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Curated OER

Primary Sources in the Classroom: A Gold Rush Perspective

For Teachers 8th - 10th
Students develop and hone their historical inquiry and analytical abilities. They draw up a list of 20 essential items they would have to bring to survive one year as a Gold Rush stampeder.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Invention Timeline

For Teachers 9th - 12th
In this lesson, students Create a timeline of historical events, Identify patterns of change, Interpret data in a timeline.In this lesson, students use Inspiration to view progress over time as they develop timelines highlighting...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Indian Removal: Does History Always Reflect progress?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners explore the idea that progress for some might not mean progress for all. In this Native American lesson, students recognize different viewpoints about historical events through the study of primary documents. Learners decipher...
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National Endowment for the Humanities

From Courage to Freedom

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners analyze Frederick Douglass' narrative about Christianity and slavery. In this Frederick Douglass instructional activity, young scholars read his slave narrative and analyze its word choice, imagery, irony, and rhetorical...
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Curated OER

To Kill a Mockingbird: A Historical Perspective

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students research the Great Depression. In this Great Depression lesson, students analyze primary sources to develop an understanding of life in the American south during the depression era as they read Harper Lee's To Kill a...
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Curated OER

Life in Korea During World War II: When My Name Was Keoko

For Teachers 12th
Twelfth graders review facts about roles of Asia and Japan in World War II, read When My Name Was Keoko to familiarize themselves with daily life and historic events during World War II in Korea, and participate in student-led...
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Curated OER

Looking at Photographs

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students evaluate photographs as historical documents and photographs as propaganda.
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Curated OER

History: Napoleon Becomes a Man of Destiny

For Teachers All
Students analyze the forces that shape character development, including the role of historical events. Students contrast the ethos of the Ancient Regime with the new ideals awakened by the French Revolution.
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Curated OER

Tell a Totem Story

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students study and view pictures of Native American totem poles on the internet. They create totem poles using PowerPoint that represent their family histories using symbols to designate historic events.
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Curated OER

A Moment in Time

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders research a year in history. In this research lesson, 5th graders choose a year between 1801 and 1999 and write three research questions to answer about their year. Students must include three major events and investigate...
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Curated OER

The Perfect City

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students analyze group influences on people, events and culture. They design their own perfect society and report it to the class.
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Curated OER

Real-Life History

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Learners collect artifacts which are part of their family/community history. They gather at home and share in the classroom at a specified time when extra care and supervision might be provided.
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Curated OER

A Nation Divided

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders participate in various activities related to the Civil War. In this Civil War lesson plan students understand the events and feelings of people during the Civil War by studying primary sources, journal writing, readings,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Historical Success Stories: Banneker, Blackwell, Drew, and Faraday

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders investigate how all races and religions have contributed to US history by looking at the scientists Elizabeth Blackwell, Benjamin Banneker, Charles Drew, and Michael Faraday. They research these scientists individually and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Keep on Pushing: Popular Music and the Civil Rights Movement

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers explore music that exemplified the Civil Rights Movement. In this music and history lesson, students research 1960's protest songs, Motown recorded music, and rap of the 1990's to consider the power of music and its...
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Curated OER

Rockin’ the World: Rock and Roll and Social Protest in 20th Century America

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students explore protest songs. In this interdisciplinary lesson, students examine issues-based music by summarizing lyrics and revealing inferences, generalizations, conclusions, and points of view found in the songs.
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Curated OER

Humanities in Colonial and Revolutionary America

For Teachers 8th - 11th
Students demonstrate dances of colonial America. In this colonial American lesson, students learn forms of colonial social dancing including the Juba and Virginia Reel. Students examine the history of the 2 dances as well.
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Curated OER

Cataloguing the Past

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students reflect on the Holocaust. In this Holocaust Memorial Day lesson, students visit selected Web sites to research the Holocaust and the establishment of a day of reflection regarding it. 
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Curated OER

Frontline Muslims: Overview of Muslim History and the Spread of Islam from the 7th to the 21st century

For Teachers 7th - Higher Ed
Students gain insight into how and when Islam was spread to various regions from the 7th century to today. They are able to identify and asses the importance of cultural and political factors in the spread of Islam and the effect it has...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Creative Content through Comics

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students identify the different parts of a comic strip and creat their own about the French and Indian War period. They share their comics with the class. They can compile them into a newspaper format if they choose.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Haiti: Exploration and Colonization

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders discuss what their prior knowledge of the exploration of the Americas/Caribbean and the history of the island of Haiti. They trace Columbus' journey from Spain to Hispaniola and locate Haiti in the Caribbean and read the...
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Curated OER

The Sixties Protests and Social Change

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students identify, examine and analyze photographs of the sixties to determine the forces of social change at work in America during this decade. They determine the goals of each movement and the methods used by each to achieve those goals.
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Curated OER

Eleanor Roosevelt and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students explore the leadership of Eleanor Roosevelt through the use of historical documents. They examine the complexity of the creation of international documents. Students explore the Human Rights Declaration.
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Curated OER

Facing the Challenge

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders identify and understand the impact of the environment on human experiences. They conduct research using the Internet and other available resources and use research to summarize their findings about the Lewis and Clark...