Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Bill of Rights in Times of National Crisis

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine the ability of the government to suspend individual rights in times of national crisis. They formulate a constitutional amendment that clearly states if, when, how and by whom the rights of individuals can be suspended.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Matching Events and People

For Students 5th - 12th
In this social studies events worksheet, students match important events in history with people that were involved at the time. Students complete 13 matches.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

They Were All Stars: An Introduction to Leagues Baseball

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Pupils identify the basic knowledge of Negro Leagues baseball. Students identify and analyze the important individuals and events associated with Negro Leagues baseball history. Pupils identify key vocabulary related to this period of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fugitive from Labor Cases: Henry Garnett (1850) and Moses Honner (1860)

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students engage in the comparison of cases which demonstrate the increasingly volatile political crisis in the 1850s arising over the issue of slavery and the necessity for the enactment of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the U.S....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Gettysburg Address: An American Treasure

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners apply information found in Lincoln's speeches, especially The Gettysburg Address, to create a persuasive speech on a current topic.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exploring the Life of a Slave

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders explore importance of abolitionists who worked to advance freedoms of black Americans prior to/during Reconstruction era, read and identify key concepts in Frederick Douglass's narrative, recognize how Douglass's slave...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The 1860 Election in Pennsylvania

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars examine the political parties of the 1860 election and compare their platforms.  In this election lesson students determine the meaning of a political cartoon and predict the outcome of the 1860 election.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Supreme Court

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers examine the Fourteenth Amendment. In this Supreme Court lesson, students define due process and equal protection as they analyze the impact of the amendment and the Supreme Court on workers' rights in the early 20th...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Constitutional Resources

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students survey information on the Constitution. In these history lessons, students explore the founding principle's of the United States.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

ON BECOMING A NONVIOLENT WARRIOR

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Students examine the concept of non-violent social change. In this lesson on social change, students research and role play to demonstrate ways in which this might be accomplished while making connections to various events in history.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Photograph and Pamphlet About Nuclear Fallout

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners explore the term, 'nuclear fallout.' They analyze the "Facts about Fallout" pamphlet and list any questions that either were not answered by the pamphlet or arose as a result of materials provided.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

People and Places in Indiana's Underground Railroad

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders use an Indiana map to explain why Indiana's geographic location was important to its role in the UGR. They experience personal stories and feelings of the people involved in UGR through role-play and literature.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lesson Plan on Landmines

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students take a look at how landmines are being used all over the world (with specific focus on Cambodia). Students identify the physical and emotional impact of the use of landmines and how the international community is working to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Perseverance

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students examine how the failure of Reconstruction led to the systematic passage of Jim Crow laws in states across the South and the negative impact these laws had on the growth and development of the US.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Changing Opinions

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students compare their preconceptions of Native American movement with their current perceptions. They identify why they have changed. Students conclude with a final reflection addressing how they define the Native American experience in...
Worksheet
Curated OER

False Statements

For Students 3rd - 6th
In this false statements of history instructional activity, students identify false statements out of a group of statements. Students identify 9 false statements.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

History of Miss America

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars make a time-lines of of decades using images from Miss America.  In this history lesson, students looks at the country's beauty pageant and how it changes the lives of women in America.  Young scholars...
Lesson Plan
iCivics

I Civics: Civil War & Reconstruction

For Teachers 9th - 10th
The Civil War and Reconstruction Era brought about the end of slavery and the expansion of civil rights to African Americans through the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments. Compare the Northern and Southern states, discover the concepts of...
Unit Plan
iCivics

I Civics: Civil Rights

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Use this library of mini-lessons to teach students about the early days of the expansion of slavery in the United States through the momentous 1950s and 60s and into the modern Civil Rights Movement.
Lesson Plan
Center For Civic Education

Center for Civic Education: Abraham Lincoln and Executive Power

For Students 9th - 10th
This lesson traces the rise of Abraham Lincoln from his humble beginnings to the presidency of the United States. You will examine Lincoln's ideas and decisions regarding slavery and the use of the presidential power to preserve the...
Lesson Plan
iCivics

I Civics: Jim Crow

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Use primary documents and images to discover the ways state and local governments restricted the newly gained freedoms of African Americans after the Civil War. Compare, contrast, and analyze post-war legislation, court decisions...
Lesson Plan
iCivics

I Civics: Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857)

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This mini-instructional activity covers the basics of the Supreme Court decision that determined that Dred Scott, having lived in a free territory, was not entitled to his freedom. Students learn about the impact of the Court's decision,...
Primary
US National Archives

Our Documents: A National Initiative on American History, Civics, and Service

For Students 9th - 10th
Our Documents is home to one hundred milestone documents that influenced that course of American history and American democracy. Includes full-page scans of each document, transcriptions, background information on their significance, and...
Primary
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: Primary Source Set: The Fifteenth Amendment

For Students 9th - 10th
This collection uses primary sources to explore the Fifteenth Amendment.