Fourth graders research the rock art caves that are found in Texas. In this rock art instructional activity, 4th graders use assigned web sites to find information about the rock art that is found in caves in Texas. They work in small...

Students explore the life of Friar Margil de Jesus as well as other Spanish friars. They research Friar Margil and write a paragraph explaining why Spanish friars came to Texas. In groups, students create a PowerPoint presentation...

Young scholars explore contemporary lifestyles, cultures, traditions are influenced by the contributions of the German settlers of that region. They research these influences and design a brochure to entice potential immigrants to the...

Students read a New York Times article in order to examine the importance of cultural artifacts. They create essays from the point of view of one cultural artifact to demonstrate the knowledge they gained by doing research.

Students examine the relationship of man and nature as portrayed in Stephen Crane's, The Open Boat." The third person, omniscient point of view, the depth of character analysis found in the story, and the emotions evoked by the author...

High schoolers analyze a character of Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury to catch a glimpse of a family and the changes they, and the Old South, undergo. The use of time as it relates to the structure of the plot is covered in this...

Campaign ads target both timely issues and general themes. Presidential campaign ads from 1952 and 1988 provide class members an opportunity to compare how the topics ads choose to address can dramatically influence election outcomes.

Tenth graders examine the role of women in the early 1900s. In groups, they use the internet to research groups who favored or opposed giving women the right to vote. To end the lesson, they note the methods used by women to finally gain...

Students read The Train Ride Home by Robin Solomon. In this literature response lesson, students will inspect the writing of Solomon to determine how she established a certain tone through her word choice and...

Students examine the advantages of being flexible when visiting or living in a different culture. They read and discuss a first-hand account by a Peace Corps volunteer in Kazakhstan, and write a letter from the point of view of a...

Students create a "virtual poetry slam." This project can easily be implemented at any grade level where students have created short pieces of personal writing. They write, edit, and revise a short piece of poetry or personal writing.

Students explore the change in values from the 1920's to the present. In groups, students use the internet to analyze Pete Rose and gambling in sports. The 1919 scandal of the World Series is explored and discussed by students. They...

Haikus by Basho, Buson, Issa, and Shiki are used as models for a brief lecture on the importance of poetry in Japan's history and the structure of this poetic form. Students then go on a nature walk, record impressions, and return to the...

Students use their critical thinking skills to write about historical events. In this historical perspectives lesson, students read documents about historical events and make annotations and marginal notes. Students then respond to...

Students examine the impact of the North Shore Road Project in North Carolina. In this environmental science lesson plan, students share their views regarding this environmental issue. They compare and contrast the map of the Great Smoky...

Students visit Internet sites to compare ways of life of Indians on western Texas frontier and U.S. military men at Texas forts, and draw pictures to illustrate clothing, transportation, weapons, and shelter of both Indians and U.S....

Students examine the role of women in US society during the 19th century and how this role evolved and changed in time. They then write a persuasive letter that domonstrates their comprehensin of the subject.

High schoolers use a multimedia project, The Valley of the Shadow: Two American Communities in the Civil War, to create a presentation about the significance of the Gettysburg Address. They work on expert teams to explore the interactive...

Fifth graders examine schooling now and in New England Colonies. For this compare and contrast lesson, 5th graders describe schools of the present to schools of the past. Students also investigate the goals of schooling and the part...

Students take a virtual tour of the Deerfield Meeting House, circa 1700's, and other turn of the century homes and locations and compare them to modern homes and locations of today.

Young scholars explore symmetry in architecture.  In this cross curriculum art  and architecture lesson, students fold paper to illustrate symmetry and identify symmetrical and asymmetrical shapes.  Young scholars observe...

Students revisit issues of civil rights in the U.S. They use the recent national discussion of retiring Senator Strom Thurmond's 1948 Dixiecrat Presidential campaign as a starting point.

Students explore the connection between World War II and Jewish immigration to Israel after the War.  In this World History instructional activity, students discuss the details of what it might have been like to live through the...