Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Federalist 47

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students will analyze and evaluate political propaganda. In this instructional activity on the Federalist movement, students will examine the Federalist papers and analyze the Anti-Federalist argument mage against constitutional...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What's Civil About War?

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students study about the Civil War through primary sources used in the PBS production of "Freedom: A History of US" based on Joy Hakim's books, "A History of US", and the companion PBS Web site.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

One Room School House Reading Lesson

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explore schools during the Colonial period. In this American history lesson, students participate in a simulation of school days in Colonial America. Students visit a museum and use the schoolhouse as a setting for their...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Tolerance in Times of Trial

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students view the treatment of people of Japanese and German descent during World War II. They explore the problems in assigning blame to populations during times of war. They identify modern examples of discrimination and stereotyping.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Major Events Leading to the American Revolution

For Teachers 8th - 11th
Students explore the causes of the American Revolution. In this taxation without representation lesson plan, students analyze political cartoons in order to gain an understanding of the efforts of the colonists to resolve conflict with...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Civil War Medicine

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders discover details about medical care during the American Civil War. In this medical advancements lesson plan, 8th graders participate in classroom station activities that require them to study doctors, amputation, medical...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Once Upon a Castle

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Students complete a variety of activities surrounding castle communities and fairy tales. They write a letter to a fairy tale character, write a fairy tale, create a model of a castle, and draw a map of a castle community.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Foreign War and Domestic Freedom: A Delicate Balancing Act

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate civil liberties in the U.S. They watch and discuss a PowerPoint presentation, conduct research on an event from a timeline, complete a worksheet, take an ideology quiz, and conduct a debate.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Passing Down Family History Through Oral Tradition: Corridos

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students create and perform Corridos which are oral tradition ballads. In this Passing Down Family History Through Oral Tradition lesson, students interview family members using a predetermined list of questions. In addition, students...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

South Carolina: Loyalist or Patriot?

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders examine the battle waged in South Carolina over the American Revolution. In this American Revolution activity, 8th graders analyze primary sources as they determine how the Loyalists and Patriots chose sides in the war.
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National Endowment for the Humanities

Faulkner's As I Lay Dying: Images of Faulkner and the South

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Learners research one aspect of the life of Faulkner and the culture of the South.  For this As I Lay Dying instructional activity, learners explore a webpage on Faulkner and write a summary.  Learners analyze the images...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Political and Cultural Road to the American Revolution

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Learners examine the Declaration of Independence. For this Revolutionary War instructional activity, students use primary sources to analyze how the creation of the Declaration of Independence lead to the development of the United States...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Slave Culture during the Age of Jackson

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students consider slave culture during the time of Andrew Jackson. In this lesson on slavery, students watch a PowerPoint presentation, take notes, then analyze an extensive list of primary sources in order to understand what and how...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Portraits of History

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders research the Post-Revolution to Pre-Civil War era by investigating the life and contributions of a notable person. They create silhouettes which are framed with timeline. Also, they add the research information to the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Slices of American Pie: The 1960s Through Music

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders examine political, cultural, and social movements through music. In this 1960s American history lesson, 11th graders explore the music of the decade in order to better understand the complexity of the time period....
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National Endowment for the Humanities

From Courage to Freedom: Slavery's Dehumanizing Effects

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners analyze slavery and its effects on humanity using Frederick Douglass' autobiography. In this slavery instructional activity, students analyze instances of reality and romanticized myth using a slave narrative. Learners explore...
Lesson Plan
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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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

United States Entry into World War I: A Documentary Chronology of World War I

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders reconsider the events leading to U.S. entry into World War I through the lens of archival documents.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The First American Party System: A Documentary Timeline of Important Events (1787-1800)

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers conduct research on the events of the end of the 18th century in order to identify critical factors leading to the development of the Federalist and Democratic-Republican political parties. They summarize the key positions...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A World of Money

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students explore the traditions related to the creation of national currencies. The role currency plays in shaping a national or regional identity and the influences that the designers of world currency exert are examined in this lesson.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Reaganomics Debate

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine the effectiveness of 'trickle down' economics. In this "Reaganomics" lesson, students use readings, analogies, discussion and debate to understand basic economic concepts. Students will analyze the what they think are...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Introduction to World Religions - Hinduism

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders explore Hinduism. For this world religions lesson, 6th graders listen to a lecture about the attributes of the religion and then listen to and perform parts of The Remayana. Students also complete a map activity based on...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The First American Party System: Federalists and Democratic-Republicans: The Platforms They Never Had

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate the beginnings of the political party system in the US. They determine the key positions of both the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans. They compare the views of the early political parties with those of today.
Lesson Plan
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.