Smithsonian Institution
Solomon G. Brown: Letter Writing
Personal correspondence in the form of letters is not as common as it once was. This resource presents an opportunity for you to introduce your class to letter writing and cover topics in social studies. Learners read a letter written in...
Curated OER
Go West: Imagining the Oregon Trail
Students access the Oregon Trial website to find information on what it was like to experience traveling the Oregon Trial. Then, in groups, they create dioramas depicting events that could have happened along the Oregon Trail.
Constitutional Rights Foundation
History of Immigration From the 1850s to the Present
The Statue of Liberty may embrace the huddled masses of the world, but has American society always joined in? After young historians read a passage about the history of American immigration in the 19th and 20th centuries, focusing on...
Curated OER
Depicting Women and Class in a Global Society
Students analyze the evolution of women's work from the 19th century to present day and create artwork depicting women. In this women's roles activity, students compare and contrast the use of space and color in the two paintings...
James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation
Those "Other Rights:" The Constitution and Slavery
Did the United States Constitution uphold the institution of slavery, or did it help to destroy it? Young historians study Article 4, Section 2, Clause 3 of the Constitution and evaluate the rights of slaveowners as they compared to or...
Curated OER
Create Your Own Utopia
Learners identify and examine the history of Utopian societies of the 19th century. They analyze the novel "The Giver" to determine whether this is a fair society or not. Students also examine the differences between Jonas' society and...
Curated OER
Westward Ho: The Difficulties of Emigrants Moving West
Students research the journey west of 19th century emigrants. In this pioneer lesson, students read the letters and diaries of a fictitious family traveling on the Oregon Trail. They mark their route on a US map, create a chart showing...
Curated OER
Emily Dickinson
The expanded timeline of Emily Dickinson's life is displayed on these slides. A plethora of information is presented covering main events, Dickinson's limited relationships, and her poetry. The majority of the slides contain the text of...
Curated OER
Trekking to Timbuktu: The Search for Timbuktu
Students explore the factors that contributed to the decline of Timbuktu and the myths and misconceptions about the city. Students study the obstacles that made a journey to Timbuktu a difficult one as well as discover the first European...
Curated OER
A Country Twice Divided
Learners study biography from the 19th century. They read "The Red Badge of Courage." Students research a topic from the list provided in the instructional activity and write a 5-7 page paper. They study lyrics and melodies of the...
Curated OER
Lincoln's Spot Resolutions
Young scholars examine the controversy and varying points of view leading up to the 19th century Mexican War. They research examples of anti-war movements throughout history and write editorials about their findings.
Curated OER
U.S. History: Immigrant Scrapbooks
Young scholars role-play as immigrants coming to America around the turn of the 19th century. They conduct Internet research and print out pictures to use in an immigrant scrapbook. Students write captions for the pictures and narratives...
Center for History and New Media
The Impact of the Jim Crow Era on Education, 1877–1930s
Even though American slaves were officially emancipated in 1865, the effects of slavery perpetuated throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. Middle and high schoolers learn about the ways that discrimination and the Jim Crow laws...
Curated OER
Immigration
This 3-day immigration study draws on historical trends and current events. A worksheet accompanies initial research on one group's U.S. immigration history, giving opportunity for collaborative learning through sharing findings. Groups...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Ellis Island—The “Golden Door” to America
Are you one of the 100 million Americans whose ancestors passed through the doors of Ellis Island? Learn about the historic entry point for immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries with an informative reading passage. After...
Curated OER
Washington Irving in Context
Students examine the various roles Washington Irving had in his lifetime. Examining the situation in Europe and the United States, they are encouraged to relate Irving's experiences to different events. They examine themselves in many...
Curated OER
The Evolution of Transcendentalism
Key concepts, major writers, and historical events related to Transcendentalism are explored in a student-produced PowerPoint about this movement. The presentation could be used as an introduction to a unit or as a model that class...
Curated OER
Civil War Music - Irish Folk Songs
Students determine what it was like to serve as an Irish-American in the American Civil War. In this Irish folk song lesson, students use the provided worksheets to analyze selected Irish folk songs and make inferences about war...
Curated OER
Out and About: The History of Medicine
Students investigate the history of medicine. In this medicine lesson, students may visit the Thackray Medical Museum, the Old Operating Theatre, or the Edward Jenner Museum in Britain online or in-person to discover details about...
Curated OER
Should We Hunt the Largest Animals on the Planet?
Students discover details about whaling. In this environmental stewardship lesson, students research selected websites to locate information about commercial whaling and its implications.
Curated OER
Religion and Deaf Education: The Contract Between Clerc and Gallaudet
Students examine the issues surrounding the prevailing religious and cultural beliefs in the early 19th century United States and how they influenced the education of deaf people. They apply this information to modern day contexts.
Curated OER
Diplomatic Misunderstandings: Indian Treaties and the Black Hawk War
Students examine and discuss the U.S./Native American treaty process of the early 19th century. They write essays describing the events behind the 1804 and 1816 treaties, and their assessment of U.S. diplomatic interactions with the...
Curated OER
To Move or Not to Move? Decision Making and Sacrifice
Students examine the motivations that prompted people to move westward during the 19th century. They take on the role of an average citizen and weigh the costs and benefits of making such a move and decide if they would have participated...
Curated OER
A Differentiated Way through Think Dots
Students examine reasons that led people to explore, identify "West" as defined following Revolutionary War, explain importance of finding natural resources, develop time line of dates and events leading up to Lewis and Clark Expedition,...