Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Early America: Jeopardy Game

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders can put their knowledge of early American life, the 13 colonies, and maps to the test when they play this Jeopardy game. The game covers terminology, famous people, and geography related to Colonial American times. Note:...
Activity
American Museum of Natural History

North American Mammals Coloring Book

For Students 6th - 12th
Seven pages offer scholars the opportunity to learn about North American mammals and boost their coloring skills. Animals include brown bears, beavers, jackrabbits, wolves, jaguar, and Dall sheep 
Lesson Plan
PBS

African American History: Climbing the Wall

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Imagine the challenge of trying to trace your family genealogy if no records were kept of births and deaths. Where would you look for information? What types of documents could provide you with the information you seek? History...
PPT
Curated OER

Antebellum American Art

For Teachers 8th - 11th
Dividing the art of the Antebellum period into several different genres, this vibrant presentation is sure to get your students' attention. It takes your students on a walk through an art museum with famous paintings, architecture, and...
PPT
Curated OER

Antebellum Revivalism and Reform

For Teachers 8th - 11th
A gold mine for American history teachers, this presentation cascades through the middle of the 19th century with the central themes of moral and social reform. Between the blossoming Mormon church, the tightening of the Temperance...
Lesson Plan
PBS

Alexander Hamilton: Lawyer, Writer, and Founding Father

For Teachers 3rd - 7th Standards
Scholars analyze the impact Alexander Hamilton had on the creation of the United States. Primary documents and video clips give learners a glimpse into the life of one of America's Founding Fathers, arming them with enough information to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

More Amazing Americans: A WebQuest

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students research amazing Americans using America's Library. In this American heroes lesson, students identify criteria for amazing Americans. Students copy and paste text and graphics from websites to use in their own documents....
Interactive
Curated OER

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave by Frederick Douglass

For Students 9th - Higher Ed
In this literature learning exercise, students respond to 12 short answer and essay questions about Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave. Students may also link to an online interactive quiz on the novel at...
Interactive
DocsTeach

The Path of Justice: Selma and the Voting Rights Act

For Teachers 7th - 12th
The civil rights movement: An ongoing battle for change. The activity focuses on President Johnson's speech in response to the massacre at the Selma March. Academics study the speech, complete a hands-on-activity, and discuss President...
Worksheet
Read Works

First Thanksgiving Meal

For Students 4th - 5th Standards
Cranberries, oysters, lobster, deer, and cabbage were just a few of the foods found on the table at the First Thanksgiving. After reading a two-page passage about the historic meal, class members respond to 10 reading...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Slavery: Acts of Resistance

For Teachers 9th - 11th Standards
Historical accounts of various events have proven to differ depending on the point of view of the person documenting the event. Learners read and analyze two first person accounts of acts of slave resistance seen at a southern...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pioneer America: Legendary Westerners - Can One Person Really Make a Difference?

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders research famous Americans from the Westward Movement and complete an interview. In this Westward Movement instructional activity, 4th graders work in pairs to research someone who was important during this time period....
PPT
Curated OER

America's Great Disasters

For Teachers 8th - 11th
The most famous American disasters - natural and otherwise - of the late 19th and early 20th century are the focus of this presentation. Detailing the 1865 sinking of the USS Saldana, the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake, and the Influenza...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

From The Great War To The Great Depression

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Discover details about 1920's America. In this American history lesson, middle schoolers read From the Great War to the Great Depression. Students then research famous Americans from the time period and present their findings to their...
Lesson Plan
PBS

Myth of the West: Lonely But Free I’ll Be Found

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Tumbling tumbleweeds! Scholars work with video clips, primary and secondary documents, and song lyrics to uncover life in the Old West. They examine song's lyrics to uncover myths told in the 1930s about life in the Wild West. 
Lesson Plan
Smithsonian Institution

Black Diamond

For Teachers 3rd - 6th Standards
Score a home run with this packet of information on the very first player of the Negro League to be elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame — cultural groundbreaker and sports legend Satchel Paige. These worksheets include a...
Unit Plan
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Scholastic

The Flight of Amelia Earhart Teaching Guide

For Teachers 3rd - 8th Standards
Amelia Earhart's accomplishments and strength of character extend beyond her status as one of the first female aviators in America. Elementary and middle schoolers learn about Earhart's early life and the historical context surrounding...
Lesson Plan
Prestwick House

The Poetry of Bob Dylan

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
Bob Dylan's selection as the 2016 winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, the first songwriter ever to receive the honor, has focused the attention of a new generation on the work of the legendary artist. Class members...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Seven Famous African-American Masters of American Art

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine seven different African-American artists. In groups, they use the internet to identify their contribution and techniques to the art world and examine the time period in which the artwork was produced. To end the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Letters from the Japanese American Internment

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Students examine letters of Japanese-American children during internment in World War II. They discover what it was like in the camps and how they were treated once they were released. They also view photographs of the camps.
Lesson Plan
Japan Society

Popular Culture and Japan’s Gross National Cool

For Teachers 7th - 9th
From Manga to Godzilla and Pokemon, Japanese pop culture has been taking the globe by storm. This phenomenon is called "soft power." Learners will examine the differences between hard and soft power, as well as learn the historical...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

American Heroines

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders explore the heroines of the Revolutionary War. In this Revolutionary War activity, 3rd graders read a passage about famous heroines and discuss the trade practiced during Colonial times.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

American Revolution

For Teachers 5th
While just an outline for an exploration of the American Revolution, this lesson could be augmented to provide a richer experience. The activity calls for learners to discuss the Declaration of Independence, study Paul Revere's midnight...
Lesson Planet Article
Curated OER

Latin American Art

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Latin American art lessons can provide a way to explore different cultures, the lives of famous artists, and much more.