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Activity
iCivics

Drafting Board: Interest Groups

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Does the influence of interest groups harm a political system? Your class members will analyze the role of interest groups in American politics, as well as consider the effect of perspective, bias, loyalty, and the First Amendment.
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Lesson Plan
Center for History Education

Did Southern Free Men of Color Fight for the Ideals of the South?

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Much of history is distasteful. Primary sources often reveal attitudes acceptable at the time that no longer are. But to understand controversial historical events, historians must examine primary sources that represent a wide variety of...
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Lesson Plan
Constitutional Rights Foundation

Understanding Fake News

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Fake or fact? Learners must decide while looking at two published "news" stories. A reading about why fake news exists and a checklist on how to evaluate sources rounds out the activity. 
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Lesson Plan
Newseum

Disinformation Nation: Separating Politics and Propaganda

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Separating political rhetoric from propaganda is no small feat. Class members are challenged to examine two different sources about a candidate in an upcoming election and determine whether the primary purpose of the source is to inform...
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Lesson Plan
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Idaho State Department of Education

Lessons for Social Studies Educators

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Point of view, purpose, and tone: three concepts readers of primary and secondary source materials must take into account when examining documents. Class members view a PowerPoint presentation and use the SOAPS strategy to identify an...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Comparing Visual Interpretations and Actual Events: War & Battle

For Teachers 7th
A Venn Diagram is used to compare artistic and historical representations of a single event. Young analysts view the provided images, read textbook descriptions, and discuss the validity of each representation in terms of bias and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Two Truths and a Lie: Internet Research Skills

For Teachers 9th - 12th
It's tough for high schoolers to assess what is a credible resource and what is not. A helpful resource prompts class members to research a particular topic and record two facts—and create one lie—while documenting the sources. They then...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Television Newscasts

For Teachers 11th - 12th
When we watch news broadcasts on television, we receive a much more visual perspective than when we read the newspaper. How do sets, clothing, and music contribute to our understanding of the story? Compare American and Canadian news...
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Unit Plan
Los Angeles Unified School District

Capitalism and Socialism

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Capitalism, socialism, communism ... these may seem like a whole bunch of isms to your scholars. High schoolers won't  confuse them after completing an informative resource. Your class masters how to use primary sources to critically...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Holes

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students distinguish between primary and secondary sources when researching on the Internet and evaluating historical records. They recognize important features of a primary source such as the type of document, who created it, what is...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Alphabet Soup Job Descriptions

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders investigate New Deal programs. For this Great Depression lesson, 11th graders read the provided source materials that detail the agendas of 3 New Deal agencies. Students complete the provided analysis sheets and then...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Waldseemüller’s Map: World 1507

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers take a closer look at historical maps. In this primary source analysis lesson, students examine the first world map produced by Martin Waldseemuller. Middle schoolers complete the included map analysis worksheet and then...
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Lesson Plan
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University of Pennsylvania

Using Comic Strips to Teach Multiple Perspectives

For Teachers 8th - 12th Standards
Scholars view comics from two different perspectives; one paints the Alfred Dreyfus as innocent, while the other portrays the exact opposite. They solve the mystery of what happened by analyzing the source, working in groups, and...
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Activity
News Literacy Project

News Goggles: Lionel Ramos, Oklahoma Watch

For Teachers 4th - Higher Ed
Given all the recent criticism of the news media and coverage, it's crucial that young people are given the tools they need to evaluate what they see, hear, and read about current events. A video interview from "News Goggles" introduces...
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Lesson Plan
Center for History Education

Women's Rights in the American Century

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Today, many young people find it hard to understand why it took over 150 years for women in the United  States to get the right to vote—why there was even a need for the suffrage movement. As they read a series of primary source...
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Lesson Plan
Facing History and Ourselves

The Nazis in Power: Propaganda and Conformity

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The Nazis used the power of propaganda to encourage confirmative views and the discrimination of Jews. A social studies resource illustrates these issues through discussion, image analysis, and a writing exercise.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Evaluating Web Sites for Bias

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students become familiar with checklist they use to evaluate Web content for bias. They use the checklist to evaluate two Web sites from very different sources.
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App
Jeffrey Grimes

The Revolution: Interactive Guide

For Students 5th - 11th Standards
If you're looking for another resource to supplement your teaching of the American Revolution in United States history, you may want to consider this app. As an interactive textbook, this can afford you opportunities for deeper analysis...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sources of Information

For Teachers 7th - 11th
In this sources of information study guide worksheet, students read a brief overview pertaining primary and secondary sources and then respond to a reflection question.
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Lesson Plan
Newseum

Am I Being Fair?

For Teachers 7th - Higher Ed Standards
Young journalists use four strategies from an "Am I Being Fair?" tip sheet to check for and counter personal biases about a topic. Scholars apply the strategies to an article about the best pizza as guided practice. Participants then...
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Lesson Plan
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Teaching Tolerance

Understanding the Prison Label

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Break the chain. An engaging lesson plan examines why it is so hard to break free of the prison system in the US. Academics participate in a reader's theater, read primary sources, and discuss their thoughts. The lesson plan explains the...
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Lesson Plan
National Woman's History Museum

Shirley Chisholm, Unbossed and Unbought

For Teachers 11th - 12th Standards
An engaging resource introduces young historians to Shirley Chisholm, the woman, the Black congresswoman, the activist, and the candidate for President in 1972. Class members study primary sources, watch a video of her announcing her run...
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Organizer
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Indiana University Libraries

Web Page Evaluation

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
Invite your learners to research three different websites that pertain to a topic focused on in your syllabus. Students fill out a chart by answering questions about each site. Then, they compare how useful the sites are to one another....
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Worksheet
Nemours KidsHealth

Media Literacy and Health: What’s the Truth?

For Students 9th - 12th
In this personal health media literacy worksheet, students use the eight questions on this sheet to evaluate a health news report on television. Students write paragraphs the determine whether the reports are valid sources of information.