See recent Lesson Plans of the Day below.
For additional lessons see the Lesson Plan of the Day Archive,
our Lesson Planning Channel, or our History Center.

Origins of Common Expressions
Learn the historic origins of 20 common expressions. (Grades 4-12) 08/10/2010

Biography Acrostic
A perfect culminating activity for your biography, history, or literature unit. (Grades 3-12) 07/20/2010

Pick a Penny Research Project
Pick a penny, then research important events that took place the year that penny was minted. (Grades 4-12) 07/20/2010

Who Is That First Lady?
Can you guess the famous woman Im describing? (Grades 3-8) 07/16/2010

In the Wake of the Amistad
A timeline of historic events in the fight to end slavery. (Grades 3-12) 07/15/2010

A Thanksgiving Feast
What was on the menu for the first Thanksgiving? (Grades 3-8) 07/14/2010

The Bald Eagle or the Turkey?
Debate the question: Which belongs on the U.S. Great Seal? (Grades 3-8) 07/13/2010

The Story of Louis Braille
Learn about Louis Brailles system for the blind. Use an online Braille translator. (Grades 3-8) 07/02/2010

U.S. Presidents: How Do They Measure Up?
Is the history of our presidents height a short story or a tall tale? (Grades 3-12) 06/30/2010

Sybil Ludington: The Other Paul Revere
Learn about Sybil Ludington, a young girl who is often called the other Paul Revere. (Grades 3-8) 06/22/2010

Norman Rockwell Paints America
Take a "gallery walk of Norman Rockwell paintings, discuss the stories they tell. (Grades 3-12) 11/21/2006

Make a Mummy: The Science of Mummification
Learn about mummification by making an apple (or chicken) mummy. (Grades 3-12) 10/17/2006

Graphing Names in a Historic Cemetery
Tally and graph the most common names found in a local historic cemetery. (Grades 2-8) 10/03/2006

Where Did Foods Originate?
Explore how New World explorers changed the Old World's diet. (Grades K-12) 10/02/2006

"And That's The Way It Is" Today in History
Students create a nightly-news broadcast for a special time/date in history. (Grades 4-12) 09/21/2006

Using Primary Sources: Letters from the Presidents
Learn about the U.S. presidents through actual letters they wrote. (Grades 6-12) 07/31/2006

Around-the-Room Review
The "around the room" review game engages everyone. (Grades K-12) 07/27/2006

Ball and Triangle Game
Create a modern version of an old Native American children's game. (Grades K-8) 07/18/2006

The World of Anne Frank
Ideas for teaching about the life and diary of Anne Frank. (Grades 6-12) 07/06/2006

Drafting the Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence: compare Jefferson's draft with the final version. (Grades 6-12) 06/21/2006

The Gods of Ancient Greece, Egypt, and Rome
Create a diary or postcard to share knowledge of ancient gods. (Grades 3-12) 06/20/2006

Native American Misconceptions
Blast students' stereotypes about Native Americans. (Grades K-5) 06/16/2006

World War I Art and Artists
Learn about the artists behind paintings of World War I. (Grades 9-12) 06/06/2006

Rescuers: Those Who Risked Their Lives to Save Others
Read Holocaust rescue accounts, write reflective essays. (Grades 6-12) 06/02/2006

How Did Civil War Soldiers Battle Boredom?
Battling boredom in Civil War days; a Venn diagram activity. (Grades 3-8) 06/01/2006

An Immigration Graph
Create a graph to show the number of immigrants by country of origin. (Grades 3-8) 05/22/2006

Pictures Tell a Story: A Lesson in Sequencing
In this lesson, students illustrate sequential events in a story or in history. (Grades K-8) 05/08/2006

"Two Diamond Baseball" Review Game
This "baseball" game can be used to reinforce skills in any subject. (Grades K-12) 05/04/2006

The Lost Art of Letter Writing
Recognize Harry Truman's birthday (May 8) by reading and reflecting on his letters. (Grades 6-12) 05/01/2006

The San Francisco Earthquake of 1906
Recognize the anniversary of the San Francisco earthquake (April 18) with this comprehension activity. (Grades 4-12) 04/14/2006

Civil War Slang
Explore slang words and phrases used during the Civil War. (Grades 6-12) 04/13/2006

From One Child to Another: Letters About the Holocaust
Read a "Children of the Holocaust" biography; write a letter to that child. (Grades 3-8) 04/11/2006

Civil War Photos Tell a Story
Write a story about one of Matthew Brady's Civil War photographs. (Grades 5-12) 04/07/2006

Anticipation Guides Improve Reading Comprehension
Use anticipation guides to help your students focus on the most important concepts in content-area reading assignments. (Grades K-12) 03/23/2006

Surprising Facts About Life 50 Years Ago
Compile interesting facts about life in another time. (Grades 5-12) 03/07/2006

Women's Words of Wisdom
Create a bulletin board of inspiring quotes by famous women. (Grades 4-12) 03/01/2006

Langston Hughes Was a Dreamer Too
Learn how Langston Hughes expressed his dreams through poetry. (Grades 2-12) 02/21/2006

Now Let Me Fly -- A Black History Reader's Theater Script
Celebrate Black History Month by staging a classroom production of this play. (Grades 3-12) 02/17/2006

Three-Way Match: Famous Black Americans
A unique three-way matching activity teaches about famous African Americans. (Grades 4-12) 02/15/2006

The Black History Rap
Write a rap lyric about a famous African-American. (Grades 3-12) 02/14/2006

George Washington Teaches Map Directions
If students follow "directions," they'll have a picture of George Washington. (Grades 3-8) 02/13/2006

"Meet Our Presidents" Bulletin Board
Students research and create a "Meet Our Presidents" bulletin board display. (Grades K-12) 02/10/2006

Secrets of the Presidents
Learn little-known facts with this printable activity. (Grades 3-8) 02/08/2006

Presidents at Inauguration Graph: How Old Were They?
Graph the presidents' ages at inauguration. (Grades K-8) 02/07/2006

365 Days of African American History
Create a 365-day calendar of African-American history. (Grades 6-12) 02/02/2006

Fabulous Firsts in African American History
Learn about famous firsts in African-American history. (Grades 3-12) 01/31/2006

Civil War Recipes
Prepare foods Civil War soldiers might have eaten. (Grades K-12) 01/17/2006

Martin Luther King Jr.: A Pre- and Post-Reading Activity
A pre- and post-reading exercise documents learning about the life of Martin Luther King. (Grades 3-8) 01/06/2006

Write a Song About American History
Songs about events in history inspire students to write their own song lyrics. (Grades 5-12) 01/04/2006

100 Years Ago in History
Start the new year by investigating events that happened 100 years ago this year. (Grades 5-12) 01/02/2006

Civil War Recipes
Prepare foods Civil War soldiers might have eaten. (Grades K-12) 12/12/2005

Immigrants Who Built America
Explore the lives of ten immigrants who helped make American strong. (Grades 5-12) 12/07/2005

President Jefferson's Cipher: Cracking the Code
Crack the code President Jefferson used to communicate with Lewis & Clark. (Grades 3-12) 11/28/2005

Rosa Parks Changed the Rules
Complete a diagram of the Montgomery bus that carried Rosa Parks on December 1, 1955. (Grades K-5) 11/22/2005

Lewis and Clark and the Native Americans
Learn how the Lewis & Clark expedition impacted Native tribes. (Grades 6-12) 11/10/2005

You Are the Historian: Investigating the First Thanksgiving
Learn the truth about the "First Thanksgiving." (Grades 3-8) 11/08/2005

"War of the Worlds": A Broadcast Re-Creation
Relive (and re-create) the panic-causing 1938 radio broadcast of "War of the Worlds." (Grades 6-12) 10/18/2005

What Did It Cost in 1903?
Compare prices of goods today and 100 years ago. (Grades 3-12) 10/13/2005

Go West With Columbus
This game board activity reinforces map skills, map directions. (Grades K-5) 09/30/2005

The Betsy Ross Story: Truth or Legend?
The Betsy Ross story -- truth or legend? (Grades 3-12) 09/29/2005

The Great Chicago Fire: Did Mrs. O'Leary's Cow Really Cause It?
Investigate the facts about the Great Chicago Fire. What was its real cause? (Grades 6-12) 09/28/2005

Art Imitating Life
Explore role of women by examining art through history. (Grades 6-12) 09/21/2005

A "Typical Day" Then and Now
Students compare their "typical day" to a grandparent's typical day when he or she was a child. (Grades K-8) 08/31/2005

Roman Numeral Math
Solve simple math problems using Roman numerals. (Grades 3-12) 08/09/2005

Hieroglyphics: It's Not Greek to Me! (It's Egyptian!)
Use hieroglyphic characters, an online hieroglyphic translator too. (Grades 3-12) 08/04/2005

Draw Like an Egyptian
Learn how to draw like an Egyptian. (Grades K-12) 07/18/2005

Stage a Debate: A Primer for Teachers
Ten strategies for creating lively debates in the classroom. (Grades 3-12) 07/11/2005

Graphic Organizer: Research Note Taking Made Easy
Note-taking graphic organizer makes researching easier. (Grades 3-8) 06/30/2005

Round Robin Post-It Review
Small-group activity a fun way to review, prep students for test. (Grades K-12) 06/24/2005

Incredible Shrinking Notes
A fun 3-step process helps students "boil down" note taking. (Grades 3-12) 06/01/2005

Heroes in History ABC Book
Create a Heroes in History ABC book. (Grades 3-12) 05/25/2005

Those Who Fought
Students interview veterans of World War II. (Grades 6-12) 05/16/2005

Those Who Fought
Students interview veterans of World War II. (Grades 6-12) 05/09/2005

Rescuers: Those Who Risked Their Lives to Save Others
Read Holocaust rescue accounts, write reflective essays. (Grades 6-12) 05/03/2005

Reporting Live from the 20th Century
Report live from one of the top news stories of the 20th century. (Grades 3-12) 04/29/2005

From One Child to Another: Letters About the Holocaust
Read a "Children of the Holocaust" biography; write a letter to that child. (Grades 3-8) 04/12/2005

The Cost of War
Study a chart of Civil War deaths, answer the questions. (Grades 3-8) 04/06/2005

Breaking the Code
Learn about the importance of cryptography during WWII. (Grades 6-12) 03/23/2005

Put a Woman on a Stamp
Nominate a woman to be honored on a new commemorative stamp. (Grades 6-12) 03/17/2005

Art Imitates Life
Study postcards of World War I; create postcards that reflect your life. (Grades 3-12) 03/15/2005

Code Talkers
Learn about Navajo code talkers; create, decode secret messages. (Grades 3-12) History 03/07/2005

Follow the Drinking Gourd
Create an art project based on a song used to guide slaves to freedom. (Grades K-2) 02/21/2005

A Monument, Please, for the Big Cheese!
Choose one president; design a monument that reflects his achievements. (Grades 3-12) 02/14/2005

Presidents Picture Book
Create a picture book of U.S. presidents. (Grades K-8) 02/04/2005

Using Primary Sources: Letters from the Presidents
Learn about the U.S. presidents through actual letters they wrote. (Grades 6-12) 02/02/2005

Civil War Slang
Ideas for teaching about the life and diary of Anne Frank. (Grades 6-12) 02/01/2005

It's Up for Debate
Debate two issues of WWII era: atomic bomb and internment camps. (Grades 9-12) 01/24/2005

An Immigration Graph
Create a graph to show the number of immigrants by country of origin. (Grades 3-8) 01/19/2005  

Civil War Slang
Explore slang words and phrases used during the Civil War. 01/10/2005   

Presidents at Inauguration Graph: How Old Were They?
Graph the presidents' ages at inauguration. (Grades K-8) 01/07/2005  

"Concentration" Review Game
Create a Concentration-style review game for any subject. (Grades K-12) 12/13/2004 

Friendly Feud
Play the "Friendly Feud" game when reviewing for a test. (Grades K-12) 12/03/2004

Design a Navajo Rug -- A Lesson in Symmetry
Create a Navajo rug; a lesson in symmetry. (Grades 3-8) 11/29/2004

Native American Glossary
Create a glossary of words with Native American origins. (Grades 3-8) 11/24/2004

Native American Misconceptions
Blast students' stereotypes about Native Americans. (Grades K-5) 11/18/2004

Drafting the Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence: compare Jefferson's draft with the final version. (Grades 6-12) 11/17/2004

Fun With Numbers
Use Lakota Indian number words to solve math problems. (Grades 3-5) 11/12/2004

Poetry of War and Peace
Use "In Flanders Fields" to inspire poetry writing. (Grades 6-12) 11/10/2004

Around-the-Room Review
The "around the room" review game engages everyone. (Grades K-12) 11/05/2004

Civil War Recipes
Prepare foods Civil War soldiers might have eaten. (Grades K-12) 11/01/2004

Immigrant Arrivals
Compare the experience of immigrants at Ellis and Angel Islands. (Grades 6-12) 10/25/2004

Ball and Triangle Game
Create a modern version of an old Native American children’s game. (Grades K-8) 10/22/2004

The Electoral College
When has the Electoral College been a factor in an election? (Grades 3-12) 10/20/2004

The Play's the Thing
A play about the election (1876) in which Tilden lost the presidency by one electoral vote. (Grades 8-12) 10/06/04

Create a New Amendment
Work in groups to propose a new amendment to the Constitution. (Grades 6-12) 10/04/2004

Drafting the Gettysburg Address
Compare the draft to the final version of the Gettysburg Address. (Grades 6-12) 09/21/04

Review Game
This review game can be adapted to any subject, any grade. (Grades K-12) 09/09/04

Civil War Photos Tell a Story
Create a Bill of Rights for a colony you are founding on a distant planet. (Grades 5-12) 08/24/04

Biography Chat
Conduct interviews with historic figures in a TV talk-show format. (Grades 3-12)