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Lesson Plan
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Albert Shanker Institute

Heart of the Matter

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Most people have heard of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his famous "I Have a Dream" speech, but few have heard of Philip Randolph and Bayard Rustin. Who were these guys and what did they have to do with this famous landmark event in...
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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
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Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary

Franklin’s Fair Hand American Journalism

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Scholars know him for his role in the American Revolution, but Ben Franklin was also a journalist and printer. Learners investigate his standards for what was fit to print using primary sources—including writings where Franklin explains...
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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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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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Lesson Plan
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum

Analyzing the Inaugural Address

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Get high school historians to step outside their own shoes by responding to JFK's inaugural address from the perspective of a civil rights activist, a soviet diplomat, or a Cuban exile. After a class discussion about the address, the...
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Lesson Plan
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University of California

Equal Rights? The Women's Movement from Suffrage to Schlafly

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
If you've never heard of the Equal Rights Amendment, it's probably because there isn't one in the United States Constitution. Delve into the contentious history behind the ERA, its founders and supporters, and reasons for its political...
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Unit Plan
4
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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
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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
Federal Reserve Bank

Market Basket SMART/ActivInspire Lesson Plan

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Inflate your knowledge, not the economy! Pupils learn more about inflation with detailed worksheets and exciting activities such as role play, an interactive PowerPoint presentation, and a project in which they design a podcast on...
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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
National Endowment for the Humanities

Cultural Change

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
High schoolers research the passage of the 19th Amendment as an illustration of the mutual influence between political ideas and cultural attitudes. They also read the Seneca Falls Declaration and explore the cultural shifts it both...
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Lesson Plan
K20 Learn

Building Arguments With Evidence Part 2: Constructing Arguments

For Teachers 10th - 12th Standards
What is the biggest issue facing young people today? Class members consider the question—along with other provocative pieces from the New York Times—and then try to write their own arguments and back them up with evidence. Once complete,...
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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...
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Lesson Plan
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US House of Representatives

A Growing Diversity, 1993–2017

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Connect current events to the roles of AAPI members in Congress. Activities include tracing the impact of the Vietnam War on today's representatives. Learners have various options to explore, including role-play exercises and creating a...
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Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

Ancient Philosophy: Greeks or Romans?

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
While often not recognized, the ideas of ancient Greek and Roman philosophers still echo today. Using a series of videos and graphic organizers, individuals explore how ancient Greeks and Romans have influenced current Western political...