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America's Civil Rights Movement
Eleventh graders explore, analyze and study the background to America's Civil Rights Movement through the court system, mass protest, public opinion, political cartoons and legislation. They research Rosa Parks, Brown vs. Board of...
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The Panic of 1837 And the Presidency of Martin Van Buren
High schoolers analyze period political cartoons as they study the causes of the Panic of 1837. They use primary sources to evaluate President VanBuren's response to the panic and public opinion of the results of his policies. Then...
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Reconstruction to Civil Rights
Eighth graders complete a unit of lessons on the period of time from Reconstruction to the Civil Rights movement. They analyze and interpret political cartoons and editorials, conduct research on famous civil rights places, and complete...
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The Jury's Still Out
Learners examine the trials and executions of Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti. In groups, they use the internet to research the impact of the executions in the shape of political cartoons and writings. They discuss an article to...
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Welcome to 1776
Fifth graders visit each center that is set up in the classroom. They participate in each activity and answer the questions at each center in writing with 90% accuracy. Student centers are colonial food, coloinal closet, colonial...
Tennessee State Museum
Understanding Women’s Suffrage: Tennessee’s Perfect 36
Tennessee was the pivotal state in ratifying women's suffrage in 1920, with its vote coming down to one man: Harry Burn, a 24-year old state representative who changed his nay to an aye on the advice of his mother. Learn...
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The First American Party System: Events, Issues, and Positions
Students examine and discuss the philosophical differences that arose during the Constitutional Convention and how these differences played a role in the formation of the first political parties.
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West Virginia State Museum Lesson Plan
Students explore historic West Virginia. In this US history lesson, students examine primary sources and political cartoons that depict the issues of statehood for West Virginia and the role that those played in the Civil War. This...
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FDR's Fireside Chats: The Power of Words
Students examine Franklin D. Roosevelt's Fireside Chats. In this presidential history lesson, students listen to the radio broadcasts of select FDR Fireside Chats. Students analyze the effectiveness of his messages to the public as well...
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The First World War
Students examine the process and effects of World War I on different segments of the population, beyond the political, diplomatic and military framework of the war. They analyze the memoirs of soldiers, read poetry of the time, and...
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Women's Suffrage
Tenth graders examine the role of women in the early 1900s. In groups, they use the internet to research groups who favored or opposed giving women the right to vote. To end the lesson, they note the methods used by women to finally gain...
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Fighting Fire With Satire
Students consider satire in the news by exploring various sources of "fake news," and then creating their own political satire in the form of a skit, news article, or cartoon.
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The Power of Images
Students explore emotions represented in artwork. For this cross curriculum social studies and art lesson, students explain examples of political and social issues expressed in artwork by Dorthea Lang, Diego Rivera, Dan Eldon, as...
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Wilson and American Entry into World War I
High schoolers explore the events that led to American entry into World War I. In this American history lesson, students examine the policies of Woodrow Wilson at the dawn of the war, analyze challenges to the neutrality policy of the...
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Warfare Without Bullets
Students identify the basic elements of effective propaganda techniques. They make generalizations regarding the purpose of War time propaganda after interpreting several propaganda pieces. They view a Powerpoint presentation.
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"Black ans White": Nineteenth Century Racism
Learners examine Thomas Nast's illustration, "Black and White," looking for examples of racism. Contemporary stereotypes utilized to demonstrate the attitudes of people in the North and South in the 1800's are explored.
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Using Primary Sources to Discover Reconstruction
Fifth graders discover how reconstruction had an impact on racial issues in the United States. In this Reconstruction lesson, 5th graders are introduced to primary vs. secondary resources and then rotate through stations to view...
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Harry S. Truman - Campaign of 1948
Students establish the major events leading up to the election in 1948. In this U.S. History lesson, students research details about Harry S. Truman, then they participate in a class discussion about him so that they are ready to...
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The Election of 1896 - Gold or Silver?
Students analyze the issues behind the Election of 1896 and describe the positions of William McKinley and William Jennings Bryan. They evaluate editorial cartoons supporting McKinley's candidacy via editorial cartoons. Each student...
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The Red Scare
Students identify and interpret issues of Nativism and Protectionism in early 20th Century America. They analyze the roots of anti-immigrant movements in the Post-World War One United States. Finally, students identify and explore the...
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Voting Rights for Women: Pro- and Anti-Suffrage
Students examine the arguments for and against suffrage for women in the 19th and early 20th centuries. They explore various websites, read and discuss primary source documents, develop a document from two points of view, and analyze...
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National Debate Over Treaty Ratification
Students review the main points of the Versailles Treaty. In groups, they analyze a variety of political cartoons about Wilson and the treaty itself and share their findings with the class after completing a worksheet. To end the...
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The Sanitary Commission
Students study women's fund raising efforts during the Civil War era.
They participate in a shared reading about the Sanitary Commission and
analyze a political cartoon about women's contributions to the Sanitary Fair.
They write...
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Jeffersonianism at the Bar
Eleventh graders participate in a political roundtable discussion. In this Jeffersonianism lesson, 11th graders role play individuals from the 19th century and discuss issues of the Federalist period.