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Smithsonian Institution

War of Independence

For Students 5th - 12th Standards
Want to explain the War of Independence without using just a textbook? The resource, an online exhibition, provides direct instruction to scholars. It discusses what led up to the war, the time of the war, and the legacy left behind long...
Lesson Plan
Ford's Theatre

How Perspective Shapes Understanding of History

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The Boston Massacre may be an iconic event in American history, but perhaps the British soldiers had another point of view. Using primary sources, including reports from Boston newspapers and secondary sources from the British...
Unit Plan
Smithsonian Institution

Latino Patriots

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Pupils may not be familiar with Bernardo de Gálvez or Juan Seguín, but these Latinx patriots played important roles in American history. Using biographies of the Revolutionary War hero and Texan politician, historians consider how Latinx...
Interactive
DocsTeach

Boston Tea Party Image Analysis

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Elementary scholars become Sherlock Holmes to analyze a lithograph showcasing the Boston Tea Party. Scholars view the image with some pieces missing and must write an observation. Individuals are then shown the whole image and asked to...
Interactive
DocsTeach

Excerpts from the Declaration of Independence

For Teachers 5th - 8th
What exactly did the Founding Fathers declare? Elementary historians delve into the Declaration of Independence in a fast-paced activity. The resource provides text experts and guided questions to help academics analyze the intent of the...
Interactive
DocsTeach

Prequel to Independence

For Teachers 5th - 8th
It's about time! Young historians use primary sources to create a timeline of events leading to American Independence. The fast-paced activity is designed to be used at the end of a unit on the Revolutionary War or as an assessment tool....
Interactive
DocsTeach

To Sign or Not to Sign

For Teachers 6th - 8th
To sign or not to sign, that is the question. Scholars review the Declaration of Independence and discuss the Framers' decisions for signing the document. The activity uses primary text, a worksheet, and group discussion to help...
Unit Plan
Museum of the American Revolution

Hamilton Was Here: Rising Up in Revolutionary Philadelphia

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Hamilton may be a hit Broadway show, but there is so much more to learn. An eight-unit resource guides young historians through the life of Alexander Hamilton and the Revolutionary War. The lessons include hands-on-activities, writing,...
Lesson Plan
Museum of the American Revolution

Object Observation: Purpose on a Powder Horn?

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Young archeologists discover the significance of ordinary objects from the past in an interesting lesson plan on artifact analysis. The activity focuses on examining the image of a powder horn from the Revolutionary War to understand...
Lesson Plan
Center for History Education

The Non-Importation Movement

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Boycott for free trade! An eye-opening lesson explores the non-importation movement created by American colonists in response to the Stamp and Sugar Acts. Scholars specifically look at the impact the boycott had on colonial women who had...
Lesson Plan
Center for History Education

Confronting Third World Nationalism: The United States and the Overthrow of Prime Minister Mossadegh

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Not all rebellions are led by the people. An intriguing lesson explores the overthrowing of Iranian Prime Minister Mossadegh by the CIA. Scholars view a series of images and read background information to understand the circumstances...
Unit Plan
Simon & Schuster

A Teacher's Guide to 1776 by David McCullough

For Teachers 9th - 12th
David McCullough's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, 1776, is the focus of a 28-page teacher's guide. The guide includes pre-reading questions, background information about key British and American figures, and chapter-by-chapter lessons.
Unit Plan
Library of Congress

George Washington: First in War, First in Peace, and First in the Hearts of His Countrymen

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Does the lens of history portray George Washington as a good leader? A three-lesson unit looks at Washington's early military career as the commander of the Virginia Regiment, his role in the fight for independence...
Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

African-American Communities in the North Before the Civil War

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Middle schoolers may be surprised to learn that before the American Civil War there were more slaves living in New York than there were in Kentucky! Young historians examine maps and census data to gather statistics about...
Lesson Plan
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Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary

Ingenious: Franklin Assembles a Scientific Community

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Few Americans have heard of the burgeoning scientific community known as the America Philosophical society, started by none other than Benjamin Franklin. With inquiry, research, and discussion, high schoolers come to understand their...
Lesson Plan
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Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary

Designing Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
How do you convey someone’s creativity? Individuals answer the question as they design exhibitions to showcase the intellect and genius of Benjamin Franklin. After conducting research, classmates work in groups to try to capture and...
Lesson Plan
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Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary

Franklin, Master Diplomat

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
While many often associate Ben Franklin with his kite electricity experiments, budding historians find out he contributed much more. They discover Franklin's political savvy by examining primary sources in the informative installment of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Progressive Era

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders utilize the SOAP method to analyze a work of art and relate it to what they know about the Progressive Era and the reasons why cities changed and the ways in which cities changed during the end of the 19th century. They...
Lesson Plan
Briscoe Center for American History

Who Was Mary Maverick?

For Teachers 4th - 7th Standards
To begin a study of how to use primary source documents, class members read a brief biography of Mary Maverick, one of the first white women settlers in Texas, and answer comprehension questions based on the reading. The first is a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Molly Pitcher -- "Out of Many, One"

For Teachers K - 4th
Students research, brainstorm and analyze the events that lead up to the Revolutionary War. They critique a piece of artwork depicting a scene from the Revolutionary War. Each major battle is plotted on a map to show a visual...
Lesson Plan
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Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary

Benjamin Franklin, Elder Statesman

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Ben Franklin was the only American to sign The Declaration of Independence, the Treaty of Alliance with France, the Treaty of Paris, and the US Constitution. An interesting resource explores his role in the latter by comparing the US...
PPT
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Curated OER

Baseball Challenge: 5th Grade Social Studies

For Teachers 5th
Quickly review facts relating to U.S. History in a Baseball Challenge presentation. The information relates to branches of government, the Vietnam War, WWII, and other key events.
PPT
Curated OER

Jeopardy: Revolutionary War!

For Teachers 4th - 6th
It's Jeopardy! Play to review concepts related to the American Revolutionary War. Categories include people, place, documents, and miscellaneous. This resource is interactive and geared to grades 4-6. A fun way to review content material!
PPT
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Curated OER

History Review: Colonial America

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Explore key moments in American history with the click of a mouse! Learners read 50 questions from different eras in early America, and watch the rest of the presentation to find more questions to answer.

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