PBS
Cardboard History
A PBS clip focused on collecting sports memorabilia launches this research project lesson plan. Class members then read Dan Gutman’s Honus and Me in which Wagner’s baseball card is used to time travel. The lesson plan ends with...
Curated OER
The Bill of Rights: Debating the Amendments
Provide your class with an opportunity to investigate an important historical document. Without identifying the document, distribute copies of the original Bill of Rights, as transcribed by John Beckley, Clerk of the House of...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Using Historic Digital Newspapers for National History Day
Your learners will take a trip through history as they peruse through historic digitalized newspapers, reading real articles from such historical periods in the United States as the Temperance movement and passage of the Thirteenth...
Curated OER
Parliamentary Newsroom : Developing Media Literacy
Students explain and examine the selection, development, sources, transmission and impact of news on the public. They write a brief essay on the topic: "The Public Must Be Critical In Their Assessment of the News Before Drawing...
Curated OER
John McCain's Tax Stand Misrepresented
High schoolers examine how political advertisements can be misleading. Using a political ad against tax reform, students generate questions based on the claims in the ads. They research information to support or refute the claims in the...
Curated OER
Not Just the Facts
Encourage your learners to explore the differences between hard news and news analysis. They outline a complex news analysis about the upcoming presidential election, then endeavor to write an analysis of the same topic, using local...
Annenberg Foundation
A Growing Global Power
How does a nation turn into a global superpower? The 16th installment of the 22-part series on American history investigates the rise of the United States to global importance in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Groups...
Annenberg Foundation
The New Nation
The conclusion of the American Revolution brought about a new conflict—choosing the stye of government for the newly formed United States. Using the views of both Federalists and Anti-Federalists, learners work in pairs and groups to...
Curated OER
Speaking Up and Speaking Out: Exploring the Lives of Black Women During the 19th Century
Young scholars learn how to read and interpret various primary and secondary sources and how to use them to draw conclusions about the issues that the authors faced during the nineteenth century. They read historical narratives...
Curated OER
Voting Then and Now
Young scholars consider the impact of the Voting Rights Act as they examine voting practices today. In this voting lesson plan, students research details regarding the Voting Rights Act and then read a handout regarding voting data from...
Syracuse University
Harlem Renaissance
The music and literature of the Harlem Renaissance defined American culture, including its poetry. Using a poem from the period, individuals explore its musical qualities and how it is reflective of the period. Then, they use what they...
San Bernardino Co. Supt. of Schools
Was Julius Caesar a Good Leader for Rome?
Learners consider the various perspectives that different groups in Roman society may have had for Julius Caesar, such as Roman soldiers, senators, the working class, and slaves. The primary activity involves a reading of Caesar's...
Curated OER
Cleveland debates: Port or Park?
Students perform research on the Web and in books or newspapers the planning going on recently in Cleveland. They read the longshoremen's objections. Students choose sides and prepare your arguments, using visual aids and facts and figures.
Curated OER
Lead Poisoning A Home Health Hazard
Students read background material on lead poisoning, assessing its impact on students. They locate local sources that might contain lead-based paint. Students research what is being done in the community to alleviate the problem. They...
Curated OER
Perceptions of German Unification Over Time
Through a series of readings and handouts, learners will study the shifts in perception that followed the fall of the Berlin Wall. The history lesson plan focuses on periods of change in post WWII German history that led to a changed...
Curated OER
Pope John Paul II's Complicated Legacy
Students closely examine the legacy of Pope John Paul II as well as that of other historical figures and draw conclusions about how prominent individuals are judged over time.
Curated OER
A Sense of Place
High schoolers evaluate stories, customs, and pieces of literature and draw conclusions about people who have lived in New Mexico. They analyze how water helps define the character of an area.
Curated OER
Mapping an Empire
How did the expansion of the Roman Empire during the first century contribute to its downfall? Using a map of the Roman Empire in 44 BC and one of the Roman Empire in 116 AD as references, class member use critical reading skills to...
Curated OER
Tsunami
Students examine the impact of tsunamis. In this tsunami lesson, students read clues and use critical thinking skills to determine why the HMS Chatham was diverted from Dubai in 2004. Students also research tsunamis and create...
Curated OER
Woody Guthrie: Ain't Got No Home
Students examine the music of Woody Guthrie and how the political and economic climate influenced his work. They read and discuss online articles, define key vocabulary words, take a Political Orientation Survey, and write a position...
Curated OER
The Beginnings of Constitutional Government
Students examine excerpts of Thomas Paine's Common Sense. In this early American history lesson, students read Paine's pamphlet and analyze the information according the rubric provided.
Curated OER
Winter at Valley Forge
Students assess the events leading up to the American Revolution. In this United States History lesson, students read "Crossing the Delaware: George Washington Fights in the Battle of Trenton," then discuss the highlights in the story....
Curated OER
The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854: Popular Sovereignty and the Political Polarization over Slavery
Students read selections from the Declaration of Independence, Northwest Ordinance of 1787, and the Wilmot Proviso of 1846. They contrast the maps of 1820 and 1854 to analyze developments in the national debate over slavery. They...
Curated OER
Ane Frank: Writer
Tenth graders investigates a website to gather information on the Holocaust and Anne Frank. They compare Anne Frank's characteristics to other peers. Students explore specific examples and draw conclusions about human behavior.