"Love it or leave it." "You're either for us or against us." Rhetoric and it's polarizing effects are the focus of a lesson that uses John Brown's attack on Harper's Ferry as an exemplar. Groups examine primary source documents,...

Sixth graders investigate John Brown's fight to end slavery. In this slavery lesson, 6th graders read Harpers Ferry, The Story of John Brown's Raid and then research his life as well as the life of slave Osbourne Perry Anderson. Students...

Students examine the impact that John Brown had on American history. In this human rights lesson, students discover details about the raid on Harpers Ferry and the implications it held for the American Civil...

Learners research the people and events involved in the abolitionist movement prior to the U.S. Civil War. They read about and discuss the roles of Nat Turner, Harriet Tubman, and John Brown. Students complete a word splash, Venn...

Eleventh graders identify some of the ways that the raid at Harper's Ferry influenced the Civil War. They articulate the different ways that people though about John Brown in the 1800's and how his persona may or may not have changed...

Pupils read the history of John Brown. Using the internet, they research commentaries on the raid at Harper's Ferry. After observing a painting, "The Last Moments of John Brown," students analyze and write about what they see, think...

Students investigate the events of the Harper's Ferry raid. Using primary source documents, they complete a chart showing the different view points of the raid. They discuss the possible biases of the authors and the effect of this...

What would you do to protect your own freedom? How far would you go to protest injustice? Class members are asked to consider these questions as they read primary source documents that detail events in the lives of Gabriel, Nat Turner,...

Students study the issue of slave vs. free states. They explore the actions and personal commitment of John Brown and write a newspaper article about the Battle of Osawatomie from John Brown's perspective.

Young scholars examine the time period just before the start of the Civil War. They focus on John Brown, an activist of the day. After a lecture/demo, students use a worksheet imbedded in this plan to further their understanding of the...

Students explore the struggle that Kansans had over the slavery issue. They read a letter from John Brown to his family, and write a newspaper article about the Battle of Osawatomie from John Brown's perspective.

Eleventh graders study the Kansas Territory.  In this American History lesson, 11th graders read ten biographical cards and summarize the main ideas.  Students create cards to play Who am I?

The characters in The Grapes of Wrath come to life through an activity that asks groups to craft a dramatic monologue for a character in John Steinbeck's National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize winning novel.  Writers are...

Learners view a copy of the painting "Last Moment of John Brown (1884). They discuss the content and composition of the painting. Important questions to be answered during the discussion are included with the lesson. They write an...

Students explore impact of Ohio's aviation pioneers on life in America, discuss what life today would be like without people like the Wright Brothers, John Glenn, and Neil Armstrong, and brainstorm and research list of items that space...

Fifth graders create multi-media newscasts based on their knowledge of Civil War battles of the ironclad ships.

Fourth graders distinguish between primary and secondary sources while creating an underground railroad presentation.  In this underground railroad lesson, 4th graders research the underground railroad using copies of primary and...

The lesson starts out with a brain drain, which is a great way to get students to activate prior knowledge and build lasting connections. They tell everything they know about prime factorization, use their knowledge to...

President Ronald Reagan's "Tear Down This Wall" speech, delivered on June 12, 1987 before the Berlin Wall, provides class members with an opportunity to examine three key aspects of informational text: author bias, the use of facts and...

Students explore the American Civil War. In this Civil War lesson, students examine a slave auction advertisement and an Abraham Lincoln quote. Students also read Pink and Say, create a foldable regarding naval warfare, and design a...

Tenth graders discover how various writers approach the themes of : alienation and solitude, living life "deliberately" and "phonies." Through reading, journaling, class discussion, and writing assignments they realize the power of the...

Middle schoolers study the triangle inequality. They will identify, compare, and analyze attributes of two and three-dimensional shapes. Then they develop vocabulary to describe the attributes. They also use manipulatives to analyze the...

Skittles and math? Pupils will work as a class to determine how many orange Skittles are in a large bag by using proportions. They will problem solve, estimate, and share their thinking. Then, they will each receive a small bag of...

Lights, Camera, Action! Pupils read Little Women and create, act, and direct a melodrama that Jo March and her sisters would enjoy. The lesson plan comes complete with resources for the educator on melodrama as well as examples...