Six lessons cover the Organization of the Federal Courts. Lesson one helps those studying criminologies distinguish between the role of federal courts and state courts. The second explores the structure of the lower levels of the...

Excerpts from Reconstruction: America After the Civil War, Henry Louis Gates Jr.’s documentary series provide young historians with insight into the struggles the country faced in the years after the Civil war. Viewers learn about the...

A seven-resource curriculum set presents primary source materials that permits young historians to examine the programs and initiatives advanced by Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt,...

Former president, Thomas Jefferson, is the focus of seven lessons that challenge pupils to analyze primary source documents associated with his presidency. Pupils perform a close reading of several messages to Congress and an excerpt of...

Teach young historians how to analyze primary source documents, including speeches and editorial cartoons with a collection of worksheets. The six resources in this collection focus on documents associated with the presidency of Theodore...

The programs of Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States, are the focus of seven worksheets that teach young historians how to analyze primary source documents—including a poster, excerpts from speeches, and political...

Worksheets guide 21st-century learners through an examination of primary source documents related to the presidency of George Washington. The worksheets in the collection allow students to identify the context, meaning, and significance...

The 1964 Civil Rights Act, the 1965 Voting Rights Act, and the Fair Housing Act of 1968 are all statues pushed by Lyndon Baines Johnson. Presdient Johnson also established programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and Head Start. Young...

A seven-resource collection of worksheets ask students to examine letters written by Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, as well as an excerpt from the diary of a Union soldier. After a careful reading of these primary sources, class...

Six lesson plans in the Black History Month collection introduce middle and high schoolers to nonviolent actions as a means to resist oppression and encourage reform. Lessons look at the Children’s March, music, and citizenship schools...

The Laurel Grove school was established by freedmen and freedwomen after the United States Civil War. The school is now a museum and offers this collection of six lessons that use primary and secondary source materials to tell the story...

A five-resource collection looks at the complex series of events that led to the American Civil War. Using primary source documents, scholars research the social and economic issues that led to the country-fracturing conflict.

The National Constitution Center offers this collection of informative and entertaining videos intended to start conversations and develop critical thinking skills. Viewers learn about the rights granted by the constitution, about the...

A collection of 14 resources celebrate the men and women who served in the U.S. Armed Forces overseas during World War I and World War II. Young historians use Interactive timelines to follow events as they unfolded and maps to track...

A three-lesson unit provides middle schoolers with the founding fathers' vision of what they saw as the role of the president and the executive branch of the government. Young scholars examine the Articles of Confederation, Alexander...

Like many US cities in the 1960s, Newark, New Jersey was the site of conflicts, protests, and civil disobedience. A two-lesson case study of events there in 1967 permits middle schoolers to gain insight into the civil rights era and the...

Designed for teachers, a 15-lesson collection curated by the Smithsonian, examines how wars have impacted American society. Each resource includes a lesson plan, background information, a materials list, maps, images, and worksheets. An...

Designed for high school and college-level classes, a collection of 12 resources covers topics in economics, banking, and monetary policy. Students investigate supply curves, the law of demand, market equilibrium, and the labor market....

Walk students step-by-step through the judicial process with a three-lesson collection that examines how the federal courts interpret and apply the laws of the United States. Young legal scholars examine case studies, engage in...

A three-lesson collection explores the federal and state court systems, as well as criminal and civil court systems. Along the way, high schoolers consider the qualifications necessary to serve in high-federal offices, and why courts...

The common core literacy standards for social studies revolve around helping students closely read and understand primary and secondary sources. Browse these resources and find ones relevant to the social studies topics you're teaching!

Searching for materials to use in your celebrations of Constitution Day/Citizenship Day? Look no further. The lesson plans, activities, and videos in this collection will help you meet the requirement that all educational institutions...

This is a fantastic collection for developing logical debate skills in a secondary classroom. Each resource identifies a controversial topic and outlines differing perspectives, legal and etymological history, and focuses on academic...

If you are looking for curriculum on the Spanish-American War, you just hit the jackpot! Find three options for teaching either a one, three, or five-day lessons. Learners consider why the United States invaded Cuba, and use primary...