Curated OER
State of the "States"
Students consider indicators that mark a country's progress, examine how last year's State of the Union address has affected U.S. foreign policy, research issues deemed important in that speech, and create report cards assessing the...
Curated OER
U.S. Trade Deficit
High schoolers see how to define trade surplus and trade deficit, become acquainted with important U.S. trading partners and concerns of different interest groups.
Curated OER
Mexican American Labor in the U.S.
Students research the history of immigration, particularly from the perspective of Mexicans and Mexican Americans. In this Mexican American labor instructional activity, students research questions from the perspective of an assigned...
Curated OER
Lesson Plan on the U.S. Trade Deficit
Students examine the U.S. trade deficit. In this global economics lesson, students read excerpts of selected articles and analyze economic reports to identify the implications of having a deficit. Discussion questions are provided.
Curated OER
It's In Your Pocket
Students examine federal powers. In this U.S. Constitution lesson, students explore the powers of Congress to coin money. Students also study the meaning of the symbols on U.S. coins.
Curated OER
We the People Level 2
Students explore U.S. history by participating in a government activity. In this Constitution lesson, students identify the role government plays in our society and the differences the British colonies had in the early 18th century....
Curated OER
Constitutional Sort
In this U.S. Constitution worksheet, students complete a graphic organizer that requires them to list responsibilities of members of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches.
Curated OER
U.S. State Web Search
Second graders engage in an integrated lesson which combines classroom curriculum with Internet use of online reference resources. They, in pairs, are assigned a state to research on the internet. They utilize a worksheet imbedded in...
Advocates for Human Rights
Civic Engagement and U.S. Immigration Policy
To conclude their study of immigration and human rights, class members create a civic engagement project centered on an issue of immigration and designed to influence US immigration policy. They examine examples of attempts to influence...
Curated OER
U.S. Constitution and Amendments
Learners explore the framework of government and examine the Constitution to see its impact on their lives.
Curated OER
Slave Narratives: Constructing U.S. History Through Analyzing Primary Sources
Learners access oral histories that contain slave narratives from the Library of Congress. They describe the lives of former slaves, sample varied individual experiences and make generalizations about their research in journal entries.
Curated OER
U S Constitution--Checks and Balances
Students get an in-depth look at how our checks and balances system helps maintain the separating of powers between the three branches of government. They use current event head lines and insert them into he appropriate space on the...
Curated OER
Taxes in U.S. History: Tax Reform in the 1960s and 1980s
Students explain the content, purpose, and impact of the Tax Reform Acts of 1969 and 1986.
Curated OER
Was There an Industrial Revolution? New Workplace, New Technology, New Consumers
High schoolers examine the changes in the U.S. in the period of industrialization before the Civil War. They analyze census data, list/describe inventions and innovations, explore various websites, conduct a Factory Simulation activity,...
Curated OER
Was There an Industrial Revolution? Americans at Work Before the Civil War
High schoolers investigate the First U.S. Industrial Revolution. They identify positive and negative effects of early industrialization, read first-hand accounts, role-play and interview individuals, and participate in a debate.
Real Classroom Ideas
Bulletin Boards: License Plate Preamble
Decorate your social studies classroom with a bulletin board printable featuring the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution written on the license plates of all 50 states. Beginning with Alabama, and ending with Wyoming, the introductory text...
Curated OER
Where Did My Lunch Come From? A U.S. Regional Tour
Students explore the five regions of the United States. In this social studies lesson, students discuss the regions and the states located in that region. Students discuss the types of food produced in each region and analyze a school...
Curated OER
Where Did My Lunch Come From? A U.S. Regional Tour
Young scholars explore the regions from which their food comes. In this social studies lesson, students identify the different agricultural products that are found in the major regions of the United States. Young scholars create a lunch...
Curated OER
Dominican Immigration: Understanding the Push-Pull Factors of Immigration to the United States in the 1960's
Students complete a unit about the history and geography of the Dominican Republic and the reasons for Dominican immigration to the U.S. in the 1960's. They conduct Internet research, write a biographical sketch of Raphael Trujillo, and...
Curated OER
The U.S. White House
In this White House instructional activity, students learn a few facts about the President's house in Washington D.C. by reading a one paragraph text. Students answer 6 multiple choice questions. This is an online interactive...
Curated OER
The Branding of America (And Your State)
Students investigate about the origins of some major U.S. brands. They explore local products that stimulate the economy. Students create a map showing where those products originate. Students discover the products that their local area...
Curated OER
Regions of the United States
Your learners practice writing ideas on paper and logically presenting them in an organized manner. They brainstorm ways to write down ideas while creating a travelogue about a particular U.S. geographic region. When they present...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Lost Hero: Was John Hanson Actually the First President?
The first president of the United States was ... John Hanson? Scholars investigate the notion that the initial leader of the nation was not George Washington. Using research, articles, and open discussion, individuals create a quest for...
Curated OER
A Landmark Lesson: The United States Capitol Building
Students study the events in American history that affected the US Capitol Building. They name activities that happen in and around the Capitol by looking at primary source documents that are available online.