Students use the Hero's Journey interactive to describe how Luke Skywalker meets each stage of his journey, and then brainstorm other works that use the formula.
Star Wars creator George Lucas was born in 1944.
Celebrate blues legend Robert Johnson's birthday.
Students learn about blues music and brainstorm subjects that might give them "the blues." Finally, they write their own blues lyrics and have the option to perform.
The Brooklyn Bridge opened on this day in 1883.
Students explore the literary concept of point of view by examining a pair of picture books that highlight the controversies surrounding the Brooklyn Bridge.
The Spanish town of Guernica was bombed on this date in 1937.
After showing students Picasso's Guernica, they are provided with background information, share their impressions, and write about Picasso's purpose in creating the painting.
The RMS Titanic sank on this day in 1912.
Students use the Internet Workshop model to explore web links about the Titanic disaster.
On this day in 1935, Elvis Presley was born.
Students visit the National Archives to read a letter written by Elvis Presley to President Nixon. The Letter Generator is used to write a letter to a current artist suggesting a meeting with the President.
Annie Moore becomes the first immigrant to enter Ellis Island in 1892.
Students explore online resources about Ellis Island, interview an immigrant in the area, and publish their stories.
Poor Richard's Almanack was first published in 1733.
Students explore some of the proverbs taken from Poor Richard's Almanack, give their impressions or someone who would write these statements, and choose one saying to paraphrase.
James Naismith, inventor of the game of basketball, was born in 1861.
Students look at Naismith's original 13 rules for basketball and write about the rules and how they have changed in small groups.
Walt Disney was born in 1901.
Students describe female characters in Disney films, discuss their characteristics, and write a thesis statement about them.
The Boston Tea Party took place in 1773.
Students create a political cartoon for the Boston Tea Party and use the interactive Comic Creator to publish them.
Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a bus.
Students make believe that the year is 1955 and they just heard about Parks' arrest. Students write newspaper editorials with their points of view on segregation.
Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address in 1863.
Students practice the Pre-AP strategy called SOAPSTone, identifying important parts of the Gettysburg Address and comparing it with John F. Kennedy's inaugural speech.
On this day in 1918, the United States passed the U.S. Standard Time Act.
A video conference with a class from a different country or time zone is planned. Students brainstorm questions to ask and figure out how many time zones they would have to travel through to have the conference.
The Lewis and Clark Expedition reached the Pacific Ocean in 1805.
Students look at Kenneth Holder's paintings of the Lewis and Clark trail and transform their notes into a descriptive paragraph as if they were a member of the expedition.
Susan B. Anthony voted on this date in 1872, leading to her arrest.
After assigning special privileges to an arbitrarily designated group, students write about how they felt during the simulation and consider what they might be willing to do to change an unjust law.
Dr. Jonas Salk, who developed the polio vaccine, was born in 1914.
After learning about Dr. Salk, students interview a family member or someone they know who remembers the polio epidemic.
Artist Pablo Picasso was born on this day in 1881.
Students view a Picasso piece, write their impressions, and share. Students can create their own Picasso-style art using the interactive Picassohead.
Dictionary author Noah Webster was born in 1758.
Students play a variation of the game Balderdash to practice vocabulary.
Thurgood Marshall was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1967.
After discussing a statement made by Thurgood Marshall, students consider each piece of the comment and create a K-W-L chart to begin an investigation with other resources.