Art and architecture go hand-in-hand. Kids watch clips from the Hayo Miyazaki film Spirited Away to better understand Japanese customs and architecture. The discussion questions included are very good, and will help you lead the class in...

"Ode to la Tortilla" and "Ode to Joy"? Sure! Use Gary Soto's poem to introduce learners to the ode format. After examining the descriptive words Soto uses, class members study a poster of Ludwig van Beethoven, suggest words that describe...

Students compare and contrast African-American, Asian-American, Chicano and Native-American movements with the civil rights movement and are exposed to the sociopolitical and economic factors involved in the rise of social movements.

Students conduct online research regarding the origins of the city of Timbuktu and discover why it became such an important place. Students write about the city's origins until it became a part of Mali.

Included in this resource are a variety of activities to do while reading Willa Cather's My Antonia. The activities, which range from mapping out Nebraska to writing activities about pioneer living, are all designed with one...

Learners investigate who the Mongols were and where their empire was located. They research Kublai Khan and the region he ruled. They study the major products of 13th Century China.

Students examine Marco Polo's route from China to Sumatra. They investigate the geography and climate, the religions and architecture of modern Indonesia. They study the use of spices and why they were so important in medieval times.

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...

Candide is a dense text. To assist in analyzing Voltaire's satire, groups employ a cubing strategy based on Bloom's taxonomy. Complete directions for the strategy, a template for the cube, a worksheet, and a topic list are included. 

Introduce your upper-elementary learners to printmaking. Class members view prints, select and research symbols in a piece, and create their own sets of prints using styrofoam trays. Pupils can wash off the paint on their trays to make...

"The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson is a great story to share with your class, and this lesson focuses on just that story! The eighth in a fourteen-lesson series on short stories, the plan has learners study some vocabulary, read the...

Pupils compare and contrast concepts of the civil rights movement to the concepts presented in the short story, "The Circuit." In groups, they sort a series of ideas written on index cards into two categories - rights and freedoms. ...

Students discuss what causes conflicts amongst groups especially pertaining to Native American tribes. In this conflicts lesson plan, students have discussion questions that they verbally answer and write in a journal.

Students learn the basic elements of music and gain an understanding of the elements found in Jazz.

To set the stage for a study of the Aztec Empire, groups use the provided definition of civilization and generate a list of elements that make up our modern day civilization. The whole class then examines an image of an Aztec city and...

Artifacts, inscriptions, and monuments. Here's an activity designed to ensure that all learners are familiar with the key terms and concepts they will need to begin a study of archaeological discoveries.

Students explore the Jazz Era in America not only by answering questions but listening to music as well.

Young scholars explore Free Jazz and Fusion by answering questions and listening to music.

Students explore the Swing Era and its implications. They answer questions and listen to music from the era.

Students explore jazz and its origins by focusing on the people in which Jazz came from.

Students explore the many faces of America through the video, "This Land Is Your Land." They discuss places they may have visited and record their responses. Students create symbols that respresent the riches of America.

Students construct an historical timeline extending from 1840-1850. They discuss various people, places, and events on their timelines.

Here's an alternative to a traditional book report for your class to demonstrate that they understand and can articulate the main character's evolution and the social themes presented in Voltaire's satirical novel Candide. Your young...

Students learn where Jazz came from and why it is an important part of America's history.