Information Skills — Grade 8

Underground Railroad quilts: Fact or folklore?

In this lesson, students explore the controversy surrounding a book entitled Hidden in Plain View: A Secret Story of Quilts and the Underground Railroad, which was published as a non-fiction account of fugitive slaves sending coded messages through quilt patterns. Students evaluate numerous sources and assess the validity of each in an attempt to determine if the quilt codes are fact or folklore.

Format: lesson plan (grade 8 and 11–12 Information Skills and Social Studies)

By Abby Stotsenberg.

Resources on the web

Lewis and Clark: Overcoming Obstacles

In this lesson, students will discuss the challenges and obstacles the Lewis and Clark expedition faced, focusing on how geographic information can influence a decision. Students will work cooperatively to make a decision, and experience the difficulty... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 5 and 8 English Language Arts, Information Skills, and Social Studies)

Provided by: National Geographic

Lewis and Clark: A Legacy to Remember

Students design a memorial that illustrates the legacy of the Lewis and Clark expedition from a geographic perspective. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 5 and 8 English Language Arts, Information Skills, and Social Studies)

Provided by: National Geographic

Carnegie libraries: The future made bright

Using maps, images, and web texts, students explore the philanthropy of Andrew Carnegie and the impact of the libraries he endowed. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 5 and 8–12 Information Skills and Social Studies)

Provided by: Teaching With Historic Places: National Park Service