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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Debate: Should the U.S. Annex the Philippines?

For Teachers 9th - 11th
Building an argument with supporting evidence is a vital skill. Learners engage in a debate over the annexation of the Philippines after the Spanish-American War. They take on the perspective of an individual from that time period,...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Iran Hostage Crisis: Reading Primary Documents

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Following brief instruction about the Iran Hostage Crisis during Jimmy Carter's presidency, small groups read three-page sections from the diary of hostage Robert C. Ode. They write editorials from the perspective of either U.S. citizens...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Interpreting Foundation Documents of the American Republic

For Teachers 10th - 11th Standards
Explore early American documents that qualify as primary sources. Tenth and eleventh graders use the provided worksheets to analyze the texts of the Articles of Association, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation,...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Worksheet for Analysis of a Letter

For Students 7th - 12th
Dear Nancy, how do you analyze a letter? Love, Trez. Dear Trez, you use a Letter Analysis Worksheet. Love, Nancy. This richly detailed worksheet provides multiple questions that lead researchers step-by-step through the process of...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

The Third Estate

For Students 9th - 10th
Kids read a translated version of Abbe Sieyes' document, The Third Estate. This document is shown in its original form and as an English translation. After reading the text they answer three critical thinking question to show their...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Declaration of Independence

For Teachers 11th - 12th Standards
Learners analyze the Declaration of Independence. They identify and describe various sections of the document then discuss how the colonists responded to it. As a culminating activity, they write their own declarations of independence as...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

My Story and History: Peeking into the Past with Paintings

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Consider how you can use a visual source, such as a painting, to learn about a historical time or event. Young learners discuss primary sources and how they differ from secondary sources, then analyze the painting Mother and Child by...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Interpreting Photographs: Part One

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Photography is a wonderful artistic medium used to express feelings, historical events, and nature. This worksheet provides three critical-analysis questions that require learners to take an in-depth look a photograph both physically and...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Social Studies Current Event Worksheet

For Students 7th - 12th
Who, what, when, where, why, and how. This current events worksheet uses the traditional news article format and asks reviewers to record information included in a self-selected, current events article. Class members then use the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Differing Federal Responses to the Great Depression: Letter Analysis

For Teachers 8th - 10th
Young analysts examine two letters, one written by President Hoover and one written by FDR. Each letter contains that president's response to the role of the Federal Government during times of crisis (The Great Depression). They analyze...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Immigration Debates in the Era of "Open Gates"

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Young social historians examine immigration debates of the early 20th century through primary sources, such as political cartoons. They analyze the material, discuss their findings, and complete a critical thinking worksheet. All...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Declaration of the Rights of Man

For Students 6th - 10th
As your historians examine the French Revolution, have them read "Declaration of the Rights of Man" in its entirety; it's not very long, and it gives them a great authenticity to understanding the efforts of the French people. After...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Who Fought for the Union?

For Teachers 8th - 10th
Learners read New York Times articles, letters, and listen to songs written from a soldier's perspective during the Civil War in order to understand who was fighting in the Union Army. This is a great lesson, complete with weblinks,...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Poetry of Chinese Immigration

For Teachers 8th - 10th
Numerous people from China immigrated to the US during the era of industrialization and expansion. Provide your class with a glimpse into the life of a Chinese immigrant through the poetry they left behind. They then compose a poem of...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"In Defense of My Race and Country": African-American Soldiers on Why They Are Fighting

For Teachers 8th - 10th
Why would an African-American slave fight in the Civil War? Read and analyze primary source documents to understand the ex-slave perspective on fighting in the Union Army. Everything to complete this lesson is included.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Create a Walking Tour of San Francisco's Chinatown

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Take a tour of Chinatown as it was in the 1800's. Analyzing primary source images and documents, learners will gain a better understanding of the myths and misconceptions of Chinese immigrants during the 1800's. They create a pamphlet to...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Liberty for All: Voices from the Revolution

For Teachers 8th - 10th
Did the Declaration of Independence really intend to grant liberty for all? Get your class thinking about historical perspective with documents relaying the experiences of women, white men, and African-Americans during the Revolutionary...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"Uncle Sam's Got Himself in a Terrible Jam": Protest Music and the Vietnam War

For Teachers 8th - Higher Ed
"And it's one, two, three...what are we fighting for?" Use music to assess the climate of protest during the Vietnam War, listening to and analyzing Country Joe MacDonald's "I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die Rag" (lyrics included)....
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Jeffersonianism at the Bar

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders participate in a political roundtable discussion. In this Jeffersonianism lesson, 11th graders role play individuals from the 19th century and discuss issues of the Federalist period.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

1960 America: Foreign Policy

For Teachers 11th
The 1960's marked shifts in American culture, politics, and policy. Your class groups up to research a series of primary source documents resulting in a timeline and a 15 minute oral presentation. Active learning all the way.
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Writings of Confucius

For Students 9th - 12th
Ancient philosophy can relate to modern thought! Quotations from Confucius. Help your historians connect with ancient Chinese words of wisdom, as they respond to 2 display questions and 1 referential question. They consider how they...
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Organizer
Curated OER

White Star Line and the Titanic

For Students 6th - 10th
Was the Titanic advertised as an unsinkable ship, or was it just what the public believed? In this analysis activity, historians examine both primary and secondary sources to determine the answer to this question and the reliability of...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Forty Acres? The Question of Land at the War's End

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Should land be redistributed to former slaves after the Civil War? This essential question guides a lesson on the Reconstruction Era, as learners analyze primary sources (linked), recording responses on a worksheet (linked). To model the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Who Fought for the Confederacy?

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Did the Confederate Army really consist of southern volunteers? Using primary sources, historians examine the story behind the "Twenty Negro Law" and realities of conscription during the Civil War. A letter and a lithograph (included as...