Discover colonies! Young historians will listen to a primary source journal entry read aloud with a backdrop of wave sounds. They discuss the entry, add historical facts to a chart and personal insights to another. Then they listen to...

To broaden their understanding of both the short term and long terms effects of the Civil War, class groups examine primary source materials and then assume the role of a family member and draft a letter to a soldier describing life at...

Students identify geographical features of different regions encountered by migrants on the Oregon trail. Students research how the Oregon landscape may have affected life and 19th century westward migration. Students write a narrative...

Students research opposition and support for World War I from a number of perspectives. They analyze a number of primary and secondary sources, while considering what (if anything) makes a war just and write a letter expressing his/her...

Students read the story and diary "Lizzie's diaries from Antarctica and Antarctica" to get massive clean-up. Students discuss their knowledge of life in Antarctica and raise the fact of the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station and its...

Sixth graders find similarities and differences in two different diary entries. In this Holocaust history meets literary skills lesson, 6th graders read the diary of a soldier or prisoner from the the Auschwitz concentration camp and...

Third graders explore the adventures of an immigrant as she comes to the United States. They discuss the difficulties the immigrants had and they research the Mexican culture and society. Students create a diary of their own.

Students participate in word work and vocabulary building before reading an online article. They complete worksheets or an online quiz the focuses on homographs. They write a diary entry.

Learners discover racism and slavery by completing a role playing activity. In this U.S. history lesson, students analyze documents from the Civil War era and describe the Fugitive Slave Law. Learners view a video on YouTube about the...

Young scholars analyze primary and secondary sources to explore slavery and emancipation, and write letter or diary entry from point of view of slave Hannah Harris or plantation owner Robert Carter. Students then dramatize their creative...

Students experience life in the Secret Annex. In this Holocaust lesson, students participate in a simulation. The simulation places them in the Secret Annex for dinner as residents. Students journal about the experience and the quality...

Students examine the history of the ghettos and read Rumkowski's letter. Using journal and diary entries, they identify types of resistance used during the Holocaust. Writing a letter, they use references to Rumkowski's original letter...

Students examine the published diaries of Anne Frank, or Zlata Filipovic, to gain an appreciation for journal writing, a form of autobiographical writing in which the writer records personal thoughts, feelings, and experiences. They...

Sixth graders review a variety of journals including Anne Frank's. They create a school journal including individual entries, a dedication, pagination and illustrations.

Fifth graders discuss the history of sports in Iowa. In this sports lesson plan, 5th graders write a friendly sports letter and a how to directional writing. They write five entries in their journal from the point of view of a piece of...

Practice sequencing events using Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's narrative poem about the famous revolutionary hero. Learners read Revere's own account of the event, and compare/contrast the two texts using a t-chart. Finally, they imagine...

Eighth graders conduct research on the Anza Colonizing expedition utilizing the Web de Anza website. They read diary entries, answer questions, and create a poster highlighting an event that symbolizes the Expedition.

Students assume the perspective of an immigrant moving to Texas. They write a diary entry from an immigrant's perspective, describing how they arrived in their new town, what steps they take to get settled, and their feelings about their...

Students use their research skills to investigate the behavior and characteristics of a rainforest animal. After creating a diary entry, they illustrate the habits and life cycle of the animal. They write the diary entry from the point...

Fifth graders compare and contrast two early colonies and make a T chart. They list examples of worked well and what did not, and significant historical events. They use higher order thinking skills by deducing how different scenarios...

Fifth graders give presentations on colonial research. The others take notes on the presentations. They play a card game which helps them review content. They take a summative assessment and present their research notebooks.

Fifth graders complete an analysis of the Revolutionary War through literature. After "My Brother Sam Is Dead," students create a time capsule containing items that would be relevant during the Revolutionary War. They identify key...

Students study the nature of hurricanes and examine in detail the effect of Hurricane Georges upon the Dominican Republic. They explain the way in which physical systems (e.g., a hurricane) can affect human systems (e.g., the life of a...

Students complete a web-quest into a day in the life of a World War II soldier. In this webquest lesson, students investigate what life was like for soldiers on the front lines during the second World War. They use note taking skills...