Stanford University
Great Plains Homesteaders
"Westward, ho!" may have been their cry in spite of the hardships. Using a series of photographs by Solomon D. Butcher of those who ventured west, class members consider what life was like in the 1800s for those who embarked on the...
Curated OER
Civil War Photographs: What Do You See?
A study of an image from The Library of Congress collection Civil War Photographs 1861-1865 launches an investigation of the connection between the Civil War and American industrialization. After analyzing “Petersburg, Va. The...
Curated OER
Immigration/Migration: Today and During the Great Depression
Eleventh graders compare experiences of their families to those living through the Great Depression using famiy interviews, photographs, films and document from the Library of Congress.
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Picturing First Families
Learners complete a variety of activities as they study Washington, D.C., the Presidency, and George Washington. They take a virtual trip to Washington, D.C., and visit the National Portrait Gallery, the White House, and the Library of...
Curated OER
Interviews with the American People "Days of Infamy"
Young scholars compare and contrast statements made by people in "Man on the Streets." They are interviewing them on the current war in Iraq and how they felt on Sept. 11th. These interviews are tape recorded. To see what kinds of...
Curated OER
The Home Front (Circa 1863)
Students interpret historical evidence presented in primary and secondary resources. In this American Civil War instructional activity, students examine sources and then write personal accounts of the war.
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More Amazing Americans: A WebQuest
Students research amazing Americans using America's Library. In this American heroes lesson plan, students identify criteria for amazing Americans. Students copy and paste text and graphics from websites to use in their own documents....
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Computers: Copyright Law
Young scholars visit various Websites to find information about copyright laws. Their research includes information about legal and ethical behaviors regarding Internet use. In addition, students complete online student activity sheets.
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Organizers for Students
Learners . In this organization lesson plan, students have a general discussion about sports cards and make a chart to answer the questions. Learners read the baseball card story from USA Today. Students watch a web video about sports in...
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Photographs from the Great Depression: Jacob Have I Loved 
Students research the Great Depression and World War II. In this Great Depression lesson, students analyze photographs of the depression era as they begin reading Katherine Paterson's Jacob Have I Loved.
Curated OER
A New Deal for the Arts - WPA Photographs
Students examine school life during the 1930s. They discuss the Great Depression and the New Deal, examine and discuss photographs from the Library of Congress website, and complete a worksheet about school life during the Great Depression.
Library of Congress
Understanding Immigration Through Popular Culture
Class members are introduced to a project-based learning unit on US immigration with an activity that asks them to analyze sheet music and other primary source materials to uncover issues raised by immigration.
Curated OER
Lesson PlanThomas Jefferson's Library: Making the Case for a National Library
Students explore techniques of persuasive writing. In this persuasive writing lesson, students examine primary sources regarding the sale of Thomas Jefferson private library to Congress. Students write their own persuasive letters...
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The Three Branches of Government
Sixth graders discover details about the 3 branches of government. In this primary source analysis lesson, 6th graders examine documents and images from the Library of Congress to investigate the structure of the U.S. government.
National First Ladies' Library
Rosie the Riveter
Students identify and interpret the power of symbols. Then they research and identify what type of information that they can locate at the Library of Congress website and list what they learned from it in the time allotted. Students also...
Curated OER
Library of Congress Learning Page: The Historian's Sources Lesson Overview
Students study techniques for analyzing primary sources. Finally, students apply these techniques to analyze documents about slavery in the United States.
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In Their Own Words: Slave Narratives
Young scholars identify primary sources, explain the strengths and weaknesses of personal accounts in history, and negotiate the Library of Congress Database. They also analyze documents and write a summary that compares and contrasts...
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Westward Expansion: Links to the Past
Pupils investigate the impact of Manifest Destiny. In this California history instructional activity, students conduct research on the settlement of the state between 1849 and 1900. Pupils use their findings to create scripts that link...
Curated OER
War is Hell
Tenth graders identify a veteran of a foreign war. They use the Veterans History Project website, research on-line interviews for information on interview questions. They research war and graphics using the Library of Congress online...
Via Sapientiae at DePaul University
The Great Depression of the 1930s
A 10-lesson unit takes young historians through a study of The Great Depression and life in the 1930s. The crash of the stock market, the Dust Bowl, unemployment, and mass migration west are all addressed through the analysis of primary...
University of Wisconsin
Analyzing Presidential Campaign Propaganda
Campaign propaganda has evolved from 1952 through the presidential election of 2008. A social studies activity prompts class members to analyze the devices used in ads and political cartoons, noting strategies they believe would work to...
Curated OER
Slavery in the United States: Primary Sources and the Historical Record Lesson
Students analyze primary source documents to determine how life was for slaves. In this slavery lesson plan, students view online resources from the Library of Congress to analyze and discuss. Students select a final object to analyze...
Curated OER
Songs from the Past
Young scholars research songs from the past to learn about historical events. In this music history lesson, students conduct a survey on the Star-Spangled Banner, research the song and history on various websites, and research songs in...
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Creating Dramatic Monologues from The Grapes of Wrath
The characters in The Grapes of Wrath come to life through an activity that asks groups to craft a dramatic monologue for a character in John Steinbeck's National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize winning novel. Writers are challenged to...