When in the course of a course on historic American events, it becomes necessary for learners to examine, with decent respect, the Declaration of Independence, it becomes evident that there are six separate and equal parts of that...

There is a lot to learn from art. This teacher's guide provides you with extensive background information, activities, and a scripted commentary to accompany a slide show on French artists in California during the Gold Rush Period. The...

Nine historical documents, an interactive online notebook, and a fantastic opportunity for historical inquiry await your pupils in this 5-day lesson plan. Class members identify and discuss various causes for the Spanish-American War...

Tenth graders role-play a person living in the United States during the 1890s. Students research their role using focus questions about daily life, including standard of living.industrialization. They have the opportunity to ...

Emanuel Leutze's painting Washington Crossing the Delaware. Alexander Gardner's photograph of Abraham Lincoln. What do these works of art tell us about the character of these American Presidents? After examining the techniques the...

Judge Learned Hand's "Spirit of Liberty" speech delivered during the July, 1944 "I Am an American Day" celebration is the subject of a close reading activity that models for learners how to approach a dense, difficult text.

A series of well-written activities, these lessons prompt middle schoolers reading below grade level (at a second, third, or fourth grade level) to use poetry to practice basic reading skills. They rhyme, build words, make inferences,...

Learn about the concept of specialization of labor with your class. For this specialization of labor lesson, 3rd graders work in teams to produce a product. They work in either a division of labor or independent production method. They...

To better understand the Indian Removal Act of 1830, class members examine primary source documents including letters written by Alabama governors and the Cherokee chiefs. The lesson is part of a unit on the expansion of the United...

Students research the ordinance about dumping snow in their community. They interview city officials and the city web site. Students conduct research to find out what other cities like theirs have. They write an informative article about...

Young scholars conduct an interview with a person who was alive during WWII. They explore the media coverage of human rights abuses and speculate about what American knew and when regarding the Holocaust. They prepare a commentary with...

Fourth graders analyze Abraham Lincoln's poems "The Bear Hunt" and "My Childhood's Home" for word choice and deeper inquiry into the vocabulary he uses to convey emotion. They identify rhyming words and patterns in these poems. ...

Seventh graders explore the democratic republic principles of U.S. government. In this U.S. government activity, 7th graders compare and contrast the governments of ancient Athens,the Roman Republic, and the United States today. Students...

Fifth graders examine the geographic concept of absolute location. Using a variety of resources, they create a life-size classroom grid and locate the coordinates of a point, identify latitude and longitude of different locations, and...

Twelfth graders research historical turning points, gather-data, and extrapolate possible alternate outcomes. They work individually to choose one historical event from Attachment D, Historical Turning Points. Students complete either...

Incorporate six lessons on Trajan and ancient Rome into a social studies unit on the Roman Empire. From Trajan's birth to his rise to greatness, the resource uses primary source documents and historical commentary to connect...

Learners observe pictures of the Titanic sailing and at the bottom of the ocean. They hypothesize the cause of the Titanic tragedy and engage in deeper questioning while one student writes responses on the board. They then work in groups...

Ninth graders explore the concept of imperialism. In this imperialism lesson, 9th graders analyze primary sources regarding British imperialism in Africa. Students analyze the sources for credibility as they gain an understanding of the...

Third graders examine and describe a series of primary sources (mostly photographs) to observe and analyze changes over time. The focus is on the local community. The local community might be a city, township, county or surrounding area.

Ninth graders explore the aftermath of World War II. In this World War II lesson plan, 9th graders investigate the consequences of the war as they complete a post-assessment project that requires them to compose essays on the topic.

Students explore the frontier wars of the 1790s. After researching one battle, teams of students prepare a presentation for the class. Students compare and contrast the Columbian Tragedy with "broadsides" that were printed to announce...

Students explore the concept of philanthropy. In this service learning instructional activity, students reflect upon the instructional activity that everyone contributes to make a better world as they plan and execute a tikkun olam...

Students are introduced to the "disease" of affluenza. After watching a documentary, they identify the forces that have changed the nation into a consumer society. As a class, they discuss ways to avoid catching on to this phenomenon.

Students examine watershed maps from the Columbia River. They practice using maps and create their own watershed map. They share their map with the class.