Students complete a diagram of the Montgomery bus that carried Rosa Parks into the history books. They read about Rosa Park's contributions to the Civil Rights movement. They role play Rosa Park's refusal to move to the back of the bus.

Here is a complex lesson plan that interweaves the history of the Jim Crow South and the Great Migration with the study of poetry, art, and blues music from the Harlem Renaissance. The plan helps young historians develop a deep...

Have your class examine a very old piece of art as they consider history, chronology, geography, culture, and tradition. They discuss the concept of ritual as it is associated with religious practices and research the spread of...

Learn more about the work of Gwendolyn Brooks with a language arts lesson. Young learners read an informational passage about the acclaimed poet before attempting a shape poem of their own.

Learners propose a theme for an upcoming program on the History Channel, select a historical theme for the investigation, resarch topics that support the theme, and write a proposal to the producers of a television program.

Students collect pennies and sort them in ascending order of dates. For the year on each penny, students research key events in history and pick a single event, explaining its historical significance. Then students use these events to...

Students study the ancient African kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai. They brainstorm what they know about ancient African kingdoms before investigating the trade and barter situations, and researching one of the kingdoms for an oral...

Although the article that launches this lesson is about the history of the Periodic Table, the objective is reading comprehension. Using the eight-page informational text, learners answer five comprehension questions and craft one essay....

Learners explain the history of the Social Security Act and the FICA tax. They describe what Social Security is and whom it is intended to help. They explain the purpose of the FICA tax.

First graders identify heroes by researching their family history. In this personal heritage lesson, 1st graders define the term "hero" and the characteristics that represent it. Students research family resources and family trees in...

Students research primary sources to construct an outline of a border city's history.

Students research alchemy and the history of chemistry. In this chemistry history lesson, students examine laboratory apparatus and compare it to those used by the Alchemists. Students complete a research paper on an important...

Students create and perform a skit.  In this automobile history lesson, students work in groups to research the development of the automobile during different periods of history.  Students create a timeline and perform a skit...

Sixth graders investigate ancient civilizations by creating a research project.  In this world history lesson, 6th graders investigate historic civilizations developed close to important rivers of the near East.  Students...

Fourth graders examine the history of the tortilla and extend the study across the curriculum. In this history of the tortilla instructional activity, 4th graders research the background of the tortilla, determine the ingredients, and...

Students examine world geography by viewing a documentary film in class. In this World War II lesson, students discuss the role Hawaii played in the great battle and what type conflicts happened among the island chain. Students view a...

Did you know that some languages have no word for art? The English language does and the narrator of this short video discusses the aesthetic dimension of religious art as it "visually communicates meaning beyond language." 

Way before the digital age radio was the medium of popular culture. After listening to excerpts from radio programs (easily available on the Internet), participants return to the radio age by creating a two-minute sketch based on a...

Discuss and analyze a variety of information regarding the history of ecological conservation and preservation, as well as its importance. Scholars work in groups to complete four different activities, then report back to the class for a...

The Nashua River serves as the focal point of an investigation of the treatment of and care for natural resources. A reading of A River Rand Wild: An Environmental History by Lynne Cherry, launches the study and class members consider...

Middle schoolers persuade others to visit ancient times. In this ancient civilizations lesson, students participate in a webquest that requires them to encourage others to visit ancient Greece, ancient Israel, Ancient Rome, ancient...

Seventh graders conduct an interview with a veteran of a recent war to provide an account of military conflicts. In this oral history activity, 7th graders research a recent war and write interview questions for their research. Students...

Middle schoolers identify and research key event in the history of Illinois during the 1800's and create a dramatic skit or oral report based on the event.

Students examine the "Cult of Domesticity." For this women's history lesson, students visit the specified Web sites to engage in research related to the characteristics that were thought to represent true womanhood as well as information...