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Lesson Plan
PBS

Crack the Case: History's Toughest Mysteries

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Young sleuths don their trench coats, tip their fedoras, and grab their notepads to investigate one of four famous unsolved mysteries. After examining multiple primary and secondary sources related to their cold case, they propose a...
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Activity
Joy Uzarraga

Famous American Research Project

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd Standards
Designed specifically for lower elementary pupils, this is a great biographical research project in which students research a famous American, and then design creative poster boards to help them "become" the famous American they have...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Synthesizing Research: How Colonists Were Interdependent

For Teachers 4th Standards
Following the formative assessment of this unit, young scholars present the information they gathered on their specific colonial trade to the rest of the class. Working in groups, learners create posters describing the particular job...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Building Background Knowledge: Colonial Craftspeople

For Teachers 4th Standards
In the first lesson plan of this unit on colonial trade, fourth graders gain background knowledge of different jobs performed by early colonists. The class begins with a slide show presentation that includes a variety of great...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Documenting Research: Sorting and Recording Information About the Wheelwright

For Teachers 4th Standards
Fourth graders practice using a graphic organizer to record their notes and answer text-dependent questions while supplying evidence of how they found their answer. They focus on a machine called the wheelright, which was commonly used...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Writing to Inform: Colonial Trades

For Teachers 4th Standards
Fourth graders who are studying life in colonial America engage in an instructional activity that has them create a "Help Wanted" ad that would have been written by a master craftsperson from back in the day. They utilize a graphic...
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Lesson Plan
K20 Learn

Bavaria Has Issues...Experimental Components

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Do you want to be a detective by analyzing situations? An engaging lesson provides young historians with the tools to help them understand the difference between data types and how to analyze them to draw conclusions. Scholars complete...
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Lesson Plan
US House of Representatives

House History Comes Alive

For Teachers 7th - 12th
How reliable is oral history? The resource uses the oral history website to help academics understand the pros and cons of using recollections to teach others. Scholars complete a worksheet, draft a letter to a representative, and...
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Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

Analyzing Early American Figures: Analyzing History

For Teachers 8th Standards
Who were they? High school freshmen brush up on their research skills by investigating an important person in American history. They select a name, fill out a KWHL chart, and research why their person is important. Scholars then complete...
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Lesson Plan
2
2
Smithsonian Institution

Native Resistance: Native Resistance Then and Now

For Teachers 8th - 11th Standards
Native Americans lost so much—and gained so little in return. Scholars explore Native Americans' resistance to the United States government. The lesson uses primary sources to explore the different forms of protest and gives a voice to...
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Lesson Plan
2
2
Smithsonian Institution

Fighting For Freedom: The Stono Rebellion and Free Frank McWhorter

For Teachers 8th - 11th Standards
Travel back in time to the Stono Rebellion. Young historians research historical figures who played a role in African Americans' fight to escape slavery. Scholars research material, complete handouts, participate in group discussion, and...
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Interactive
DocsTeach

Where Was the New Deal?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Young historians delve into the origin of federal social programs to understand the impact of the New Deal. An informative activity explores some of the New Deal programs, such as the Civilian Conservation Corp, using historical...
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Interactive
DocsTeach

The School Lunch Program and the Federal Government

For Teachers 6th - 12th
The school lunch program is rooted in the struggles of the Great Depression and is still assisting families today. Academics research documents and images relating to the creation of the school lunch program. Scholars use a worksheet to...
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Interactive
DocsTeach

Indian Nations vs. Settlers on the American Frontier: 1786–1788

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Once Americans won the Revolutionary War, their quest to gain land did not end. An interesting activity focuses on Americans' expansion into the frontier following the war and how it conflicted with Native Americans living in the area....
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Activity
Teaching Tolerance

Listen Up! PSA for Change

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Challenge scholars to speak up about a topic by creating a public service announcement or social media blitz about an issue they feel passionate about. Have them research their issues, then decide the best way to take their messages to...
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Lesson Plan
American Battlefield Trust

Creating Civil War Multimedia

For Teachers 6th - 10th Standards
What was it like to live through the Civil War? Learners investigate the question by creating multimedia presentations. With a scaffolded approach that includes research, creating a biopic poem, storyboard, and then polished multimedia...
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Lesson Plan
BrainPOP

Famous Historical Figures Lesson Plan: Who Am I?

For Teachers K - 12th Standards
History detectives select a famous person to research, fill a bag with items associated with their subject, then ask class members to guess the historical figure represented by the artifacts.
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Website
American Museum of Natural History

What's the Big Idea About Archeology

For Students 4th - 8th
The American Museum of Natural History offers a website sure to engage young anthropologists. Learners can dig into a site that offers an explanation of the field of archaeology, the kinds of questions archaeologists ask that launch...
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Lesson Plan
J. Paul Getty Trust

Ambitious Women Artists at Work

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
Ambition is the keyword of a lesson that focuses on the contributions made by famous female artists. Specifically looking at European artists, Luisa Roldan and Elisabeth Louise Vigee Le Brun, scholars examine a piece of their work then...
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Unit Plan
1
1
New York City Department of Education

Grade 11 Literacy in Social Studies: Research Paper

For Teachers 11th Standards
The lesson guides young academics through the steps in producing a 10-page research paper on any topic in American history. Historians begin by formulating a thesis and gathering resources, then move on to creating an outline, and end...
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Lesson Plan
Alabama Department of Archives and History

An African American Represents Alabama during Reconstruction

For Teachers 4th Standards
The era after the Civil War saw a flourishing of African Americans exercising their rights. Using graphic organizers and Internet research, pupils consider the legacy of Benjamin Sterling Turner, who sat in Congress. Afterward, they...
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Lesson Plan
PBS

Extranjeros and Expansion

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
A three-part lesson gives light to the Unites States expansion from the view of Texans, New Mexicans, and Californians. Through videos and written activities, scholars work collaboratively to research specific individuals and their...
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Lesson Plan
PBS

What's In a Name?

For Teachers 4th - 8th Standards
What is in a name? Eager historians trace the geographical history of places in the United States with Spanish names. Using a worksheet activity, clues, and web research developed in conjunction with the PBS "Latinos in America" series,...
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Activity
Black History Month Report

Black History Month Report

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
As part of Black History Month, class members investigate in depth the life and work of an African American musician.