New ReviewPrimary and secondary sources give young historians an inside look at the battle of Gettysburg. Participants read brief excerpts and analyze images in order to complete graphic organizers designed to navigate them through the thoughts...

The Civil War ended slavery, but what was the status of the newly freed people? Renowned historian Eric Foner explains how the Fourteenth Amendment—written to answer this question—created a foundation for the rights of all citizens. The...

What does equal protection under the law mean? This right is given to Americans thanks to the Fourteenth Amendment, although historical events and Supreme Court cases have led to its refinement over the years. A video resource traces the...

While the end of the Civil War marked the end of slavery with the Thirteenth Amendment, the questions of the Reconstruction remain unanswered today. Slavery first became a matter of debate at the Constitutional Convention. Today, we...

Parades are a great way to celebrate. Get young historians into the festivities by asking them to create an informational float for a Freedom Parade. Picking a topic from the provided list or suggesting one of their own, class members...

The Civil Rights Act of 1866, which granted citizenship to all males in the U.S., resulted in the first African Americans to be elected to Congress. Class members research 11 of these men, the challenges they faced, and craft...

What does it mean to have the right to vote? To what extent have interpretations of the Fifteenth Amendment changed over time? Young historians examine and analyze primary source documents, an interactive website, and historical analysis...

The relationships between civil rights and the Supreme Court is a long, complicated chapter from American history. Pupils view a video, engage in discussion, and read background information to learn about the steps the highest court in...

Think back to the aftermath of an family dispute. The awkwardness of having to make up, get along, and move forward can be very difficult. The tenth lesson of a 22-part series on American history examines the Reconstruction Era following...

How do you bring a nation back together after there is civil war? Readers learn how the United States Civil War concluded with a passage focused on the latter part of Abraham Lincoln's presidency. Multiple choice questions check pupils'...

Imagine the challenge of trying to trace your family genealogy if no records were kept of births and deaths. Where would you look for information? What types of documents could provide you with the information you seek? History...

Imagine having no control over your life and then suddenly having to provide for yourself. Such was the challenge faced by many American slaves after emancipation. Class members are asked to consider these challenges are they examine...

Your historians will learn about Reconstruction and the Plessy vs. Ferguson case by reading excerpts from the court ruling and looking at a few primary source images. The lesson culminates with individuals writing a paragraph about how...

To gain an understanding of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, class members investigate the Jim Crow Laws, the Emancipation Proclamation, the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments of the US Constitution, and the 1898 Supreme Court case,...

The right to public education was not always so clear in American history. Readers study several primary and secondary source documents, including property deeds, maps, and photographs, about the founding of local schools during the...

Class groups examine primary source documents to determine how the voting rights of African Americans were restricted after the failure of Reconstruction, and how African American participation in World War II lead to change.

Your young historians will read excerpts from three parts of the United States Constitution—Article One, the Thirteenth Amendment, and the Fourteenth Amendment—and discuss how they each address the issue of slavery. 

Young historians act as detectives in order to examine the characteristics of controversial abolitionist John Brown in the 1850s, working to identify his ultimate mission regarding slavery and the larger impact he had on the Civil War.

Young historians envision what life was like for African Americans living in the Jim Crow South through hands-on, experiential activities. 

Your young historians will learn about the history of sharecropping and tenant farming that developed after the Civil War in the United States, and then compare those systems with the institution of slavery after participating in a...

How far in the past do the roots of Jim Crow and segregation extend? Your young historians will closely consider this question using detailed PowerPoint slides as a basis for discussion rather than lecture, and culminating in an activity...

Your young historians will learn about the civil rights movement of the 1960s and the nature of Jim Crow laws from those in the community who experienced it first-hand.

To establish the historical and cultural context of To Kill a Mockingbird, class members listen to an audio that describes Lee's life experiences that parallel the novel, including her friendship with Truman Capote. Groups then read...

"Promises Denied," the second lesson in a unit that asks learners to consider the responsibilities individuals have to uphold human rights, looks at documents that illustrate the difficulty the US has had trying to live up to the ideals...