Why is a letter a better way to learn about a person than a different primary source? Explore Thomas Day's ideas and advice to his daughter in a letter from 1851, which details the struggles of the American South before the Civil War....

First graders address an envelope, write a letter, and perform the duties of the postal worker in a classroom post office.

Bring U.S. history to your language arts class with this lesson. Middle schoolers complete an interview for an oral history project, and discuss the importance of oral histories - and how they embellish written accounts. They write...

First graders summarize similarities and differences of life in England and America for the Pilgrims by reading a mini-book. Then, they write a journal entry in first person on what it is like to be a pilgrim in England and in America....

Students imagine that a puppet is a new friend, and try different ways to befriend the puppet. They discuss why people react in different ways to greetings and learn how to greet people from other countries, including Afghanistan. They...

A confidential message written by Thomas Jefferson provides readers with an opportunity to practice their reading comprehension skills. The resource, part of a series, includes questions that require a close reading of the message and a...

Who is George Winter? Learners review knowledge of George Winter, an artist who captured images of the Trail of Tears. They distinguish the difference between primary and secondary sources and determine the reliability of a document....

Fifth graders examine the causes and effects of the American Revolution. In groups, they make a portfolio page and write a response to the Proclamation of 1763. They also make a timeline of the events of the Boston Massacre and answer...

What steps did Henry "Box" Brown take while planning his own escape from slavery? Learners work in groups to analyze segments of Brown's narrative and identify the sequence of the most important events of his story.

Students play games.  For this comprehension and recall lesson, students play Give Me A Break, Bingo and Jeopardy to reinforce the knowledge they've learned about Lewis and Clark.

Students read to accumulate pledge money to purchase a heifer for a needy family. In this reading for the needy lesson, students solicit pledges from family and friends for each book they read. They use the money from the pledges to...

Fourth graders review their prior knowledge from the previous lessons of this unit on Jamestown. After reading a novel, they examine and discuss the life of Pocahontas. Using the internet, they answer comprehension questions and write...

Students interview senior citizens about life in the old days. Sharing research with their classmates, they create their own database. They use technology to enhance the information they gathered from the senior citizens.

Learners explore the importance of maintaining a democracy through philanthropic actions. In this character education lesson, students discover what the Japanese internment camps were, and why they were an infringement on personal...

Students explore world geography by researching a science book with their classmates. In this desert identification lesson, students utilize a U.S. map to locate the geographical locations of deserts. Students create an oral report based...

Students analyze a classic children's story by discussing it with their peers.  In this reading comprehension instructional activity, students read The Little Red Hen, and discuss ways the hen takes care of his responsibilities....

Students use a book to discover an interesting fact from the desert using each letter of the alphabet. Using a United States map, they identify the meanings of symbols and locate deserts within the U.S. In groups, they participate in...

Students explore the geography of the United States. For this social studies lesson, students identify the major deserts on a map of the United States.

Fourth graders create a Class ABC Book summarizing key elements of Illinois and Chicago.

Students discover a working definition of the word philanthropy. They sing the definition to the tune of a familiar song. They establish phonemic awareness through rhyming text and identify philanthropic acts.