Primary and Secondary Sources Teacher Resources

Find Primary and Secondary Sources lesson plans and worksheets
Showing 7,263 resources
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Lesson Plan
National History Day

“War Is Hell. We Know it Now.” American Soldiers in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Understanding the soldier's experiences during World War I sometimes takes a newscast. Learners see the importance of understanding multiple points of view with a newscast project surrounding the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. Compare and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Slavery in America at the Time of the Civil War: Sources

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students discover how to use primary and secondary sources in research. In this Civil War lesson, students conduct research on slavery as they distinguish between primary and secondary sources regarding the same events.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Personal Stories and Primary Sources: Conversations with Elders

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Young scholars learn from their elders. In this oral and social histories lesson, students analyze primary sources to develop an understanding of the America in which their grandparents grew up. Young scholars conduct interviews with...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

All Aboard

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Explore the U.S.S. Nevada. Researchers use primary sources, secondary sources, children's books and websites to study the naval ship. Their study commences with a class alphabet book on the ship. Intended to be part of a lesson on...
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Lesson Plan
Center for History Education

Debating Social Security: Understanding and Evaluating the Social Security Act of 1935

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
With throngs of Americans out of work and hungry, Franklin D. Roosevelt made the bold move to establish a social safety net with programs such as Social Security. The move was—and still is—controversial. Using documents from the 1930s,...
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Lesson Plan
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National Endowment for the Humanities

The Question of Representation at the 1787 Convention

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
While the Constitution is considered enshrined today, its current form is the result of haggling at a secret convention in 1787. Using transcripts from the meetings and various plans as drafted by the delegates, class members unpack the...
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Lesson Plan
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National Endowment for the Humanities

Creating the Office of the Presidency

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The United States needed an executive power, but it wanted to avoid a monarchy. Using James Madison's notes on the Constitutional Convention, young historians look at the juggling act the Founding Fathers did to create a role for the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mr. Lincoln's Whiskers

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Learn about the events that helped shape the United States of America. Elementary schoolers explore the Civil War with six different activities. Each activity has a different focus: literature connections, primary sources, vocabulary,...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Why did the Aztec and Inca civilizations disappear?

For Students 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers can analyze primary source documents to answer the question, "Why did the Aztec and Inca civilizations disappear?" They will read the provided excerpts then answer 11 different questions to uncover the ultimate answer.
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Unit Plan
Wells Fargo

Wells Fargo History Museum: Curriculum Guide

For Teachers 4th - 8th Standards
Learn about the California Gold Rush from an institution that has been in place since the early days of the American West: Wells Fargo History Museum. From domain-specific vocabulary review to group research projects, an expansive packet...
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Lesson Plan
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NPR

Chinese American Women Lesson Plan

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
The National Women's History Museum provides a plan designed to accompany their online CyberExhibit, Chinese American Women; a History of Resilience and Resistance. After examining a series of primary and secondary source documents,...
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Unit Plan
Smithsonian Institution

Barn Again! Celebrating an American Icon

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
How do barns serve as a window to a community's past? Here are a series of lessons on the symbolism and historical context of barns throughout American history. Topics include community-building, in-depth primary and secondary...
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Lesson Plan
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Carolina K-12

The End of World War II: Pearl Harbor, Japanese Internment Camps, and the Atomic Bomb

For Teachers 8th Standards
The end of World War II saw major events that would forever change the global landscape and international relations. Using a fantastic PowerPoint presentation and several primary source documents, your learners will discuss the...
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Worksheet
British Museum

The Kingdom of Benin

For Students 4th - 6th Standards
Discover the society of Benin through analysis of several artifacts and rich primary source materials. Here you'll find worksheets on topics as the work of Benin craftsmen, the influence of the all-powerful Oba, explanations for the...
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Unit Plan
Virginia Department of Education

World History and Geography to 1500 A.D.

For Teachers 6th - 10th Standards
Here's a great resource for your curriculum library. The 240-page packet, organized into units by topics, includes sample lesson plans, links to primary and secondary source documents, worksheets, activities, and sample assessments.
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Lesson Plan
PBS

Elizabeth Cady Stanton: Orator, Author, and Activist

For Teachers 3rd - 7th Standards
Have you ever felt like your opinion doesn't count? Scholars research and analyze the impact Elizabeth Cady Stanton had on women's rights. Primary and secondary sources as well as video clips give individuals a clear picture of Stanton's...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

The Third Estate

For Students 9th - 10th
Kids read a translated version of Abbe Sieyes' document, The Third Estate. This document is shown in its original form and as an English translation. After reading the text they answer three critical thinking question to show their...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

French Revolution: The Declaration of Pillnitz

For Students 10th - 12th
Answering document-based questions increases critical analysis and comprehension skills. The class reads a passage from The Declaration of Pillnitz then answers three critical thinking questions.
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PPT
Curated OER

The Dust Bowl

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Use this presentation to discuss the causes and effects of The Dust Bowl, or to establish a historical context for the book, The Grapes of Wrath. Found here are images, eye-witness quotes, and some ideas as to the causes and effects of...
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Activity
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Houston Independent School District

Creating a Successful Project

For Teachers 7th - 8th Standards
Guide your learners step by step through the process of designing an original, independent student project. This resource includes a wealth of worksheets and materials, including student project checklists, timelines, primary and...
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Lesson Plan
American Battlefield Trust

John Brown

For Teachers 9th - 12th
How did the raid on Harper's Ferry contribute to the start of the Civil War? Curated for high school historians, the activity explains John Brown's contribution to the start of the Civil War by using violence to demand an end to slavery....
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Lesson Plan
Center for History Education

Did Southern Free Men of Color Fight for the Ideals of the South?

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Much of history is distasteful. Primary sources often reveal attitudes acceptable at the time that no longer are. But to understand controversial historical events, historians must examine primary sources that represent a wide variety of...
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Lesson Plan
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Curated OER

That's Moor Like It!

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
How do modern adaptations of Shakespearean plays relate to their original source material? Middle and high schoolers focus on Shakespeare's play Othello and its screen adaptation "O" to explore how modern film adaptations of Shakespeare...
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Lesson Plan
Huntington Library

The Corps of Discovery: The Lewis and Clark Expedition

For Teachers 4th - 8th Standards
Don't miss this fantastic comprehensive lesson plan on the Lewis and Clark Expedition, packed with instructional guidance, worksheets, map work, informational texts, and secondary source materials.

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Primary and Secondary Sources