Teaching Middle School History

Pop in a DVD and enjoy watching “Riverdance” with your students. This movie gives a glimpse into Irish culture and history through dance.

March is a great time of year to take a look at Irish culture and history. In this lesson, students will explore myths and legends of Ireland. Includes a downloadable power point.

In a world of twenty-four hour news why not employ this reporting technique to study history? It’s an entertaining and engaging way to learn. Here is all the information that you will need.

Why did Rome fall? Many historians believe answering this question is central to understanding world history. Imperial Rome spread wide and far, but was eventually destroyed by factors from within and without.

From the barren ice flows of the Arctic to the southernmost tip of Argentina, Native Americans provide a wealth of history, culture and mythology through which students discover the roots of the Americas.

The French and Indian War, fought in the French and British colonies of North America, was actually part of the Seven Years War which was waged in Europe. It played out in the territories of France and England over the profitable fur trade and the westward migration of settlers into Ohio Country.

Latin America is a region with high cultural diversity and a history that presents interesting as well as painful episodes. Classroom activities can be elaborated to study some aspects of its culture and occupation by Europeans in the 15th and 16th centuries.

Create an “aha” moment with your students with this Middle Ages crop rotation lesson plan. Help them understand why it was done, how it was done, and why it is relevant to today’s farming methods.

With these lesson and teaching ideas on Europe in the Middle Ages, you and your students can come “up close and personal” with the spread of Black Death, along with life in medieval Europe. Middle School students will learn about housing, clothing, medicine, and other areas of interest.

Night at the Museum starring Ben Stiller is a great vehicle for teaching history. Lesson plans for key characters, historical eras, or geographical locations can be created using this movie as a starting point.