Site Index: Collections of World History Lesson Plans, World History Resources, Prehistory, Ancient History, Middle Ages, Canadian History, Mexican/Latin American History, African History, Middle Eastern History, Australian and New Zealand History, Asian History, European History, Renaissance, Reformation, Age of Exploration

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Collections of World History Lesson Plans
World History
Lesson plans organized by grade level from Discovery Education.

World History for Teachers
Scroll down the page to find lesson plans and activities, including many created by Mr. Donn.

World History Lesson Plans
A long list of lesson plans from The Educator's Reference Desk (formerly Ask ERIC).

World History Lesson Plans
Links from Pro Teacher.

World History Lesson Plans
From TeAchnology.

Women in World History Curriculum
Biographies, reviews of classroom resources on women's history, and 7 lesson plans.

World History Resources for Teachers
Historical Documents
A large collection of historical autographs and documents available from Kenneth R. Rendell, inc.

World History Archives
A collection of online documents.

Teach with Movies
Information for creating world history lesson plans using movies and film.

Historyteachers.net
All sorts of resources and information.

World Studies -  World History
Free resources from the U.S. federal agencies.

High School World History
Resources for students, teachers, and parents.

World History Sources
From George-Mason University

The Amazing Magnificent Colossal Cruise Through Time and History
Pick a time period and take the tour!

Historica Teachers Resources
Lesson plans and resources on Canadian history and culture.

Prehistory Lesson Plans and Resources
Prehistory Links
Links to sites related to the stone age.

Three Stone Ages
A lesson plan for grade 7 from the Educator's Reference Desk.

Life in the Stone Age: The Paleolithic and Neolithic Eras
A 10th-grade unit in pdf format.

The Life and Times of Early Man
An activity from Mr. Donn. See also Who's Who of Early Man.

Ancient Cliff Dwellers
A lesson plan from Reading a-z.com using this book about the people who inhabited the area that is now Mesa Verde National Park from prehistoric times to the present.

Cave Art: Discovering Prehistoric Humans through Pictures
A K-2 lesson plan from Edsitement.

Early Humans Wanted! Poster Project
A 6th-grade lesson plan in which students make a "wanted" poster for an early hominid.

Neanderthals
A lesson plan for grades 6-8 from Dicovery Education.

Cro-Magnon Cave Painting
An interdisciplinary lesson plan.

Land Bridge Theory of Migration
A 4th-grade lesson plan on this theory of how the first humans entered North America. Though the lesson plan is designed for teaching about the early history of Wyoming, it could easily be adapted to teaching about the history of other states. For a similar lesson plan, go to Canada's First Peoples. For background information, go to Canada's First Nations: Antiquity, Who Were the First Americans, Trekking Across Our Land, and Lake Agassiz: The Ultimate Fishing Spot?

Teaching with the Mammoth Mystery
An elementary lesson plan from the Wisconsin Historical Society using an interactive Web site.

Mammoth: Witness to Change
A similar lesson plan; this one's from the Iowa Historical Society.

The First Humans, 3500 B.C.
Student Web activities, chapter overview, self-check quizzes, and an interctive tutor from Glencoe World History.

Human Evolution
A high school lesson plan from Discovery Education examining the evolution of the human species.

Ancient History Lesson Plans and Resources
Need a video or an online activity to supplement your ancient history unit? Take a look at what Social Studies School Service has to offer.

Mr. Donn's Ancient History
Great source for lesson plans on many topics related to ancient history.

World History - Ancient World: Lesson Plans
High-quality lesson plans from Edsitement.

Ancient & Classical Cultures
Everything and everyone from Aztecs to Vikings.

Internet Ancient History Sourcebook
Great source containing hundreds of local files as well as links to source texts throughout the net.

Exploring Ancient World Cultures
An on-line course supplement for students and teachers of the ancient and medieval worlds, this site provides information about the Near East, India, Egypt, China, Greece, Rome, Early Islam, and Medieval Europe.

300 Spartans at the Battle of Thermoplyae: Herodotus' Real Story
A high school lesson plan from Edsitement.

Ancient Civilizations Theme Page
Links to resources and lesson plans. Scroll down the page to find the lessons.

Daily Life in Ancient Greece
Learn about life in ancient Greece.

Reflections of Ancient Greece
A K-5 lesson plan from Discovery School.

Coming of Age in Ancient Greece
Three lesson plans from the Hood Museum of Art.

Daily Life in Ancient Rome
Find out what the ancient Romans did all day!

Lessons and Links for Teaching About Ancient Rome
From the authors of the above two sites.

The Roman Empire in the First Century
Eight lesson plans from PBS.

Ancient Rome
A lesson plan for grades 6-8 from Discovery School. See also Rome's Influence for another middle-grade lesson plan.

Ancient China
More from Mr. Donn. See also The Daily Gazette Ancient China for a WebQuest.

Six Paths to China
Six web-based activities for learning and teaching about ancient China.

Create an Egyptian Exhibit
A 6th-grade lesson plan in which students learn about artifacts from ancient Egypt. See also Daily Life in Ancient Egypt.

Egyptian Symbols and Figures: Scroll Paintings
A K-2 lesson plan from Edsitement. See also Egyptian Symbols and Figures: Hieroglyphs.

Egypt's Pyramids: Monuments with a Message
Another elementary lesson plan from Edsitement.

Neferchichi's Tomb
Lesson plans and information on ancient Egypt, including a lesson plan on writing with hieroglyphs.

Guardian's Egypt
Take a cyber tour, print a map, learn about the Sphinx, etc.

Indus Valley Geography Civilization
A 9th-grade cooperative learing lesson ancient India. See also Daily Life in Ancient India.

Aztec Mythology
A unit for grades 4-5. See also The Ancient Aztecs, which provides a timeline, scavenger hunt, crossword puzzle, and much information.

Aztec Folk Tales
Web-based activities for junior high.

A Classical Mayan News Report
A high school lesson plan in which students learn about Mayan city-states and what archaeologists can tell us about an ancient civilization. See also Civilization of the Ancient Maya and  SCORE Teacher Guide: Mayan Folktale.

Mayan Civilization
A WebQuest for grade 7. See also Daily Life in the Maya Empire.

Collapse: Why Do Civilizations Fall?
Interesting, activity-based site on the fall of ancient civilizations.

Middle Ages Lesson Plans and Resources
Medieval Times
A long list of lesson plans and units from Mr. Donn's pages.

The Middle Ages
Twelve activities from Education world.

Middle Ages
A K-5 lesson plan.

Medieval Feasts
A 3rd or 4th-grade lesson plan using Aliki's A Medieval Feast.

Not Everyone Lived in Castles During the Middle Ages
A lesson plan for grades 3-5 from Edsitement.

Europe in the Middle Ages
A unit for the intermediate grades.

Mythical, Magical, Magical Middle Ages . . . Not!
A 4th-grade unit from Core Knowledge. See also Gargoyles, Black Death, and Scary Music, and Feudalism for other 4th-grade units from this organization.

Medieval Life: Squires, Maidens and Peasants
An elaborate 7th-grade unit from Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute.  

Where in the World is Camelot?
A high school lesson plan.

Feudalism in Japan and Europe
A WebQuest.

1066: The Norman Conquest School Site
An online activity complete with  worksheets and quizzes.

The Crusades and the Rise of Islam
Concise information from Mr. Dowling's Electronic Passport. See also Letters from the Crusades.  

The Path of the Black Death
A high school lesson plan. See also Bubonic Plague Role Play (grades 5-7) and Great Plague Key Skills Activity for a lesson plan from the UK.

Be a Viking!
A 3rd-grade unit. Go to Core Knowledge, and scroll down the page for other similar 3rd-grade lessons.

Leif Ericsson (Leif "the Lucky") an Unsung Discoverer
One more 3rd-grade unit from Core Knowledge.

The Vikings: Sea Raiders, Land Raiders
A lesson plan for grades 6-8. See also Viking Discoveries for a high school lesson plan from this same source.

Viking Voyagers: Navigating Online
An Internet-based lesson plan for grades 6-8 from Read-Write-Think.

Vikings Lesson Plans
This site from Vikings Network Ireland does not provide lesson plans as we would write them in the US, but rather offers five sets of information that could be used for lesson planning or as resources for students.  See also BBC-Vikings-Lesson Plans.

Eyes on . . . Viking Explorers
A "Teacher Page" with information for a high school unit.

On the Road with Marco Polo
A five-lesson unit for grades 3-5.

Genghis Khan
Information and lesson ideas from National Geographic. See also Mongolian Museum.  

Canadian History Lesson Plans
The Canadian Social Studies Super Site
This annotated list of web sites for Canadian social studies teachers should also be useful for U.S. teachers and students.

Historica Dominion
Another Canadian site with many lesson plans.

Canada's History Society
One more Canadian site with a searchable collection of lesson plans.

Canadian-American Center - Teaching Canada
Lesson plans and units.

Canada and Canadian History Lesson Plans
Many lesson plans from Archaeolink.

Canadian History Websites
Links to many resources.

Mexican/Latin American History Lesson Plans
A classical Mayan News Report
A high school lesson plan in which students learn about Mayan city-states and what archaeologists can tell us about an ancient civilization. See also Civilization of the Ancient Maya and  SCORE Teacher Guide: Mayan Folktale.

Mayan Civilization
A WebQuest for grade 7. See also Daily Life in the Maya Empire.

Colonial Mexico
Great site for information on 19th century Mexico.

Mexico
Links to many lesson plans on Mexico and Mexican history.

Mexican History Timeline
Annotated timeline with links regarding specific events and individuals. See also History of Mexico for a wealth of information.

Mexican History Lesson: Cinco de Mayo
A lesson plan for grades 3-5. See also Mexican Independence Day for another 3rd to 5th-grade lesson plan.

The Mexican-American War
Lesson plans from USHistorySite.com

World History - Latin America: Lesson Plans
Ten lesson plans from Edsitement.

Mexican Culture and History through Its Holidays
One lesson plan for grades 6-8 from the above site.

Flags of Latin America
A lesson plan for grades 6-8 from Discovery School.  

Devastation in Haiti
A discussion-based activity complete with readings to help students learn about Haiti's past and present.

Caribbean Immigration
Five high school lesson plans.

The Heritage of Cuba and Puerto Rico
A four-lesson unit.

U.S.-Cuba Relations
A high school lesson plan from Discovery School.

Exile: Cuba and the United States
A lesson plan examining the Cuban revolution and its effects on U.S.=Cuban relations.

The Missiles of October: Cuban Missile Crisis - 1962
A high school lesson plan from Edsitement.

Dividing the Spoils: Portugal and Spain in South America
A secondary unit.

The Struggle for Independence
A 6th-grade unit exploring Latin American revolutionary movements.

Brazilian Culture through Music
A 5th-grade unit.

Peru History
A KWHL lesson plan. See other Peru lessons.

African History Lesson Plans
World History - Africa: Lesson Plans
High-quality lesson plans from Edsitement.

Women in Africa: Tradition and Change
A high school lesson plan from the above site.

Early African Kingdoms
A 4th-grade lesson plan.

What is Currency? Lessons from Historic Africa
Three lesson plans for grades 3-8.

Appreciating Freedom: An End to Apartheid in South Africa
A 2nd-grade lesson plan.

South Africa: The Day the Apartheid Ended
A lesson plan for the primary or intermediate grades.

Desmond Tutu
A 6th-grade lesson plan on this famous South African.

Africa: Communicating Values and History through Masks
An early elementary lesson plan in which students create an African style mask that depicts a value or character trait that is important in their community.

K-12 Educational Resources - Africa
Resources and units for teaching about African culture and history from the University of Wisconsin.

Middle Eastern History Lesson Plans
Exploring the Middle East - Hands-On Approaches
Three lesson plans developed during the 2002 Yale-New Have Teachers Institute.

The Middle East region: Flags and Facts
A k-2 lesson plan from Xpeditions.

The U.S Recognition of the State of Israel
An excellent lesson plan using historical documents available from the National Archives.

Middle East WebQuest
See also A Quest for Peace in the Middle East WebQuest and Exploring Peace in the Middle East.

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: Classroom Simulation
An excellent 7th-grade activity.

Teaching the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
A high school unit. See also Israel and Palestine: Roots of the Conflict for another high school unit.

Iran Hostage Crisis
A high school lesson plan.

Geography and History of the Arabian Peninsula, and Overview of Islam
An activity from the Islam Project.

Desert Dwellers
A high school lesson plan from Discovery School.

Australia and New Zealand History
Denise's Australia Units
Includes units for grades 5 and 6 on early explorers, settlement, inland explores, etc.

Australia
An activity from Glencoe World Geography in which students Australian immigration and diversity.

What Does It Mean to Be Australian?
A WebQuest including information on immigration and history. See also Making Multicultural Australia and Diverse Australia for many lesson ideas.

An Eye on Australia
Lesson plans on Australian immigration.

Australian Aboriginal Art and Storytelling
A lesson plan for grades 3-5 from Edsitement. See also the National Apology to Indigenous Australia.

Early White Settlement or Invasion of Australia?
A unit for years 5-6. See also WebQuest: Australian Settlement.

Australia Past and Present
Brief information from ThinkQuest. See Australian History for a long list of links.

Australian Overland Explorers
A WebQuest.

Australian Explorers
Information suitable for primary-grade students. See also Explorers of Australia.

New Zealand History Online
Activities and a teachers' toolbox from NZ History.

Monumental Stories
A teachers' guide complete with information and activities about women’s contribution to New Zealand history.

Asian History and Lesson Plans
World History -Asia/Far East: Lesson Plans
High-quality lesson plans from Edsitement.

Gandhi: Essay Assignment
An assignment for 10th-grade complete with a scoring rubric.

Ask Asia Lesson Plans
Find elementary and secondary lesson plans in the left-side index.

Feudal Japan and the Geography of Japan
A 5th-grade lesson plan.

Japan: Past and Present
Lesson plans and resources from Mr. Donn.

Life in the Floating World: Ukiyo-e Prints and the Rise of the Merchant Class in Edo Period Japan
A high school lesson plan from Edsitement.

Timeline of Japan
See also History of Japan.

Dim Sum: A Connection to Chinese-American Culture
Activities in all curricular areas. 

Golden Legacy Curriculum
A Chinese historical and cultural project.

Chinese Inventions
An elementary-grade lesson plan.

Genghis Khan
Information and lesson ideas from National Geographic. See also Mongolian Museum.

In Celebration of the Silk Road
A web-based activity for grade 6. See also Treasures Along the Silk Roads for a secondary lesson.

Trade Along the Silk Roads
An interdisciplinary lesson plan for grades 6-12.

Korean History
Many lesson plans and resources from the Korea Society.


European History Lesson Plans and Resources
World History - Europe: Lesson Plans
High-quality lesson plans from Edsitement.

Simulation of the Trial of Martin Luther
An AP history activity.

Where in the World is Camelot?
A high school lesson plan. See also The Legend of King Arthur, an Internet-based high school lesson, King Arthur's Family Tree, another high school lesson plan using the Internet and King Arthur WebQuest, for a grade 10 activity. For information on British royalty, go to The Royal Palace.

Industrial Revolution
An activity-based lesson plan on the Industrial Revolution in England. See also Child Labor and the British Industrial Revolution for more information.

Victorian Web
The ultimate source for anything and everything Victorian, including history, religion, philosophy, science, and literature.

Witnesses to Joan of Arc and the Hundred Years' War
A high school lesson plan from Edsitement.

Is Freedom Really Free? A Closer Look at the French Revolution
A 6th-grade unit in pdf formant from Core Knowledge.

Marie Antoinette and the French Revolution
A high school lesson plan from PBS.

The French Revolution: "Those who have and those who have not"
A 9th-grade lesson plan from LearnNC.

French Revolution
A high-quality secondary lesson plan from the History Teaching Institute at Ohio State.

Pathfinder for the French Revolution: Simulation of the Trial of Louis XVI
An Internet-based activity for junior high.

French Revolution and Napoleon
A web-based lesson plan. 

Napeleon Becomes a Man of Destiny
A lesson plan for grades 7-12 using the PBS video.   

Napolean
A lesson plan for grades 6-8 from Discovery Education. See also Napoleonic Guide: The Trial of  Napoleon Bonaparte.

July Crisis: Can You Stop the Great War?
An activity-based high school lesson plan on the European events that led to the start of WWI.

Causes of WWI
A web-based lesson plan.

World War I Unit
This 5-lesson high school unit is from the Alabama Department of Archives and History. For more information on World War I, go to WWI: Trenches on the Web, an Internet history of the "Great War." Also take a look at the WWI Document Archive.  

World War I and Its Aftermath
A high school lesson plan from the Discovery Channel School.

The Great War: Evaluating the Treaty of Versailles
A secondary lesson plan from Edsitement. See also Treaty of Versailles Simulation.

German History - All Facts and Events
A very good resource. See also Who Wants to Be A German Historian? for a German history quiz.

Germany and America in the 20th Century: An Annotated Timeline
An annotated timeline with links to sites providing information on individuals and events of significance to Germany and America during the 20th Century.

The Berlin Wall Information Scavenger Hunt
A Webquest for a high school German class.

Rebuilding the Peace: The United States Post World War II
A high school lesson on efforts to rebuild Europe following World War II. See also George Marshall Exhibit Teaching Activities.

Forced to Flee
A lesson plan about the Irish Potato famine for grades 6-8.  See also Reasons for Irish Immigration: Potato Famine.

Russian Revolution
A high school lesson plan from Discovery Education.

Road to Russian Revolution
Another high school lesson plan from Discovery Education.

The Russian Revolution
Links to resources for Russian history

Joseph Stalin and the Industrialization of the USSR
Background information, a timeline, and a worksheet. See also    

Russian History Links
Many links.

The Inquisition
A great deal of information and teaching activities from the Constitutional Rights Foundation.

National Archives Learning Curve: Spanish Armada
A lesson plan based on original documents. See also The Spanish Armada.


Renaissance Lesson Plans and Resources
Renaissance Theme Page
Links to many lesson plans and resources. Click here for other "theme pages" from CLN.

Renaissance Connection
Eleven middle-grade lesson plans on the Renaissance for a variety of subject areas.

Renaissance and Reformation
A 5th-grade unit. See also The Renaissance: Rebirth of Ideas for another 5th-grade unit.

The Renaissance as a Time Period
An 8th-grade unit.

Writing Styles of the Renaissance
An 8th-grade lesson plan from a unit titled Let's Meet the Renaissance. Access the introduction and other lessons at the top of the lesson plan.

Welcome to the Renaissance
A WebQuest. See also The Renaissance: A WebQuest on the Time Period and Its Art.

Four Armed Men from the Renaissance
A unit for grades 5-6.

Leonardo da Vinci Activity
A multidisciplinary lesson plan for grades 6-8.

Leonardo DaVinci: A Man of Both Worlds
A "ThinkQuest" project.

Reformation Lesson Plans and Resources
The Ideas and Ideals of Man, From the Renaissance to the Reformation
An extensive unit from The Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute. See also The Protestant Reformation and The Catholic Reformation.  

Renaissance and Reformation
A 5th-grade unit.

The Reformation
A 5th-grade unit from Core Knowledge. See also The Refomation: Revolt and Redirection for another 5th-grade unit.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
A web-based 7th-grade lesson plan on Martin Luther, the Reformation, and the power of images in forming opinions.

Simulation of the Trial of Martin Luther
An AP history activity.

Age of Exploration
Vikings in Vinland
A lesson plan for grades 6-12 from the NY Times Learning Network. See also Vikings in America.

Age of Exploration Activities for Students and Teachers
An excellent source of information for planning lessons and units. It includes 12 lesson plans within the Online Teachers Guide.  

Discovers Web Project
Information on Columbus, the Vikings, Coronado, etc.

Land Ho: Early Exploration and Settlement of the Americas
A 1st-grade unit in pdf format. See also Columbus and the Conquistadors for another 1st-grade unit.

Contact: Europe and America Meet: 1492-1673
A high school unit.

Discovering the World of l492
An elementary lesson plan using Barbara Brenner's  If You Were There in 1492 as a read-aloud to set the stage for learning about the 15th century world.

1492: An Ongoing Voyage
An on-line exhibit from the Library of Congress.

What Was Columbus Thinking?
A lesson plan in which students read excerpts from Columbus's letters and journals, as well as well as recent considerations of his achievements to learn about the motivations behind Columbus's explorations, his reactions to what he found, and the consequences, intended and unintended, of his endeavor.

Explorers
A lesson plan for grades 3-5 focusing on Dutch, French, Spanish, and English explorations on the east coast of North America during the 1500’s and 1600’s.

Lessons of the Explorers
Lesson ideas and resources from Education World. See also Explore the Explorers Online.

 

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