What So Proudly We Hail
The Meaning of America: Freedom and Religion
The United States of America was founded on firm ideals of both the pursuit of happiness and a spirit of reverence. Through a close reading of Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The May-Pole of Merry Mount," you can examine what some consider was a...
What So Proudly We Hail
The Meaning of America: National Identity and Why It Matters
Combining a close reading of a classic American text with the study of history can be a very powerful strategy, and this is most certainly the case with this resource using Edward Everett Hale's The Man without a Country. Consider themes...
What So Proudly We Hail
The Meaning of America: Self-Command
Even for one of the most accomplished men in American history, there was room for improvement. Challenge high schoolers to use Benjamin Franklin's Project for Moral Perfection to analyze text, make inferences, connect to historical...
PBS
Primary Source Set: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
What did Jo write her stories with? How did the March sisters dress? A primary source set designed for Louisa May Alcott's Little Women prompts learners to look over images of household items and clothes from the 1860s before engaging in...
Curated OER
If You Lived at the Time of the Civil War.
Young scholars investigate major characters of history that are represented in children's literature. They conduct research using a variety of resources and each character is put into a class book as a presentation. The character...
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1856-1865: Abolitionists and the Civil War
Students explore the concept of philanthropy. In this abolition activity, students watch "Uncle Tom's Cabin" and discuss the philanthropic acts they witnessed in the film. Students also complete an activity that requires them to...
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Anti-Slavery and Reform-Related Sources
Fifth graders use primary sources to explore events witnessed by ordinary people. In this primary documents lesson, 5th graders answer critical thinking questions based on their documents. Students recognize the difference between...
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The Civil War 1850–1865
For this online interactive history worksheet, students respond to 10 short answer questions about the American Civil War. Students may check some of their answers on the interactive worksheet.
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We the People…in the News
Students use the newspaper to explore the world around us, our past and our government. In this civics unit, students complete 40 different lessons in civic education using that day's newspaper to reinforce the concept being taught.
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Uncle Tom's Cabin
Students read the novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin, and explain public attitudes towards slavery in 19th century America.
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Second Quiz on Combining Sentences
In this combining sentences worksheet, students combine four or five sentences into less sentences. Students combine 6 sets of sentences.
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Underground Railroad Workshop
Ninth graders examine the purpose of the Underground railroad. In this Slavery lesson, 9th graders read stories about people's travels. Students compare and contrast the lives of mothers in these stories.
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White Southerners' Defense of Slaveholding
Students read transcriptions of articles from two historical Virginian newspapers and examine how white southerners defended the institution of slavery. They write a one-act play or a dialogue between an abolitionist and a slaveholder.
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Abolition and the Underground Railroad in Essex County
Fifth graders investigate the end of slavery and the hidden paths slaves used to travel. In this U.S. history lesson plan, 5th graders examine the travel routes slaves used in Essex County known as the Underground Railroad. Students...
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Movement and Music: An Introduction to Slavery
Students create a slavery timeline. They identify key leaders in the anti-slavery movement. Students are asked what they can recall about slavery. They review the following vocabulary words slavery, spirituals, abolitionists, and...
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A Literature of Democracy
Eleventh graders analyze how American literature shows a lot of different genres. In groups, 11th graders create a short report about the passage they have chosen.
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Slavery in the Antebellum South
Students discuss Stephen Foster's depiction of slavery. Using the internet, they discover what the life of a slave was really like in the antebellum South. As a class, they discuss contemporary arguments for and against slavery.
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Writers and the Old South Myth
Young scholars are introduced to authors of the South. In groups, they compare and contrast the pastoral and counter pastoral traditions present in some forms of Southern literature. They use a database to examine the covers of the...
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1856-1865: Abolitionists and the Civil War
Learners discover philanthropic acts of the Civil War era. In this service learning lesson, students research Underground Railroad literature, Reconstruction Amendments, and acts of philanthropy during the Civil War era.
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Civil War Trading Cards
Young scholars research important figures in the American Civil War. In this research skills lesson, students create trading cards about selected key figures in the war that list details about the figures and their accomplishments.
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Connecticut Complicity
Eleventh graders take a closer look at slavery in Connecticut. In this slavery activity, 11th graders research the contributions of Connecticut residents who spoke out about the issue of slavery. Students take on the personas of the...
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History of the Americas: Causes of the Civil War
In this American Civil War learning exercise, students read assigned textbook pages about the causes of the war and then respond to 35 short answer questions about how the war began.
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History of the Americas: Causes of the Civil War
In this American Civil War activity, students respond to 36 short answer questions that require them to define people and events that were significant during the war.
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American Literature Authors and Their Works
Students match American Literature authors with their short stories, poems, and books. In this American Literature instructional activity, students are given an overview of the authors and their main works. Then students independently...