Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Inventions Change the World: The Enigma Machine

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders explore WWII by analyzing technological advances. In this invention instructional activity, 3rd graders discuss the use of the Enigma machine which decoded private German messages that communicated with U-boats. Students...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Ethics of the Bomb: What Would You Do?

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Learners research the use of the atomic bomb in WWII, analyze the human costs of dropping the bomb and identify the pros and cons. They develop a PowerPoint presentation on the effects of an atomic bomb dropped on their hometown.
Worksheet
Curated OER

D-Day

For Students 5th - 10th
In this D-Day instructional activity, students complete activities such as complete activities such as reading a passage, phrase matching, fill in the blanks, correct words, multiple choice, spelling sequencing, scrambled sentences,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Number the Stars, by Lois Lowry. New York: Dell 1990

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students recognize courage and heroism of Danish and Swedish people and all others who resisted the Nazis, realize that everyone has the capacity to do good as well as evil, and analyze reasons and motivations that caused certain people...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Deportation and Loss

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders discuss the issues of isolation and deportation as they are related to the Holocaust. After reading a brief passage about deportation and confinement in a concentration camp, 7th graders discuss the feelings involved in...
Lesson Plan
Scholastic

The Rise of Railroads: Illinois

For Teachers 4th Standards
Railways not only cross the US, but they are also intertwined with the history of America. Using a timeline format, individuals explore the connections between major events in American history—such as the Civil War—and the rise of the...
PPT
Curated OER

Nationalism in North Africa and the Middle East

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Africa and the Middle East are the focus of this Social Studies PowerPoint. After viewing many slides that are packed with historical facts, viewers answer questions such as, "How was the struggle for independence in Algeria different...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

America in Film and Fiction

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers begin the lesson by reading a book on film study. After watching the movie "Citizen Kane", they work together to identify the issues concerning the United States before World War II. As a class, they discuss how the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Langston Hughes: Artist and Historian

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine the life and works of Langston Hughes. In groups, they research the characteristics of the Harlem Renaissance and how Hughes' poems relate to the era. They use the themes in his writings and relate it to the Great...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Baby Boom and the Culture of the 1950's

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders explain the causes, course, and consequences of the United States' role in World War II.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Scapegoating

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers examine how stereotypes, prejudices and discriminatory practices lead to individuals and groups being blamed for events. They are introduced to the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II.
Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

Eleanor Roosevelt and the Rise of Social Reform in the 1930's

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Eleventh graders explore the various roles that Eleanor Roosevelt took on. In this US History lesson, 11th graders analyze the views that Eleanor Roosevelt held as an advocate for social justice. High schoolers evaluate her contributions...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Imperialism and Expansion: Part 1

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Young scholars explore the era of imperialism and expansion of the United States. In this American history lesson, students play a game regarding the U.S. attempts to expand the nation in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Japanese American Baseball in the Camps

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students study Japanese American internment camps. In this American history lesson, students compare and contrast the camp internees' experiences with with team sports-related challenges students have encountered. Students discuss team...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Oral History and Interview Skills

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students develop interview skills and learn about US history at the same time. Students research an event from local history. Students prepare a list of questions based on the research. They create a list of interview questions and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

P.O.W.: Products of War

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders are introduced to concepts of war through musical lyrics. They demonstrate and understanding of the role of segregation in US military policy and practice.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Anne Frank: One of Hundreds of Thousands

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers show on a map territorial changes to Germany as a result of the Treaty of Versailles, then identify European countries that came under German control before and during World War II.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

US Government: Foreign Policy (Part 1)

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students explore foreign policy. In this foreign policy lesson, students define terms regarding foreign policy. Students respond to questions regarding textbook readings and a lecture regarding U.S. foreign policy.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fueling Around with Energy: A Comparative Study of Conventional and Renewable Energy Use Among Nations

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers compare and contrast renewable and conventional energy sources. In this energy lesson, students research about conventional fuel and present a persuasive argument about their stand on the issue.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hiroshima

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students conduct research focused around the events concerning the bombing of Hiroshima in Japan. The research is based upon the answering of several key questions. The students are also exposed to different media sources to see the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Myth of Voluntary Internment

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students review the Alien Enemies Act and Executive Order 9095. They explore both the financial and emotional ramifications of having a parent arrested or interned. They research what daily life was like in U.S. Internment camps during...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Dos mapas de Florida, el Caribe y parte de Sur America

For Teachers 7th - 12th
What can maps tell us about the past? Find out with a Spanish lesson that incorporates geography. After examining maps individually, comparing two old maps of Spanish Florida and writing notes in the provided Venn diagram, pupils pair up...
Activity
Curated OER

The Great Depression and New Deal

For Teachers 4th - 6th Standards
Elementary pupils are introduced to the Great Depression as a critical period of hardship in United States history. They engage in collaborative assignments researching the Dust Bowl, the New Deal, US presidents, and presidential libraries.
Activity
Macmillan Education

A Wrinkle in Time Discussion and Activity Guide

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
As you work through Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time, try out some or all of the 20 questions and activities included here. Useful for discussion questions, group assignments, or individual projects, this resource covers plot as...