Who decides someone is not a real person? Scholars investigate the Dred Scott v. Sandford court case which deals directly with slavery and citizenship. After viewing a short video clip, classmates work in pairs to assess and discuss the...

The United States was on the brink of a war within itself when the Dred Scott case came before the Supreme Court. Viewers examine the defining case that served as a ratuionale for slavery leading into the Civil War. 

Looking for a performance assessment that asks individuals to demonstrate their competency in writing about informational text? Use Frederick Douglass' essay "On the Dred Scott Decision," and an excerpt from Abraham Lincoln's 1857 speech...

Dred Scott v. Sanford was a watershed moment for the country—and a key moment leading up to the Civil War. Using videos and analytical worksheets, scholars consider the facts of the case and then develop their own arguments before the...

Life was precarious for free and enslaved African Americans, as demonstrated by the tragic Dred Scott decision. The Supreme Court case not only denied an enslaved man's petition for freedom, but also claimed that African Americans—free...

What do a photo of Abraham Lincoln, a map for the Battle of Antietam, and the Dred Scott decision all have in common? Learners consider the broader question as they examine documents related to civil rights during the Civil War and...

What do slaves fighting for their freedom on board a ship and a slave fighting for his freedom in a courtroom have in common? Budding historians investigate the two different cases of the Amistad slave revolt and the Dred Scott argument....

The Supreme Court decision Dred Scott vs. Sandford (1857) is regarded as perhaps of the largest misstep by the highest court in land. Middle schoolers read the decision to deny Scott his freedom based on key lines from the United States...

Young scholars read and discuss Dred Scott v. Sandford Supreme Court case, describe in writing Constitutional principles and results of case, explain how Supreme Court decision may have helped further tensions between states, and answer...

Dred Scott was a harbinger of the Civil War. An enslaved man claimed freedom because his owner had taken him into free territory. Not only did the Supreme Court rule that Dred Scott and his wife were to remain enslaved, but it also ruled...

Students investigate the outcome of the Dred Scott case. In this human rights activity, students read Justice Taney's decision about property rights and citizenship. Students write essays about the outcome of the case and President...

Eleventh graders examine the reactions Americans had to the Dred Scott decision.  In this American History lesson plan, 11th graders read editorials from newspapers.  Students analyze these editorials and audio tapes from that time. 

Students examine the issues of slavery and due process. In this Supreme Court lesson, students examine primary documents from Dred Scott v. Sandford and discuss the implications of the decision.

In this reading comprehension worksheet, students read a passage about the Dred Scott Decision and answer questions about what they read. Students write 4 short answers.

Young scholars study the trial of Dred Scott. They investigate the New York Times reporter and simulate writing about the trial for a newspaper. They identify the 5Ws from the play using a graphic organizer and present their findings...

Students examine and analyze original documents that enhance understanding of antebellum slavery in Missouri and a particular method of gaining freedom: the freedom suit.

Learners debate the validity of 4 different foundations of judicial decision-making. They describe Lincoln and Douglas's adherence to any of 4 different foundations of judicial decision-making in their analysis of the Dred Scott decision

Detailing the political and social events leading up to the Civil War, this presentation provides students with maps, political cartoons, and photographs to put this time period into historical context. The Presidential Elections of...

There are arguments on both sides of history about the ways various Supreme Court decisions have affected the daily lives, rights, and liberties of the African-American population. Eleventh graders explore and identify the challenges...

From the passage of the Fugitive Slave Law and construction of a transcontinental railroad to the conflicts that arose as a result of the Kansas-Nebraska Act and the Dred Scott decision, this video will take your young historians through...

Using personas ranging from freed African Americans to wealthy plantation owners, young historians consider various points of view around the events in the days leading up to the Civil War including major milestones such as the Dred...

Eighth graders explore the Underground Railroad.  In this American History lesson, 8th graders create a song about the railroad.  Students analyze various symbols used during the Underground Railroad.