brainstorms ideas about...