Where did the Olympic Summer Games originate? The class takes a look at ancient origins of modern Olympic games. They research the Olympics and write a compare and contrast essay that describes how the Olympic Games have changed since...

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

What was music like during the Stone Age? Learners listen to a CD entitled, Art of Primitive Sound as they consider the culture of people in the Stone Age. They use objects found in nature to create instruments, and then...

Students study the Book of the Dead and its importance to Ancient Egyptian culture, identify with ancient Egyptians through reading about their culture and religion, and use scroll-shaped paper and colored pencils to create their own...

Coming up on the Olympics? Be sure your middle schoolers understand the dynamic and ancient history of this global tradition. They begin by recalling traditions parents have passed down, considering their relevance and ways they might be...

Learners explore the cultures and civilizations of Mesopotamia. They take a look at the factors that shaped the region, and study the history of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, and other ancient wonders of the world. The class is divided...

Introduce your class to epic heroes with these activities for Beowulf. After watching a video clip, taking notes on heroes, and tracking characteristics of heroism throughout Beowulf, class members retell an episode of Beowulf using a...

Students read the story Ancient Ones about a forest that is connected to all the life around it. In this reading lesson plan, students also create a tall folding book about the forest.

Heredity rule? Absolute power? Class members access Internet sites, view videos, and engage in a educational game to examine the achievements and leadership style of nine Roman emperors. Individuals then select one of these figures, and...

The options are vast with this Ancient Greece and Olympics research project! Using Scholastic online resources, historians have interactive and educational supports to guide them through researching and writing about the 2004 Olympics in...

After studying the reasons settlers entered the New World, primary learners try to persuade others to enter this new land. Class members present their arguments in a variety of ways including posters, writings, and charts. Richly...

This six-week unit encompasses all subjects with a focus study on world history and the development of ancient civilizations. As gifted and talented students dive into the interesting yet challenging topic of Egypt, they...

Here is lesson 5 from a 7 lesson unit on using blogging to create a community of writers. The aim of this lesson is to get students writing about what Archaeologists do and how they use material data to study the past. They compose a...

Students, in groups, produce a classroom documentary about important historical figures from the Roman Empire. They create posters to be part of a classroom timeline showing when each of these people lived and their impact on the empire.

Students discover one of the worlds wonders. In this world history lesson, students read about the sculpture of the Colossus of Rhodes. Students use the Internet to research multiple "wonders" including the Colossus of Rhodes, then they...

Have your young reporters research contributions of the ancient Egyptians, draft scripts, and broadcast their stories live on the Nile Network News. Depending on class size and age, topics may be brainstormed or assigned. The detailed...

Students explore the relationship between nature and architecture. In this cross curriculum history, culture, and architecture lesson, students observe and discuss structures visible in nature. Students view websites in which Native...

Filippo Brunelleschi's invention of linear perspective during the Renaissance was further developed by his apprentice, a young artist named Leonardo da Vinci. Now modern artists can give da Vinci's famous perspectograph a try...

Students, in small groups, simulate an ancient civilization and the art they created, another group represents vandals, and the final group represents archaeologists who try to figure out what life was like for the "ancient peoples". ...

Sixth graders play a powerpoint jeopardy game. This can be used as a test or as a way to review information. This is a culminating test for our unit on Ancient Worlds. The jeopardy game is based on goals in math, language arts, and...

Being inspired by the art of Diego Rivera, young artists use fresco techniques to create art as a group. They research Rivera's life and art, then get into small groups to use wet plaster and acrylics to experience fresco painting....

Create Ancient Egypt travel brochures. Research the culture of Egypt through the Internet and create an artistic travel brochure of the civilization. The final product is published for dispersal.

Students explore a portion of the Chinese Zodiac with projects centered around the year of the rabbit. Students research types of rabbits, actual and fictional. Working in groups, they create a written or multimedia presentation.

Students inquire about the politics and culture of Ancient Rome. For this Ancient Rome project/unit, students research life during ancient Roman times and create a newspaper with articles on politics, sports, culture, and economics.