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AAPI History Hub - The Asian American Foundation
Grades
K to 12tag(s): asia (125), biographies (95), courts (23), cultures (211), diversity (43), famous people (25), japan (61), japanese (54), scientists (71), women (152)
In the Classroom
Students can work in groups to create a physical or digital timeline using Timelinely reviewed here or Timeline Infographic Templates reviewed here highlighting significant AAPI events, movements, and contributions. Assign students an AAPI figure or event to research and present via a short podcast using Buzzsprout reviewed here or video using Adobe Express Video Maker reviewed here. Print or display images and short bios of key AAPI historical figures from the site. Have students walk around, take notes, and discuss whose contributions they find most inspiring. Alternatively, create a digital gallery walk using the gallery walk template available in Padlet, reviewed here.Honoring Memorial Day In The Classroom - Congressional Medal of Honor Society
Grades
3 to 12tag(s): holidays (194), memorial day (18)
In the Classroom
Show one of the short videos featuring a Medal of Honor recipient (like Florent Groberg or William Swenson) from the Memorial Day resource page. Have students identify traits such as courage, sacrifice, or integrity shown in the story and discuss how those values connect to Memorial Day. Use the "Honoring Memorial Day" lesson plan to have students write letters to veterans or active-duty service members. Provide sentence starters or prompts from the site to help guide reflection and expression of appreciation. After learning about a recipient, have students design a poster that represents a core value they demonstrated (ex., bravery, loyalty). Encourage the use of symbols, quotes, and imagery. These can be displayed in a Memorial Day gallery walk.Memorial Day in the Classroom: Resources for Teachers - Edutopia
Grades
3 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): memorial day (18), multimedia (55), virtual field trips (132), world war 1 (77)
In the Classroom
Watch a short History Channel video about Memorial Day (linked in the article). Then have students complete a quick-write on what they learned and how the holiday connects to their lives. Provide students with a set of facts from Time's article "7 Things You Didn't Know About Memorial Day." Have students highlight surprising or meaningful facts and create a mini "Did You Know?" classroom wall display. You can also create a virtual wall using Padlet, reviewed here for students to share what they found most meaningful. After learning about the purpose of Memorial Day, students can design a poster that honors the military. It may include symbols (like poppies or flags), quotes, and a short message of gratitude. This activity can also be done as a slideshow presentation using Google Slides reviewed here.Memorial Day Lesson Plans and Activities - Education World
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): critical thinking (136), memorial day (18)
In the Classroom
Have students create miniature parade floats inside shoeboxes (dioramas) to honor different U.S. wars or military branches. Assign students to write short essays or thank-you notes to veterans, then post them on a classroom "Wall of Peace." Have students use real data to create bar graphs showing the number of casualties in major U.S. wars. The graphs can be created digitally using ClassTools reviewed here.Memorial Day Lesson Plan Ideas - National Education Association
Grades
K to 8tag(s): crafts (74), memorial day (18)
In the Classroom
Create a classroom scavenger hunt where students find and decode symbols related to Memorial Day (ex., flag, eagle, poppy, dog tag). Have students write and decorate heartfelt letters to local veterans or active-duty service members. Use a simple chart or infographic to explore statistics about U.S. military history (wars fought, soldiers served, etc.). Read a picture book or short story that touches on themes of sacrifice or remembrance, such as The Wall by Eve Bunting. Assign students to write and deliver a short speech or poem answering the question, "What does freedom mean to me?" Students can share their poems using Adobe Express Video Maker reviewed here.9 Memorial Day Activities - Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Grades
3 to 8tag(s): american flag (8), american revolution (83), critical thinking (136), memorial day (18), symbols (16)
In the Classroom
Have students respond to a prompt such as "Why is it important to remember those who served?" Have students research a Revolutionary War figure or battle and design a fictional memorial to honor it. Assign students to write a short poem honoring fallen soldiers and combine it with visual symbols on a poster (ex., poppies, flags, eagles). Make a digital class collection of the poem by making a presentation on Canva Edu reviewed here.US Memorial Day for Kids - Twinkl Educational Teaching Resources
Grades
2 to 7This site includes advertising.
tag(s): holidays (194), memorial day (18)
In the Classroom
Give students a worksheet with pictures or descriptions of key Memorial Day symbols (ex., red poppy, American flag at half-staff, soldier's grave, parade). Have students check off symbols they see and write what each one represents as they watch the video. After learning about Moina Michael and her poppy poem, have students write their short tribute poems or acrostics using POPPY or HONOR. Take students on a virtual tour of Arlington National Cemetery or Gettysburg using online resources.Jewish American Heritage Month - Library of Congress
Grades
4 to 12In the Classroom
Students can explore primary sources from the Library of Congress or the National Archives on Jewish American contributions. In pairs, they can analyze an artifact (ex., a historical photo, letter, or newspaper article) and present their findings. Assign students a prominent Jewish American figure (Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Albert Einstein, Emma Lazarus). They can research their impact using resources from the site and create a short podcast using Spotify for Podcasters, reviewed here or video using Adobe Express Video Maker, reviewed here. Students can also interview other students, as if they were that historical figure. Students can explore Jewish contributions to literature, science, politics, and civil rights and create digital slides with Visme, reviewed here or Genially, reviewed here highlighting key figures, inventions, or cultural traditions.Teachers- Holocaust Museum Houston - Holocaust Museum Houston
Grades
K to 12tag(s): critical thinking (136), ebooks (46), empathy (36), holocaust (43), immigrants (44), immigration (79), jews (50), professional development (392), religions (112)
In the Classroom
Using the museum's digital artifact collection, students can select an item (for example, a diary, identification card, or photograph) and analyze its significance. Then they can write a short reflection or narrative from the perspective of the artifact's owner. Students can examine examples of Nazi propaganda versus resistance writings (e.g., underground newspapers, speeches, or poems). They then create their counter-propaganda messages promoting human rights and resilience. Students research a current human rights issue and compare it to lessons learned from the Holocaust. They then design a "Take Action" campaign, including posters, social media posts, or letters advocating for change. Posters and social media templates can be found on Canva Edu, reviewed here.Jewish American Heritage Month - Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History
Grades
K to 12tag(s): cultures (211), jews (50), social media (50)
In the Classroom
Use the JAHM posters and resource guides to create an interactive bulletin board. Encourage students to add facts, reflections, or connections to what they're learning in other subjects. Incorporate Jewish American heritage into literature, social studies, and art. Read works by Jewish American authors, analyze their impact, or explore how Jewish American experiences connect with broader historical events. Have students research notable Jewish Americans featured in the toolkit's posters. They can create timelines using Preceden, reviewed here or Sutori, reviewed here, or create short essays highlighting these individuals' contributions to history, science, arts, or politics.Bill of Rights: Primary Documents in American History - Library of Congress
Grades
3 to 12tag(s): bill of rights (34), constitution (99), primary sources (120), Research (88)
In the Classroom
Share this link with your students when studying the Bill of Rights. During Constitution Day activities, have pairs of students create captions that could be used with the documents using a tool such as Boxie reviewed here. Another option for younger students would be to use Padlet reviewed here to share reactions to some of the images at the site. With Padlet, students can reply using audio or video, so even the youngest students can participate. Students could use this to research how the Bill of Rights was developed and which individual rights were hot topics in 1891.African American Innovation, Invention, and Entrepreneurship in the Manuscript Division - Library of Congress
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): african american (119), agriculture (52), photography (131), STEM (306), transportation (30)
In the Classroom
Students can explore the website to identify an African American inventor and their creation. They can create a mini-poster or trading card featuring the inventor, their invention, and its impact on society. Students can also research African American inventors and their challenges, including a lack of patents, racial discrimination, and funding barriers. They can write a persuasive speech or essay arguing the importance of diverse representation in STEM. Students can create a physical or digital timeline using Sutori, reviewed here or Turbo Timeline Generator, reviewed here of African American innovations, organizing inventions chronologically and highlighting technological advancements.African American History Online: A Resource Guide - Library of Congress
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): african american (119), civil rights (217), maps (224), multimedia (55), photography (131)
In the Classroom
Have students select a historical letter or document and write a response as if they were living in that time, incorporating historical context and personal reflection. Students can listen to oral history recordings from the collection and take notes on key themes, emotions, and historical details. Then, they can summarize or create a first-person monologue based on what they learned. Students can choose a historical primary source (ex., a protest sign, newspaper article, or speech) and compare it to a modern event or movement with a similar theme, such as voting rights, racial justice, or activism. Have students curate a virtual museum exhibit using primary sources from the collection. They can organize sources around themes like civil rights, African American inventors, or cultural contributions and write exhibit captions. Categorize the sources in Google Slides, reviewed here or Sway, reviewed here.African American Communities in America's Cities: Photographs by Camilo J. Vergara - Library of Congress
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): african american (119), communities (38), photography (131)
In the Classroom
Have students select a set of Vergara's time-lapse photographs of a specific location and analyze the changes over time. They can discuss possible reasons for these transformations (ex., economic shifts, policy changes, gentrification). Students can research factors contributing to urban decay and revitalization, using Vergara's photos as a case study. They can create a cause-and-effect diagram using MindMup, reviewed here showing how policies, economics, and social movements shape communities. Students can take photos of a specific location in their neighborhood over time (or find historical photos to compare to modern ones). They can create collages using PhotoCollage, reviewed here or Photo Joiner, reviewed here to analyze how and why changes have occurred.African American Civil Rights Events of the 20th Century: Selected Pictures - Library of Congress
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): african american (119), civil rights (217), photography (131)
In the Classroom
Print or digitally display a selection of images around the room. Students can walk around, write observations on sticky notes, and discuss the significance of each image in small groups. Students can choose a photograph and write a found poem, free verse, or persona poem (from the perspective of someone in the image). Encourage the use of simile, metaphor, and personification when writing. Have students select a historical image and compare it to a modern photo of a similar issue (ex., protests, voting rights, racial justice). They can create a mini research project connecting past and present using a template in Canva Edu, reviewed here or Visme, reviewed here.National Archives - The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration
Grades
3 to 6tag(s): bill of rights (34), constitution (99), declaration of independence (16), photography (131)
In the Classroom
Use DocsTeach to select a primary source related to your lesson (Declaration of Independence, Emancipation Proclamation, letters from historical figures) and have students answer questions about who wrote the document, why it was created, and how it relates to today's world. Show students a virtual tour or video from the National Archives YouTube Channel and take notes using Webnotes, reviewed here or TurboNote, reviewed here for a class discussion afterwards. Select a historical photograph, letter, or document from DocsTeach or archives.gov and provide students with limited context. In groups, students can play detective by analyzing clues (dates, signatures, language, historical events) to figure out the document's purpose and significance.Teach Democracy - Teach Democracy
Grades
3 to 12tag(s): bill of rights (34), civil rights (217), constitution (99), democracy (24)
In the Classroom
Based on the "Electoral College" lesson plan, organize a classroom mock election. Students can research candidates or create fictional platforms, hold debates, and vote, experiencing firsthand the process of elections and the importance of civic engagement. Inspired by the lessons on community engagement, challenge students to identify a local issue they care about (such as recycling, public transportation, or voting rights) and develop a plan to take action. They can create petitions, host awareness campaigns, or present their project to local leaders or school administrators. Use a list of key civics terms from the Teach Democracy collection (like "democracy," "rights," and "constitution") and challenge students to define each term, then use it in a sentence. To gamify the lesson, turn it into a class competition or game like "Jeopardy!" to test their knowledge. Use Classroom Jeopardy, reviewed here to make a game board.Library of Congress Research Guides - Library of Congress
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): african american (119), architecture (84), black history (135), branches of government (65), civil rights (217), civil war (140), conservation (102), energy (133), engineering (137), environment (252), foreign policy (13), hispanic (36), industrialization (12), jews (50), latin (23), literature (221), middle east (50), native americans (117), nutrition (139), photography (131), politics (118), population (51), religions (112), Research (88), sports (84), statistics (121), Teacher Utilities (203), women (152), womenchangemaker (37), womens suffrage (52)
In the Classroom
Assign students to explore a Library of Congress guide on a historical event (ex., Civil Rights Movement, World War II) and have them read and summarize a firsthand account or diary (or blog) entry. Students can then write a journal entry or letter from someone who lived through the event. Try a simple blogging tool like Telegra.ph reviewed here. Choose a literature-focused research guide related to a classic novel or author (such as To Kill a Mockingbird or The Great Gatsby) and have students create a timeline using Time Graphics Timeline Maker, reviewed here or a newspaper front page using a template from Canva Infographic Creator, reviewed here.NPR- Breaking News, Analysis, Music, Arts, and Podcasts - NPR
Grades
K to 12tag(s): civil rights (217), cultures (211), journalism (74), news (226), podcasts (114), scientists (71), space (220)
In the Classroom
Have students listen to NPR's Student Podcast Challenge winners for inspiration and assign them to create a short podcast episode on a topic related to your curriculum. Use free tools like NPR's podcast resources or Buzzsprout, reviewed hereto guide their scriptwriting and recording process. Choose an NPR article and a similar report from another news source and have students analyze the tone, word choice, and sources used. Use NPR's science and history archives to explore a key discovery or event. Have students present their findings through a timeline project using Timeline Infographic Templates, reviewed here or Turbo Timeline Generator, reviewed here.Talking Tours - Google Arts and Culture
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): archeology (30), artificial intelligence (187), deserts (17), forests (30), landmarks (22), maps (224), museums (53), virtual field trips (132)