New York City Department of Education
Geography and Early Peoples of the Western Hemisphere
Young historians discover the early people of the western hemisphere. The unit explores how the land changed, how it was used and homes of early Americans such as Incas, Mayans, Inuits, Aztecs, and Pueblos. Individuals also examine these...
August House
The Hidden Feast
What is a proverb? This is the leading question of this resource. First, explore proverbs and their meanings. Then, read aloud The Hidden Feast: A Folktale from the American South by Martha Hamilton and Mitch Weiss and partake...
Curated OER
The Homestead Act of 1862
Students, in groups, study the Homestead Act. Each group studies a region of the country in the 1840s: the North, the South, and the West. Ask each group to research and write their region's position on the homestead issue.
Curated OER
Video Boxes
Students create a video box about a Central American country. In this world history lesson, student research Central America and pick a country they want to investigate. They work in groups to create a video box that shows images about...
Curated OER
In the Shadow of My Country: A Japanese American Artist Remembers
Students analyze artist's themes and means of communication, think critically about their sources of information, and weigh claims of national security against the civil liberties of diverse groups.
Curated OER
Native American Cultures
Young scholars investigate the Native American Heritage and explore their customs cultures. They discover characteristics of the Native Americans through the study of their art, artifacts, stories and symbols.
Curated OER
Land, Liberty and the Struggle for the American Dream
Students investigate equality by reading a historical fiction book in class. In this civil rights lesson, students read the story Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry with their classmates and define the Jim Crow Laws that kept blacks...
Curated OER
Language Arts: Learning About the Self
Tenth graders explore the self through a study of autobiographies. By writing daily in their journals, they improve their writing skills and write reflection pieces at the end of the year. Through a series of writing assignments, 10th...
Mr. Nussbaum
Fort Sumter Reading Comprehension
The Battle of Fort Sumter was both the first and the least deadly battle of the American Civil War, with no soldiers lost during the lengthy bombardment. Learn more about the first shots of the Civil War with a short reading passage and...
K12 Reader
Eastern Woodland Natives
Supplement your social studies instruction with a reading passage about the Eastern Woodlands. After reading the passage, learners respond to five related questions.
Penguin Books
A Teacher’s Guide to the Penguin Edition of John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath
The dry Oklahoma landscape in America's Dust Bowl sent many farmers in search of the promised land. A teacher's guide to John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath discusses the characters' desire for a better home along with other themes...
Curated OER
Reading Teammates
Fourth graders read the book "Teammate" after participating in pre-reading activities that include examining the concepts of segregation and discrimination. For this six week literature study, they make timelines, discuss what they know...
Japan Society
National Identity and Literature from Okinawa
A lesson plan originally designed around the short story "Mr. Saito of Heaven Building" by Yamanokuchi Baku, this resource provides historical background, discussion questions, and brief writing assignments that help your class explore...
Curated OER
Art to Zoo: India-Where Remarkable Differences Are Ordinary
Students "visit" India to learn about its culture and the lives of children in India. In this India lesson, students conduct research and report on the lives of Indian children in the form of a mock interview between a journalist and an...
Curated OER
More Than Tipis and Feathers
Fourth graders research Native American People of the plains, the forest, the northwest coast and the desert. They compare how their lives were similar and how they were different. They make a model of one type of dwelling.
Curated OER
Oral Histories
Students investigate the theme of what it means to be American in a pluralistic society. They conduct oral histories with a family member and create a presentation of the interview. Students develop a better comprehension of their own...
Curated OER
Creating an Ethnic Student Newspaper
Students examine the role of the Black Press. In this African American history lesson, students watch segments of a video titled, " Too Long to Have Others Spoken for Us." Students respond to discussion questions regarding each of the...
Curated OER
Zora Hurston Teacher's Guide
Learners explore American culture by reading classic literature in class. In this African-American history lesson, students read the story Zora Hurston and the Chinaberry Tree while identifying the work and contributions of the real life...
Curated OER
Thirteen Colonies Word Jumble
In this American colonies learning exercise, students unscramble the letters in 20 words to spell vocabulary pertaining to the thirteen original colonies. There is a word bank provided.
Curated OER
Jim Frankoski Lesson Plan Ideas
Students read about Jim Frankoski and his art to examine various elements in environmental art. In this art analysis activity, students analyze the location of photographs and how images create illusions that capture new viewpoints.
Curated OER
Emotion Masks
High schoolers analyze and discuss masks of different cultures as an art form to evoke emotion. This instructional activity culminates in the creation of individual mask designs and self-directed assessment (included).
Curated OER
Animals in Art
Students look at how animals are shown in literature and art as representing emotions, telling a story, or sending a message in this elementary school Language Arts and Visual Arts lesson.
Curated OER
Need for Reconstruction: Devasation and Liberation in the South
Eighth graders examine the amount of destruction in the South following the Civil War. They explore the reasons why Reconstruction was needed.
Curated OER
Social Effects of WWII on SC (Pt. 3)
Fifth graders examine the impact of World War II on South Carolina. For this American history lesson, 5th graders analyze primary documents that include political cartoons and advertisements that were published in South Carolina during...