State Bar of Texas
Dred Scott v. Sandford
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...
National Constitution Center
Dred Scott v. Sanford
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...
Curated OER
The Dred Scott Case (1857)
Students 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...
Federal Judicial Center
Amistad and Dred Scott—a Comparative Activity
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....
Cornell College
Dred Scott v. Sandford Supreme Court Decision
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...
Curated OER
Dred Scott and the Constitution
Learners investigate the outcome of the Dred Scott case. In this human rights lesson plan, students read Justice Taney's decision about property rights and citizenship. Learners write essays about the outcome of the case and President...
Curated OER
America responds to Dred Scott
Eleventh graders examine the reactions Americans had to the Dred Scott decision. In this American History lesson, 11th graders read editorials from newspapers. Students analyze these editorials and audio tapes from that time.Â
Curated OER
Dred Scott v. Sandford
High schoolers examine the issues of slavery and due process. In this Supreme Court lesson plan, students examine primary documents from Dred Scott v. Sandford and discuss the implications of the decision.
Curated OER
The Dred Scott 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.
Curated OER
The Trial of Dred Scott
Students 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 to the...
Curated OER
Before Dred Scott: Freedom Suits in Antebellum Missouri
Students examine and analyze original documents that enhance understanding of antebellum slavery in Missouri and a particular method of gaining freedom: the freedom suit.
Curated OER
Was the Dred Scott Decision Judicial Activism?
Students 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
Carolina K-12
Plessy v. Ferguson & the Roots of Segregation
How far in the past do the roots of Jim Crow and segregation extend? Young historians closely consider this question using detailed PowerPoint slides as a basis for discussion rather than lecture, culminating in an activity where class...
New York State Education Department
US History and Government Examination: June 2013
How successful has American foreign policy been in the past? Pupils consider the question as part of a state examination in American history. Other prompts include a document analysis and essay of important civil rights cases decided by...
New York State Education Department
US History and Government Examination: January 2011
The presidencies of John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, and Ronald Reagan were defined by the Cold War. Using primary source documents and scaffolded analysis questions, pupils explore the effect the Cold War had on these presidencies. A...
Curated OER
TicTac Town
Thirty one possible tic-tac-toe games are included in this presentation. Students must answer a question in each x and o position. When the grid position is selected the question appears and the answer is generated on the next click....
Curated OER
Background to the Conflict: Pre-Civil War Days
The American Civil War was a complex test of a relatively young democracy in the mid-nineteenth century. Discuss the events and factors that led to the Civil War with a thorough slideshow presentation.
Museum of Tolerance
Making Lemonade: Responding to Oppression in Empowering Ways
An activity focused on tolerance encourages class members to consider how they might respond when they or someone else is the target of oppression and discrimination. After researching how some key figures responded to the anti-Semitism...
Curated OER
The Lincoln-Douglas Debates of 1858
Eleventh graders examine transcripts of the 1858 Lincoln-Douglas debates and create a platform for each candidate in the 1858 Senate race.
Curated OER
Road to War Assessment
In this American Civil War worksheet, students respond to 20 short answer, multiple choice, and true or false questions about the events that led to the outbreak of war.
Curated OER
A Time for Justice
High schoolers engage in a lesson that focuses on the development of The Bill Of Rights in the United States. They conduct research using a variety of resources. Students two focus questions in order to guide the information search. They...
Curated OER
Latinos and the Fourteenth Amendment: A Primary Document Activity
Students explore Latinos and the Fourteenth Amendment. In this government and law lesson, students analyze the ruling in Hernandez v. Texas. Students predict how the United States would be different if the court had made an alternated...
Curated OER
Civil Rights Lesson Plans
Civil rights lesson plans can help students delve into history, music, law, and literature. There are a multitude of options.
Curated OER
A Time for Justice
Learners explain the protections and privileges of individuals and groups in the United States.