Center for History Education
Civil Rights and Cold Warriors
Three presidents, three views on civil rights. Scholars compare the administrations of President Truman, Eisenhower, and Kennedy to understand how each addressed the issue of civil rights. The lesson uses primary sources and graphic...
Center for History Education
The Cuban Missile Crisis
Cold War tensions led to hostile actions. Scholars use primary sources to understand the Bay of Pigs and the Cuban Missile Crisis during President Kennedy's administration. The instructional activity provides primary sources and a...
DocsTeach
Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Fight for Civil Rights
Find clues to the past with photos! Young historians use a photo from one of Martin Luther King Jr.'s peaceful protests to practice photo analysis. Academics look at the image to gain clues about what is happening and why. To finish,...
DocsTeach
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
1964: A victory for the civil rights movement! Scholars read a section of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and discuss what affirmative actions means to them. The resource is a jigsaw activity, with each group focusing on one section of the...
DocsTeach
The Impact of Bloody Sunday in Selma
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...
DocsTeach
The Space Race: Project Mercury
Race to the moon! An engaging activity focuses on NASA's Project Mercury and the Space Race. Scholars read a memorandum regarding the project and explore how it fueled Cold War tensions. Academics complete a worksheet and discuss the...
DocsTeach
The Process of Early Space Flight: The Gemini Program
Ideas take flight in an exciting activity on the NASA Gemini Program. Young scholars analyze photos from NASA's Gemini Program and place photos in the correct sequence of events. Academics also discuss the program and how the steps to...
DocsTeach
Memorials, Statues, and Monuments to George Washington
An activity uses images of George Washington's statues to compare how they represent different aspects of his life. Scholars complete a worksheet based on their findings and then share as a group how they would construct a new memorial...
DocsTeach
Statues of Christopher Columbus
Scholars compare statues of Columbus and discuss how each memorial captures his personality. Academics also complete a worksheet and discuss how some people have called to remove statues honoring Columbus.
DocsTeach
The Life of Dwight D. Eisenhower
A captivating activity uses images to help pupils understand the life of President Eisenhower. Scholars put the images in chronological order and read the captions to get a better understanding of the war hero turned president.
DocsTeach
The Long Struggle for LGBTQ+ Civil Rights
Academics analyze 10 primary documents and photos to create a timeline of the LQBTQ+ movement. The activity includes an online worksheet. Scholars also participate in a group discussion to understand the long struggle the LGBTQ+...
DocsTeach
Uncle Sam and the American Diet
Uncle Sam wants you to follow the food pyramid! Scholars analyze two images of propaganda posters the government created to promote the food pyramid. Academics complete a worksheet to understand the impact of the campaign and end the...
Curated OER
The Landscape of Luxembourg
Students create a nature journal for an imaginary trip around Luxembourg, including a visit to the Mullerthal region. They identify animals and plants that live in Luxembourg and describe its landscape. In addition, they summarize and...
Curated OER
The Netherlands
Students create a journal for an imaginary trip around the Netherlands. They identify animals and plants that live in the Netherlands and describe its landscape. In addition, they summarize and present historical information about an...
US National Archives
Eastern Europe 1939-45 — Ukraine
Was Joseph Stalin desperate or exaggerating the USSR's need for assistance on the Eastern Front in 1942? History students examine two differing opinions on Stalin's position and the reality of the Eastern Front just three years before...
DocsTeach
Celebrating America's Bicentennial in 1976
Budding historians learn the process of preserving history in an interesting hands-on-activity. The resource walks academics through the process of restoring the Declaration of Independence. Individuals place a series of images in...
Curated OER
Using Primary Source Documents in the Classroom
Learners use primary documents to explore the past. They consider the source of the documents and identify and biases that the author may have held. They identify any questions about the historical event that may remain after reading the...
Curated OER
History According to Shakespeare
Students read Shakespeare's, Julius Caesar while identifying a number of literary elements including simile, metaphor, personification, and hyperbole. As a response activity, they simulate a mock trial, and finally, compare and contrast...
Curated OER
Waldseemüller’s Map: World 1507
Students take a closer look at historical maps. In this primary source analysis instructional activity, students examine the first world map produced by Martin Waldseemuller. Students complete the included map analysis worksheet and then...
Curated OER
Analyzing the Lewis and Clark Journals
Students examine and interpret Corps of Discovery journal entries as primary documents/sources providing insight into the Lewis and Clark expedition's journey. They present information they have documented on included activity sheet in...
Curated OER
Ben Franklin and the Rising Americans
Students prepare for and learn through a walking tour of Philadelphia. In this history activity, students support their studies with a field trip. This activity could be adapted to suit regions with other historic places or museums.
Curated OER
Just a Spoonful of Rights Makes the Responsibility Go 'Round
Learners explore the concept of philanthropy. In this service learning lesson, students define rights and responsibilities. Learners discuss the role of philanthropy in contributing to the common good. They also review historical...
Curated OER
The Amistad Case
Students research the case of The Amistad and the individuals involved with the case. They write editorials, compare the movie version to actual historical documents and write a one-act play presenting their findings.
Curated OER
A Walk Through the 20th Century
Students use primary and secondary sources to study the literature, historical events, people, technology, medicine, government, entertainment and culture of the decades of the twentieth century.