K20 LEARN
Whose Manifest Destiny? Westward Expansion
Your land is my land! Young historians investigate the concept of Manifest Destiny used by the United States government to justify western expansion. Jigsaw groups read primary source documents to gain an understanding of the movement...
Curated OER
A Spool Of Thread
Students describe a spool of light colored thread that the teacher holds in his/her hands. They are asked what substances (cotton and wood) are present and what structures (thread and spool) are present. The teacher conclude that the...
Curated OER
Healing Fallen Warriors
Students read ancient Greek texts to explore evidence for healing wounds and compare ancient healing practices to those of modern times.
Curated OER
Robot Soldiers
Students explore the studies on scientists building a mechanical super-soldier that can heal its own wounds. Students consider and discuss the implications of mastering and using this type of technology. Students analyze the importance...
Curated OER
Using and Creating Timelines
Eleventh graders analyze information presented in a timeline and then create a time line. They put the following events in order from oldest to recent: Telephone invented (1876), Massacre at Wounded Knee (1890), First transcontinental...
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Conflict in Alabama in the 1830s: Native Americans, Settlers, and Government
To better understand the Indian Removal Act of 1830, class members examine primary source documents including letters written by Alabama governors and the Cherokee chiefs. The lesson is part of a unit on the expansion of the United...
Curated OER
PHONEMIC AWARENESS INFUSION
Students practice and utilize phonograms (word families) found in the patterns of frequently used words. They assess strategies to assist them in dividing long words as well as to develop their phonemic awareness to new vocabularies....
Curated OER
The Brass Family
Students observe a PowerPoint presentation to explore how brass instruments produce wounds. They observe the teacher demonstrate the proper use of the mouthpiece and slides to produce a tone. With and without the mouthpiece, students...
Curated OER
Medicine: Then and Now
Students read ancient Greek texts to explore ancient healing practices and compare them to those of modern times. They explain Greek healing practices for wounds.
Curated OER
The Indian Wars Continue
Middle schoolers focus on three incidents: the Chiapas uprising, the occupation of Alcatraz and the occupation and subsequent battle of the Wounded Knee reservation.
Curated OER
The Squiggly Snake says: "ssssss...."
Learners identify the sound the letter /s/ makes. They associate the /s/ sound with the letter symbol and practice finding the /s/ in words. As a class, students make the /s/ wound, draw the letter symbol. They read a book, "James and...
Curated OER
Color Roundup
Students visualize what happens when a 2 foot long piece of string is put through the middle of a cardboard circle with rainbow colors on it. The string is wound up by the students and then students have to observe what happens when the...
Smithsonian Institution
Women's Role in the War Effort
Did you know that many women were Confederate spies during the Civil War? The resource focuses particularly on the important role women played for both the Union and Confederacy. It uses exercises such as a discussion, video, analyzing...
Smithsonian Institution
The Soldier’s Experience—Vietnam versus World War I
The Vietnam War and World War I were two very important—and different—wars. To understand the differences, and similarities, class members watch videos, examine primary source documents, and then create a newscast that examines the...
Curated OER
Hamilton and Burr : Compare and Contrast
Who were Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton? High schoolers examine the character traits of these historical figures and watch the video, The Duel. Hamilton vs. Burr: An Event that Changed History (available from PBS), to gain an...
Smithsonian Institution
Lexington and Concord: Historical Interpretation
Learners view and analyze three different images related to the Battle of Lexington and Concord. They also answer a variety of questions in a graphic organizer to help keep the information straight.
Curated OER
Who's Got Game? The Lion or the Mouse?
Discuss bullying, folk tales, and more using this resource. Learners read the story The Lion and the Mouse by Toni and Slade Morrison, engage in cause and effect activities, make predictions, and discuss bullying. This is a motivating...
Curated OER
Knights of the Round Table adapted by Gwen Ross
Everyone loves the tales involving King Arthur and his knights. After reading Knights of the Round Table by Gwen Gross, learners draw inferences and conclusions, analyze story elements, and discuss figurative language, including...
Curated OER
D-Day: Commemorating the Sacrifice and Planning
Logistical and tactical considerations are important to understanding June 6, 1944.
Curated OER
Mississippi Trial, 1955: Pre-reading Strategy
Pink and Say, a picture book by Patricia Polacco, and an anticipation guide, set the stage for a reading of Mississippi Trial, 1955, Chris Crowe's novel based on the true story of the murder of Emmett Till. Instructional routines, the...
Curated OER
Make it a Hemingway Day
It’s always a good time to have your class read the works of this Nobel Prize recipient.
Curated OER
Nuremberg Verdicts: Sixty-Seven Years Later
It’s courtroom drama at its best! Let the power of this historic event propel a study that will have your kids glued to the history screen.
Curated OER
Why Bill Nye, and Others Like Him, are Rockstars
How does Bill Nye maintain rockstar status nearly two decades past when he first appeared on PBS?
Curated OER
Land and Liberty: The Saga of Sam McCulloch
The struggles of Sam McCulloch, a free black man, to be recognized as a citizen entitled to own land in Texas are the focus of research project that ask groups to examine a series of primary source documents and piece together...