Life on an Island: Early Settlers Off the Rock-Bound Coast of Maine

Why are Torrey pines only found in La Jolla, California and on Santa Rosa Island? Class members examine images of Torrey pines from these two locations, noting the similarities and differences, and then develop a demonstration model that...

How far have California's Channel islands moved? What was the rate of this movement? Class members first examine data that shows the age of the Hawaiian island chain and the average speed of the Pacific Plate. They then watch West of the...

Are you one of the 100 million Americans whose ancestors passed through the doors of Ellis Island? Learn about the historic entry point for immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries with an informative reading passage. After...

Middle schoolers complete a writing assessment task to demonstrate their ability to craft a narrative based on a variety of informational texts. They view West of the West's documentary Magic Isle, read three print resources about the...

The effects of rising sea levels on Isle de Jean Charles, located off the coast of Louisiana, are documented in Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee's poignant short video. Viewers are asked to consider not only the plight of residents but also what...

Through this set of three lessons about Ellis Island, class members will learn about why immigrants came to the United States, find out about the difficulties that went along with coming to America, become familiar with the immigration...

What are the factors that limit growth and expansion? As part of their study of Catalina Island, class members view the West of the West's documentary Magic Isle and research William Wrigley and the Santa Catalina Island Company. After...

Ivory Coast is home to the Paris of Africa—and it's not surprising, as the African state maintains strong ties to France. Despite a historic struggle with dictators and civil war, the West African nation is home to one of the region's...

The capture of Morris Island was one of many Northern attempts to capture Fort Sumter. Budding historians learn about the Northern Army's efforts to invade Charleston by taking Morris Island, which was part of Fort Sumter. An informative...

26 miles across the sea from southern California, Santa Catalina, the Magic Isle of the Channel Islands chain, awaits. Explore the island with a documentary that details the history of and the challenges faced by this romantic isle.