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Abigail and Her Sisters
The 10th lesson in this series has researchers examining a packet of letters from Abigail Adams to her sisters. Scholars note examples of the themes that appear throughout the letters.
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Abigail at Seventeen
Young historians analyze a letter 17-year-old Abigail Adams wrote to her cousin and identify the aphorism Adams used. Participants select a line from the letter and create an illustration of the aphorism.
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Abigail in Mourning
People deal with grief in different ways. The series of Abigail Adams' letters in this lesson reveals how she dealt with losing her mother, father, and community members. The included worksheet helps young scholars identify the tone and...
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Abigail in Childbirth
Childbirth has never been easy and is not without risk, even in the 21st century. Young historians gain insight into the travails of 18th-century childbirth as they read letters between Abigail Adams and her husband about their loss of a...
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Abigail as Feminist
Young historians examine a 1778 letter from Abigail Adams to John Thaxter and another from Abigail to her husband John Adams, written in 1776, that reveal her views on the perceived role of women and the laws that governed women's roles....
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Abigail as Political and Historical Observer
Lesson five in the series asks scholars to examine letters Abigail Adams wrote about her experiences during American Revolutionary War battles, her thoughts on slavery, and her concerns for her husband.
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Abigail as Letter Writer
The fourth instructional activity in the series of 16 asks researchers to analyze an exchange of letters between John and Abigail Adams for what they each valued in letter writing.
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Abigail’s Daily Life
Young scholars continue their analysis of Abigail Adam's letters looking in this lesson plan at what they reveal about her daily life and concerns about the increasing political tensions with the British.
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Abigail and John in Love
The second instructional activity in the series asks groups to analyze an exchange of love letters between Abigail and John Adams. Scholars identify the many allusions and references in the letters and consider what they can infer about...
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Introduction to Abigail Adams
Remember this lady! Abigail Adams, the wife of John Adams, the second President of the United States, and the mother of the sixth president, John Quincy Adams, was much more than a wife and mother. This prolific letter writer is the...
C3 Teachers
Women’s Rights: How Can Women Achieve Equality in a Patriarchal Society?
Women today may not have heard of Madame C.J. Walker or Wilma Mankiller, and a few may not be aware of Emma Watson's current role; however, they have certainly benefited from their efforts. Using questions supplied by this guided...
Anti-Defamation League
When Perception and Reality Collide: Implicit Bias and Race
The big idea in this lesson is that implicit bias often clouds perceptions. High schoolers watch a short video, read research articles, and engage in discussions about implicit bias and how these biases lead to stereotyping. They craft...
Anti-Defamation League
The Movies, the Academy Awards and Implicit Bias
"And the award goes to. . . " High schoolers investigate bias in the movie industry by reading articles, watching a short video, and examining data about the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) membership, nominees, and...
Anti-Defamation League
Women’s Inequity in Pay: Could It Be Sexism, Implicit Bias or Both?
Equal pay for equal work? High schoolers research the reasons for the inequity in women's pay. They read articles, examine graphs, engage in discussion, and then craft an essay in which they suggest a way to address the gender wage gap.
Anti-Defamation League
Implicit Bias
Everyone has biases, both explicit—ones we are aware of—and implicit—ones we are unaware of. High schoolers learn the differences between explicit and implicit bias in a short activity where pupils watch a short video, read articles...
Anti-Defamation League
Is Gaming a Boy's Club? Women, Video Games and Sexism
High school juniors and seniors investigate the representation of women in video games. They watch a video of researcher Anita Sarkeesian who describes the response to her research attempts, and read articles related to the topic. To...
Anti-Defamation League
What are Reparations and Should We Enact Them?
Young social scientists investigate recent legislative proposals for reparations for African Americans. They examine the rationale behind the proposals by viewing videos and reading related articles. To close the instructional activity,...
C3 Teachers
Call for Change: What Did It Take for Women to Be Considered “Equal” to Men in New York?
An inquiry-based lesson challenges fourth graders to examine who had voting rights in New York when it was founded, women's roles, and how they entered politics. Scholars participate in thoughtful discussions and show what they know...
Anti-Defamation League
Intent vs. Impact: Why Does it Matter?
Contrary to the popular saying, words can hurt. Words matter! Tweens and teens can reflect on how words impact others even if the intent wasn't how the words were perceived. After examining an Instagram post where Lizzo apologized for...
Anti-Defamation League
Identity and Diversity in My Generation
Gen Z, those born between 1997 and 2012, according to research, is the "most racially and ethnically diverse generation in U.S. history." Gen Z high schoolers are challenged to consider how they identify themselves. They select a photo...
C3 Teachers
Economics of Slavery: How Did Cotton Sow the Seeds of Panic?
An inquiry-based lesson challenges high schoolers to research and identify the economic forces and inventions that impacted the cotton industry. Researchers consider how the use of slavery impacted the economic growth of the United States.
Anti-Defamation League
The Gender Allowance Gap
Does the pay gap begin with allowance? That is the big question scholars answer in a lesson plan examining how gender affects how much money an individual earns. Class members conduct a survey to identify how the allowance is paid, take...
Anti-Defamation League
What "Draw-A-Scientist" Reveals about Gender Stereotypes
What do you picture when you hear the word scientist? Challenge scholars to put pencil to paper, draw a scientist, and then reflect on the patterns they observe. Learners read an article about a female scientist and write a story about a...
C3 Teachers
African American Voices and Reconstruction: What Does It Take To Secure Equality?
High schoolers research the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments, as well as other primary source documents, to determine Reconstruction's impact on the North and South. The 34-page inquiry-based lesson includes a staging question and...