Trench art is a nontraditional art form created by soldiers in trenches during wartime. Artist Allison Smith connects her art to the American Revolution and the question: "What are you fighting for?" Kids examine her art, how it connects...

Annabelle, a young character in Wolf Hollow, discovers one bully can ruin everything when Betty walkes into her classroom. Betty bullies others and targets a war veteran. Individuals read how one person changed Annabelle's life. They...

Learners use a Analyzing Mediums handout to detail the advantages and disadvantages of communicating with mediums such as artwork, photographs, and political cartoons in the Japanese-American Internment during World War II primary...

Elie Wiesel's "Hope, Despair and Memory" provides ninth graders an opportunity to demonstrate their ability to analyze complex text. Individuals craft an essay that draws evidence from the text of the speech to show how Wiesel develops...

Ninth graders identify and explain the six major causes of World War I. They explore the events leading up to WWI, the assassination of Franz Ferdinand and why they were the culmination of everything. Students discuss the...

Do people really need “a newer, bigger Holocaust” in order to change? Or is it possible that by making text-to-self connections to the stories of others people that they can change? In order to connect to Art Spiegelman’s Maus, class...

Eighth graders debate United States' involvement in the Holocaust and WWII. They research the United States' role in the Holocaust, views the US held at the time, and how they would have handled the Holocaust if they were in charge...

We construct meaning through discussion, so help your readers of Elie Wiesel's work Night with a socratic questioning activity. The strategy is outlined on the first page, and the second page offers some example questions you give to...

Tenth graders explore the novel, A Separate Peace by John Knowles. They discuss the events surrounding World War II and the events that were vital to progress during the war. Students locate New Hampshire on a map. They discuss the main...

Fifth graders explore American history by viewing videos on the Internet. In this Japanese internment lesson, 5th graders discuss the politics that took place between America and Japan during WWII and why it was necessary to incarcerate...

Students study economics and timelines of events to understand changes in America.  For this Twenties and Thirties lesson, students navigate Internet sites to research famous reformers.  Students recognize the economic changes...

Some war heroes have four legs. War Horse tells of a courageous foal taken from his farm and sent into war. Joey, the foal, loves and touches the lives of many soldiers. However, his heart is still with his boy back on the farm. Scholars...

“The Gambler” and “The Journey” offer readers an opportunity to experience two very different views of Jewish life in Poland between WWI and WWII. Whether used as a part of a study of the Holocaust, or as a compare/contrast exercise, the...

Japan has a complex relationship with the environment. Explore this relationship with your class through this resource. Included are thought questions, several activity ideas that range from writing, to discussion, to research, and an...

Music and poetry are vehicles that can tell many stories. Learners read the poem "The Song of the Murdered Jewish People" by Itzhak Katzenelson, then listen to the requiem it inspired; composed by Zlata Razdolina. Excellent...

Explore Japanese society and national identity. Class members share ideas about the Japanese economy and then investigate a series of resources, including an article, a film, a lecture, and a poem, to learn about Japan's Bubble Economy...

Zora Neale Hurston's novel Their eyes Were Watching God has been highly praised and severely criticized for its depiction of African American folk culture. A set of primary source materials, including photographs, articles, essays, and...

High schoolers study paintings by a Pennsylvania artist, Horace Pippin, to explore African-American contributions in World War I. They create presentations based on their impressions of the artwork.

Students study the definitions of militarism, imperialism, and nationalism, and the significant individuals involved in the world alliance system prior to 1914. They examine the events that lead to World War I.

Fifth graders utilize primary sources provided to formulate questions to prepare for an interview. Veterans and civilians who lived during World War II are interviewed by students and their work displayed on a web site.

Sixth graders study the life in Jewish ghettos during World War II and learn about tolerance and compassion. In this WWII lesson plan, 6th graders discuss Jewish ghettos but with a mistreatment of the kids with stickers to signify the...

Delicately poised after the dramatic end of WWI and the startling beginning of WWII, this presentation encompassing the positions and roles of Germany, Italy, England, France, and the League of Nations in the 1920's. The first half of...

Young scholars explore the artistic works of Holocaust escapee Käthe Kollowitz. In this Holocaust art lesson, students examine the self-portraits that Kollowitz created and discuss the message in her woodcut images. Young scholars design...

In this history worksheet, students first use the Internet to research and compare schools during World War 2 with those today. Students write a Christmas list of presents for a wartime child in the 1940s.