United States Military History Teacher Resources
Find United States Military History lesson plans and worksheets
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Lesson Planet Curated
Becoming Us
The mission statement of the National Museum of American History’s Becoming US: Teaching Immigration and Migration History in the 21st Century series is to provide “educational resources for high school teachers and students to learn...
Lesson Planet Curated
Becoming Us: Borderlands
Three case studies make up a unit the looks at the power contentions and exchanges in the borderlands that have shaped the United States. The first case study focuses on creating the US southern border and the experiences of people...
Lesson Planet Curated
America from Scratch
What if the people of the United States started over and, knowing what we know now about how things are working, redesigned the government created by the founding fathers? That's the central premise of the 11 resources in the American...
Lesson Planet Curated
Civil War: A "Terrible Swift Sword"
A three-lesson unit looks at the United States Civil War. In the first lesson, high schoolers analyze primary source materials to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the Union and Confederate armies at the beginning of the war. The...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Lesson 1: The United States Confronts Great Britain, 1793–1796
After the Revolutionary War, the success of the United States was far from guaranteed. Foreign powers coveted the new land, and Great Britain challenged American sovereignty. Learners consider the challenges facing the new nation using...
PBS
Should We Have Mandatory Military Service? | America From Scratch
Mandatory service in a democratic society? On July 1, 1973, the draft ended. Now the United States relies on an all-volunteer military. But what if all citizens were required to perform some sort of service, either military or public...
Curated OER
WWII - Tensions Rise in Pacific
Although the United States suspected an early attack on Hawaii from the Japanese military, Franklin D. Roosevelt feared what increasing Japan's power would do. Watch the tension rise between Japan, China, and the United States.
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Women in the Military
Scholars analyze the role of women in the military in United States history. Using group research, debate, and diary entries, they explore various military activity in America. To complete the lesson, young historians write an essay...
American Battlefield Trust
United States Colored Troops
The debate over slavery contributed to the Civil War, but it didn't stop African Americans from joining the military. Academics complete a series of worksheets, read original letters, and analyze a photo of an African American soldier to...
School Improvement in Maryland
United States Foreign Policy
Policies of United States government which promote or fail to promote relationships with other countries—national defense, arms control, security of other nations, trade, human rights, economic sanctions, foreign aid, etc.—come under...
Curated OER
Korematsu v. United States (1944)
Students examine equal protection. In this Supreme Court instructional activity, students examine primary documents from Korematsu v. United States and discuss the implications of the decision with regards to Japanese internment.
Curated OER
The Great Military: Map of Texas
The battle at the Alamo may be one of the most famous military campaigns in Texas history, but it is by no means the only one. As part of their study of the military history of Texas, class members research less-well-known sites, locate...
American Battle Monuments Commission
The Great War: U.S. Division Under Allied Command
The victory of Allied forces in World War I is due in large part to the continued collaboration and support of the Allied divisions themselves. Learn more about the ways Australia, Britain, France, and the United States worked together...
National WWII Museum
Harry S. Truman's Atomic Bomb Address - August 9, 1945
The United States' decision to implement the atomic bomb in 1945 is still a source of debate today. Learners listen to the audio from President Truman's speech to address the nation to better understand why the United States resorted to...
PBS
Sitting Bull: Spiritual Leader and Military Leader
Sitting Bull was not expected to be a great warrior. Yet, he led the Lakota people and other tribes to several pivotal victories against the United States government when federal troops threatened their land. Using primary sources, such...
Curated OER
United States v. Nixon (1974)
Young scholars examine checks and balances. In this Supreme Court lesson, students examine primary documents from United States v. Nixon and discuss the implications of the decision.
Curated OER
WWII - US to Arm Allies
Before joining World War II, Franklin D. Roosevelt changed the military policy to lend-lease, meaning that the US would distribute artillery without requiring immediate payment. What are the benefits to changing this policy? What are the...
National WWII Museum
Citizens to Soldiers
What does it take to be in the military? An interesting video shows pupils the training and procedures used to turn civilians into United States soldiers during World War II.
DocsTeach
Analyzing US Involvement in the Vietnam War
War: unavoidable or a necessary evil? A thought-provoking activity explores the United States' long involvement in the Vietnam War as well as the aftermath. Scholars research and summarize primary documents and complete online worksheets...
DocsTeach
Introduction to the Domino Theory and Containment Policy in Vietnam
Scholars analyze a propaganda poster against communism. The resource uses the poster to examine the domino theory and containment policies used by the United States to stop the spread of communism in Vietnam. Scholars work in pairs or...
National WWII Museum
The Battle of Midway
Scholars learn how the Battle of Midway was a turning point for the United States military in World War II in a video using archival footage and photos from 1942.
National WWII Museum
Strategic Overview - Pacific Theater
Battleships, airplanes, and island-hopping were just a few of the United States strategies during the battle of the Pacific. Scholars learn the strategies the United States employed to contend with the Japanese military in an engaging...
Smithsonian Institution
Cuban Missile Crisis
The United States—specifically John F. Kennedy—played a large role during the Cuban Missile Crisis. A history resource poses questions that encourage critical thinking as well as in-depth analysis of images from the time period.
Curated OER
African-Americans and the Military
Students study the key figures in African-American military history. They discover how African-American military history reflect both discrimination and the often heroic struggle to overcome discrimination. They examine the key periods...
