A Class Divided

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...

The Bill of Rights is an important part of the US Constitution. Have small groups translate the amendments into modern language and present their versions, as well as the original versions, to the class. In groups, learners also respond...

Unfortunately the world isn't fair, but exactly how unfair is it? In this cross-curricular instructional activity, young mathematicians explore the uneven distribution of wealth in the United States, using their knowledge of percents and...

Use this exceptional resource to examine the discourse and debate that occurred at the start of the War of 1812 with your class. Learners will first consider their own position on the war in a silent journal writing activity. Then after...

With about 70% of the earth's surface covered in oceans, it's fair to say that we live in a very wet world. Young scientists gain a better appreciation of this fact as they use maps to identify the world's ocean basins in the first...

Invite your young historians to discover the distinct perspectives of Muslim, European, Jewish, and Byzantine groups during the Crusades. Class members are divided into groups and are given a packet of handouts, including background...

Word splashes, read-draw-talk-write activities, exhibits. Middle schoolers use the Storypath approach to a unit study of America's concerns during the Cold War and the Cuban Missile Crisis. Teams organize a 21st century world's fair,...

After reading the article Choices: Truman, Hirohito, and the Atomic Bomb, class members engage in a simulation, assume the role of President Truman or one of his advisors, and discuss the options open to the president. The exercise...

This is an excellent resource for US history classes, especially AP history. After learning some background on the Marshall Plan, the class, divided into two groups, researches opposing positions on this aid program. Groups read and...

How does identity influence the way people respond to events? That is the central question class members grapple with as they examine a political cartoon, read a vignette by Sandra Cisneros, watch of video of police officers discussing...