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Unit Plan
Vaquera Films

Wonder Women - The Untold Story of American Superheroines: Middle School Curriculum Guide

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Women in power are the focus of a three-module unit that employs comic books to bring home the importance of equality and proficient media literacy skills. In module one, scholars examine gender roles in media—boosting media literacy and...
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Lesson Plan
C-SPAN

Historical Presidential Campaign Announcement Analysis

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Using the announcements of presidential candidacies, pupils consider how contenders make their initial arguments to the public. A worksheet helps structure collaborative work to analyze 10 video clips. Writing prompts allow for extension...
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Lesson Plan
Stanford University

Observing Human Rights Day

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
How much intervention is appropriate for America to take in cases of human rights violations? Class members ponder a question that has lingered since the birth of America with a series of primary sources that reflect the degree to which...
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Activity
Constitutional Rights Foundation

Sam Houston: A Study in Leadership

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Learners read a short excerpt from a speech by Sam Houston and answer corresponding questions as well as engage in additional activities, including writing a persuasive essay and discussing topics in small groups. The resource helps lay...
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Lesson Plan
Constitutional Rights Foundation

If Men Were Angels: Teaching the Constitution With the Federalist Papers

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Much like the methods of group work, the writers of the Federalist Papers worked together to advocate for their viewpoints against the anti-federalists. The resource enables learners to break into small groups and conduct research before...
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Unit Plan
Los Angeles Unified School District

Capitalism and Socialism

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Capitalism, socialism, communism ... these may seem like a whole bunch of isms to your scholars. High schoolers won't  confuse them after completing an informative resource. Your class masters how to use primary sources to critically...
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Unit Plan
4
4
Henry Ford Museum

Transportation Systems

For Teachers 8th - 12th Standards
Learners analyze the evolution of cultural attitudes through the lens of transportation, examining several artifacts, documents, and photographs. Topics covered include how American attitudes have influenced society's evolution into a...
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Lesson Plan
1
1
iCivics

James Bond in a Honda? Trial Simulation

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Your class members will take on the roles of jury members in this exciting simulation. After reading a detailed script and reviewing pieces of evidence, they will determine whether Honda violated copyright and copied James Bond.
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Lesson Plan
iCivics

The “Supreme” in Supreme Court

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Does a public school have the right to restrict what t-shirts students wear? Discover what happened when this question was brought to the Supreme Court, and review other major cases in United States history involving judicial review....
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Lesson Plan
iCivics

Mock Election

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Here is an excellent resource in which class members host a mock election for a candidate and policy that will be implemented into your very own classroom. Progressing from primaries, through the campaign trail, and finally to the mock...
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Lesson Plan
iCivics

Taxation

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
A paycheck stub can offer loads of information on the taxes American citizens pay. This resource not only includes analysis of a stub as an activity, but also provides a wealth of informative reading material on such topics as the...
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Lesson Plan
1
1
Curated OER

Basil Heatter, "The Long Night of the Little Boats"

For Teachers 7th - 9th Standards
“It was a miracle.” Basil Heatter’s “The Long Night of the Little Boats,” which details the miraculous rescue of the British army from the shores of Dunkirk in 1940, is featured in a series of exercises that ask class members to read,...
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Lesson Plan
1
1
Friends of Fort McHenry

Citizens For and Against the War of 1812

For Teachers 8th Standards
Use this exceptional resource to examine the discourse and debate that occurred at the start of the War of 1812 with your class. Learners will first consider their own position on the war in a silent journal writing activity. Then after...
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Lesson Plan
National Park Service

Should America Have Gone to War in 1812?

For Teachers 8th Standards
Using an incredibly engaging activity and detailed lesson plan, your learners will serve as advisors to President Madison on whether to participate in what would become the War of 1812! Utilize a variety of effective instructional...
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Lesson Plan
1
1
Friends of Fort McHenry

Baltimore – Caught in the Middle

For Teachers 8th Standards
Choosing sides is no easy matter, and this was certainly true for the citizens of Baltimore in the beginning stages of the Civil War. Using video, group analysis of several primary sources, and discussion, this detailed and thorough...
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Lesson Plan
1
1
Friends of Fort McHenry

A Just War or Just a War?

For Teachers 8th Standards
What, if anything, makes a war "just"? This is an interesting and important question to explore with your class, and you can utilize an excellent lesson plan to support your group inquiry. The American Revolution and the War of 1812 are...
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Lesson Plan
K20 Learn

Beyond the Zombie Wars: Understanding Culture

For Teachers 7th - 11th Standards
The zombies have invaded! Only a few safe regions remain, and class members must decide where they and the remaining world refugees should flee. After researching the cultures and creating poster presentations of various parts of the...
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Lesson Plan
National Park Service

Adeline Hornbek and the Homestead Act: A Colorado Success Story

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Students examine how the Homestead Act impacted the economic opportunities of women. They research the Homestead Act, define Manifest Destiny, and prepare an exhibit featuring an outstanding woman living in their community.
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Lesson Plan
1
1
US House of Representatives

Hispanic-American Members of Congress in the Civil Rights Era, 1945–1977

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Debates around immigration in the news are not new, but they are a defining feature of the Hispanic American experience throughout the twentieth century. Looking through the lens of Hispanic Americans in Congress, class members explore...
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Lesson Plan
1
1
US House of Representatives

Legislative Trends and Power Sharing Among Hispanic Americans in Congress, 1977–2012

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Bilingual education, voting rights, and Congressional redistricting come up often in the news. Explore these topics from another view—the perspectives of Hispanic members of Congress. Activities include an article with comprehension and...
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Lesson Plan
1
1
US House of Representatives

Hispanic Americans in Congress During the Age of U.S. Colonialism and Global Expansion, 1898–1945

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
To be Puerto Rican, in the words of one politician, is to be "foreign in a domestic sense." Young historians consider the American role in colonialism and its impacts on Hispanic Americans through the first part of the twentieth century...
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Lesson Plan
1
1
US House of Representatives

Hispanic Congressional Representation in the Era of U.S. Continental Expansion, 1822–1898

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
From the Louisiana Purchase to the Spanish-American War, the history of the United States is intertwined with the story of Hispanic Americans. Using an article about Hispanics in Congress during the 1800s, learners research their lives...
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Lesson Plan
1
1
US House of Representatives

Exclusion and Empire, 1898–1941

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Often forgotten and written off as the model minority, Americans with heritage in Asia and the Pacific Islands have played an essential role in American history, including Congress. Budding historians reclaim history by researching the...
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Lesson Plan
1
1
US House of Representatives

From Exclusion to Inclusion, 1941–1992

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
The legacy of Japanese American internment impacted America for decades, including Congress. Class members consider the tenure of Asian American representatives in Congress and how the legacy of World War II affected their service. Other...