Curated OER
The Roots of Prohibition: Examining the Effort to Prohibit Alcohol in America
Five segements from Ken Burns' documentary series Prohibition, easily accessed on the PBS website, are at the center of a terrific short unit on the roots of America's ambivalent relationship with alcohol. Engage your secondary...
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Reading Political Cartoons: Prohibition in Alabama
What makes a cartoon political? The lesson plan provides learners with political cartoons and teaches how to analyze them using a five-step process. Scholars also complete a hands-on activity and participate in group discussions to...
PBS
Lessons in Leadership, Roosevelt Style
It's easy to criticize those in power until you're sitting at their desk, faced with the same decisions. A history activity prompts secondary learners to research the Roosevelt presidencies through the lens of leadership and...
Curated OER
The Volstead Act and Related Prohibition Documents
Learners listen to the 18th Amendment. After a discussion on Prohibition, the groups determine if it was a success or a failure and present their findings to the class. They view political cartoons of the day and analyze their meaning.
Judicial Learning Center
The Ratification Debate
Most Americans profess their love for the US Constitution, but this was not always the case. An informative lesson overviews the debate between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists by summarizing the main arguments of each side. It...
Broward County Schools
Women's Contributions to the United States
Betsy Ross, Toni Morrison, Sacajawea, Amelia Earhart, Maya Lin, Sally Ride, Judy Baca. No matter the subject area or the grade level you teach you will find much to value in a manual that focuses on the contributions U.S. women have...
Curated OER
Individuality vs. Conformity
Spark an animated debate in your class! Young adults consider some of the fads or trends that are prevalent at their school, as well as their own level of participation in them. Just how much of a role does popular culture play in their...
Curated OER
"Whispering Wires": Public Law vs. Individual Civil Liberties
High school student love discussing controversial issues like those brought up in this fourth amendment case study. They examine the 1928 Olmstead vs. U.S. prohibition court case, applying the fourth amendment to determine whether...
Curated OER
Prohibition Then; MADD Today
Middle schoolers examine consumer traits. In this economics lesson, students examine the separate histories of Prohibition and Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Middle schoolers participate in a classroom simulation to discover how the...
PBS
Using Primary Sources: Wide Open Town
A picture speaks a thousand words, no matter how old! Scholars use political cartoons from the era of Prohibition and the Temperance Movement to analyze what, a primary document (in this case, a bootlegger's notebook) is telling them...
PBS
The Roosevelts: An Intimate History—Snapshot Lessons
The Roosevelt family was one of the most influential and prominent political forces in the 20th century, leaving behind a wide-ranging legacy of conservation, progressivism, and economic growth. Learn more about President Theodore...
The New York Times
Where to Draw the Line: Balancing Government Surveillance with the Fourth Amendment
The question of how to balance Fourth Amendment Rights with national security concerns becomes critical in an age of planned terrorist attacks, election interference, and fake news. Get young social scientists involved in the debate with...
Newspaper Association of America
Using the Newspaper to Teach the Five Freedoms of the First Amendment
Of all the amendments found in The Bill of Rights, the First Amendment contains some of the most important freedoms for American citizens. A unit plan on the First Amendment features interactive lesson plans designed to teach about those...
Curated OER
Reporting on the 1920s
Use this roaring 1920s history instructional activity to have young writers research primary and secondary sources. They use their research to examine the events or famous public figures of the time period. Next, they imagine they're in...
Anti-Defamation League
Hair, Identity and Bias
Middle schoolers weigh in on dress codes, specifically those that apply to hair and make-up, with a lesson that uses a 2017 case from a charter school in Massachusetts. Class members read about two girls suspended for violating the...
National Endowment for the Arts
Teacher's Guide: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
A 10-lesson unit takes high schoolers through a novel study of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. To start, students learn about Fitzgerald's background and gain historical context that prepares them for a reading of the book. The...
Curated OER
Introduction to Reform Movements of the 1800s
Eleventh graders consider the impact of reform movements of the 19th century. In this Progressive Reform lesson, 11th graders examine documents and images associated with women's suffrage, prohibition, and labor reform. Students respond...
Curated OER
Italian Enemy Aliens During World War II: Evacuation from Prohibited Zones
Learners read and discuss the Enemy Alien Evacuation Order. They perform research by reading newspaper articles from February 1942 as well as investigating available information on the Internet. Students work in groups to create a...
Administrative Office of the US Courts
Texas v. Johnson
Which right does the Constitution weigh more heavily: the sanctity of the American flag as a symbol of national unity, or the right to burn the flag in protest? The 1989 Supreme Court case of Texas v. Johnson explores a...
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Clotilde, The Last Slave Ship
The Clotilde was the last known ship to bring slaves from Africa to the United States - good riddance! Dive into the details of the ship, its cargo, origin, and route, and learn about the future of the Africans on board...
Judicial Learning Center
Law and the Rule of Law
We hear a lot about the importance of the rule of law, but most people do not really know what those words mean. The lesson is a webpage that defines the rule of law, explains why it is important in a democratic society and provides...
Northshore School District
American Voices and Their Audiences
Those new to teaching an AP level language and composition prep course and seasoned veterans will find much to treasure in a unit that is designed to help young language scholars develop the skills they need to analyze the language...
Heritage Foundation
The Constitution, Federalism, and the States
The divide between federal and state government is responsible for much of tension that continues to this day, partly because of the US Constitution. The activities in the 14th lesson plan in a series of 20 are designed to help learners...
PBS
Evolution of the Presidency: Theodore Roosevelt to Franklin D. Roosevelt
How much power should a president be allowed to exert? Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin D. Roosevelt exercised their power according to their interpretations of the United States Constitution, and these interpretations affected the...