Students create a timeline that is broken down into significant events that are divided into decades. They participate in open discussion and create some open ended questions to stimulate further conversation.

Students complete an anticipatory set (pre-reading activity) concerning Martin Luther King Jr., then participate in differentiated reading exercises to read the selection "Celebrating the Life and Contributions of Martin Luther King Jr."

Students analyze the engraving of Paul Revere to make a judgment about the time period of the Boston Massacre. The objective is that one creates an account of the event from the perspective of a British soldier.

Students create a poster and paper describing the importance of African American History Week after a visit to the Phillips Collection in Washington DC.

Students follow directions to fold a flag properly. They practice on paper flags first and then use a real United States flag. They also examine the history of the flag.

Map maker, map maker, make me a map! Your class can sing this tune as they work to create their own regional maps by taping paper to the wall, projecting an overhead transparency image, and tracing. Where this lesson plan intends for the...

To observe preservation techniques firsthand, learners dry a flower in sand and compare cucumber slices soaked in salt water for a week with slices left out to dry in the open air. Video resources (not attached) include one about mummies...

High-interest articles are a great way to get struggling readers to tackle difficult vocabulary. Here is a lesson that includes such an article. It is focused around a very interesting and controversial article about the teaching of...

Students examine the beginnings of jazz in New Orleans. They relate the music to the history and culture of the region. They also perform the music for their classmates.

Students look at portraits to learn history. Making connections is done with the identification of details found in the portraits. The gallery depicts the historical times of the Revolutionary War in Colonial America.

Middle schoolers develop an artwork made entirely out of recycled materials to exhibit during an Earth Day celebration. They participate in a lecture discussion on the history of Earth Day and environmental issues, do internet research...

Students in varying grades work cooperatively to create a living museum of items that have been "passed down" through generations. They give a brief oral presentation showing their object (or a picture of it) and describing its history...

Bring language arts and U.S. history together in this lesson, which prompts middle and high schoolers to gather biographical information about Abraham Lincoln. They compare and contrast information written about his childhood and discuss...

Students investigate the purpose and function of the police uniform. They conduct research using a variety of resources. The information is used in order to focus upon the history and hold relevant class discussions. Students explain why...

Students investigate the history of Liverpool and its place next to the sea. They focus upon the maritime industries found there while conducted guided research. Then students have class discussion of sea occupations and traveling.

Consider the effects of green transportation. In this environmental stewardship activity, determine how transportation has changed throughout history and then collaborate to solve New York City transportation issues.

Make text-to-world connections between 1920s American history and The Great Gatsby. Upper graders share facts they researched about the 1920s the evening prior, view two video clips about F. Scott Fitzgerald, and then choose a book to...

Take a trip through history with a lesson on historical fiction. With instructions for games, reading activities, and literary analysis assignments, this resource would be a great addition to any reading unit with a historical fiction...

Fourth graders examine the myths of King Arthur. They compare/contrast versions of the story, The Sword in the Stone, write a letter, identify and analyze characters, sequence events, and write observations and answer questions in a...

Learning how to make accurate inferences by putting together facts found in multiple sources is one of those skills all learners must develop, but one that can be a challenge to teach. This resource is a must-have for your curriculum...

Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man is difficult to read and difficult to teach. The novel is so highly regarded that it is one of most often listed as an option for the AP Literature and Composition exam. The materials in this packet from PBS...

Students complete a problem based social science lesson plan and research ancient Europe while they work in groups. They explore the role of Cro-Magnon people in ancient France and create a mural that depicts animal life in the...

Students study about the ruins of Ancient Olympia along with telling about what games are traditional in the Olympics. With the teacher using a PowerPoint to the sites, students label a map of their own. For the final project, they...

Students research the uses of rainsticks in ancient native cultures. The teacher discusses the ceremonies rainsticks were traditionally used in. The students then construct their own rainstick.