Curated OER
Immigration to the United States
Young scholars discover the implications of immigration. In this immigration lesson, students read fiction based on immigration experiences as well as non-fiction on the topic. Young scholars write and share book reviews of the...
Curated OER
Push/Pull factors in Immigration
Young scholars explore the push/pull factors experienced by immigrant families. They interview a parent and an American about their family's immigration history. Students write a summary of the interview and compare the push/pull factors...
Curated OER
My Name Is Osama
Students read a short story about a young Iraqi boy, which opens up classroom discussion about the difficulties some immigrant students face, especially in the days after September 11.
Curated OER
Time Marches On
Students discover the times of Colonial America by creating a timeline. In this U.S. History activity, students research a teacher-directed website about African Americans in early colonial times. Students utilize their information to...
University of Southern California
Coming to America After the War
As part of their exploration of the American dream, class members examine primary source materials to compare immigrant experiences of those arriving early in our country's history to those arriving in the US after World War II. To...
Annenberg Foundation
Utopian Promise
Scholars learn all about the Puritans in the third installment of a 16-part lesson series. After watching a video, they read and discuss biographies of Puritans and Quakers from American history, write journal entries and poetry, and...
Curated OER
"Heritage" - "Hey, That's the Name of Our School!"
Seventh graders gain a better understanding of the canal period in U.S. History, and more specifically, discern the importance of the Illinois and Michigan Canal on the development of Illinois as a state and Chicago as a prominent city.
Curated OER
The American Mosaic
Young scholars discuss what it would be like to be new to a town. They are then asked questions related to the immigrants coming to America. Extensions of this lesson are available.
Curated OER
The Eerie Canal
Students discover bodies of water in the United States by investigating the Eerie Canal. In this U.S. Geography lesson, students discuss Lake Eerie and the canal that was built in order to transport goods. Students research the lake on...
Curated OER
Vocab-u-lous! Build a Fabulous Vocab
In this vocabulary activity, students select the best word choice to complete the sentence. The words all correspond to the theme of Valentine's Day.
Curated OER
New Citizen Exam is Democracy 101
Students read a USA Today article about U.S. democracy and then complete questions about the topic. In this democracy lesson, students read the article 'New Citizen Exam is Democracy 101.' Students learn about the test for U.S....
Curated OER
My Name is Osama - Bullying and Name-Calling
Students read the story of an Iraqi immigrant boy named Osama who faces taunts of terrorist in his U.S. school after the attack of September 11.
They discuss the characters and their struggles in the story. Students respond to...
Curated OER
Coming of Age Readings: Experiences in Korea and by Asians in America
Bring multi-cultural experiences and literature into your language arts class with this lesson. Here, young readers explore the points of view of first and second-generation Asian immigrants with a list of various fiction and nonfiction...
Global Oneness Project
Documenting Architectural Heritage
Imagine going from being one of the richest, most important cities in the world to one of the poorest. Imagine the history captured in the architecture of such a city. Imagine these same now abandoned buildings being destroyed. How would...
Curated OER
Agricultural and Industrial Policies of the U.S.
Students examine the impact of laws and government policies on the agricultural and industrial economic systems. From a list of topics, they select one area and create timelines of at least ten related government activities. In...
Curated OER
Bias vs. Perspective: An Inevitable Aspect of Journalism?
Learners explore the types of media that U.S. teens prefer the ways in which viewers identify and account for journalistic bias. They explore the ways in which media shapes one's opinion or affects their judgment.
Curated OER
Reporting on the 1920s
Use this roaring 1920s history lesson to have young writers research primary and secondary sources. They use their research to examine the events or famous public figures of the time period. Next, they imagine they're in the 1920s and...
Curated OER
What is Suffrage? Understanding the Right to Vote
Students discover one of the restrictions forced on women of the early 1900s. In this civil rights lesson, students investigate suffrage and why women were not allowed to vote in the early twentieth century. Students create a mock...
Annenberg Foundation
Migrant Struggle
The American Dream is a goal that many pursue, but is it truly attainable for all people? An in-depth lesson explores the plight of migrants in twentieth-century America. The resource includes a video and author biographies and...
Annenberg Foundation
Masculine Heroes
What were the driving forces behind American expansion in the nineteenth century, and what were its effects? Scholars watch a video, read biographies, engage in discussion, write journals and poetry, draw, and create a multimedia...
Perfection Learning
In The Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson - Activity Book
Moving to a new country isn't easy, as Shirley Temple Wong learns in In The Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson by Bette Bao Lord. A series of language arts activities carry readers through the novel, addressing the story's themes,...
Curated OER
American Heritage Themes
Young scholars explore American freedom, unity, progress, and responsibility. In this American history lesson, students discuss what it means to be an American as they reflect on contributions of noteworthy Americans and write a...
Curated OER
What Was It Like?
Students use the Internet to gather historical facts about the county in which they live. Using the information, they discover how to check it for accuracy and present their findings to the class. They write an essay about the history of...
Curated OER
Moving West with the Forts: Using an Interactive Map
Students discern a map of Texas and it's forts in the early to mid-1800's. From this map they analyze movement from the moment Texas became a state to its involvement in the Civil War.