Students research responsibilities, programs and government departments of leaders that make up the presidential cabinet, in the form of a Web Exploration, after reading "Dueling Power Centers" from The New York Times.

Students investigate the assassinations of four American presidents. Through research, groups create a dossier on one of the four men who were the assassins. After presentations of the dossiers, the class looks for common traits in...

To better understand the Indian Removal Act of 1830, class members examine primary source documents including letters written by Alabama governors and the Cherokee chiefs. The lesson is part of a unit on the expansion of the United...

Students use a map of the Missouri Compromise to explain the geographical changes it brought to the U.S. and why the changes provoked a debate over the expansion of slavery in the U.S.

Students examine the controversies over slavery's expansion and how the federal tariffs further entrenched the dividing line between northern and southern interests.

Thursday, November 19, 1863. The dedication of the Soldier’s National Cemetery in Gettysburg, PA. The Gettysburg Address. The full text of Lincoln’s famous speech is here for your class members to examine, to research, or to replicate....

Fifth graders use a database to gather information on the United States last five Presidents. Using the information, they identify their similarities and differences and what characteristics made them a good leader. In further detail,...

Students explore and analyze statements made during a televised presidential debate. In groups, they research and test the validity of the statements made by the presidential contenders. Students examine sources and draw conclusions on...

Students move beyond the generals and battles approach to the Civil War and explore, instead, the issues, ideals, and outcomes of the great conflict that left a president dead, a region destitute, and a nation in shambles.

Learners use texts on media ethics and various Web sites  to explore real world examples of media law issues. For this media ethics lesson, students examine the Food Lion case using a transcript from the...

Fourth graders investigate the impact of Brigham Young and Jim Bridger on westward expansion. They conduct research, develop a class information chart, and create a cartoon strip depicting what happened when Jim Bridger and Brigham Young...

Fourth graders explore the various trails that settlers took West from Missouri. They examine the reasons that people took these trails as well as the kind of people who made the journeys. They examine the Oregon, the Mormon, the Santa...

Students consider how women gained the right to vote in America. In this suffrage lesson, students investigate major events of the suffrage movement and conduct research. Students also role play petitioning to President Wilson to...

Students analyze perceptions of slavery during the Civil War era. In this Abraham Lincoln lesson, students research Internet and print sources regarding Lincoln's view of slavery. Students also compare pro- and anti-slavery political...

Students analyze an interactive map of the Missouri Compromise to identify the regions and their relation to slavery. In this pre-civil war era lesson, students read primary source documents and research online to answer questions...

Students explore the roles of Expansionists and Anti-imperialists and take on the identity of a historical character to defend their position before a Senate committee. Roles of newsmen, senators, and futurists are also assumed in this...

A brief letter can speak volumes. Your young historians will analyze a letter written by Abraham Lincoln to General Sherman, and discover the significance of the capture of Savannah, as well as gain insight into Lincoln's role as...

Thomas Jefferson lived a controversial life. A series of lesson plans shares information about Jefferson's Sons, a novel about the infamous founding father. Discussion questions and other tasks explore different points of view and cover...

Fourth graders study civil rights leaders. In this Civil Rights lesson, 4th graders investigate what it means to stand up for something you believe in after reading about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and President Obama. Students create a...

Learners access a variety of Presidents Day themed websites. They locate the birthdays of Washington and Lincoln, biographies, timelines, memorials and documents written by both men.

Fifth graders participate in various activities related to the Civil War. In this Civil War lesson plan students understand the events and feelings of people during the Civil War by studying primary sources, journal writing, readings,...

Has equality always existed as an unalienable right in the United States? Use this worksheet to chronicle the history and progression of equality in major documents and speeches throughout American history. The graphic organizer asks...

Students explain the origins of the Hunter-Dunbar Expedition and why it was so important. They map George Hunter and William Dunbar's expedition route on the Ouachita River and examine excerpts of George Hunter's journal.

Students discover the political and cultural conflicts that led to the Battle of Horseshoe Blend, Alabama, and evaluate historical maps of the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. They research American Indian cultures that were located in their...