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Lesson Plan
Library of Congress

Thomas Jefferson's Library: Making the Case for a National Library

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
The United States Library of Congress, the largest library in the world. But such was not always the case. The library was destroyed during the War of 1812. In a persuasive letter to Samuel H. Smith, Thomas Jefferson offered to sell his...
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Primary
Cornell College

Dred Scott v. Sandford Supreme Court Decision

For Students 8th - 12th Standards
Dred Scott was a harbinger of the Civil War. An enslaved man claimed freedom because his owner had taken him into free territory. Not only did the Supreme Court rule that Dred Scott and his wife were to remain enslaved, but it also ruled...
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Lesson Plan
Federal Judicial Center

Amistad and Dred Scott—a Comparative Activity

For Students 8th - 12th Standards
What do slaves fighting for their freedom on board a ship and a slave fighting for his freedom in a courtroom have in common? Budding historians investigate the two different cases of the Amistad slave revolt and the Dred Scott argument....
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What Has Brown Done for You?

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Learners review the facts of the court case Brown v. Board of Education. Next, they research recent court cases that uphold contrasting views on the landmark decision. They write opinions about these recent court cases from a 1954...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Family Life

For Teachers 6th - 12th
What is family? Challenge your scholars to write an encompassing definition of what this word means to them. After reading "It May Be a Family Matter, But Just Try to Define Family," class members discuss the emotional issues surrounding...
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Lesson Plan
4
4
National Endowment for the Humanities

Scottsboro Boys and "To Kill a Mockingbird": Two Trials for the Common Core

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Here's a must-have resource for anyone reading To Kill A Mockingbird or using Harper Lee's award-winning novel in a classroom. The packet contains Miss Hollace Ransdall's first-hand, factual account of the trials of the Scottsboro Boys,...
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Lesson Plan
3
3
American Documentary

The Benefits and Drawbacks of Plea Bargains

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The outcome of 90 percent of criminal cases in the US is determined by plea bargains. Clips from the documentary Better This World create the backdrop for an investigation of the benefits and drawbacks of the plea bargaining process....
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Lesson Plan
Southern Nevada Regional Professional Development Program

Was Bias A Factor? Make an Argument

For Teachers 11th - 12th Standards
The ability to analyze an argument is a skill emphasized by the Common Core standards. Offer your class an opportunity to develop and hone their skills by providing them the testimonies in an Oregon court case. After reading the facts of...
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Lesson Plan
1
1
National Endowment for the Humanities

Lesson 2: The United States, France, and the Problem of Neutrality, 1796–1801

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
While the French Revolution could be considered inspired by the American Revolution, it created thorny problems for the new United States. Should the United States get involved and be drawn into a European drama? Was the US strong...
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Lesson Plan
Turabian Teacher Collaborative

Parts of Argument III: The Claim Game

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Throw down with a fun language arts game! Armed with a hand of writing-themed cards, learners craft arguments based on the strategies written on the cards, dropping cards as they discuss their claims further until there are no strategies...
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Lesson Plan
1
1
National Endowment for the Humanities

The House Un-American Activities Committee

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Was the House Un-American Activities Committee justified in investigating subversive influences in the entertainment industry? Part two of the three-part series of lessons that examine the anti-communism movement after World War II,...
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Lesson Plan
2
2
Curated OER

A Way with Words

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
How do facts and opinions impact the news? After reading "How to Cover a War" from the New York Times, middle schoolers evaluate the claims in the article. They also consider the media's responsibilities in reporting during wartime....
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Lesson Plan
1
1
National Endowment for the Humanities

Soviet Espionage in America

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The war against Communism and Joseph McCarthy’s place in it are the focus of a series of three lessons examining postwar America from 1945-1950. This first lesson asks groups to read an introduction that describes the Verona Project and...
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Lesson Plan
College Board

Reading—Synthesis and Paired Passages

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Good readers make connections between texts. The SAT regularly assesses the ability to make those connections using paired reading passages, a topic discussed in an official SAT practice lesson plan on synthesis. During the lesson,...

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