Lesson Plans

405 Result(s)
Grade Range
9-12
Poetry of The Great War: From Darkness to Light

The historian and literary critic Paul Fussell has noted in The Great War and Modern Memory that, "Dawn has never recovered from what the Great War did to it." With dawn as a common symbol in poetry, it is no wonder that, like a new understanding of dawn itself, a comprehensive body of "World War I Poetry" emerged from the trenches as well.

Grade Range
9-12
Using Historic Digital Newspapers for National History Day

In this lesson, students will examine a preselected set of newspaper articles drawn from the "Chronicling America" website. They will determine the right each article illustrates and the responsibility that comes with that right.

Grade Range
6-12
Lesson 1: Martin Luther King, Jr. and Nonviolent Resistance

By examining King's famous essay in defense of nonviolent protest, along with two significant criticisms of his direct action campaign, this lesson will help students assess various alternatives for securing civil rights for black Americans in a self-governing society.

Grade Range
6-12
Images of the New World

How did the English picture the native peoples of America during the early phases of colonization of North America? This lesson plan will enable students to interact with written and visual accounts of this critical formative period at the end of the 16th century, when the English view of the New World was being formulated, with consequences that we are still seeing today.

Grade Range
K-5
Dr. King's Dream

Students will listen to a brief biography, view photographs of the March on Washington, hear a portion of King's "I Have a Dream" speech, and discuss what King's words mean to them.

Grade Range
9-12
John Marshall, Marbury v. Madison, and Judicial Review

If James Madison was the "father" of the Constitution," John Marshall was the "father of the Supreme Court"—almost single-handedly clarifying its powers. This new lesson is designed to help students understand Marshall's brilliant strategy in issuing his decision on Marbury v. Madison, the significance of the concept of judicial review, and the language of this watershed case.

Grade Range
9-12
Lesson 2: The First Inaugural Address (1861)—Defending the American Union

Abraham Lincoln felt that the attempt of seven states to leave the American union peacefully was, in fact, a total violation of law and order. This lesson will examine Lincoln's First Inaugural Address to understand why he thought his duty as president required him to treat secession as an act of rebellion and not a legitimate legal or constitutional action by disgruntled states.

Grade Range
9-12
Lesson 4: Line in the Visual Arts

In this lesson plan, students will learn how line is defined in the visual arts and how to recognize this element in painting.