This article highlights children's literature about states of matter, phase changes, the water cycle, and glaciers and icebergs for use in the elementary classroom.
Indigenous peoples around the globe have long understood the importance of water and how it must be used effectively and sustainably. From the deserts to the oceans, Indigenous communities have a deep knowledge of how the cycles of water are interconnected with the cycles of life.
When you live in wet and cold climates, survival becomes dependent upon how dry you can be. Ancestors and elders have passed on clothes-making traditions. Our host Dr. Lee Francis IV of Laguna Pueblo discusses ancient traditions involved in the making of waterproof clothing.
An article written by Cesar Chavez that appeared in the farm workers' underground newspaper, El Malcriado, on January 16, 1965, at the beginning of the Delano, California grape strike.
In this lesson students will read, analyze, and assess two texts—the “Gospel of Wealth” (1889), an essay by the industrialist Andrew Carnegie, and What Is Man? (1906), a Socratic dialogue/short story by the American humorist Mark Twain—that address the ideas of destiny, free will, human nature, and philanthropy. The students will then engage in a written and oral debate with their classmates using quotations from these texts and their own words.
History 116, the first part of the introductory surveys of Western Civilization. This course covers the period from early civilized man to the early Middle Ages of Europe, with emphasis on Greece, Rome, Egypt and other Mediterranean peoples.
This link takes you to an interactive map that tells all about the Oregon, California, Santa Fe, and Mormon Trails. It is set up as an online scavenger hunt. Each trail is interactive with multiple stops along each trail. Each stop has a short reading for students and there are 15 multiple choice questions provided.
Professor Joseph Genetin-Pilawa spoke about post-Civil War westward expansion, and how it affected Native Americans and federal Indian policy. He argued that during the Reconstruction era, Native Americans frequently worked directly with the U.S. government; however, the advance of settlers to the west was an overwhelming force that cost Native Americans their lands.
In this activity, students will examine the original and final drafts of the Constitution and evaluate the significance of the selection of the words "We the People."
The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution are known as our Bill of Rights, which serve as a guarantee for our freedoms. But these amendments almost didn’t happen. Join a group of middle schoolers on a tour of Washington, D.C. as they learn about the Constitution and what it means to be “We the People.” The “We the People” videos are produced in collaboration with the U.S. Capitol Historical Society.
Once a vision for the United States of America, crafted by our founding fathers, the Declaration of Independence is preserved as living proof of our history at the National Archives and Records Administration. Join a group of middle schoolers on a tour of Washington, D.C. as they learn about this document and others and what it means to be “We the People.” The “We the People” videos are produced in collaboration with the U.S. Capitol Historical Society.
This resource is a Google Arts & Culture interactive presentation about the printing of the United States Constitution.
The president of the United States serves as the chief executive and commander of the armed forces, all defined in Article II of the Constitution as the executive branch. Join a group of middle schoolers on a tour of Washington, D.C. as they learn about the Constitution and what it means to be "We the People." The "We the People" videos are produced in collaboration with the U.S. Capitol Historical Society.
Of the three branches of our government, many believe that the most important is the one directly elected by "We the People": the legislative branch, represented by the two houses of the U.S. Congress at the Capitol building. Join a group of middle schoolers on a tour of Washington, D.C. as they learn about the Constitution and what it means to be "We the People." The "We the People" videos are produced in collaboration with the U.S. Capitol Historical Society.
This nonfiction article, written for students in grades 4-5, explores blue whales, their food chain, and their home in the Southern Ocean. Modified versions are available for students in younger grades.
In this activity, students make a poster illustrating their “best freedom.” They discuss individual freedoms they have at school and as Americans and then focus on the freedom they enjoy most. Access to this resource requires a free educator login.
This article describes research conducted by Dr. Ross MacPhee of the American Museum of Natural History. MacPhee is studying the possible causes behind the extinction of the woolly mammoth.
What combination of experience, strategy, and personal characteristics enabled Washington to succeed as a military leader? In this unit, students will read the Continental Congress's resolutions granting powers to General Washington; analyze some of Washington's wartime orders, dispatches, and correspondence in terms of his mission and the characteristics of a good general.
This video from American Experience: “Freedom Summer” introduces the events of 1964, when over 700 students, Black and white, came to Mississippi to help Black citizens register to vote as well as combat other forms of discrimination, such as inadequate schools and lack of legal aid. Organized by the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), civil rights activists hoped that the participation of well-educated, middle-class students, many from prestigious universities, would not only bring results but draw the attention of the nation to the miserable standard of living suffered by Black people in Mississippi.
This lesson will use a close reading of the Declaration of Independence to explore the American colonists’ reasons for separating from Great Britain. By the conclusion of the lesson, student will understand the role of the Declaration in encouraging support for American Independence, and in laying the groundwork for a new system of government and individual rights.