Curated OER
Great Caesar’s Ghost
Students explore ancient Rome. In this ancient Rome lesson, students research the Roman social classes and political structure. Students use their findings to write diary entries that describe daily life in Rome.
Curated OER
A Response to Chaim Rumkowski's, "Give Me Your Children" Speech
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...
Curated OER
The Mystery of the Lost Colony of Roanoke
Students research the Lost Colony of Roanoke by interpreting John White's diary as a primary source.
Syracuse University
Civil War
What was it like to enlist as a soldier in the Civil War? By using enlistment papers, young scholars consider this question. After they've looked at the primary source and discussed it, they create a short story of a fictional soldier to...
EngageNY
Launching Researching: Reading for Gist and Gathering Evidence Using the Research Guide
Let's get to the gist! Pupils work in research teams to gather information about specific refugee experiences from Bosnia, Afghanistan, and Kurdistan. Scholars then try to find the gist of informational texts about their topics,...
Curated OER
The Bird Can Blog: Online Writing With A Twist
Students role play the role of a clasroom pet. They write a daily blog describing the activities in the classroom. They use peer editing as well.
Curated OER
Polar Explorers
Challenge learners who are studying famous polar explorers to read an excerpt from the diary of Thomas Orde-Lees. They then answer some questions about the explorer, and the conditions under which he was writing.
Curated OER
Another Prospective on Events in the Annex
Young scholars read "The Diary of Anne Frank". They write their own diary entry from the point of view of someone else who was hiding with Anne Frank. They share their prospectives with the class.
Curated OER
Loud and Clear
Students brainstorm various forms of protest, examine the context for President George W. Bush's visit to Britain, and research protests throughout history. Students use the information gathered to create informative posters and diary...
Curated OER
Prairie Settlement
Middle schoolers make a decision for site selection for a farm during the 1840s in the Midwest. They build research and writing skills by recording the information used for analysis in a chart and as diary entries.
Curated OER
Homer's Civil War Veteran: Battlefield to Wheat Field
Students examine Civil War-themed artwork. In this visual arts instructional activity, students compare and contrast paintings by Winslow Homer and Timothy O'Sullivan. Students analyze the symbolism in the artwork representing Civil War...
Curated OER
Colonial History: Fearless and faaithful
Students discuss reasons why early europeans immigrated to North America. Working in groups, they complete Internet activities on the PBS Website. They take a simulated voyage to the new world and rercord their actions on worksheets. ...
Curated OER
The Plymouth Colony
Third graders discuss the book on the pilgrims. They write a poem of the hardships of the boat or on the land. Students write journal entries as a pilgrim on boat or on the land. They complete a collage of the foods that the pilgrims...
Curated OER
Advertise a State Vacation
Students create a brochure advertising a state for vacation. In this internet research lesson plan, students do research on a state and create a brochure with the information. Students write a commercial and videotape them.
Curated OER
Fun Plays on Famous First Ladies
Learners inquire about the lives of the First Ladies in our country. In this First Ladies lesson, students build knowledge about the contributions of First Ladies and how their childhood made them the person they are. Learners do a play...
Curated OER
Sporting Tolerance
Students investigate African-American baseball players from the early 20th century. They read an article, answer discussion questions, write a journal entry, and create a poster-size baseball card for an athlete.
Curated OER
Sacred Places
Students examine places considered sacred in both India and the U.S. They read and discuss a website on the Ganges River, discuss places considered sacred in the U.S., and write an essay comparing/contrasting personal sacred places and...
Curated OER
Post Reading Activities for the Novel, "Home Children" by Barbara Haworth-Attard
In this post-reading literature activity worksheet, students examine suggestions for activities to complete after reading Home Children, by Barbara Haworth-Attard. They can choose from 11 activities which include to write diary entries,...
Curated OER
Geography: Islands and Alcatraz
Students, in groups, create maps of islands including map keys and compass roses. They compare and contrast their island communities with that of the island prison, Alcatraz. Students select from a series of projects, including writing...
Crafting Freedom
Creating Original Historical Fiction Using Henry "Box" Brown's Narrative and Runaway Slave Ads
Young historians discover the experiences of runaway slaves after reading the brief biography and narrative excerpt of Henry "Box" Brown, who escaped slavery by having himself shipped away in a crate and popularized his flight in a...
Curated OER
Getting the Word Out
Discuss and generate blogs in this technology lesson. Middle and high schoolers explore examples of blogs and create their own blogs. Use this lesson throughout the year to reinforce concepts from your language arts class (or any class)....
Curated OER
"The Hell of Mirrors" by Edogawa Rampo
Students read and analyze the short story, "The Hell of Mirrors," by Edogawa Rampo. They write diary entries, develop a video, create an illustration, conduct research, and write a short story.
Curated OER
World War I: War in a Democratic Society
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...
Curated OER
Road to Russian Revolution
Students discuss how historians can form a picture of a society based on primary sources such as diaries of people who lived through a period. They are explained that there is no proof that Nicholas II kept a journal at Ekaterinburg,...