Is journalism more or less reliable with the influx of Internet sources? Learners investigate the issues of freedom of speech, journalistic ethics, and social responsibility in the age of Twitter and Facebook. After examining the...

Unveil the mysteries of ancient China in this presentation, which includes photographs of historic relics from the Neolithic and Bronze Ages. Slides detail the Hsia, Shang, and Zhou Dynasties; especially helpful is the final slide, which...

Pupils compare their life-style with the Middle Ages, create their own castles and end with a feast. They explore life in the Middle Ages, use their information and creativity to design a castle & a personal coat of arms; students...

Students have tournaments in teams after learning information about The Middle Ages. In this Middle Ages lesson plan, students learn that tournaments are mock battles, but that they will have these battles by answering questions in teams...

Students, in groups, research several European cathedrals from the Middle Ages. They design stained glass windows and decorate a school window with their design using black construction paper and cellophane.

In this castles worksheet, students complete a graphic organizer listing different methods of attack, their advantages and disadvantages.

What were the benefits and drawbacks of being a serf/knight/lord/lady/king/queen/etc. in the Middle Ages? Consider all the comparisons with your young historians using this graphic organizer.

Riddle me this! What do kennings, caesura, and alliteration have to do with the Nowell Codex? Introduce class members to Anglo-Saxon poetry and prepare readers for a study of Beowulf with a series of activities that...

Have your older students assist young children with writing in this community service and literacy lesson. Middle schoolers become partners with a local elementary school. They assist the grade school children in writing a pattern book...

Life in the Florida swamps after the Civil War comes alive in the 1946 film adaptation of Majorie Kinnan Rawlings’s The Yearling. The film of this powerful coming-of-age story, filled with love and loss, can be used with or without a...

Students study the literature and literary techniques of the early Middle Ages, thus preparing students to read Beowulf with an appreciation for its artistry and beauty. Students solve online riddles, write riddles and study Anglo-Saxon...

Students participate in a series of activities to explore the lives of slaves in 19th century America. They examine the design of slave ships, the hardships endured, and the ways that owners depended on slaves for their economic survival.

Use these worksheets to kick off a great lesson on The Crusades. Eighth graders will analyze a map and four short passages to answer six reading comprehension questions.

Young scholars investigate the causes of genocide. In this cultural diversity lesson, students discuss genocide incidents in Africa, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe. Young scholars then write essays about what they would do if their...

Middle schoolers can analyze primary source documents to answer the question, "Why did the Aztec and Inca civilizations disappear?" They will read the provided excerpts then answer 11 different questions to uncover the ultimate answer.

Young scholars tour the estates built by America's wealthiest visionaries during the years 1911-1929. They discuss the Age of Invention and the people associated with that age in US history.

Students closely examine chamber music as it has changed from the Middle Ages to today. They work in small groups to research the composers, instruments and typical presentation in 5 time periods. They write biographies and share their...

Here is a great idea that incorporates cooking, recipe reading, content specific vocabulary, and culture. The class defines cooking related vocabulary, discusses the food they eat, then develop a recipe of their own. This is a great...

Students become familiar with body changes during puberty.  In this stages of human development instructional activity, students review the stages of development from 1-5.  Students read an article called I'm Growing but Am I...

Here is a very short presentation focused on the goals of the Crusades. Christianity, Judaism, and Islam are defined and the effects of the Crusades are outlined. I'm not fond of this presentation but the map and images could be useful.

Does history really repeat itself? Encourage your middle and high schoolers to answer this age-old question by reading the attached articles on the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 and the Iraq Crisis of 2002. How similar or different are...

Middle schoolers demonstrate their ability to summarize by crafting a summary of a passage from Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist. Oh that Dickens should be so laconic.

Clean, but captivating, two online simulations demonstrate probability for middle schoolers. They can choose the number of coins and tosses and watch as the results pile up. They can choose from a variety of spinner types and the number...

Use this instructional activity to reinforce the importance of a strong thesis statement. After viewing samples, middle schoolers identify the three parts to a thesis. Additionally, they create their own thesis including and labeling the...