Fourth graders complete a unit of lessons on the first seven presidents of the U.S. They conduct research, write a four-paragraph essay, and create posters and speeches for a simulated campaign convention.

Learners write about working in one branch of government.  For this branches of government lesson, students read about the three levels of government using various websites and then work in groups to discuss, illustrate and write...

Students create a list of characteristics of a president and reach consensus about the most important qualities.  In this electing a President lesson, students work in groups to choose the most important traits of a president and...

Students analyze campaign messages about tariffs in a 19th-century campaign song. They read and discuss the lyrics, complete an analysis worksheet, and identify the intended audience of the song's message.

Students study the Fourteen Points. They examine motives behind Wilson's Fourteen Points and why most of them were rejected by France. They answers questions concerning primary resources (casualty list and before and after...

Students identify and interpret the Declaration of Independence and the rights and privileges demanded in the document. They also identify how those rights and privileges have affected our history. Students then research about the...

Sixth graders research and examine the first ten amendments to the Constitution of the United States of America. They sequence events significant to this time period, read and discuss text, and in small groups prepare and present the...

Students examine the causes of dissatisfaction that led to the American Revolution. Then they make a Flap Vocabulary Book and glue on a map of the thirteen colonies and make a title page called "Road to War in it." Students also...

High schoolers identify and interpret some key figures and major events during the Cold War era, including the Korean War, Vietnam, Cuban Missile Crisis, Bay of Pigs Invasion, and the United States and China Cold War Relations. They...

Learners identify and interpret the different North American Indian groups, by region, and the type and impact of their interaction with Europeans. Then they complete an overview of one main Native American group during the age of...

Students conduct inquiries and research-acquiring, organizing, analyzing, interpreting, evaluating, and communicating facts, themes, and general principles operating in American history. They use the Declaration of Independence to...

Students research and cite arguments Jefferson used in objecting to the Sedition Act. They discuss Jefferson's opinion on how constitutional questions about the Sedition Act could be resolved.

High schoolers research and briefly summarize the international situation during John Adams's presidency. They list the concerns that led to the Sedition Act and describe it.

Students explore the different ads used by the military. They use media reports and the internet to research the war effort at home during World War II.

Students research the positions of civil defense and nuclear disarmament during the Cold War era. They participate in a class debate to support a given position.

Eighth graders research statistical data regarding their current social studies unit. They write questions about the measures of central tendency, collect and analyze the data, insert the data into a spreadsheet, and generate graphs.

Young scholars examine the Federal Confirmation Process for filling cabinet members by completing a confirmation process flow chart. They research the process, and participate in a mock Confirmation Process.

Students differentiate between positive and negative personal attributes and select a fictional character for nomination who personifies the qualities of a good leader. They use the Internet to learn about the election process and write...

Students examine the function of presidential debates. In this civics lesson, students view segments of presidential and vice presidential debates. Students analyze the answers given in the debates and identify the platforms of the...

Students list some issues important during the campaign of 1840. They compare and contrast the careers of Martin Van Buren and William Henry Harrison before they became president and explain why the Whigs wanted to find a candidate in...

Students analyze documents, cartoons, speeches and articles about Joseph McCarthy and his crusade against "Un-American" activities. They guide their research with a worksheet and participate in class discussions about their findings.

Everyone living in the United States today is a descendant from an immigrant—even Native Americans. Learn about the tumultuous history of American immigration with a reading passage that discusses the ancient migration over the Bering...

Students list some changes in presidential election laws and/or procedures since 1796, and cite examples from presidential campaign materials from 1824.

Young scholars give examples to indicate how voting participation changed in the first half of the 19th century, and make connections between changes in voting participation and the results of the election of 1828.