Curated OER
Cuban Missile Crisis in Thirteen Days
Eleventh graders explore the Cuban Missile Crisis. In this Cuban Missile Crisis lesson, 11th graders take notes from a PowerPoint presentation regarding the topic and then watch the film "Thirteen Days". Students participate in...
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Dueling Telegrams: 1963 Verbal Power Play Between Wallace and JFK
Information, inferences, and innuendos. Text and subtext. Class members examine telegrams exchanged between President John F. Kennedy and Alabama Governor George Wallace, studying both what is stated and what is implied by the...
Curated OER
A Day at Mount Vernon
Pupils discover daily life on George Washington's plantation, Mount Vernon. In this compare and contrast lesson plan, students examine the life styles at four distinct sites at Mount Vernon to become familiar with the people,...
Curated OER
Dear Presidential Diary
Students discover how a president spends the day. In this presidential history lesson, students research primary sources in order to write their own diaries for presidents that include suggestions of laws, managing personnel, budgeting,...
Curated OER
I'm Number One!
Fourth graders complete a unit of lessons on the first seven presidents of the U.S. They conduct research, write a four-paragraph essay, and create posters and speeches for a simulated campaign convention.
Curated OER
Make Your Own Presidential Museum
Students create presidential presentations. In this presidential lesson plan, students research a president and create their own museum presentation for that president. They create a script or brochure and make costumes.
Curated OER
A Nation's Voice
Students research the Constitution and the War Powers Act in order to determine what the powers of the government are in times of conflict. They answer a series of questions then write a legal brief either supporting or condemning the...
Curated OER
Indian Removal to the Great American Desert
Seventh graders examine American policies to relocate Native Americans. For this Native American history lesson, 7th graders determine why Native Americans were relocated and investigate their response to the policies as they analyze...
Curated OER
Choices and Commitments: The Soldiers at Gettysburg
Students investigate the Gettysburg Campaign and the major actions for each day of the battle. They read primary source documents, write a diary entry, analyze the Gettysburg Address, and write a persuasive speech regarding an issue in...
Curated OER
Helping Students Do History on the First Day of Class
Students watch a video about Barack Obama and problems he faces as the president. In this president lesson plan, students write their own list and then compile a class list of problems and discuss them.
Curated OER
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site: Birthplace of the Modern Presidency
Students examine the circumstances under which Theodore Roosevelt first became President of the United States and how his policies and actions modernized the presidency.
Curated OER
Thomas Jefferson: Philosopher of Freedom
Learners view a documentary on Thomas Jefferson. Statesman, scientist, architect, president-he was America's dashing Renaissance man. After viewing, students discuss what they saw then write their own version of a biography of Thomas...
Curated OER
Ten Crucial Days- George Washington as a Hero Figure
Students identify the heroic qualities of George Washington. In this Revolutionary War lesson, students recognize heroic qualities and construct a Hero Hall of Fame. Students construct posters that exemplify heroic traits.
Curated OER
Ten Crucial Days-How to Win a War You Should Lose
Students research the victories of Washington at Trenton and Princeton. In this Revolutionary War lesson, students investigate and discuss the factors of Washington's victories and use maps to identify the strategy Washington used....
Curated OER
Mark Twain: Straddling the Civil War
Mark Twain's life, politics, writing, and role as a mirror of pre- and post-Civil War American culture are the focus 11th and 12th graders in this section from an expansive author study. A critical writing assignment comparing Twain...
Curated OER
The Role of Affirmative Action in the Civil Rights Movement
Students debate Affirmative Action. In this Civil Rights lesson plan students examine the development of affirmative action. Students discuss whether affirmative action is advancing equality and civil rights or not.
Curated OER
The Battle Over Reconstruction: The Aftermath of Reconstruction
Students examine the Reconstruction Era. In this American history lesson, students explore the condition of the United States following the Civil War as they read statistical data. Students analyze the Reconstruction policies to...
National First Ladies' Library
Latin: The Language of Ancient Rome
Middle schoolers gain understanding about where some of today's words originated by reviewing a list of Latin words and their meanings. They work in small groups to create dictionary pages which will then be compiled into a large...
Curated OER
Memorandum of a Conference with President Eisenhower after Sputnik
Students document and list excerpts from a document that shows how calmly officials reacted to the launching of Sputnik. They research contemporary magazines and newspaper articles of the day as well.
Curated OER
Challenges Faced by the New Nation's Presidents
Sixth graders, while in the computer lab utilizing the internet, locate primary sources to interpret and analyze the struggle of the new nation to gain the respect of European countries. They interact with a worksheet that organizes...
Curated OER
Presidents: Past and Present
Students identify George Washington and the current president and distinguish between past and present events. They listen to a text about Washington and make predictions. They generate a list of synonyms for past and present and...
Curated OER
History of the Net
Students examine the history and the development of the net from its defense creation in 1969 to Vice President Gore's Information Superhighway in the ninety's. this lesson was originally written for librarians who have had little or no...
Curated OER
Our Unfinished Work
Students investigate the racism elements after the election of President Barack Obama. For this racism lesson, students read a recent article about 'post-racial' society. Students compile a list of achieving a post-racial society and...
National First Ladies' Library
Anarchists
High schoolers identify and gain an understanding of the politics behind the killing of President McKinley, as well as the anarchist movements that continue to exist worldwide. Then they select a form of anarchy and write a short story...