Curated OER
Using Political Cartoons to Understand Historical Events
Examine historical perspectives through the use of political cartoons. Learners complete analysis activities related to the president's title, the establishment of the national bank, and the Jay Treaty.
Curated OER
Historical Agency in History Book Sets (HBS)
Study historical events by combining the study of historical fiction and non-fiction. Learners read about true past events in historical fiction novels and then research non-fiction accounts of the same events. What are some differences...
Curated OER
Gold Rush California and its Diverse Population
Students compare contemporary cultural differences with historical differences based on population percentage. In this cross-curriculum Gold Rush/math lesson plan, students analyze aspects of California's Gold Rush population and...
Curated OER
Identifying Different Perspectives - Camilo's Drums
Explore differing points of view with your upper elementary and middle schoolers. Learners watch a video segment called "Ancestors Talk through Drums" and determine what perspectives are presented. Then, using the included worksheet,...
Curated OER
Project-Based Learning: Diversity
Ethnic and cultural diversity are explored in a service learning lesson, great for upper graders. They participate in four weekly activities that require them to research ethnic and cultural diversity.
Anti-Defamation League
Viewing History from Multiple Perspectives
Celebration or protest song? The full text of Woody Guthrie's "This Land is Your Land" opens a study of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the Louisiana Purchase, and Western Expansion from various perspectives. Middle schoolers examine...
Curated OER
Washington in Cincinnati
Seventh graders compare and contrast the leadership of George Washington and Cincinnatus. In this historical perspectives lesson, 7th graders research the noted Web sites to answer questions about the 2 men.
Curated OER
Identifying Social, Cultural, and Historical Perspectives That Changed the World
Students complete a graphic organizer as they watch a video about the roles of dogs in society. In this social and cultural perspectives of dogs lesson, students view a video and sort information into a graphic organizer. Students may...
PBS
Historical Perspectives: Coming Home from War
What do the homecoming experiences of soldiers who fought in WWII, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan reveal about the politics and culture of the US during the time period of each war? Young historians view The Way We Get By, which tells...
Curated OER
Perspectives on September 11,2001
Fifth graders will learn about various perspectives around events. They will need to take on the perspectives of various key people during the September 11 attack. Then they will write in their journals about the incident. They read...
Curated OER
Cultural Diversity
Introducing the topic of cultural diversity and the social issues surrounding it, this presentation will get your students thinking about stereotypes involving race, gender, and sexual orientation. Affirmative action and positive and...
Smithsonian Institution
Two Perspectives on the Battle of Little Bighorn/Greasy Grass
Learners understand why historians conduct research and the importance of perception when it comes to studying history. The resource covers The Wars of Expansion and the Battle of Little Bighorn/Greasy Grass through group work, debate,...
DocsTeach
Exploring America's Diversity: Gertrud Danneberg (Beginner)
Everyone is an immigrant in their own way. Young scholars read historic documents to understand one woman's journey from Germany to the United States. The activity uses a mixture of text, discussion, and written prompts to help...
DocsTeach
Exploring America's Diversity: Motel Garber (Beginner)
Young detectives delve into the past in an exciting series exploring immigration. The activity uses primary sources to teach elementary scholars historical analysis. Academics read records to understand the life of Motel Garber, from...
DocsTeach
Exploring America's Diversity: Miguel Miñan (Beginner)
Many have traveled from around the globe searching for the American dream. Scholars research the life Miguel Miñan, an immigrant from Brazil, using ship and census records. The activity focuses on American diversity and highlights the...
Curated OER
Civil War Perspectives
Fifth graders have a debate and defend one of the three different perspectives of the Civil War. In this Civil War lesson plan, 5th graders defend either the North, the South, or the Neutral perspectives.
Curated OER
Students Working in Local Historic Preservation
Students develop an appreciation of history as they volunteer their time in historical museums. For this historical perspectives lesson, students work with valuable local documents as they aid the staff of selected local historical...
University of Pennsylvania
Using Comic Strips to Teach Multiple Perspectives
Scholars view comics from two different perspectives; one paints the Alfred Dreyfus as innocent, while the other portrays the exact opposite. They solve the mystery of what happened by analyzing the source, working in groups, and...
Facing History and Ourselves
Civil Rights Historical Investigations
The murder of Emmett Till, the Selma to Montgomery march, and the desegregation of Boston schools are the focus of three units that ask class members to investigate why these events were so key in the struggle for civil rights. Groups...
Curated OER
Holocaust Denials
Do people deny that the Holocaust occurred? When posed with this question in class, high schoolers answer with a discussion on relativism, historical perspectives, and anti-Semitic historians. The presentation is full of information that...
Curated OER
Stop Action and Assess Alternatives
Students stop action and determine how history may have been altered. In this historical perspectives lesson, students consider how the Cherokee Removal, the Transcontinental Railroad, the Immigration Act of 1924, and the dropping of the...
Curated OER
Well-behaved Women [and Men] Seldom Make History
Students examine historical context. In this historical perspectives activity, students read and discuss instructor-selected picture book biographies. Students then complete graphic organizers based on the challenges the main characters...
Curated OER
Fine Tuning a Nation: Using Cartoons
Students examine political cartoons to gain an understanding of the political issues that George Washington faced. For this historical perspectives lesson, students analyze political cartoons about the National Bank, the title...
Curated OER
Using Blogs in a History Classroom
Students blog their way through history. In this historical perspectives instructional activity, students use teacher-created blogs to log their impressions and opinions regarding the historical events they are studying. Steps are...