Lesson Plan
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Curated OER

The Last Word: Using Critical Thinking and Analysis to Reach a Decision

For Teachers 5th - 9th
Want to explore the process of writing a persuasive essay and tie it in with the upcoming elections? Class members use Venn diagrams and the hamburger model of persuasive writing to write a five-paragraph essay on elections and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Diversity in Media: Looking Critically at What We See

For Teachers 8th - Higher Ed
This learning experience fosters awareness of representations we see, and don't see, in the media. Learners list TV programs, games, and films they enjoy, identify characters' ethnic, religious, (dis)ability, and sexual orientation...
Unit Plan
C3 Teachers

2020 Protests: Is There Anything New about the 2020 Protests?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Are marches and protests an effective form of resistance? That is the question high schoolers seek to answer in this inquiry lesson as they compare the 2020 protests to historical ones. Researchers use Venn Diagrams to compare images...
Writing
Curated OER

What Do You Think of Obama's Oval Office Speech on the Oil Spill?

For Students 7th - 12th
Kids age 13 and older are asked to read the provided Times article and background information in order to construct a thoughtful blog response to Obama's first Oval Office speech. They work to address each of the related critical...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

North Carolina Historical Sites

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders design and create a tourist brochure for North Carolina historical sites. They research North Carolina, find and scan pictures for their brochure, use ClarisWorks to form the text, print, display and use constructive...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"Construction Work" Art Activity

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Learners explore architectural styles and define architectural terms. They construct a building using various architectural elements, and display their buildings, identifying each of the architectural components they used.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Cartoons for the Classroom: Congress and the President

For Students 11th - 12th
Learners take a critical look at the ways in which the president interacts with Congress in order to make political and economic decisions. They use a series of well-constructed discussion questions to guide their thinking as they...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Critical Look at Aboriginal Art

For Teachers 4th - 7th
Students observe art from different Aboriginal cultures.  In this art evaluation instructional activity, students discover the different traditions of cultures from the Pacific North West.  Students judge the art from these...
Lesson Plan
Media Education Lab

Propaganda Techniques

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
In an age of fake news, alternative facts, and biased reporting, it is more important than ever that 21st century learners develop the critical-thinking skills necessary to recognize, analyze and resist the propaganda techniques used in...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Scaffolded Reading of "Drawing of an African Burial Ground Grave in Situ"

For Teachers 7th - 9th
The class reads the description of the "Drawing of an African Burial Ground Grave In Situ" then completes a work sheet. They act like archaeologists and answer a series of critical thinking questions to better understand the historical...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Creating a Bill of Rights

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Creating a Bill of Rights isn't easy! Help your scholars experience what the Founding Fathers did by challenging them to write a Bill of Rights. Groups pretend they are a new democratic country and proceed to create that country's Bill...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Create a Migrant's Scrapbook from the First Great Migration

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Help young historians personally engage in the stories of African Americans during the Great Migration! Assessing a migration route map, learners create a migrant character's experience, adding details while studying primary sources. A...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Investigating the Harlem Renaissance

For Teachers 11th - 12th
The work of Langston Hughes opens the door to research into the origin and legacy of the Harlem Renaissance and how the literature of the period can be viewed as a commentary on race relations in America. In addition, groups are assigned...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Achievements and Challenges of Egypt

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Awesome, that is all I have to say! This set of lessons provides learners with an understanding of ancient Egyptian laws, lifestyle, religion, and culture. It engages them in a critical analysis activity regarding the film, "The Prince...
Lesson Plan
Syracuse University

Ancient World Writing System

For Teachers 5th - 6th Standards
Most twenty-first century pupils don't know how to interpret cuneiform. Examining images of cuneiform and papyrus writing and using a chart and Venn diagram, young historians extrapolate what life may have been like for people who lived...
Lesson Plan
Syracuse University

World War I

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
World War I was known for its gruesome battlefields and horrific injuries. Using photographs from a battlefield surgeon's scrapbook, scholars see first-hand what life was like in the trenches. After creating a timeline of the war using...
Lesson Plan
Middle Tennessee State University

The Invention of the Telephone

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
All of the people in your class would agree that life would be different without the invention of the telephone! Study Alexander Graham Bell's most famous and influential invention through the primary source document of his...
Lesson Plan
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West Virginia Department of Education

The Debate - John Brown: Martyr or Madman?

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Did he die for a cause, or was he crazy? Although the resource discusses John Brown and West Virginia history, many historical figures have the same reputation. Teach learners about different perspectives and highlight the importance of...
Lesson Plan
History with Peters

A Clear Signal for Change: Multiple Interpretations and Nat Turner’s Rebellion

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Was Nat Turner a hero or a violent criminal? Using primary sources and images that discuss the rebellion of enslaved people he led in antebellum Virginia, scholars consider the question. Then, they create memorials to Turner and...
Interactive
DocsTeach

Patent Analysis: J.W. Davis and Levi Strauss's Fastening Pocket Openings

For Teachers 3rd - 6th Standards
Commonplace today, the zipper and button construction of blue jeans was a major innovation. Using the patent for the J.W. Davis and Levi Strauss innovation, individuals comb an image of the fly for clues. Afterward, they discuss its...
Interactive
DocsTeach

The Vietnam War Timeline: Understanding the Nature of a Controversial Conflict

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The story of the Vietnam War is often told through images. Young historians analyze images and primary sources —including the Vietnamese Army's Seven Commandments poster and photos of the daily life of soldiers—to construct a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Southeast Anatolia Project

For Teachers 7th - 9th
This resource is amazing. It is a full project including teacher notes, handouts, procedure, and worksheets. It introduces learners to the GAP project, a social environmental group working to bring irrigation, assistance, and increased...
Lesson Plan
Media Education Lab

Defining Propaganda

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
21st century learners live in a media world. Help them develop the skills they need to be able to analyze the barrage of propaganda they face daily, with a resource that introduces them to the type of persuasive appeals found in...
Lesson Plan
Idaho Coalition

The Hunger Games: Gender Empowerment

For Teachers 6th - 12th
The odds are in your favor that your pupils will love this lesson that uses The Hunger Games to launch a study of gender empowerment, as well as the influence of social constructs of gender. Groups discuss how Katniss Everdeen and Peeta...