Curated OER
Our National Symbol
Students identify the bald eagle as the national symbol of the United States and explain what the symbol represents. They work to create their own symbol and explain why their created symbol is an appropriate representation of the United...
Curated OER
Loyalist? Ghosts of the Hudson River Valley
Students examine how national events effect them in New York. They examine case studies about individuals who represent different groups in society.
Curated OER
Continuity and Change
Students identify those freedoms most important to them and identify characteristics of a "good" rule. They then develop "good" rules for the world and identify how decisions or rules made today might affect the future.
Curated OER
Political statements and protected speech
Students research and investigate what laws exist about freedom of speech. They write an article about this topic. Students interview the students at their school on this topic. They take a stand and support their stand with facts.
Teaching Tolerance
Free to Believe!
The United States: One nation with countless religions. An interesting lesson focuses on the freedom of religion protected under the First Amendment. Academics learn why it is important to protect all religions, why there is a separation...
Library of Virginia
Antebellum Freedom
From indentured servitude to involuntary race-based servitude, slavery has taken many forms in American history. Class members examine three manumission petitions that reveal how the rights of African Americans and African American...
Newseum
Free Press Challenges Through History: Analyzing Historical Sources
The debate over the integrity of stories in media is not new. Young journalists analyze historical sources that reveal freedom of the press controversies and draw parallels to challenges freedom of the press faces today.
Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary
Reading the Work of B. Franklin, Printer
Placing Ben Franklin’s ideas about a free press next to those embodied in the First Amendment sheds light on both. Learners interpret and compare two primary sources and then examine them in the light of a contemporary survey about...
Curated OER
The Revolutionary War: The Battle For Freedom
Eighth graders examine the events leading up to the Revolutionary War with a focus on the Boston Tea Party. Using the internet, they discover why the tea was dropped into the harbor by the colonists and research the Intolerable Acts. ...
Curated OER
Foreign War and Domestic Freedom: A Delicate Balancing Act
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.
Curated OER
How Did Slavery Impact Our Nation?
Fifth graders closely examine the effects of slavery on American society giving special emphasis to the issue of social injustice, the life of Harriet Tubman, the underground railroad and the achievements of Abraham Lincoln during this...
Curated OER
Terrorist, Freedom Fighter, or Something in Between?
Students identify that history can characterize actions differently from how they were perceived when initially undertaken. Then they identify that terrorist groups exist within a political, cultural, and historical context, and students...
Curated OER
Stories of Freedom and Justice: Learning Resources
Students are introduce to the topic of nonviolence and civil rights by watching a video. In this stories of freedom lesson, students examine the Supreme Court's role in interpreting the U.S. Constitution. Students analyze how conflict...
Curated OER
The National Economy - Measures and Models
Students review economic goals and evaluate progress in achieving those goals. They focus on equity, efficiency, economic freedom and growth. They provide and example of a production decision for the economy as a whole.
Curated OER
Why Are Some Nations Wealthy?
Students analyze collected date to determine if selected nations are poor or rich. They list the nations in order from richest to poorest and discuss factors for long-term growth.
Stanford University
Civil Rights or Human Rights?
Young citizens consider the American civil rights movement as part of the global struggle for human rights. After using a timeline activity to learn about the major events in the civil rights movement, class members study Malcolm X's...
National Endowment for the Humanities
American Diplocmacy in World War II
The end of World War II saw the world deeply changed over the last few years. Four thorough lessons explore post-war Europe, America, and Asia through reading assignments and discussion questions about the Grand Alliance and the signing...
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: Drawing Attention to Government Secrecy
How much do we know about our government? This engaging topic for teens is made especially interesting through analysis of 2 political cartoons. Background information on Sunshine Week makes the cartoons more accessible, and 3 talking...
Curated OER
Avoiding Armageddon
PBS has written a series of lessons on avoiding Armageddon. This is instructional activity 4 of 5 and focuses on defining terrorism. Upper graders watch episode 3 of "Avoiding Armageddon - The New Face of Terror," read how terrorism is...
Curated OER
Bill of Rights
Students discuss the government as a whole and then each amendment is examined. They complete a Bill of Rights test in groups or on their own. Answers are gone over in class and discussion is encouraged.
Curated OER
The Four Freedoms
Seventh graders consider the freedoms they hold dear. In this historical perspectives lesson, 7th graders identify 4 freedoms that they have and then compare them to the listed freedoms in Franklin D. Roosevelt's "Four Freedoms" speech.
Curated OER
Landmark Supreme Court Cases and the Constitution: National Socialist Party of America v. Village of Skokie (1977)
Learners examine the impact of court decisions. In this Supreme Court lesson, students read the National Socialist Party of America v. Village of Skokie (1977) case study regarding First Amendment Rights. Learners take notes on the case...
Curated OER
Freedom of Information Day
In this Freedom of Information Day worksheet, learners complete activities such as reading a passage, phrase matching, fill in the blanks, correct words, multiple choice, spelling sequencing, scrambled sentences, asking questions,...
Curated OER
American History Operation Iraqi Freedom
Students consider the responsibilities of American troops. In this Operation Iraqi Freedom lesson, students watch video segments regarding the work of the Arkansas National Guard. Students research media sources to determine the balance...