Lesson Planet Article
Curated OER

Lesson Plans About Famous American Immigrants

For Teachers 4th - 6th
When we talk about the history of the United States we can highlight lesson plans on famous American immigrants.
Lesson Plan
PBS

Crack the Case: History's Toughest Mysteries

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Young sleuths don their trench coats, tip their fedoras, and grab their notepads to investigate one of four famous unsolved mysteries. After examining multiple primary and secondary sources related to their cold case, they propose a...
Lesson Plan
Education City

Black History Month

For Teachers K - 6th Standards
Enhance Black History Month with a twenty-page resource designed to boost scholars' knowledge of the great accomplishments made by African Americans. Learners take in fun facts about famous inventors such as George Washington Carver and...
Lesson Plan
American Institute of Physics

African Americans and the Manhattan Project

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
A lesson about the Manhattan Project will explode young physicists' understanding of the racial attitudes in the United States during and after World war II. Groups select an African American scientist or technician that worked on the...
Lesson Plan
Alabama Department of Archives and History

An African American Represents Alabama during Reconstruction

For Teachers 4th Standards
The era after the Civil War saw a flourishing of African Americans exercising their rights. Using graphic organizers and Internet research, pupils consider the legacy of Benjamin Sterling Turner, who sat in Congress. Afterward, they...
Activity
Digital Public Library of America

A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
A set of 14 primary sources provides background for a study of Lorraine Hansberry's drama, A Raisin in the Sun. Featured are images from stage productions of the play, white supremacy protests, a clip from a television interview, and...
Interactive
DocsTeach

The Impact of Bloody Sunday in Selma

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Who is to blame when a peaceful protest turns deadly? Scholars research the impact of the civil rights march in Selma, better known as Bloody Sunday. The activity uses files from the FBI's investigation to help academics understand the...
Lesson Plan
Crafting Freedom

Harriet Jabocs and Elizabeth Keckly: The Material and Emotional Realities of Childhood in Slavery

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
Through the journals written by Harriet Jacobs and Elizabeth Keckly, young readers gain insight into the lives of two enslaved children on nineteenth-century plantations.
Worksheet
Curated OER

American Revolution: Who Am I

For Students 4th - 5th
In this American Revolution worksheet, students read 5 paragraphs, each giving clues about a famous person in the Revolutionary War. Students use a word bank to find the answer.
Activity
1
1
Brockman Elementary School

Living History Timeline

For Teachers 4th - 8th Standards
As part of a living history research project, learners research a chosen historical figure that they will study and physically represent in a gallery walk. This resource includes a project description, letter to parents,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Outstanding Women

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Research the lives of famous women in this social studies instructional activity. Middle schoolers use various sources to research a famous woman and create a presentation about the accomplishments of the woman. They can find the central...
Lesson Plan
American Institute of Physics

The Physical Sciences at Historically Black Colleges and Universities

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The history of science instruction at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) is the focus of a lesson that explores the early challenges these institutions faced in accessing equipment for their labs and instructors for...
Lesson Plan
Crafting Freedom

Man in the Middle: Thomas Day and the Free Black Experience

For Teachers 5th Standards
How did free and enslaved blacks work to craft freedom for themselves and their families before the Civil War? Young historians read about the life of Thomas Day, a free black man who also owned slaves and had abolitionist ties in...
Worksheet
Curated OER

People From American History

For Students 4th
In this social studies worksheet, 4th graders will gain an understanding of nine famous Americans and their accomplishments to society. Students will complete nine fill in the blank statements about each individual.
PPT
World of Teaching

Black History Month 2008

For Teachers 8th - 10th
A list of prominent African-Americans and their accomplishments makes up this presentation on Black History Month. Leaders in sports, the arts, science, and entertaining will help viewers connect with the voluminous contributions of the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Not Only Paul Revere: Other Riders of the American Revolution

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Pupils examine circumstances surrounding rides of the American Revolution other than Paul Revere's, explore why posterity treated them differently than Revere's ride, and create original poems based on historical fact.
Lesson Plan
Crafting Freedom

Harriet Jabocs and Elizabeth Keckly: The Material and Emotional Realities of Childhood in Slavery

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learning how to make accurate inferences by putting together facts found in multiple sources is one of those skills all learners must develop, but one that can be a challenge to teach. This resource is a must-have for your curriculum...
Lesson Plan
Carolina K-12

African American Troops in the Civil War

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
Middle schoolers explore the history of the African-American troops that served during the American Civil War. After reading primary source documents that detail the controversies about permitting freemen and former slaves to serve,...
Lesson Plan
PBS

Hidden Messages in Spirituals

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
Slaves laboring in the cotton fields of the old South singing joyously may have convinced overseers that their workforce was happy and content, but in truth, these spirituals contained secret codes. After viewing a short video about...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Black History Stations

For Teachers K - 2nd
Young scholars strengthen motor skills while acquiring knowledge about famous African Americans. In this Black History Physical Education activity, the students participate in various learning stations which enhance their knowledge of...
Handout
Ballet Austin

The History of Modern Dance

For Students 4th - 12th
The evolution of modern dance, and the dance history of many of the key figures in the development of this uniquely American form, are the focus of a 13-page packet that includes photos of revolutionaries.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Famous Figures in History

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Students investigate famous people in U.S. history. In this American history instructional activity, students read about famous people such as Helen Keller and Einstein. Students think of ways they might become famous.
Lesson Plan
PBS

Character vs. Society in The Invisible Man

For Teachers 10th - Higher Ed Standards
Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man is difficult to read and difficult to teach. The novel is so highly regarded that it is one of most often listed as an option for the AP Literature and Composition exam. The materials in this packet from PBS...
Lesson Plan
Anti-Defamation League

10 Ideas for Teaching Black History Month

For Teachers K - 12th Standards
Celebrate Black History Month with the help of 10 ideas that delve deep into the history, major events, contributions, famous African Americans, and sheds light on how scholars today can take a proactive stance on current civil rights...