Browse lesson plans

African American English

In this activity, students learn about the history of African American English and the meaning of dialect and linguistic patterns. Students watch a video about African American English and analyze the dialect's linguistic patterns.

Format: lesson plan (grade 8 Social Studies)

By Hannah Askin.

The Craft Revival and economic change

In this lesson plan, originally published on the Craft Revival website, students will interpret photographs and artifacts as representations of western North Carolina’s economy at the turn of the century. They will also analyze historical census data and produce a visual web that will represent the changing nature of the economy of western North Carolina.

Format: lesson plan (grade 8–12 Social Studies)

By Patrick Velde.

Culture everywhere

In Intrigue of the Past, page 1.3

In their study of culture, students will use a chart to show the different ways that cultures meet basic human needs and recognize that archaeologists study how people from past cultures met basic needs by analyzing and interpreting the artifacts and sites that they left behind.

Format: lesson plan (grade 4 and 8 English Language Arts and Social Studies)

Dynamic dialect: Horace Kephart and Our Southern Highlanders

Students will read an excerpt from Horace Kephart's Our Southern Highlanders and explore how language and dialect have changed over the years.

Format: lesson plan (grade 8–10 English Language Arts)

By Billie Clemens.

Folklife

Students will learn North Carolina folklore, traditions, war activities, local legends, superstitions, food preparation traditions, art, songs and dances which are unique to the area.

Format: lesson plan (grade 8 Social Studies)

By Carolyn Early.

Formulating questions to meet information needs of ELL students

This is a multi-activity lesson plan to teach the concept of asking engaging, researchable questions prior to reading. This leads to effective inquiries during project or research work in any content area. Using engaging questions creates a sense of connectedness by linking academic contents with students' personal concerns. The lesson is primarily designed for English language learners although it can be adapted for mainstream students. This lesson can also be modified for use with grades 4-8.

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 English Language Development, Information Skills, and Social Studies)

By Deborah Wilkes, Kristi Triplett, and Karen Waller.

Graphic organizer: From Caledonia to Carolina

Graphic organizer designed to aid students' comprehension as they read an article about the immigration of Highland Scots to North Carolina in the colonial era.

Format: chart/lesson plan (grade 8 Social Studies)

By Pauline S. Johnson.

Home is where the hearth is: Using photographs to discuss traditional family roles

In this lesson students will examine pictures of hearths (fireplaces), which used to be the cornerstone of the home and family life. These images, from the Built Heritage Collection at North Carolina State University, will help students use observation skills and inference to draw conclusions about the culture of family life at various points throughout the history of North Carolina and the United States.

Format: lesson plan (grade 8 Social Studies)

By Loretta Wilson.

In the spirit of... (museum pre-visit)

This is an integrated unit that focuses on masks in cultures as reflections of individual spirits. In this pre-visit lesson, students will explore the cultures of the Western Hemisphere.

Format: lesson plan (grade 5–6 Visual Arts Education and Social Studies)

By Shannon Kelly.

It's in the garbage

In Intrigue of the Past, page 1.9

In studying archaeological concepts, students will analyze garbage from different places demonstrate competence in applying the concepts of culture, context, classification, observation and inference, chronology and scientific inquiry.

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 English Language Arts and Social Studies)

A living timeline of civil rights

This fifth grade lesson plan is one piece of a civil rights unit. This particular lesson is an opportunity for students to demonstrate knowledge of a specific person or event that occurred during the civil rights movement. The students will share their research with others as they take on the role of a museum artifact.

Format: lesson plan (grade 5 Social Studies)

By Laurie Lietz.

Native American music: Two North Carolina tribes

In this lesson plan, students will listen to songs from two North Carolina tribes. Students will learn about the music through listening, analyzing, singing, moving, and playing instruments.

Format: lesson plan (grade 4–5 Music Education and Social Studies)

By Merritt Raum Flexman.

North Carolina American Indian stories

In this lesson students will select and read stories from some of the North Carolina American Indian tribes. They will compare and contrast two stories of their choice and complete a Venn diagram. Students will use the information on the Venn diagram to write three paragraphs. After reading several American Indian tales or legends, students will then create their own legend using the narrative writing process.

Format: lesson plan (grade 4 English Language Arts and Social Studies)

By Janice Gardner.

North Carolina Cherokee Indians: The Trail of Tears

In this two week unit, students will study the Cherokee by participating in literature circles, learning about Native American story telling, writing a letter to Andrew Jackson to protest against the Creek War, and more.

Format: lesson plan (grade 4–5 English Language Arts and Social Studies)

By Gina Golden.

One man's home

In this lesson students will examine house plans from the Built Heritage Collection at the North Carolina State University. They will use their knowledge of history, observation skills, and inference to draw conclusions about how the functionality of homes has changed over time to meet the needs of the homeowners.

Format: lesson plan

By Loretta Wilson.

Point of view

Students will consider how point of view affects the meaning and interpretation of a work of art. They will view a sculpture of a Palmyran woman dated between 150-170 C.E. Students will consider three different points of view, analyze each of these views, and discuss what aspects of the sculpture would be highlighted and neglected when considering these different points of view.

Format: lesson plan (grade 6–7 Visual Arts Education and Social Studies)

By Amanda Keller.

Wow! A powwow!

Powwows have long been a tradition in the Native American culture. Even today, powwows are held across the United States and Canada. This lesson plan allows students the opportunity to research powwows, and in the process see that modern day Native Americans have a diverse culture.

Format: lesson plan (grade 4–5 Social Studies)

By Betsy Bryan.

Resources on the web

EDSITEment

The “best of the online humanities resources on the Web” including museums, libraries, and other cultural institutions. (Learn more)

Format: website/lesson plan

Provided by: National Endowment for the Humanities

Making a mummy the natural way

This Xpeditions lesson has students examine the relationship between climate and the mummification process in ancient Egypt and other parts of the world. Students will conclude by writing paragraphs suggesting ways archaeologists and climatologists can... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 7 Social Studies)

Provided by: Xpeditions

North Carolina Museum of History

The Museum offers visitors a divers assortment of exhibits and resources to include in classroom instruction or actual visists to the museum. Find lesson plans, information on history in a box kits, professional development workshops, and much more. (Learn more)

Format: website/lesson plan