New York Remote Instruction Snow Days: Grades 7–9 History Units
New York Remote Instruction Snow Days: Grades 7–9 History Units
When a New York district turns a snow day into remote instruction under Commissioner's regulation 175.5, the history teacher still owes students a lesson worth the hours. The Middle School History Units Bundle gives you nine stand-alone Grades 7–9 resources, from the Black Death to industrialization and migration today, each ready to assign the morning the closure call goes out.
Browse the history unitsThe Middle School History Units Bundle ($74.99) collects nine Grades 7–9 resources: The Medieval Plague, Daily Life of Medieval Peasants, Pompeii and Herculaneum, Industrialization & Labor Movements, European Integration, Migration in the 21st Century, Famous U.S. Presidents, What Was School Like in 1930, and a History Escape Room. Bought separately they cost $123.91. Because each stands alone, any one can fill a remote instruction day without depending on yesterday's lesson.
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
What a remote day under 175.5 asks of a history class
Under the Commissioner's regulations at 175.5, a New York district that would otherwise close for an emergency can hold remote instruction instead, and that time counts toward required instructional hours, provided the district follows its emergency remote instruction plan. For a classroom teacher, a free snow day becomes a teaching day with very little notice. In history, the current unit rarely survives the switch. Your class may be halfway through lessons built on discussion, a document set you hand out in person, or a project sitting half-finished on the classroom shelves. Picking that up remotely means students reading dense sources alone, with nobody to explain the context, and many middle schoolers simply stop. A self-contained topic works better: a lesson that sets up its own background, gives students a text or source to work with, and ends with something to submit. It also has to hold a thirteen-year-old at a laptop while snow falls outside. And it should already sit in your files before winter, so the morning of the closure is about posting a lesson, not writing one.
Why it fits
Why these units work on a remote day
Each resource stands on its own, so you can pull one without breaking the sequence you teach in class.
- The Medieval Plague unit has informational texts with reading scaffolds, so students can read without you.
- Its source analysis uses images and chronicles and compares them with modern pandemics, a strong remote topic.
- Pompeii and Herculaneum – What Was Lost? holds attention and works across Grades 7–10.
- Industrialization & Labor Movements fits neatly if your course already covers the industrial era.
- The History Escape Room gives a lighter option for a second closure or for early finishers.
- Every resource comes with worksheets or activities and answer keys, which speeds up checking work afterward.
Getting started
Putting history into your remote instruction plan
A suggested setup for the history part of your district's plan. The emergency remote instruction plan itself sets the rules for schedules, attendance and platforms.
- Read the district plan for your roleCheck how long students are expected to work, how attendance is taken, and whether you meet live or post work. Fit the history task to that time frame rather than the other way round.
- Pick two or three stand-alone topicsChoose resources that do not depend on your current unit, such as the Medieval Plague, Pompeii and Herculaneum, or Migration in the 21st Century. Keep one in reserve for a second closure.
- Prepare the post in advanceDraft the assignment in your class platform with directions, the worksheet and a due time. On the morning itself you only publish it, instead of writing under pressure at six o'clock.
- Plan a short live check-inIf your plan includes live time, open with ten minutes on the background and then send students to the source task. A brief framing helps middle schoolers read historical texts with purpose.
- Grade fast with the answer keysCheck the submitted work against the answer key the next day and return it with one comment. That shows students the remote day counted in your class as well.
What to buy
One bundle, or a bigger history purchase?
For snow-day coverage in Grades 7–9, the Middle School History Units Bundle at $74.99 is the most practical buy; the nine parts cost $123.91 on their own. If you want a whole year of world history rather than drop-in topics, look at World History Complete – Middle School, from $149.90, with 190+ resources for Grades 6–8. The XXL History Teaching Bundle for Grades 6–9 ($249.90) covers all major periods from ancient civilizations to the Cold War. For a medieval focus at a low price, the XXL Medieval History Bundle costs $19.99.
Honest limits
Limits worth knowing first
These resources were not written for New York. They contain no references to New York's social studies standards and no material on New York history, so check them against the standards you teach and against your district's emergency remote instruction plan. No learning platform is included; you post the work through the system your school already uses. The license is for your own classes, and a department that wants to share one copy should send Teach Lessons a short message first. If the bundle is not a fit, exchange it within 7 days for store credit of equal value. It is not a cash refund.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Do these units match New York's social studies standards?
They are not aligned to, endorsed by or approved under New York's social studies standards or the 175.5 regulations. They are general Grades 7–9 history resources. Compare the topics with your district's scope and sequence, and confirm with your administration that the work suits your emergency remote instruction plan.
Will a remote day built on these count toward required hours?
That depends on your district following its emergency remote instruction plan, not on the materials. The product gives you lessons to deliver; the district plan decides how the day is scheduled, recorded and counted. Ask your principal or district office if you are unsure how your plan works, especially about attendance and how long students must be engaged.
Can students complete them on a device?
Yes. The materials work for print and digital classrooms, so you can post them in your platform or print copies for students without reliable access at home. It makes sense to have both versions ready before winter starts, and to tell students ahead of time where a remote assignment will appear.
Are the topics suitable for middle schoolers?
They are written for Grades 7–9. Topics such as the Black Death, migration and U.S. presidents are handled factually. As with any history resource, preview the material and decide how you will frame it for your own class before you assign it, particularly on a remote day when you cannot read the room.
Can I buy just one unit for a single snow day?
Yes. Every part is also sold on its own and linked on the bundle page. Several of the single Grades 7–9 units cost $12.99 each. The bundle becomes the better deal once you want three or more of them, and the extra topics also cover substitute days later in the year.
How do I get the files on the morning of a closure?
They are available right after purchase, by email and in your customer account under Orders. It is still a good idea to buy and set up the assignment ahead of time, so the closure morning is only a matter of pressing publish and answering student questions.
Have a history lesson ready to post
Open the Middle School History Units Bundle, pick two remote-day topics, and save them as drafts in your class platform this week.
Browse the history units