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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Using Primary Sources in the Classroom

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Scholars study a historical photograph to make predictions of what happened right after the picture was taken. They research a variety of different topics and use primary sources to answer questions about common food, fashion trends, and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Primary Source Picture Book

For Teachers 4th - 12th Standards
Travel through Europe with ten-year-old Teddy Roosevelt in this writing activity, which uses the picture book My Tour of Europe: by Teddy Roosevelt, by Ellen Jackson. After reading the book, readers compare it to passages from The...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Primary Sources and Protagonists: A Native American Literature Unit

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Introduce your middle schoolers to the lives of past Native Americans. First, learners work together to put photographs in a sequence. Then, using their sequence, they create stories to share with the whole class. No matter how old your...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What Is a Primary-Source Document?

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Learners discover what a primary-source document is, what different types there were back in 1867, and what newer kinds there are today. They play a form of bingo using printed cards that reproduce documents related to Confederation.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

African Americans in Aviation: The 1940s- A Decade of Change

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Students investigate African Americans in aviation. In this primary resources lesson, students examine primary resources to research the history of African American in aviation. Students answer two research questions and write an essay...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Historical Events of the Civil War

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders research the Civil War through the use of primary documents. In this historical events of the Civil War lesson, 5th graders write about the information gotten from the primary document. Students answer critical thinking...
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Lesson Plan
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media

Sarah Green Probate Record

For Teachers 5th - 8th
The proof is in the probate record. Much can be learned about history by investigating old, primary source documents. Class members hone their detective skills by examing the 1759 probate record of Sarah Green. Who was this lady? Was she...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mr. Lincoln's Whiskers

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Learn about the events that helped shape the United States of America. Elementary schoolers explore the Civil War with six different activities. Each activity has a different focus: literature connections, primary sources, vocabulary,...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Towards Separation of Church and State in Gloucester

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Explore New England government in the 1700's with your class. They will identify historical documents as primary or secondary sources, then read and discuss the significance of these documents as they relate to the "freedom of religion"...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

African American Experiences: Window to the Past

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students examine African life during slavery on the Internet. In this slavery lesson, students use the Internet to research slavery and create a scrapbook. Students review pictures of slavery and label them as primary or secondary sources.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Crittenden Conway Duel

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Young scholars explore primary and secondary sources. In this primary and secondary source activity, students investigate a crime scene. Young scholars search for evidence around the classroom and evaluate their findings. Students write...
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Lesson Plan
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media

What Brought Settlers to the Midwest?

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
Drawn by promises of fertile land, thousands of settlers poured West because of the Homestead Act of 1862. By examining images of the ads that drew them westward, learners consider the motivations for movement. They also consider how the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Primary and Secondary Documents for Colonial Times

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Young scholars investigate the Colonial Era by completing a template on their computers.  In this U.S. History instructional activity, students discuss the differences between primary and secondary sources and identify several different...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Magic Eye

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students discuss the history of tobacco bag stringing. In this primary documents history lesson, students closely examine photographs of families who worked stringing tobacco bags. This lesson includes discussion questions and a...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Soldier's View of the American Civil War

For Teachers 5th - 10th
Study and research the American Civil War in this explanatory writing instructional activity. Middle schoolers complete six activities to learn about the American Civil War and soldiers' views of the war. The instructional activity...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

African Americans Seen Through the Eyes of the Newsreel Cameraman

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders become familiar with the role of African Americans during WWII.  In this WWII activity, 5th graders watch a newsreel and discuss its use as a primary source.  Students answer questions about the newsreel.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What's Civil About War?

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students study about the Civil War through primary sources used in the PBS production of "Freedom: A History of US" based on Joy Hakim's books, "A History of US", and the companion PBS Web site.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Animating a Historic Event

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Research a historic event using textbooks, primary source documents, the Internet, and other library and media resources. Young historians will take the research they have gathered and write an attention-grabbing, historically accurate...
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Lesson Plan
National Park Service

A Tale of Two Men

For Teachers 4th - 8th Standards
Theodore Roosevelt and the Marquis de Mores were both born in 1858, and both came to the Dakota territory in 1883, but they influenced the developing country of America in different ways. Elementary and middle schoolers apply written and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Nation Divided

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders participate in various activities related to the Civil War. In this Civil War lesson students understand the events and feelings of people during the Civil War by studying primary sources, journal writing, readings, viewing...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

World War II

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders examine primary sources to explore the events leading to World War II. In this World War II lesson plan, 5th graders  develop questions and research answers from information found in primary documents. Students view a video...
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Activity
Curated OER

Student Newspaper Project

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Writing teaches us so much. One can identify the many characteristics of a newspaper, use the Internet to gather information, and communicate with others. Primary students create a class newspaper for publishing and dispersal.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Gathering and Evaluating Sources for the "Greatest American" Speech

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students brainstorm a list of criteria for determining credible sources for their research. They research information to include in their "Greatest American" speech. Students will evaluate all sources by applying the criteria they agreed...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Patriotic Arts: Influencing Canadians At War

For Teachers 3rd - 7th
Students study how war has shaped Canadian life, patriotism, propaganda, and music. They research primary source documents, novels, videos, and songs before celebrating Remembrance Day.

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