Curated OER
The Pre-Civil War Era (1815–1850)
In this online interactive history quiz worksheet, students respond to 50 multiple choice questions about the United States from 1815-1850. Students may submit their answers to be scored.
Curated OER
Victorian America: Reflections of Life in Death
Learners, after viewing a video and researching the changes in society during the Victorian period, assess a prediction-confirmation guide to consider how changes in burial customs in the late 1800's reflect the changes in society as a...
Annenberg Foundation
Social Realism
Many American writers in the late nineteenth century wanted their writing to reflect real life. Individuals watch and discuss a video, read and explore author biographies, write a journal entry and a poem, and complete a multimedia...
Curated OER
Coming to America
Through this set of three lessons about Ellis Island, class members will learn about why immigrants came to the United States, find out about the difficulties that went along with coming to America, become familiar with the immigration...
Annenberg Foundation
America's History in the Making: Classroom Applications Three
How can primary sources bring history to life? Scholars create detailed lesson plans on the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries in American history. The 17th installment of a 22-part program exploring American history examines...
Digital Public Library of America
Teaching Guide: Exploring Little Women
Louisa May Alcott's Little Women is a literary masterpiece as well as a timestamp of the formative mid-nineteenth century in America. Using a primary source set of photographs, letters, and portraits, readers discuss the ways...
American Evolution
Virginia Runaway Slave Ads
What does an ad reveal about a culture, or about the values of its intended audience? Class members examine a series of runaway slave ads—one of which was written by Thomas Jefferson—and consider what these primary source documents...
Curated OER
Civil War
Students consider what it was like for black regiments during the Civil War. In this American Civil War lesson, students view segments of "Glory," and "The Descendants of the 29th Regiment." Students discuss the conditions of black...
Curated OER
Book: Crossing the Seas
As learners read each chapter of Eric Schwartz's Crossing the Seas, they analyze the actions of United States in Venezuela, Hawaii, Cuba, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and the intent of the Monroe Doctrine. They then compare American...
VH1
Lessons for Hight School Music Classes: Lesson 1
The phrase, "You sold out" has been thrown around among musicians that have lent their talents to the corporate world. Here, the class engages in an interesting discussion on how musicians make a living and the influence of commercialism...
Curated OER
Folk Art: Bird of Paradise Quilt Top
Learners examine a "Bird of Paradise Quilt Top" to discover what the themes and patterns tell about mid-nineteenth-century America. In this American Folk Art lesson, students discuss the possible creator of the quilt and the symbols...
Curated OER
From Bolls to Bolts
Fifth graders explore the economic effects of the colonization of North America. In this Social Studies activity, 5th graders examine the economic and cultural results that occurred due to North America entering the market. Students...
Curated OER
Turn of the Century Immigration
High schoolers explore the immigration wave that hit the United States in 19th century. In this immigration lesson, students examine primary and secondary sources to determine what the immigration experience was like for new citizens....
Curated OER
Situation of America, 1848
Students explore 19th century American artwork. In this cross curriculum New York history and art appreciation lesson plan, students view a reproduction of the painting "Situation of America, 1848," and identify visual symbols and...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Understanding the Context of Modernist Poetry
Students examine the historical, social, and cultural context of modernist poetry. They explore websites, complete a chart, compare/contrast rural and urban life, watch a video of early New York, and complete a writing assessment...
Curated OER
1900 America: Primary Sources and Epic Poetry
Using Walt Whitman's Song of Myself and Hart Crane's The Bridge as models, class groups first craft their own epic poems for 1900 and, using primary sources, create a multi-media presentation that captures the sights and sounds of life...
Curated OER
Territorial Expansion
Eleventh graders brainstorm a list of characteristics of adolescence. They use selected websites and draw a parallel between the characteristics of adolescence and the characterisitcs of Romanticism, as seen in visual art and literature.
Curated OER
Development of Labor Unions
Students examine the conditions that led to organized labor unions. In this 20th century America instructional activity, students compare and contrast the Knights of Labor Constitution, the American Federation of Labor Constitution, and...
Curated OER
The Industrial Age in America: Robber Barons and Captains of Industry
Young scholars define terms "robber baron" and "captain of industry," list positive and negative actions of one or more captains of industry/robber barons, and take and support stand as to whether particular financier/industrialist is or...
Curated OER
Exploring Racism in America
Students compare racism today to racism that existed during the nineteenth century. As a field research project, students individually keep track of examples of racism, biases, and stereotypes illustrated throughout the US media over a...
Curated OER
America's First Pictures
Fifth graders visit the Smithsonian website to search online for early photo archives about life in the mid-nineteenth century.
Curated OER
Debating for Land
Young scholars discover about the varying attitudes and definitions of land ownership held by Native and European Americans. They study a variety of primary documents from the nineteenth century.
National Constitution Center
Address America: Your Six-Word Stump Speech
Stump speeches are the focus of this exercise that combines politics and language arts. After learning about this type of speech, the class listens to Obama's 2008 presidential campaign stump speech and answers a series of questions that...
Curated OER
Ship of Gold
Learners research the events that were taking place in the U.S. during the time period when the SS Central America sank, and explore the adventurous, innovative, and individualistic traits that often define the American spirit.