Curated OER
Gold Mountain
Students read primary and secondary sources to find jobs as a Chinese immigrant. In groups they create a chart listing jobs for Chinese and write a letter about employment and living conditions to a Chinese friend.
Curated OER
The Unfinished Lincoln Memorial
Students develop a list of images of President Abraham Lincoln: for example, self-taught youth, great debater, advocate of abolition of slavery and assassinated hero. They must determine if these images of Lincoln stand up under scrutiny.
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The State of the Union Address
Students discuss and fill out a worksheet after viewing the State of the Union Address that the president makes every year.
Curated OER
World History Fair and Exposition
Students role-play as invitees to the World's Fair to develop a virtual electronic pavilion or poster presentation about the United States, its history and challenges. They act as tour guides giving their presentations and answering...
Curated OER
Lincoln's Spot Resolutions
Students 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
Civil Liberties and National Security
Students identify the civil liberties outlined in the U.S. Bill of Rights and discuss the importance of these liberties in today's society. They research examples of when Congress has taken legislative action to protect national security.
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Voting
Students investigate voter participation in the U.S. They watch and discuss a Bill Moyers video, complete a handout, and develop a plan to help a community overcome obstacles to voter participation.
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Who Are Our Greatest Presidents?
Students create criteria to evaluate U.S. Presidents. In this presidential legacy lesson, students determine criteria to rank presidents. Students research the presidents, then evaluate the current president and assess how they will be...
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The U.S. Trade Embargo on Cuba
Students examine perspectives for and against the U.S. trade embargo on Cuba, develop a position on the embargo and articulate viewpoints in a public forum.
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The Decision to Americanize the War in Vietnam
Students research the major events of the Vietnam War and construct a timeline. They do the same with the presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson or the 1960's. They act as an advisor to President Johnson to recommend a course of action...
Curated OER
Respecting Freedom of Speech
Students analyze the First Amendment. In this Bill of Rights activity, students listen to their instructor present a lecture regarding the facets of the First Amendment. Students examine cases which pertain to the freedoms that...
Curated OER
Honoring Property Rights
Students examine the issue of cheating. In this property rights lesson, students define honor and discuss intellectual property rights as they explore a case study.
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The Whole World is Watching: Iran, 2009
Learners study the impact of social media. For this Iranian election lesson, students examine the outcome of the 2009 election and the public protests that followed it. Learners determine how citizen journalism informed people around the...
Curated OER
Foreign War and Domestic Freedom: A Delicate Balancing Act
Students investigate civil liberties in the U.S. They watch and discuss a PowerPoint presentation, conduct research on an event from a timeline, complete a worksheet, take an ideology quiz, and conduct a debate.
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Campaign Songs as Propaganda:Free Trade vs. Protectionism - In Whose Interest?
Students analyze campaign messages about tariffs in a 19th-century campaign song. They read and discuss the lyrics, complete an analysis worksheet, and identify the intended audience of the song's message.
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Security and Savings for All?
Students act as either Democrats or Republicans to debate plans to alter Social Security. For homework, they consider whether Social Security has become too politicized and propose their own solutions.
Curated OER
The New Republic
Students research the Federalists and Anti-federalists. In the lesson plan on state legislature, students use primary sources to create a brochure and write an essay that illustrates federalist and anti-federalists viewpoints.
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The Chinese Expulsion Act of 1880
Students examine the Chinese Expulsion Act of 1880. In this History instructional activity, students explore the issues of immigration and exclusion surrounding the Chinese Expulsion Act. Students will use a variety of primary sources to...
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Keystone Science School: Sustainable Automobiles
Students explore how to choose the correct car for them based on their needs.
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What Is a Primary-Source Document?
Young scholars discover what a primary-source document is, what different types there were back in 1867, and what newer kinds there are today. They play a form of bingo using printed cards that reproduce documents related to Confederation.
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What Makes a Hero?
Here is a well-designed lesson plan inviting learners to consider the qualities of a hero. They describe the lives and deeds of national, state, and/or local heroes. This is a thoughtful lesson plan, which is part of a sequential group...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Special Order 40
The city of Los Angeles' 1979 Special Order 40 states: "LAPD officers shall not initiate police action with the objective of discovering the alien status of a person." After reading a fact sheet that details the history of Special Order...
Curated OER
Give Me Liberty or Give Me Freedom
Welcome to America, the land of liberty and freedom. Examine the ways in which the terms liberty and freedom have been used in the United States. After researching and analyzing quotations from the past and present, students create an...
Curated OER
Opinion Poll-arities
Students explore the mathematics behind opinion polls, as well as provides a framework for interpreting trends in opinion poll graphics.