Center for History Education
Debating Social Security: Understanding and Evaluating the Social Security Act of 1935
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,...
Center for History Education
The Freedmen's Bureau: Success or Failure?
What is freedom? The United States grappled with the question at the end of the Civil War after four million enslaved people were freed. Using circulars and images from the Reconstruction period, individuals examine how successful the...
Center for History Education
Daily Lives of Slaves - What Really Happened?
The stories of enslaved people are preserved forever thanks to the Great Depression. Budding historians explore slave narratives gathered by a federal government initiative to discover what life was actually like for enslaved people....
National Endowment for the Humanities
Creating the Office of the Presidency
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...
National Endowment for the Humanities
The Question of Representation at the 1787 Convention
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...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
What Should the US Do About North Korea's Nuclear Weapons?
North Korea, a shadowy nation distrustful of America, is working on a nuclear weapons program. What should the United States do? The question has plagued American presidents for years, but now young scholars get to make their...
iCivics
DBQuest: The Nashville Sit-In Movement
What was it like to be a part of the sit-ins during the Civil Rights Movement? Learners consider the question and whether the protests were effective using an online documents-based investigation. The program allows for virtual...
Cornell College
Dred Scott v. Sandford Supreme Court Decision
Dred Scott was a harbinger of the Civil War. An enslaved man claimed freedom because his owner had taken him into free territory. Not only did the Supreme Court rule that Dred Scott and his wife were to remain enslaved, but it also ruled...
Curated OER
Centers of the Storm: The Lyceum and the Circle at the University of Mississippi
Greek Revival architecture and the Civil Rights Movement? Sure! Examine how the Lyceum and Circle, two historic buildings located on the campus of the University of Mississippi, relate to integration and the 1962 riot on the university...
Curated OER
The Spread of Enlightenment Ideas
Looking for a simple and straightforward reference on the Enlightenment for your young historians? Check out this list of key terms and important figures from the period, followed by a traditional assessment where your learners will be...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart: Oral and Literary Strategies
Readers are first introduced to Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart by making a map of Africa. They will better understand the novel's historical and literary contexts, European and African literary traditions, and how...
George Mason University
George Mason University: Digital History: A Guide
A detailed guide on how to research and plan a historical project using the Internet and its vast resources. Some of the topics explored are: how to design a website copyright law, how to digitize materials and much more.
Library of Congress
Loc: Teacher Resources
This compilation of teacher resources has useful collections of primary sources, lesson plans, themed subject overviews, and ready-to-use presentations and activities to support the study of U.S. history at all academic levels.
Library of Congress
Loc: Primary Sources by State
An interactive map to search for extensive collections of primary sources for each of the United States.
Library of Congress
Loc: For Teachers: Analyzing Primary Source Documents
These student worksheets and activities help students analyze many different types of primary source documents. Life histories, objects, and photographs are all used to engage students.
Curated OER
History Matters: The u.s. Survey Course on the Web
Designed for high school and college teachers and young scholars, History Matters serves as a gateway to web resources and offers other useful materials for teaching U.S. history.
Brigham Young University
Euro Docs: Online Sources for European History
Connect to primary source documents (facsimiles. transcriptions, translations) that trace the history of Europe.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Neh: Edsit Ement: Mapping the Past
This lesson plan requires the students to examine past maps from various cultures in order to learn how the people from that time period interacted and understood their world.
US National Archives
Nara: National Archives for Educators and Students
Site provides information on how to best use the vast resources of the National Archives. Teach and study with primary resources, an excellent way to get in touch with history. Just for fun, click on "Sign the Declaration" for a chance...
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media
Teaching History: National History Education Clearinghouse
A vast resource filled with information on teaching history at all grade levels. There are links to podcasts, teaching materials, primary source documents, videos, and best practices in the teaching of history. Don't miss this fantastic...
Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Education: Artifact & Analysis: Historical Interpretation
A companion to American history courses, Artifact & Analysis features historical artifacts and documents about consumerism and the nation expanding, teacher's guide, writing assignments, and essays.
University of Calgary
Ithaca College: Project Look Sharp: Media Construction of War
Provides a multi-unit curriculum kit relating to the study of war that incorporates media literacy. All material is free to download and includes teacher guides, student handouts, historical documents, slideshows, and more.
Wisconsin Historical Society
Wisconsin Historical Society: A Handbook for Using Historical Documents [Pdf]
Teachers will find this a superb guide book for teaching students how to critically examine documents from the past. The guide contains lessons and resources for Wisconsin history but the teaching methodology can be adapted for anywhere.
Other
Archives Pei: Heritage Fair Projects a Guide to Sources [Pdf]
A comprehensive resource for students and teachers for planning and researching a project for a heritage fair. While it is intended for Prince Edward Island residents, it offers excellent tips, web links and books for guidance.