Curated OER
Minorities in Mainstream American Society
So many people fought for Civil Rights in the United States. Read about the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and discuss what the act guarantees. Then pass out a slew of magazines and encourage them to observe how often minorities appear in...
Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library & Museum
Practice Passing Laws
Getting a bill through the legislative process to become a law in the United States is a very long and difficult procedure by design! To understand the deliberation, debate, and compromises involved, class members take on the role of...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Educating About Immigration The DREAM Act
Group members role play state legislators, supporters of and opponents to the The DREAM Act (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors). After listening to the arguments put forth for and against the immigration legislation,...
Curated OER
American Revolution and Constitution Take-Home Assessment
In this early American history instructional activity, students draw diagrams of that feature the responsibilities of each of the 3 branches of the federal government and then create their own original visuals that highlight the...
Curated OER
American Revolution and Constitution Take Home Assessment
In this early American history worksheet, students create posters that feature the branches of government as established by the U.S. Constitution. Students also research founding ideals of the nation and use Venn diagrams to compare and...
Mr. Beem's Social Studies
Civil Rights Project: The Long Civil Rights Movement
Investigate milestones along the path that lead to the American Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. After researching key people, events, court cases, and legislative orders, teams present their findings as a magazine, newspaper, or...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Upton Sinclair, Theodore Roosevelt, and Harvey W. Wiley
Though Upton Sinclair's novel The Jungle shocked the American public into a thorough examination of the meat-packing industry, the author was disappointed that his book's main argument—the exploitation of American immigrants—was not part...
Curated OER
The Importance of Representative Democracy
Students examine the general concept of representative democracy, and compare/contrast the American representative democracy to the monarchical system. They research the role of legislative bodies in serving the government, particularly...
Curated OER
European Union Governance
Become familiar with the structure and functions of the European Union. As they conduct internet research, young historians use an attached worksheet to categorize the five main institutions of the EU. A flowchart worksheet also gives...
Curated OER
Legislating neutrality
Eleventh graders explore the Merchants of death thesis. In this American History lesson, 11th graders explain the Neutrality Laws. Students assess the overall effectiveness of US neutrality policy.
Curated OER
Road to Revolution
Young scholars discuss reasons war erupted between Britain and the colonies. They examine and explain critical events of the 1760s, and discuss what rights and beliefs Americans felt were being violated.
Curated OER
Living Under the Illinois Black Codes
Students use the text of the Illinois Black Codes to examine the laws in place. Using this information, they draw their own conclusions about why the laws existed in a free state. They also identify the purpose of these laws and how they...
Curated OER
JFK, LBJ, and the Fight for Equal Opportunity in the 1960s
Students examine the presidencies and John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. In this American history lesson, students specifically analyze the civil rights support of the 2 presidents and their support of civil rights legislation....
Curated OER
Reconstruction (1865–1877)
In this online interactive history worksheet, students respond to 7 short answer and essay questions about the causes and effects of Reconstruction following the American Civil War.
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: Bipartisan Reconciliation
In this current events worksheet, students analyze a political cartoon about bipartisan reconciliation in America and respond to 3 talking point questions.
Frontline
Obama's Deal
Government classes benefit from examining how a bill passes through Congress, while they focus on the compromises made by Obama's administration regarding health care reform. This includes an online video and a couple of handouts. The...
National Constitution Center
Thirteenth Amendment Poster
President Lincoln believed in the Thirteenth Amendment so strongly that he signed 14 copies of it, but died before he could see it passed on December 18, 1965. Explore the text that forever abolished slavery in America with a document...
ProCon
Penny
Twenty-nine percent of Americans want to abolish the one-cent coin, which begs the question: Is a penny saved really a penny earned? Scholars read fascinating facts about the history of the penny in preparation for a class debate or...
Curated OER
The Civil War (1861-1865) Through Maps, Charts, Graphs, & Pictures
True to its titles, this engaging and appealing presentation brings the 1860's into close focus with a number of images and statistics that would delight any Civil War buff. A few graphs allow for pupil input, such as listing the...
Curated OER
Does This Belong to You?
Fourth graders examine legislation that has been passed to protect the rights and religion of Native Americans. In groups, they discuss their feelings on others taking artifacts from Native American sites and what they do if they find...
Curated OER
Stepping Inside the Flowchart: How Does a Bill Become a Law?
Students explore the steps a bill must pass through to become a law and create a flow chart that maps the complexities of the process. They research the committees that are involved in a bill that relates to energy policy and the...
Curated OER
Jim Crow Laws and The American South
Students explore how Jim Crow laws affected the lives of people living in the south during pre and post-Civil Rights. Using a various research methods, students research various aspects of the Jim Crow south and complete a graphic...
Anti-Defamation League
Shirley Chisholm: Unbought, Unbossed and Unforgotten
A 13-page packet introduces high schoolers to a lady of amazing firsts. Shirley Chisholm was the first Black woman elected to Congress, the first Black woman to run for President of the United States, and a leader of the Women's Rights...
Curated OER
The Powers That Be
Young scholars investigate past energy legislation, then write letters to Congress from the perspective of citizens trying to influence the original passage of these bills. Each small group does their research using a website imbedded in...