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Inca Empire - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12In the Classroom
Share these resources with your students to learn about the Inca Empire. Share a link to this collection on your school web page and in your school newsletter (or email). Find resources to incorporate into your lessons.Maya Civilization - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12In the Classroom
Dive into the fascinating world of the Maya with your class! This collection has some fantastic resources perfect for your cooperative learning groups. Take a peek at each resource's "Classroom Use" section for creative ideas on weaving these materials into your lessons. Your students will love exploring this ancient civilization together!Kingdom of Kush - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12In the Classroom
Don't miss the chance to share this collection link on your school website and in your next newsletter. Your fellow teachers and parents will appreciate having access to these materials! Browse through to find perfect additions to your upcoming lessons--there's something here for every teaching style!Unpacked for Educators - Jewish American Heritage Month - OpenDor Media
Grades
6 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): cultures (226), famous people (28), harlem (10), identity (37), inventors and inventions (81), jews (52), perspective (20), religions (114), scientists (71), sports (85), supreme court (30)
In the Classroom
Have students explore key events in Jewish American history by analyzing newspaper headlines from different decades. They can then create their own headlines for major contributions made by Jewish Americans in politics, science, or the arts. Have students create a short video using Adobe Express Video Maker, reviewed here, a podcast using Buzzsprout, reviewed here, or a blog post using Telegra.ph, reviewed here reflecting on a theme from Jewish American heritage. They can incorporate interviews, personal reflections, or an analysis of historical events. Assign a video from "Unpacked for Educators" (ex., A Jewish American Tale). Students can take notes, discuss key themes, and connect the content to broader American history and social movements.Jewish American Heritage Month - American Association of School Librarians
Grades
K to 12tag(s): composers (20), cultures (226), famous people (28), immigrants (48), immigration (84), inventors and inventions (81), jews (52), perspective (20), religions (114)
In the Classroom
Set up a gallery walk featuring famous Jewish Americans in literature, science, politics, and the arts (ex., Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Albert Einstein, Emma Lazarus). Students rotate, take notes, and discuss contributions. Have students read and analyze excerpts from Jewish American authors like Maurice Sendak (Where the Wild Things Are) or Emma Lazarus (The New Colossus). Discuss themes of immigration, identity, and resilience. Students can create a poem, illustration, or digital artwork using a tool such as Google Drawings, reviewed here honoring a Jewish American historical figure or cultural contribution, explaining their impact. Introduce students to Jewish American musicians like Irving Berlin or Bob Dylan. Play samples of their work and discuss how their heritage influenced their music and American culture.Asian Americans - PBS LearningMedia
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): asia (136), civil rights (219), identity (37), immigrants (48), immigration (84), japan (64), japanese (56), politics (118), racism (83), railroads (15)
In the Classroom
After watching a video on Asian American identity, students can create a digital or paper collage representing identity, heritage, and belonging using images, symbols, and quotes from the documentary. Digital collages can be made using PhotoCollage reviewed here or Photo Joiner reviewed here. Inspired by the personal narratives in the collection, have students interview a family member or community elder about their immigration story or cultural heritage and create a short podcast episode using Buzzsprout reviewed here or Podbean reviewed here. Students can work in groups to create an interactive timeline of key historical events from the collection with Timeline reviewed here or Timelinely, reviewed here, adding images, descriptions, and reflections on how these events shaped Asian American experiences.Standing Together - SmithsonianAPA
Grades
K to 12tag(s): artists (87), asia (136), cultures (226), japan (64), japanese (56), multimedia (55), poetry (195), virtual field trips (131)
In the Classroom
Have students explore APAC's digital exhibitions, such as We Are Here or A Day in the Queer Life of Asian Pacific America. Students can reflect on how artists express identity and create artwork representing their cultural heritage or personal identity. Using the "We Are Not a Stereotype" video series, students can watch a selected video and discuss how stereotypes impact Asian Pacific American communities. They can then create an awareness poster or infographic using Canva Infographic Creator reviewed here debunking a common stereotype. Ask students to research key moments in Asian Pacific American history using APAC's resources and create a visual timeline digitally using a resource such as Time Graphics Timeline Maker reviewed here that highlights significant events, figures, and contributions. Select a book from APAC's Learning Together recommendations to share with students or assign small groups different books, and have them present key themes, historical context, and connections to their own experiences or current events.AAPI History Hub - The Asian American Foundation
Grades
K to 12tag(s): asia (136), biographies (94), courts (24), cultures (226), diversity (46), famous people (28), japan (64), japanese (56), scientists (71), women (154)
In the Classroom
Students can work in groups to create a physical or digital timeline using Timelinely reviewed here or Timeline Infographic Templates reviewed here highlighting significant AAPI events, movements, and contributions. Assign students an AAPI figure or event to research and present via a short podcast using Buzzsprout reviewed here or video using Adobe Express Video Maker reviewed here. Print or display images and short bios of key AAPI historical figures from the site. Have students walk around, take notes, and discuss whose contributions they find most inspiring. Alternatively, create a digital gallery walk using the gallery walk template available in Padlet, reviewed here.Mali Empire - Loren Klein
Grades
5 to 8This site includes advertising.
In the Classroom
Display images of ancient civilizations' artifacts (ex., coins, pottery, statues). Have students predict their use and significance, then research and present findings. Students can work in small groups to compare religious beliefs, deities, and practices of two civilizations (ex., Mesopotamian vs. Egyptian) and create a Venn diagram on paper or using Venn Diagram Creator reviewed here. Students can map trade routes using Google My Maps reviewed here or ePubEditor reviewed here.Mali Empire History - Cool Kid Facts
Grades
2 to 7This site includes advertising.
tag(s): africa (170), archeology (30), cultures (226), maps (224), medieval (33)
In the Classroom
Set up different learning stations representing subjects studied in Timbuktu (astronomy, medicine, math). Students can rotate through the stations, completing mini-activities related to each subject. Students can research and build 3D models of Mali's famous structures, such as the Great Mosque of Djenne, using materials like clay, cardboard, or digital tools like Delightex (formerly CoSpaces) reviewed here or Tinkercad reviewed here. Have students compare the Mali Empire to another historical empire, such as the Roman Empire or the Incas, using a Venn diagram on paper or Venn Diagram Creator reviewed here, focusing on government, trade, culture, and legacy.Ancient Ghana, Mali, and Songhay: Cluster Web Activity - PBS LearningMedia
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): africa (170), cultures (226), politics (118), worksheets (71)
In the Classroom
Divide students into groups representing different West African empires. Give each group specific trade goods (gold, salt, ivory, etc.) and have them negotiate and "trade" with each other, simulating the trans-Saharan trade routes. Students can create annotated maps showing the locations of Ghana, Mali, and Songhay, major trade routes, and key cities like Timbuktu and Gao. Have them use MapHub reviewed here or ePubEditor reviewed here and add visuals and summaries to their maps. Assign students to research and compare the leadership styles of Sundiata Keita, Mansa Musa, and Sunni Ali. They can present their findings through a podcast-style discussion using Adobe Podcast, reviewed here or Buzzsprout reviewed here.Felix Mendelssohn - Library of Congress
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): art history (108), composers (20), music theory (47)
In the Classroom
Select one of Mendelssohn's compositions, such as The Hebrides Overture or A Midsummer Night's Dream. Play the piece in class and guide students in analyzing its mood, structure, and Romantic-era elements. Use resources from the guide to provide historical and cultural context. Mendelssohn played a significant role in reviving the works of Johann Sebastian Bach. Assign students to compare and contrast a piece by Mendelssohn with one by Bach, exploring themes, style, and instrumentation. Encourage students to use the guide's materials to research Mendelssohn's admiration for Bach. Using the letters and manuscripts linked in the guide as inspiration, have students write a fictional letter to or from Mendelssohn. Encourage students to compose a short piece of music inspired by Mendelssohn's Romantic style. They can write lyrics, create a melody, or use digital tools like Audacity, reviewed here. Students can then share their compositions and explain how Mendelssohn influenced their work.The Empire of Mali- The Twang of a Bow - Extra History
Grades
6 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): africa (170)
In the Classroom
Have students explore Mali's contributions to art, music, and storytelling, researching griots, traditional instruments, or historical sites like Timbuktu. They can present their findings through skits, posters, or mini-documentaries using moovly reviewed here or Animoto reviewed here. Students can participate in a Mali trade simulation, where they role-play merchants, kings, and traders exchanging goods (gold, salt, textiles) and negotiating taxes, highlighting the importance of trade in Mali's success. Students can illustrate a comic strip using Free Comic Strip Maker reviewed here or Write Comics reviewed here retelling key events from Sundiata's journey, emphasizing major turning points like his exile, rise to power, and victory over Soumaoro Kante.Dance: Sundiata- Mali's Lion King - YPS Arts Department
Grades
6 to 8tag(s): africa (170), african american (119), dance (33)
In the Classroom
Have your students mimic movements inspired by animals (like lions or birds) and warriors to connect with the themes of Sundiata's journey. Students can create a short poem or spoken-word piece about Sundiata's journey and perform it alongside interpretive dance movements. Students can research and compare traditional West African dance styles (such as Mandinka dance) with other global storytelling dances. They can present their findings through a short report or poster using Canva Edu reviewed here.Mali Lesson Plans - Virginia Department of Education
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): africa (170), creative writing (126), journals (16)
In the Classroom
Students can create a travel journal to record responses to lessons on paper or using Imagine Forest, reviewed here or Sway, reviewed here. Have students participate in a suitcase packing activity to prepare for an imaginary journey to Mali by choosing items they may need on the trip. Create a list of items they may pack and have them discuss their choices. Students can illustrate key moments from the Epic of Sundiata using a storyboard format. They can either draw by hand or use digital tools such as Google Drawings, reviewed here to represent important events, such as Sundiata's early struggles, his rise to power, and the establishment of the Mali Empire. Have students participate in a trade simulation to understand the economic power of the Mali Empire. They can role-play as merchants trading gold, salt, and other goods along the trans-Saharan trade routes.Lion King vs. Sundiata, Lion King of Mali - Engaging Everything
Grades
5 to 9This site includes advertising.
tag(s): africa (170), comics and cartoons (56), vocabulary (242)
In the Classroom
Have students make the comic on a device using ToonyTool reviewed here or Write Comics reviewed here. Students can compare Sundiata and The Lion King using a Venn diagram on paper or using Venn Diagram Creator reviewed here, analyzing historical elements versus fictional adaptations. Before introducing Sundiata, have students match The Lion King characters (Mufasa, Simba, Scar, etc.) with their Sundiata counterparts based on descriptions. Then, reveal the actual connections and discuss.Mayas - Aztecs - Incas - Wendy Conklin
Grades
4 to 8tag(s): architecture (84), religions (114), south america (77)
In the Classroom
Transform your classroom into a bustling market! Assign students roles as Maya, Aztec, or Inca merchants selling goods like cacao, maize, textiles, or gold. Have them barter and trade based on their civilization's economy. Students can analyze Maya glyphs or Inca quipu (knotted cords used for record-keeping). They can try writing their names in glyphs or creating a simple quipu with yarn. Students can research and retell a myth from one of the three civilizations. They can write a short script, perform, or illustrate a comic strip using Free Comic Strip Maker reviewed here. Students could also record a podcast episode using Buzzsprout reviewed here. Students can build Maya pyramids (with sugar cubes), Aztec chinampas (floating gardens using sponges & water trays), or Inca terraces (stacked cardboard "mountains") to explore their engineering feats.Ghosts of Machu Picchu - PBS NOVA
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): archeology (30), south america (77), STEM (310), timelines (57)
In the Classroom
Have students explore the website's visuals, articles, and videos to "virtually visit" Machu Picchu. Then, in small groups, students can create a travel brochure or digital slideshow highlighting key features, historical significance, and unanswered mysteries. These projects can be completed online using Canva Edu reviewed here or Google Slides reviewed here. After learning about Machu Picchu's sophisticated stone construction and drainage system, students can design and test their own miniature stone wall models using clay, Legos, or sugar cubes, mimicking Incan building techniques. Students can compare Machu Picchu's engineering, society, and daily life to another ancient civilization (ex., Mesopotamia, Egypt, Rome) and present their findings through a Venn diagram on paper or online using Venn Diagram Creator reviewed here.Inca Civilization - Twinkl Educational Publishing
Grades
3 to 10tag(s): cultures (226), religions (114), south america (77)
In the Classroom
Assign students different roles in Inca society (ex., farmer, noble, priest, artisan, emperor, chasqui messenger), have students research their roles, and then participate in a classroom simulation where they interact based on their social status. After reviewing the resources on Inca architecture, students can work in teams to design and build a model of an Inca terrace farm, bridge, or city using clay, cardboard, or recycled materials. They can also create a digital model using CoSpaces reviewed here or Tinkercad reviewed here. Encourage students to explain how their design reflects the Incas' use of geography and engineering skills. Using the quipu worksheets, students learn how the Incas recorded numbers using knots. Students then create their own quipu messages using string and assign numerical or symbolic meanings.Mayan Crystal - Gen-Z Media
Grades
3 to 7tag(s): mayans (32), mexico (46), mysteries (24), myths and legends (42)