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Lesson Plan
Center for History Education

Breaking the Great League of Peace and Power: The Six Iroquois Nations During and After the American Revolution

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
What happens when you can't remain neutral? An informative lesson explores the impact of the American Revolution on the Iroquois Nations. Scholars learn about the six Iroquois nations and their treaty with the newly formed American...
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Lesson Plan
Center for History Education

Fighting for Whose Freedom? Black Soldiers in the American Revolution

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Fight for freedom! The lesson delves into the world of African American soldiers during the American Revolution. Scholars read documents, such as the Dunmore Proclamation, to understand how the British government treated African...
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Lesson Plan
Center for History Education

The Founding Fathers and the Constitutional Struggle Over Centralized Power

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Believe it or not, the Constitution was America's second attempt at a democratic government. Academics travel back to the past to explore the shortcomings of the Articles of Confederation that would eventually lead to the Constitutional...
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Lesson Plan
Center for History Education

The Untold Story: The Black Struggle for Freedom during the Revolutionary War in Maryland

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
The American Revolution brought freedom to select groups and ignored others. An enlightening resource highlights the struggle of African Americans during the American Revolution and their efforts to escape slavery. Scholars analyze...
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Lesson Plan
Center for History Education

Who Fired the Shot Heard Round the World?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Take a closer look. Young academics become detectives in an engaging lesson on the American Revolution. Scholars work in groups to analyze documents to uncover whether the American colonists or British soldiers fired the first shot at...
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Lesson Plan
Center for History Education

Freedom for All? The Contradictions of Slavery and Freedom in the Maryland Constitution

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Freedom for the few! An interesting lesson focuses on the Maryland Constitution and its lack of freedom for African Americans. Scholars examine the premise of freedom for all—which only extended to a limited few.  Academics complete...
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Lesson Plan
Center for History Education

Democratic Ideas of the 1776 Maryland Constitution

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
1776 was a year of political upheaval in the American colonies. Academics examine the Maryland Constitution to understand the desire to break with Great Britain. Young historians learn about Maryland's efforts to extend rights to its...
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Lesson Plan
Center for History Education

The Non-Importation Movement

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Boycott for free trade! An eye-opening lesson explores the non-importation movement created by American colonists in response to the Stamp and Sugar Acts. Scholars specifically look at the impact the boycott had on colonial women who had...
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Lesson Plan
2
2
Smithsonian Institution

Strength in Solidarity: Coalition of Immokalee Workers and the Campaign for Fair Food

For Teachers 8th - 11th Standards
Not all food is created equal. The lesson dives into the world of migrant farm workers to show their struggles to earn livable wages and better working conditions. Academics learn why the Coalition of Immokalee Workers was created and...
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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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Lesson Plan
2
2
Smithsonian Institution

Targeted at Home: Islamophobia

For Teachers 8th - 11th Standards
September 11th was a terrible tragedy with long-reaching consequences. Scholars learn about the Islamophobia that occurred to many Muslim Americans following the 9/11 attacks. The resource provides videos, articles, and interviews to...
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Lesson Plan
2
2
Smithsonian Institution

Hidden Histories: Mexican Repatriation During the 1930s

For Teachers 8th - 11th Standards
Mexican Repatriation: the forgotten deportation of American citizens. The resource focuses on the deportation of Mexican American citizens during the Great Depression. Young historians read documents, complete a free-write, and fill out...
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Lesson Plan
2
2
Smithsonian Institution

A New America: The Hart-Celler Immigration Act of 1965

For Teachers 8th - 11th Standards
Many dream of coming to America, but few may enter. The lesson plan explores the Hart-Celler Immigration Act of 1965 and how it changed immigration policies in the United States. Academics learn how immigration quotas impacted Western...
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Lesson Plan
2
2
Smithsonian Institution

Re-Segregation of American Schools: Re-Segregation

For Teachers 8th - 11th Standards
Examine the re-segregation of public schools in a thought-provoking resource. Young scholars read articles and primary sources, complete worksheets, and watch a video to explore the idea that desegregation made schools more segregated....
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Lesson Plan
2
2
Smithsonian Institution

Racism and Removal: Japanese Incarceration During World War II

For Teachers 8th - 11th Standards
During World War II people saw how far the government's control would go, but it was at the expense of its citizens. The resource brings the conditions of Japanese American internment camps to light using primary documents. Scholars...
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Lesson Plan
2
2
Smithsonian Institution

Borders and Community: Early 20th Century Chicago Neighborhoods and Ethnic Enclaves

For Teachers 8th - 11th Standards
Chicago is one city, four neighborhoods, and countless nationalities. The lesson explores the ethnic division of Chicago in the early twentieth century. Academics read primary sources, analyze maps, and tour an online exhibit to...
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Lesson Plan
2
2
Smithsonian Institution

Borders within the United States: Indian Boarding Schools and Assimilation

For Teachers 8th - 11th Standards
Native American Nations ... sovereign entities or removable tribes? A thought-provoking lesson explores the relationship between Native American tribes and the United States, including forced assimilation and removal from their ancestral...
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Lesson Plan
2
2
Smithsonian Institution

Borders with the World: Mexican-American War and U.S. Southern Borderlands

For Teachers 8th - 11th Standards
The Mexican-American War created social borders—not just physical ones. Scholars learn about the effects of the Mexican-American War on the people living in the borderlands using text excerpts, maps, and partnered activities. Academics...
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Interactive
DocsTeach

Exploring America's Diversity: Luther Powell (Beginner)

For Teachers 4th - 10th
Luther Powell immigrated to the United States to live the American dream—and create a better life for his son, four-star general Colin Powell. Elementary academics look at documents, such as, ship records to understand the immigration...
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Interactive
DocsTeach

Extending Suffrage to Women

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Votes for women! The activity highlights the push for the Nineteenth Amendment giving women the right to vote. High school scholars learn how the Fifteenth Amendment giving African American men the right to vote helped to spark the...
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Interactive
DocsTeach

Exploring America's Diversity: Gertrud Danneberg (Beginner)

For Teachers 4th - 10th
Everyone is an immigrant in their own way. Young scholars read historic documents to understand one woman's journey from Germany to the United States. The activity uses a mixture of text, discussion, and written prompts to help...
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Lesson Plan
1
1
Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation

Culminating Writing Project - Reporting on Angel Island

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
The unit study of Angel Island Immigration Station concludes with scholars using information from the previous lessons to craft a news story about the Angel Island program.
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Lesson Plan
1
1
Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation

Making Your Mark: Free Verse Poetry

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Using the insight they have gained into the experiences of detainees at the Angel Island Immigration Station, young poets create their own free verse poems that they feel captures what it may have felt like to be an immigrant interned on...