National Endowment for the Humanities
Lesson 2: The United States, France, and the Problem of Neutrality, 1796–1801
While the French Revolution could be considered inspired by the American Revolution, it created thorny problems for the new United States. Should the United States get involved and be drawn into a European drama? Was the US strong...
Curated OER
Children of War
Take a closer look at the impact of war in this language arts and social studies instructional activity. Middle schoolers use primary sources to conduct research as they relate to the effects of war on children. They compare and contrast...
Curated OER
Little House in the Census: Almanzo and Laura Ingalls Wilder
How would you use census data from 1880-1900? Here are a set of ways you can incorporate the book Little House on the Prairie and US census data from that time period. Learners will research the validity or the book based on factual...
Ashbrook Center at Ashland University
The Constitutional Convention
Imagine sitting down with representatives of your school to write a new student handbook. What arguments would ensue? How would compromises be made to finish the project? Scholars research the Constitutional Convention using a directory...
Curated OER
Civil War Letters
Students put themselves in the shoes of American Civil War soldiers. In this Civil War lesson, students examine letters from the time period written by soldiers, edit the letters for grammatical errors, and then present the letters to...
Curated OER
Teaching the Holocaust through Literature
Centered on the short story "The Tenth Man" by Polish Holocaust survivor Ida Fink, here is a solid one-day resource to support study of World War II or Nazi history, short stories, or to complement any ELA unit on The Diary of Anne Frank...
Judicial Branch of California
Protecting our Freedoms: The Bill of Rights
Take to the stage! Integrate both drama and civic skills by asking pupils to create and perform skills that demonstrate the importance of the amendments in the Bill of Rights. After reviewing the Preamble to the Constitution, learners...
Curated OER
Prometheus Bound: Rebel with a Cause
If you are teaching Aeschylus' Prometheus Bound, you can't afford to miss this source. An extensive list of ideas outlines numerous discussion topics, writing prompts, comprehension questions, oral presentations, and projects. Have class...
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Alabama's Secession in 1861: Embraced with Joy and Great Confidence. Why?
From December 20, 1860 to June 8, 1861, eleven states seceded from the Union. Alabama seceded on January 11, 1861. Why did so many white Alabamians want to secede? Why did they believe the South could win the war? These are the essential...
Curated OER
African-American Civil War Soldiers Lesson Plan
Students interpret historical evidence presented in primary resources. In this Civil War lesson plan, students examine the service of African Americans in the Civil War and consider their plight to secure the rights and...
Curated OER
Shared Reading: A Lesson Plan to Introduce Patriotism in the Classroom
Students learn why we say the Pledge of Allegiance through shared reading. In this shared reading lesson plan, students are shown the Pledge of Allegiance in 3 different forms. While they are exploring the pledge, the teacher explains...
Curated OER
Explore the Constitution
Students examine the U.S. Constitution. In this American history lesson plan, students explore the founders' vision of U.S. government as they participate in readers' theatre, role-playing scenarios, and constitutional analysis activities.
Curated OER
Nuremberg Verdicts: Sixty-Seven Years Later
It’s courtroom drama at its best! Let the power of this historic event propel a study that will have your kids glued to the history screen.
Curated OER
English Perspectives
To further their understanding of the basis of the conflicts between the Pocumtucks and the English settlers, class members research the religious beliefs and attitudes of the Puritan farmers that settled in Deerfield, Ma.
Curated OER
The Russian Revolution
Young scholars explore the Russian Revolution through dramatization. In this Russian Revolution lesson, students participate in drama workshops prior to writing and presenting one-act plays featuring figures of the revolution.
Curated OER
I Am Special, You Are Special Too #2
After being read a story, the students attempt to identify one individual difference, and one thing about themselves that is similar to other students in the class and one thing that makes them special. For the art instructional...
Curated OER
Festive resources
Students research activities on a festive/seasonal theme. They work on speaking activities like Christmas wishes. They analyze a cross cultural comparison of two festive/seasonal themes. Students include topics like Christmas and pets,...
Curated OER
My Community
First graders design a Powerpoint presentation to reflect information about their community. In this community lesson, 1st graders create slides to explain the weather, geography and other information about the city.
Curated OER
Choose Your Path
Students identify the plot and theme of cartoons. In groups, they discuss and compare the written and movie versions of popular fairy tales. Individually, they write their own fairy tale and share them with the class. They write their...
Curated OER
Family Origins and American Cultural Pluralism
Students explore, analyze and discuss family origins, special legacies, and racial/cultural groups in literature and art that exposes them to positive examples in African-American history and culture. They encounter examples from dance,...
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Ancient Rome
Learners investigate information about the leaders of Rome. In this ancient Rome lesson, students research Roman warfare and military leaders in order to write and present their own one-act plays based on Scipio, Hannibal, Julius Caesar,...
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Rainforest
Students create a rainforest poster and move to music learning about the rainforest. In this rainforest lesson plan, students express themselves in a variety of ways using their knowledge of the rainforest. Activities include creating a...
Curated OER
Finding Ourselves: The Search for American Identity
Students examine American identity through race, ethnicity, class, gender, regionalism, political values, and beliefs focusing on the Depression era.
Curated OER
Community Evolution: Putting the Puzzle Together
Students, working in groups, to study on aspect of their community history. They put their research together in one story about their community.