Printable History Units for Phone-Free Middle School Classes in New Orleans
Printable History Units for Phone-Free Middle School Classes in New Orleans
For a NOLA Public Schools history class where phones are switched off and stored, the Middle School History Units Bundle gives you nine printable resources that run on paper and talk. Topics include the Black Death, medieval peasant life, Pompeii, industrialization and labor movements, migration today and famous U.S. presidents. Be aware before buying: none of it is Louisiana history, so it works best for side topics, review and sub days.
Open the history bundleThe Middle School History Units Bundle ($74.99) is a set of nine printable history resources for Grades 7–9: the Black Death, medieval peasants, Pompeii and Herculaneum, industrialization, European integration, migration, U.S. presidents, school in 1930 and a history escape room. Students work on worksheets with answer keys, so it fits a room where phones stay off under Louisiana's law. It does not cover the Louisiana and U.S. history courses taught in Grades 6–8.
The resources
Middle School History Units Bundle, Grades 7–9
9 resources in one download: $74.99 instead of $123.91 bought separately.
Start with the first resource; the others are optional add-ons. Open any cover for the full contents and price.
Middle School History Units Bundle | Black Death, Peasants, Pompeii, Industrialization, Migration & U.S. Presidents | 9 Resources | Grades 7–9
XXL History Teaching Bundle – Grades 6 to 9 | Complete Curriculum
World History Complete – Ready-to-Use Curriculum for Middle School History
XXL Medieval History Bundle – Black Death, Feudalism & Society
The real problem
Phone-free since 2024, and a tightly set course sequence
Louisiana Senate Bill 207 requires phones on school campuses to be turned off and stored during the instructional day, and it has applied since the 2024–25 school year. In NOLA Public Schools, which the elected Orleans Parish School Board governs, that means a 2026–27 middle school history teacher can no longer count on students looking up an image or a date on their own phones. Source work, timelines and vocabulary need to be in front of them on paper. The harder part is content. Louisiana's social studies standards, approved by BESE in 2022, assign Grade 7 to The United States and Louisiana: The Early Republic Through Reconstruction, and Grade 8 to The United States and Louisiana: Industrial Age Through the Modern Era. A general bundle cannot replace those courses. What teachers in New Orleans still need are ready lessons for the edges of the year: a review day before LEAP, a day with a substitute, a short topic that connects to the main course, or a ninth-grade World History class. That is where this bundle is useful, and it is worth being clear that it is a supplement, not the course.
Why it fits
Where the nine resources fit a Louisiana history year
Use the pieces that connect to what you teach and keep the rest for sub days or ninth grade.
- Industrialization and Labor Movements pairs with the Industrial Age portion of Louisiana's Grade 8 course.
- Famous U.S. Presidents gives Grade 7 and 8 students a printable resource on national leaders.
- Migration in the 21st Century supports a current-events discussion that needs no device lookups.
- The Medieval Plague unit has reading scaffolds, source analysis, timelines, roleplay and debate preparation.
- The History Escape Room is printable, which makes it a phone-free review day or last day before a break.
- Answer keys come with the resources, so a substitute can run a lesson and check work.
Getting started
Using the bundle across a NOLA-PS semester
A suggested way to spread the resources through a fall semester. Move them to wherever they help most in your own pacing.
- Early fall: set paper-only routinesUse What Was School Like in 1930 as a short opener. Students compare school then and now in writing, which sets up how source work happens without phones in your room.
- Grade 8 tie-in: industrializationWhen your course reaches the Industrial Age, teach Industrialization and Labor Movements as a two- or three-day add-on. Ask students to compare its examples with the U.S. and Louisiana cases in your main course.
- Sub plans on fileKeep Daily Life of Medieval Peasants and Pompeii and Herculaneum printed and in a folder. Both work as single-topic lessons a substitute can hand out with the answer key.
- Ninth-grade World HistoryThe Medieval Plague unit and European Integration fit a high school World History course better than Grades 7 and 8. Use the source tasks and debate preparation for a full week.
- Before a break: escape roomRun the History Escape Room on the last day before a holiday or as review. Students work in teams on printed clues, so no one needs a phone to take part.
What to buy
Which history set makes sense for you
Buy the Middle School History Units Bundle at $74.99 if you want single-topic units for sub days, review and add-ons; the nine parts bought separately cost $123.91. If you teach a world history course and want a full year of material, the XXL History Teaching Bundle for Grades 6–9 ($249.90) runs from ancient civilizations to the Cold War. World History Complete – Middle School starts at $149.90 and is built around historical thinking and world eras. If you only need the medieval pieces, the XXL Medieval History Bundle ($19.99) covers the Black Death, feudalism and daily life.
Honest limits
What to know before you rely on it
This bundle was not written for Louisiana and contains no Louisiana history and no Louisiana standards codes. It does not cover the Grade 6–8 courses on the United States and Louisiana, and it is not LEAP preparation. Check any lesson against the K-12 Louisiana Student Standards for Social Studies and your NOLA-PS school's scope before you use it. You do the printing, and the slides need a screen. Using it across a department needs a short message to Teach Lessons first. If it is not a fit, you can exchange it within 7 days for store credit of equal value.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Does this match the Louisiana Student Standards for Social Studies?
No. It is not aligned to the K-12 Louisiana Student Standards for Social Studies, and neither the state nor NOLA Public Schools has approved it. Most of its topics are European or world history. A few pieces, like industrialization and U.S. presidents, can connect to your course, but you need to check each one against the standards for your grade.
Can I teach it without any student devices under SB 207?
Yes. The resources are worksheets, source tasks, timelines and an escape room on paper. Students do not need phones or laptops. You will want a projector for slides where a unit has them, but the student work itself is printable. That keeps you inside SB 207, which has required phones to be off and stored during the instructional day since 2024–25.
Will it help my students with LEAP?
It is not built as LEAP preparation and does not follow Louisiana's course sequence. The source analysis and writing tasks practice general history skills, which can help in any course, but for test review you should rely on your school's materials for the Grade 7 and 8 courses.
Is it suitable for Grade 9 World History in New Orleans?
Several parts fit a high school World History course well, especially the Black Death unit and European Integration. Louisiana lists World History among its high school social studies courses. Check what your school expects in that course before planning a full unit, and ask whether your NOLA-PS school uses a set curriculum for it.
Does it include anything on Louisiana or New Orleans?
No. There is no Louisiana or New Orleans content in the bundle. If your class needs local history, you will need your district's materials or your own sources. This bundle is best for topics outside the Louisiana and U.S. sequence, such as medieval Europe, ancient Pompeii or migration today.
How do I get the files?
The download is available right after checkout. You get a link by email, and the files also stay in your customer account under Orders, so you can print a fresh copy whenever you need one for a new class, a new semester or a substitute folder.
Have a phone-free history lesson ready to print
Check the product page for the full list of nine resources and what each one contains.
Open the history bundle