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Ancient History -
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Mrs. Donn's Special Sections For Kids - Ancient Civilizations


Free Kids PPTs written by us, illustrated by Phillip Martin: 

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Free Powerpoints by many authors for Ancient Civilizations 

Free Online Games for Ancient History 

Free Original Clipart for Ancient History


World History - Free Lesson Plans & Activities

Plus ..
Free Lessons & Activities for 


Mrs. Donn's Special Sections For Kids - Middle Ages 


Free Kids PPTs written by us, illustrated by Phillip Martin: 


Free Powerpoints by many authors for:

Plus ... 

Free Video Clips

Free Original Clipart for World History

 


American History - Free Lesson Plans & Activities

Plus .. 
Free Lessons & Activities for 


Mrs. Donn's Special Sections For Kids - American History


Free Kids PPTs written by us, illustrated by Phillip Martin:   


Free Powerpoints by many authors for:

Plus ... 

Free Video Clips

Free Original Clipart for American History

 

 

 


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Across the Curriculum: Thousands of Free Presentations
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With great excitement, we are pleased to announce 
 We're Published!

From a Teacher who bought our books (our first feedback!)  
"Your units are exactly what I had hoped for--readable, interesting topics
that fit my curriculum objectives with lots of structured activities to bring it alive.
World History will be the class we all look forward to every day."

 



 
 

Free Lessons & Learning Modules
Unique to This Site

We hope you'll find something you can use. 
Please see our FAQ section prior to use



Ancient History

 

  1. Ancient Mesopotamia Unit

  2. Early & Classical Greece UNITS

  3. Ancient Greek Olympics Mini-Unit: A Simulation for the Classroom (4-5 days) with city-state backgrounds, events & tongue twisters  

  4. Can you save the Roman Republic?  Lesson Plan, with handout

  5. Buddhist, Taoist, Confucianist, Legalist - How would each behave when faced with the same problems that face students today? 

  6. The Three Teachings - Confucianism, Taoism/Daoism, and Buddhism

  7. Debates on Censorship: (2-3 days) Debate set in modern times. Lesson Plan, Ancient China

  8. Deep in the Tombs of Egypt - Message to the Planet! Two of our people have disappeared - Deep in the Tombs of Egypt! Designed for use in the computer lab.

  9. Ancient History Lesson Ideas (some ours, some e-mailed to us!)  

  10. How Money Started

  11. Archaeology for Kids 

  12. Mrs. Donn's Special Section: Daily Life in Ancient Civilizations: Index  - Learning Modules for Kids

    The Life & Times of Early Man 
    - Why did Cro-Magnon man crawl on his belly through dangerous mazes in deep dark caves? How did the "Upright Man" travel from Africa to America without a boat? Who were the Neanderthals? Did man live at the same time as dinosaurs? Find out here! 

    Ancient Mesopotamia/Sumer/Babylon/Assyria - The ancient Sumerians were great inventors. They invented the wheel, the sailboat, and the first written language. Find out what happened to kids in school who disobeyed their teacher! Read The Legend of Gilgamesh - the first superhero! Learn How Marduk Became the King of ALL the Gods. Enter Hammurabi's Court. Discover how people lived 5000 years ago in the land between two rivers. 

    Ancient Egypt Daily Life  
    - Do you know what the ancient Egyptians believed would cure a toothache? Find out here! Read some Egyptian Tall Tales (shared with us by Egyptologist Jacques Kinnaer.) Find out why Rameses II was such a famous pharaoh! Enjoy an original story about Ancient Egyptian Daily Life. Explore Deep in the Tombs of Egypt.  

    Ancient Greece Daily Life
     - How would you have behaved if you had lived in ancient Sparta? (Lie, cheat, steal, because that is the Sparta way!) Or in ancient Athens? Or in Corinth, Argos or Megara? Meet the Greeks! They were a riot! They created some of the best myths in the world like Theseus and the Minotaur, the story of Little Io and the tale of Hermes & Apollo. 

    Ancient Rome Daily Life
     - If you had lived in ancient times, would you have chosen to become a Roman citizen? You might have! The ancient Romans invented more games than any other culture. Find out what the ancient Romans did all day! Learn how Rome started with The Legend of Romulus and Remus.  Find out how one young Roman saved the city of Rome in the legend of Horatius at the Bridge.  Was Rome's legendary enemy, Hannibal of Carthage, as clever as the history books say?  Meet a famous Roman Emperor with Nero at the Circus Maximus.  Don't miss the zany, original story, Thomas, Greatest Lawyer in all...Rome!

    Ancient China Daily Life
     - Learn about Taoism with Winnie-the-Pooh! Explore daily life in 4 different Chinese dynasties. Meet weird emperors like Hu the Tiger! Read things written in BCE times! Read a very old story from Xia times, Loawnu the Wise Woman, and another from Han times, Wang the Peddler.  Learn about Ancient Chinese Dragons and discover The Story of Mulan. For those in a hurry, just click on the Cheat Sheet, for a very quick look at 11,000 years of ancient Chinese history! 

    Ancient Celts Daily Life - The Iron Age Celts were very clean. They are credited with the invention of soap! They loved music, feasting, and fighting. They lived in clans, respected their druids, and created stories about fairies, elves, and leprechauns. Come meet the Ancient Celts who once lived all over Europe, and who settled down in ancient Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.

    Ancient Mongols Daily Life - The ancient Mongols invented the ger - but what is a ger? Learn about whistle arrows, fabulous hats, horse head fiddles, well-wishing, salty tea, and the magical Shamas. Read the story of The Warrior Well. Meet "The Felt Tent People". Welcome to ancient Mongolia!

    Ancient India Daily Life  - What did the ancient Indians wear? What did they eat? Did kids play with toys? Did they go to school? This site shares daily life in three major time periods of ancient India history; the mysterious and so cool Indus Valley Civilization, the Vedic & Epics Periods, and the Age of Empires.

    The Incredible Incas - The Incas never invented the wheel. Yet, high in the rugged Andes Mountains of South America, the Incas built thousands of miles of well-paved roads. Everyone in the empire was well fed and no one was homeless. Meet "The Children of the Sun".

    The Mysterious Mayas - One day, the Mayas appeared. 1500 years later, they disappeared. No one knows where they came from and no one knows where they went!  During their stay, they build fabulous pyramids, temples, and ball courts. Learn About Daily Life in the Maya Empire. Read the exciting adventure of The Hero Twins. Meet "The Children of the Corn".

    The Awesome Aztecs - Why did the Aztecs search for 200 years to find the Place of the Prickly Pear Cactus? What did conquered people have to pay in tribute? Discover how the Aztecs treated some very honored guests in the story Journey of a Princess. Welcome to ancient Mexico.

    Ancient Africa Daily Life - Explore daily life in four gold coast kingdoms - Ghana, Mali, Songhay, and Benin. Meet famous people like Mansa Musa, Sonni Ali The Great, and the most famous of all - Anansi the Spider!  Read a story from ancient Nubia, The Lion's Whisker

    Middle Ages for Kids - From the  dark ages to the Renaissance - explore the middle ages in Europe. Feudalism, the Catholic Church, castles and commoners, rise of towns, crusades, the plague, the triumphs, the defeats, the Magna Carta and more. 

    Native Americans in Olden Times - US & Canada  - Eastern Woodland Indians, Southeast Region, Plains Indians, Southwest Region, California, Northwest Pacific Coastal Indians, Far North. Why do the elders still speak of Clever Coyote with gratitude. Who was Child of Water and Little Blue Rock?  Read the stories of Wise Owl and solve the mystery of How Raven Stole Crow's Potlatch. Who or what are the 3 sisters? Learn how to play the ancient Indian game of Butterfly Hide and Seek. And more! 


Retold by Us: Ancient Myths, Folktales, Stories 
(word format)

The Legend of Gilgamesh (Sumerian)
How Marduk Became the King of ALL the Gods
(Babylonian)

Theseus and the Minotaur
(Minoan/Greek)
Legend of the Trojan Horse (Greek)
The Cyclops Cave & The Sirens (Greek, from "The Odyssey" by Homer)
The Oracle at Delphi (Greek Myth) 
Apollo and Cassandra (Greek Myth) 
Pandora's Box (Greek Myth) 
Demeter and Persephone (Greek Myth) 
Little Io (Greek Version) 
Little Io (Roman Version)
Zeus, Hades, and the King of Corinth (Greek Myth)
The Legend of Romulus and Remus (Ancient Rome)
Horatius at the Bridge (Ancient Rome) 
The Punic Wars & Hannibal of Carthage (Ancient Rome)
Anansi the Spider  (Africa, Ghana)
The Lion's Whisker (Africa, Kush/Nubia)
Loawnu the Wise Woman  (Xia Times, Ancient China)
Wang the Peddler
(Han Times, Ancient China)
The Warrior Well (Ancient Mongolia)
The Hero Twins (Maya)
Place of the Prickly Pear Cactus (Aztec)
Journey of a Princess (Aztec, grades 6-12)
Clever Coyote (Comanche Buffalo Myth)
Child of Water and Little Blue Rock (Apache Myth)
Wise Owl (Iroquois Myth)
How Raven Stole Crow's Potlatch  (Northwest Coastal Pacific Myth)
Happy Together (Russian Folktale)

Original Free Presentations in PowerPoint format 
retold by us; illustrated by Phillip Martin
 
Native Americans
The Hero Twins (Mayas) 
The Invisible Warrior (Woodland Indians, A Cinderella Story)   
Wise Owl (Northeast Woodland Indians, an Iroquois Myth) 
Clever Coyote (Plains Indians, a Buffalo Story)  
Child of Water & Little Blue Rock (Southwest Indians, An Apache Myth)  
How Raven Stole Crow's Potlatch (NW Pacific Indians) 
Holidays
Kwanzaa (African American) 
Groundhog Day (Ancient Superstitions)   
Aesop's Fables
Aesop and His Fables 
The Fox and the Crow 
The Fox and Sick Lion
 
Ancient History 
Archaeology for Kids 
Early Humans 
Rameses II (Egypt) 
Hermes & Apollo (Greece) 
Nero at the Circus Maximus (Rome) 
Nero Goes Insane (Rome) 
Ancient Chinese Dragons (China) 
Warrior Well (China/Mongolia) 
The Story of Mulan (China)  
7 Wonders of the Ancient World
The Seven Wonders (Index) 
Great Pyramid at Giza  
Hanging Gardens of Babylon 
Statue of Zeus at Olympia 
Temple of Artemis at Ephesus 
Mausoleum at Halicarnassus 
Colossus of Rhodes 
Lighthouse at Alexandria 
World Cultures 
The San People 

Tests for Ancient History (no answers)
Ancient Mesopotamia Unit Test
Ancient Egypt Bingo (Test Review Game)
Ancient Egypt Unit Test
Persian War Quiz (Early Greece)
Ancient Greece First Section Test (Early Greece)
Ancient Rome First Section Test (Early Rome)


 



World History/World Studies


  1. The Middle Ages for Kids - European Medieval Times - from the  dark ages to the Renaissance - feudalism, the church, castles and commoners, rise of towns, crusades, the plague, the triumphs, the defeats, the Magna Carta and more. 

  2. Feudal Japan: S.P.A.M. (Samurai, Peasant, Artisan, Merchant) - (1 day) Lesson Plan, Game. See also: Feudal Japan & Haiku Verse & Daruma Dolls

  3. Russia: Start of the Russian Revolution - (3-4 days) Lesson Plan.
    See also: Russian Revolution

  4. World Cultures: What is Culture? (90 minutes) Lesson Plan with List of Various Groups handout

  5. Australia's Great Barrier Reef (2-3 days)  Lesson Plan and Personalities Handout.
    See also: Australia

  6. India/Pakistan Dispute over Kashmir  (4 days) Mini-Unit with Background and Handouts

  7. Israeli-Palestinian Conflict  (2 days) Simulation for the Classroom with background, role descriptions

  8. As some of you know, before he became a teacher, Mr. Donn spent a career in Military Intelligence as a member of the SSA at NSA (the National Security Agency, or the No-Name Agency, as they like to say in the movies.) This lesson includes propaganda materials we do not often see as they are typically dropped in massive quantities over enemy territory. Very neat stuff! Feel free to use these materials in your classrooms.
    Propaganda Techniques  Can YOU find the secret messages hidden in propaganda?
    It's not as easy as you might think. What is propaganda anyway?


  9. Geography in the News  (8 weeks, a few minutes a day) 
    Ongoing daily activity, 5 Themes of Geography


  10. More Geography Lesson Ideas  The Geography Game (Educated Guess) works well anytime but is especially useful to open a new unit. Plus other lesson ideas. 

  11. Colonial Mexico  Learning module. The Pre-Independence Mexican Indian Uprisings; Did they help or hinder Mexico's drive to independence from Spain? (Rise of Democratic Ideas; 19th Century, 9th-grade World History) This is a module Don created in college, but it had a lot of useful information, so I threw it online. Hope it helps!

  12. Holidays Around the World - Mrs. Donn's Special Section. Ancient Roots, Modern Holidays; mini-learning modules for over 30 different holidays, with holiday games, lesson plans, activities, for the classroom. 

  13. WW2 - The US Home Front (unit index)  
    Conducting Oral Histories
    Where were you on December 7, 1941
    Symbols of the Home Front
    Ration Books, Victory Gardens, Junk Rallies
    The Ration Stamp Game
    Walking Home (original short story, written by us)

    WW2 - Leaders in the News
    WW2 - Headlines in the News
    WW2 - More Lesson Ideas - Neutrality, National Interest, Hiroshima  

 


US & American History


  1. Native Americans for Kids - See details on this huge section below, or click here to reach the section index. These are free learning modules for kids with readings, games, activities, and clipart. It includes Native Americans in South & Central American and North American. 

  2. Supreme Court Landmark Cases - Plessy v. Ferguson - Lesson plan

  3. Civil War: Letters from the Civil War - Lesson plan with 3 primary document handouts of letters written during the Civil War. (We have the originals.)

  • Progressive Party - La Follette Platform - Lesson plan

  • The Great Depression - FDR's Fireside Chats - Lesson Plan

  • Great Depression - Music of the Great Depression - Lesson Plan

  • 1930's Life on the Farm during the Great Depression - Learning Modules. Not everyone felt the effects of the depression in the same manner. People who had little to begin with had always coped. These short stories share the daily life and adventures of one such family, and the success they achieved with a mere seven acres of land in the 1930's. These are stories of the American way - where attitude is everything! Short stories written by Lin's author/artist Mom, Dorothy Jones Scalzo.

  • World War II: The Home Front  (5-7 days) World War II Mini-Unit with 7 handouts

  • Civil Rights, Segregation, 1935 1945, 1955   (2-3 days) Lesson Plan with 3 handouts. This was truly a family effort. The lesson plan is Don's, supported by 2 original short stories - Back of the Bus and Welcome Home - written by Lin's author/artist mother, Dorothy Jones Scalzo, plus Lin's write-up on Rosa Parks & the Montgomery Bus Boycott. We hope it works as well in your classrooms as it did in ours.

  • Symbols - Smokey the Bear & the Forestry Special  Free Classroom Play, Free Smokey Bookmarks to make, Smokey Bear Radio Copy from the 1954 Campaign

  • Visit the 1962 Seattle World's Fair - Lesson Plan, Learning Module.


  • Mrs. Donn's Special Section:
    Native Americans
    Daily Life in Olden Times
    Iroquois Chippewa/Ojibwa   Cherokee Comanche   NW Pacific  
    Hopi Navajo Apache Sioux California
    Anasazi   Pueblo Seminole   Inuit  More


    Iroquois Nation
    What was the job of the False Face Society? Who were the Three Sisters?
    What were the Snow Snake Games? Who was Hiawatha?
    What was the League of Nations? What was wampum? Read the story of Wise Owl


    Ojibwa/Chippewa
    Why did the Ojibwa hide pebbles in moccasins? What is a Charcoal Sad Face?
    How do you play Butterfly Hide and Seek? What is a Dream Catcher?
    See if you recognize this famous fairytale: 
    The Invisible Warrior

    Cherokee Nation
    Why did the Cherokee Indians have a red chief and a white chief?
    What is a Booger Ceremony? Where is the Darkening Land? What is the Trail of Tears?


    Seminole
    What is the job of an animal spirit helper?  
    Why did the Seminole people hang baby cradles from the rafters of their homes?  
    What are comfortables? Why were beads so important?  
    Welcome to the Florida Everglade Seminole Indians in Olden Times.


    Plains People
    Why did the Plains people prefer tipis to houses?
    Name 72 things the Plains people made from buffalo.
    Why do the elders still speak of Clever Coyote with gratitude?

    Why were horses called dogs? What were pictographs?

    Sioux Nation
    What could boys do when they reached their 10th birthday?
    What engagement present did the family of the bride receive?
    Why weren't kids given names when they were born?
    What did star quilts represent? What was the Seven Council Fires?


    Anasazi/Pueblo/Hopi
    Why did the Pueblo dig a hole in the middle of a secret underground room?
    Who are the giant Natackas? What are kachinas?
    How did the Pueblo get their name? Who are the Old Ones?
    What happened at a naming ceremony? 


    Apache
    Why do Apache kids hunt for blue stones?  Who are the Devil Dancers?
    Read an Apache myth about Child of Water and Little Blue Rock.

    Learn how to play Apache toe and toss games.

    Navajo
    When a young couple ate from the same basket, why did all their relatives lecture them?  What is a Ketoh? Why did the Navajo make Sand Paintings and then destroy them before dark? What is a Blessingways? Welcome to the Southwest Navajo Indians in Olden Times.

     Northwest Pacific Coastal
    What made the Puget Sound Indian tribes "rich" in ancient times?
    Why were woven mats so important? How did totem poles get started?

    What could you buy with 5,000 blankets? What's a potlatch all about?
    Discover How Raven Stole Crow's Potlatch


    California Indians
    Why was the bear doctor feared?
    What was the purpose of the Big Head Dance?
    Why did certain medicine men hunt rattlesnakes?
    Why did the Chumash need a ladder to get into bed?


    Far North
    What trick did the Kutchin people use on their enemies?
    How did these early people stop ghosts from entering their homes?
    Welcome to Alaska Natives, the Arctic and the Far North in olden times.



    Language Arts

    1. Freshman English Poetry Slam  (2-3 days) Lesson Plan

    2. Harlem Renaissance/ Poetry of Langston Hughes  (3-4 days) Lesson plan

    3. Haiku (1-2 days) Learning Module, Lesson

    4. Stories written by us for use in the classroom and the computer lab
      You Be the Detective
      Myths & Legends


     
     
    Maxie's Magnificent Guides ....
    produced by...
    Maxie the Magnificent
    World Citizen

    Thousands of Free Video Clips & Free Full Length Movies

    Special Unit on Smokey the Bear 

    Homework Help: A Collection of Free Online Editions
    Newspapers, Magazines, Encyclopedias
     

    Powerful bid sniper for eBay auctions



    FREE SAFETY LESSONS & ARTICLES

    Helping to keep your kids safe - askacop.org



     We were honored when Askacop wrote to see if Lin would be willing
    to write a couple of short stories on specific subjects for their website. The result:
    You Be the Detective    
    The Flyer  
    The Babysitter  
    The Coldest Day  
    Joey's Turn 
    The List 


     Columbus Day
    Was Columbus Smart about Safety
    ?  

    More from AskaCop
    Free Police and Safety Coloring & Activity Pages  
    Topic List: This is a list of the many subjects AskaCop freely covers


    Free Presentations in PowerPoint format

    Pppst!!  
    Need to find a FREE presentation on just about anything?

    This is where you need to look first




     All Rights Reserved
       Clip Art Credit: Phillip Martin
    Have a great year!