After watching and discussing a video on the Voyage of Cabrillo, individuals craft their own origin story and design and build an artifact they feel best represents their history.

How much can opinion influence a news story? A standalone resource discusses the importance of John Brown's Raid through the lens of journalism. Learners analyze two different texts, one from the perspective of the North and the other of...

The resource, a standalone, shows how news coverage of John Brown's Raid began when the event happened and how that reporting shaped perception in West Virginia history. The resource includes interesting anticipatory discussion...

Third graders create posters of heroes and present their findings and what they think it means to be a hero. In this role models lesson plan, 3rd graders compare heroes and describe their characteristics.

Did he die for a cause, or was he crazy? Although the resource discusses John Brown and West Virginia history, many historical figures have the same reputation. Teach learners about different perspectives and highlight the importance of...

Eighth graders research Elders as role models. In this native studies instructional activity, 8th graders select Elders of the First Nations and research their contributions to society. Students create posters featuring the their...

Poems carved into the wooden walls of the Asian immigrant prisons on Angel Island provide upper elementary graders an opportunity to study not only the story behind the poems but to also focus on the figurative language employed by the...

Learners consider the various perspectives that different groups in Roman society may have had for Julius Caesar, such as Roman soldiers, senators, the working class, and slaves. The primary activity involves a reading of Caesar's...

Encourage effective internet research and e-mail correspondence as scholars investigate a US capital city they've never visited to find pertinent and relevant information. They begin by picking a city, then visit that city's chamber of...

I Have A Dream ... that after the lesson, all individuals master the reading, writing, researching, listening, and speaking skills the biography project helps them develop. Martin Luther King, Jr. serves as a topic example for a model...

Prepare your classes for election year debates with a series of activities that model how to watch televised debates and how to evaluate the moderators as well as the debaters.

Students explore the effects of population growth in Arizona.  In this history lesson, students work in small groups to create a "perfect" city. Activities include examining the Arizona census results then discussing the importance...

Students review purpose and timing of opening statements in mock trials, discuss particulars of what should be included in opening statements, and write individual opening statements based on facts of their case.

Students investigate historic events through the eyes of people who were their age when the event happened. Through personal interviews, students gain insights on the impact of these events on these people's lives and on the world at large.

Sixth graders investigate the historical even surrounding the Apollo Mission to the Moon. They conduct research specifically to find information about the astronauts on the mission. The students conduct class discussion about the...

Students research wetlands in the United States and create visual aids for use in oral presentations that make recommendations on preserving or restoring wetland welfare.

Students examine equality. In this civics instructional activity, students appoint committees for various offices then model a mock committee/application process in the classroom, followed by a discussion of whether equity was achieved...

Fifth graders research major explorers in history using their textbook and then create a timeline using Timeline Software. Students participate in class discussions and write an essay about the explorer they researched.

Help first graders gain an understanding of the beginnings of our nation by learning more about Christopher Columbus. They begin by listening to a read aloud of Christopher Columbus and His Voyage to the New World (another title...

Students discover types of energy. In this physics lesson, students discuss ways to power a car a design a model car kit with an alternative form of energy.

For this lesson, young scholars consider various forms of government and examine the idea of political sovereignty, then prepare outlines for oral presentations on international models of government. For homework, they write response...

Students read "Fish Tale: Falling For a Live One" from The New York Times and discuss the methods and techniques the writer uses to create a strong mental image. Students pick a place in their community they wish to write about and...

Students read biographies of their assigned Founding Father. They present an oral argument that their assignee deserves to be better known by making connections between regional politics and postions defined by character.

Students review mandatory sentencing and brainstorm opinions based on Measure 11. They work in groups, hear case study then determine significan facts, the correct charge and the sentencing for the case. They discuss actual outcomes of...