National Endowment for the Humanities
A Wrinkle in Time: The Board Game
Tackle some big questions about A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle with a board game project. As learners brainstorm for and complete their board games, they consider what helps and hinders Meg on her journey and why she succeeds in...
Bright Hub Education
Introducing "Number the Stars"
Prepare your class to read Number the Stars, by Lois Lowry, with these prereading activities. This resource lists three ideas to ready your readers. Learners explore the historical context, connect to the book, and preview the book....
Curated OER
Dinosaur! Fossil Rush: Tale of a Bone
Explore 1870s when a "bone rush" led to amazing discoveries, as fossil-hunters risked life and limb in their quest for dinosaur remains. The class uses the attached visual encyclopedia to prep for a discussion on early paleontology. Two...
Curated OER
Remembering WWII Through Memorials
Learners create memorials for lesser known WWII heroes. In this WWII lesson, students recognize the efforts of lesser know individuals and groups that contributed to the wartime cause. Learners work in groups to create a memorial for one...
Curated OER
Science Fiction
Young scholars write a science fiction story. In this science fiction lesson, students read selections of science fiction and compare them to supernatural stories from the Bible. Young scholars identify themes and discuss...
Curated OER
Sami and the Time of Troubles
Pupils read Florence Parry Heide and Judith Heide Gilliland's, Sami and the Time of Troubles before discussing it as a class. They brainstorm ideas for a letter to the main character, Sami. Next, they write a rough draft of a letter to...
Curated OER
The Star-Spangled Banner
Students explore the Star-Spangled Banner. In this civics instructional activity, students read the lyrics of the song as well as a handout that details its creation. Students respond to discussion questions from the handout.
Curated OER
Plants and Animals, Partners in Pollination
Students participate in multiple hands-on activities to explore reproduction and pollination. In groups, using a cotton swab and powder, students simulate being pollinators and plants. They name the parts of the flowers and the function...
Curated OER
The Talking Goat Lesson
Learners analyze the meanings and patterns of a folk tale. They respond in their reading journals to the following prompts: How do you feel about the way "The Talking Goat" ended? Why? Which did you like better: your group's predicted...
Curated OER
Presentation of Pilgrims
Students are given a category to research (clothes, life before the New World, the voyage, etc.) about Pilgrim life. s Students, in groups, create presentations using software program such as PowerPoint.
Curated OER
Urban Concentration and Racial Violence
Students research one of the many urban race riots in U.S. history, from the New York City riots during the Civil War to the "Red Summer of 1919" or the hate-strikes of 1943. They present their findings in the form of a newspaper's front...
Curated OER
Founding Documents of the Peace Corps
Students examine United States foreign policy in the period immediately following World War II through the activities of the Peace Corps.
Curated OER
Further Reading: Japan
Students investigate the Japanese people and how they lived in the World War II era. They conduct research in order to obtain information. Then they role play the part of different people in groups who lived during the time.
Curated OER
Color My World
Students examine colors and describe how colors contribute to the way a person may feel after listening to several books. Students also survey class for favorite colors and graph results, as well as discover how different colors are made...
Curated OER
Adolf Hitler
Students explore facts about Hitler's life and the historical events that occurred in that time, his view of history, his theory of race and his political goals. They explore his use of anti-Semitism to advance his career and consolidate...
City University of New York
The Split Over Suffrage
Compare and contrast Frederick Douglass's and the National Women's Suffrage Association's stances on equal rights and suffrage with a series of documents and worksheets. Learners work together or independently to complete the packet, and...
Curated OER
Shakespeare's Macbeth
After reading Act II of The Tragedy of Macbeth, give your class this prompt to complete. One other question is listed along with information regarding the divine right of kings. A full plan is not written out here, but the prompt is a...
Curated OER
Breaching the Gulf Between Cultures
Students explore the dynamics, the challenges, and the rewards of adjusting to a new culture through the reading of "Help! My Father is Coming" and "The Visit to Vijay's". For this social culture lesson, students carousel brainstorm...
Curated OER
What Sharing Really Means
Students examine the meaning of generosity and how sharing can be a cultural trait. In this cultural trait lesson, students read a text about the culture of generosity in Africa. Students complete a discussion activity and journal activity.
Curated OER
Käthe Kollwitz: Never Again War!
Students explore Kathe Kollowitz and other Holocaust artists.
Curated OER
Discussion Guide: Grades 9-12
High schoolers discover that wars and human rights abuses are going on around the world every day. They discuss how the media decide what should be covered and what should not?
Curated OER
Grab Hands and Run: Understanding Human Rights
Sixth graders read the novel Grab Hands and Run by Frances Temple. They explore the effects of war on human rights. Students explore the idea that human rights are protected by the United Nations. They identify the human rights that were...
Curated OER
Return to Vietnam: Healing on the Hill
Students view a film about soldiers returning to Vietnam years after the war. They discover the need of closure by the soldiers because the war was not won. They examine the results of the war and answer questions to complete the lesson.
Curated OER
Lawson Fusao Inada
Students read and analyze poetry written by Lawson Fusao Inada. They read and discuss the executive order issued to Japanese Americans during WWII, take a field trip to the Nikkei Legacy Center, and read and discuss poems.