Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Chaucer's Wife of Bath

For Teachers 11th - Higher Ed
A thorough and well-designed resource for older students, this lesson focuses on Chaucer's character the Wife of Bath from his classic novel, The Canterbury Tales. As a way of understanding Chaucer's complex characterization and...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Worksheet for Analysis of a Letter

For Students 7th - 12th
Dear Nancy, how do you analyze a letter? Love, Trez. Dear Trez, you use a Letter Analysis Worksheet. Love, Nancy. This richly detailed worksheet provides multiple questions that lead researchers step-by-step through the process of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exploring George Washington's Leadership

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students examine primary documents to determine whether or not George Washington was an honest leader. In this presidential history lesson plan, students evaluate Washington's leadership prior to and during his presidency. Guided reading...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rights and the Wyandotte Constitution

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Every state uses a set of rights to establish laws and regulations. Explore the Wyandotte Constitution as it was written in 1859 and compare it with how rights in Kansas have changed, especially those that pertain to gender and race. A...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Debate: Should the U.S. Annex the Philippines?

For Teachers 9th - 11th
Building an argument with supporting evidence is a vital skill. Learners engage in a debate over the annexation of the Philippines after the Spanish-American War. They take on the perspective of an individual from that time period,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"In Defense of My Race and Country": African-American Soldiers on Why They Are Fighting

For Teachers 8th - 10th
Why would an African-American slave fight in the Civil War? Read and analyze primary source documents to understand the ex-slave perspective on fighting in the Union Army. Everything to complete this lesson is included.
Lesson Plan
National WWII Museum

More Than Words Can Say: Analyzing Visual Materials as Primary Sources

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
The propaganda of World War II was a key factor in galvanizing the home front. Class members examine images—without their text—to consider their messages, including those around race and gender. Using pictures and discussion questions,...
Worksheet
3
3
Humanities Texas

Primary Source Worksheet: Excerpt from the Diary of Union Soldier Samuel Cormany

For Students 8th - 11th Standards
Young historians read and analyze a soldier's direct account of his participation in the battle of Gettysburg, as well as consider the overall strategy and tactics taken by the Union and Confederate troops.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Native Americans of the Chesapeake Bay: Using Primary vs. Secondary Sources

For Teachers 4th - 5th Standards
Discover the rich Native American culture that existed at the time of early European exploration into the Chesapeake region through analysis of several primary and secondary sources.
Lesson Plan
1
1
Historical Thinking Matters

Spanish-American War: 3 Day Lesson

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Why did the United States choose to invade Cuba in 1898? As part of a 3-day lesson, your young historians will first develop working hypotheses to answer this question, then work with a variety of historical primary source documents that...
Lesson Plan
1
1
George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum

Teaching Primary and Secondary Sources

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
What makes a source primary or secondary? Middle schoolers read a definition of each term before exploring different examples and applying their knowledge to a research project.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Henry VII - How Did Henry VII Get Up In the Morning?

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Examine the daily life of Henry VII. In this Henry VII lesson, learners answer questions about the life in Medieval times after looking at primary source documents which are translated into contemporary English.
Worksheet
Curated OER

How Were European Nations Capable of Dominating the African Continent?

For Students 7th - 8th
Primary source documents provide a realistic context for pupils to explore. Included are 5 experts relating European ideals and methods for colonizing and controlling the African continent. Middle schoolers answer 4 critical-thinking...
Unit Plan
1
1
Echoes & Reflections

Survivors and Liberators

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
The end was just the beginning. The period immediately after the end of World War II and the Holocaust is often called "The Return to Life" as survivors looked to reunite and recreate broken families and shattered lives. A two-lesson...
Lesson Plan
Historical Thinking Matters

Social Security: 3 Day Lesson

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
What does social security reveal about the political and social culture of the 1930s? After beginning with a brief introductory video on the impact of the Great Depression and how various Americans, such as Huey Long and Francis...
Unit Plan
1
1
Echoes & Reflections

The Children and Legacies Beyond the Holocaust

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Using video testimony, primary source documents that detail international agreements, and structured discussions, learners consider the precarious position of children during the Holocaust and other international conflicts, and how to...
Unit Plan
1
1
Echoes & Reflections

The Ghettos

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Young historians examine primary sources, including diaries, poems, and photographs, to consider the conditions in the ghettos and how they fit into the escalation of the Third Reich's plot against the Jewish people. 
Lesson Plan
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media

Differences Among Colonial Regions

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Classes look at and analyze primary source images to explore the differences between the colonial regions during the Revolutionary era. They break into groups to tackle each region and then present their findings to the class. A final...
Lesson Plan
1
1
Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary

Franklin’s Fair Hand American Journalism

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Scholars know him for his role in the American Revolution, but Ben Franklin was also a journalist and printer. Learners investigate his standards for what was fit to print using primary sources—including writings where Franklin explains...
Assessment
1
1
New York State Education Department

Global History and Geography Examination: August 2011

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
The Mongols, Spanish, and Ottomans all rewrote history with their conquest and control of empires. Yet, each made its mark differently. Using a variety of secondary and primary sources, pupils consider the similarities and differences...
Activity
Digital Public Library of America

The Poetry of Maya Angelou

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Maya Angelou's work reflects her passion for life, civil rights, and justice for all. A collection of 12 primary sources provide scholars with insight into this amazing woman. The set includes photographs, articles, recordings of...
Activity
Digital Public Library of America

Voting Rights Act of 1965

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Despite the passing of the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments, as well as the passing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the struggle to ensure fair voter registration and election procedures continues. Young historians...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Building Background Knowledge: The Internment of Japanese-Americans during WWII, Part 3

For Teachers 8th Standards
Check those sources carefully. Scholars learn to analyze and critique primary sources with the work they completed in the previous activity. Learners compare and contrast sources that agree and disagree about Japanese-American internment...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Who Fought for the Confederacy?

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Did the Confederate Army really consist of southern volunteers? Using primary sources, historians examine the story behind the "Twenty Negro Law" and realities of conscription during the Civil War. A letter and a lithograph (included as...

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