Unit Plan
Yale University

"This is Not a Story to Pass On": Teaching Toni Morrison's Beloved

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders read "Beloved" by Toni Morrison. In groups, they research the life and works of Morrison and read a speech by Sojouner Truth. Using the novel, they discuss the experiences of slaves and the effect of slavery on their...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Gather the Stones!

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Review how gristmills affected the lives of the Pennsylvania community. The class uses documents and pictures to explore the purpose of the gristmill. They simulate members of the community and write a paper about colonial forces...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Changes in the New Nation

For Teachers 6th - 10th
Young scholars explore how technology has slowly changed the world, starting in the 18th Century.  In this United States History lesson, students work in teams to complete numerous activities that compare and contrast life before...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Celebrate Colonial Maryland

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students research colonial Maryland. In this colonial Maryland instructional activity, students participate in a WebQuest to investigate how families led their lives long ago. Students compare family and city life from long ago and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Impact of Mining on American History

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students listen to background information about coal and its mining in the United States history. They then construct a timeline using the above article. Illustrate with pictures from the www.coaleducation.org web site.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Head, Heart, Hands, Health

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders complete a compare and contrast activity for American agriculture historical events. In this historical events in agriculture lesson, 4th graders review a timeline and complete research for agriculture in the 20th century,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Say It Loud!: A Celebration Of Black Music in America - Lesson 3

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students listen to many examples of Motown music and explain the relationship between the word "Motown" and the city of Detroit. They examine and identify distinctive musical elements of the early "Motown Sound."
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lesson plan: Today's young leaders

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explain teen involvement in integrating society, and determine programs for teens in different organizations.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire: 100 Years Later

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders examine the impact of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire.  In this American History lesson plan, 11th graders analyze various sources.  Students create a cartoon representing the impact of this fire on the United...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Weaving Project

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students practice artistic weaving. For this Colonial arts lesson, students weave pieces using lint from their home dryers. Students replicate the weaving process early Americans used. Students are also challenged to weave using the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Primary and Secondary Documents for Colonial Times

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students investigate the Colonial Era by completing a template on their computers.  In this U.S. History lesson, students discuss the differences between primary and secondary sources and identify several different sources as one or...
Unit Plan
Annenberg Foundation

The New Nation

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
The conclusion of the American Revolution brought about a new conflict—choosing the stye of government for the newly formed United States. Using the views of both Federalists and Anti-Federalists, learners work in pairs and groups to...
Unit Plan
Curated OER

Early Presidents

For Teachers 4th
Students are introduced to the lives and contributions of the first seven presidents of the United States. They, in groups, conduct further research on one of these president and his political platform and design a presentation for the...
Unit Plan
Institut Obert de Catalunya

20th Century Music: Jazz

For Teachers 9th - 12th
A 67-page packet provides instructors with a complete course in the history of Jazz. Lessons look at the roots of jazz in early 20th century African American communities in the southern United States and continues to the New Orleans...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

History in Literature - The House of Dies Drear

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Hook your learners with a great project. They research the underground railroad and civil rights movement through literature, view the video The Underground Railroad: Escape from Slavery, and read the book House of Dies Drear in...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Poetry of Chinese Immigration

For Teachers 8th - 10th
Numerous people from China immigrated to the US during the era of industrialization and expansion. Provide your class with a glimpse into the life of a Chinese immigrant through the poetry they left behind. They then compose a poem of...
Unit Plan
Library of Congress

George Washington: First in War, First in Peace, and First in the Hearts of His Countrymen

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Does the lens of history portray George Washington as a good leader? A three-lesson unit looks at Washington's early military career as the commander of the Virginia Regiment, his role in the fight for independence...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

USA: the KKK and Civil Rights Movement

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students view film footage of the Ku Klux Klan in the U.S. in the early 1920s and examine how the actions of the KKK have been viewed by different strands of the civil rights movement. They watch the film and answer discussion...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

BEGINNER LEVEL LESSON PLAN ANTICIPATORY SET

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students are be able to analyze primary sources for evidence of American entrepreneurship during the early 20th century. They identify the attributes that helped George Eastman succeed as an entrepreneur and consider the role advertising...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

South Carolina's African American Women: "Lifting As We Climb"

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students explore the formation of the National Association of colored Women's Club. In this civil rights lesson, students research the history and mission of the NACWC.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Spanish Influence in the U.S.

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders research the role of the first Spanish conquistadors who explored the now United States. Using the internet, they gather information on different explorers and write a paper about why he is important in American history. ...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Early Explorers

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders examine how the environment and climate affected Pre-Colombian settlements. In this civilization lesson, 5th graders view pictures of different Native American tribes in different places and discuss how different groups...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Jamestown: A Brief History

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders investigate the history of the United States by researching Jamestown. In this archaeological lesson, 8th graders attend a field trip to historical Jamestown in Virgina to discover key figures that formed our country....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lesson 1: The Creek War - Return to Nativism or International Pawn? Religious War or International Conflict?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate the countries and peoples involved in the Creek Indian War. They study the complex relationships between American and European settlers and the native Alabamians in the early 19th Century.