Achievers Club

Social Studies/History

Students will research and report on people, past or present, who have accomplished great goals and surmounted obstacles along the way.

What You Need

• Access to the Internet and reference books

What To Do

1. Arrange students in small groups. Ask each group to choose a person they consider a "great achiever" and research that person's life and accomplishments.
2. Have each group create a report on their chosen achiever, explaining why this person is significant, how his or her accomplishments have made a difference, and what obstacles he or she had to overcome along the road to success.
3. Ask students to present their reports to the class. Have students vote for the "greatest" of the achievers.

Internet Resources

Women in American History
This site offers an introduction and four-part examination of women in America from 1600 to the present, as well as pictures, timelines, biographies, links to primary sources, sound recordings, videos, bibliographies.
http://www.britannica.com/women/

Encyclopedia Britannica Guide to Black History
Enter the Spotlight through the Eras in Black History, which examines five centuries of black heritage through five distinct time periods, from the slave revolts of early America through the successes of the Civil Rights Movement. The site can be browsed alphabetically through the expanded Articles A to Z page, which contains links to every article through two lists—Biographies and Events & Institutions.
http://blackhistory.eb.com/

Inventor of the Week Archives
Here you will find a list of inventors, some famous and not so famous. What they have in common is ingenuity and persistence.
http://web.mit.edu/invent/www/archive.html

The Presidents of the United States
At this White House Web site, you will meet the people who achieved the highest office in the land.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/