Curated OER
Historical Episodes
Students choose a historical book set in the Civil War. They create a flow chart of the steps involved in producing a film. They select one scene and prepare props, costumes and setting for the scene.
Curated OER
No Gun Ri, Korea
Students participate in a lesson conducting research about the Korean War. They investigate the different points of view that existed in the North and South of Korea. The concept is that there is two different points of interpretation of...
Curated OER
Lincoln's Legend and Legacy
Students evaluate Lincoln's impact on American History. In this Civil War activity, students view a film clip of writings about Lincoln. Students take notes and compare how the writings define his legacy. Students write their own poem or...
West Virginia Department of Education
Intelligence of Authentic Character - News Coverage and John Brown's Raid
The resource, a standalone, shows how news coverage of John Brown's Raid began when the event happened and how that reporting shaped perception in West Virginia history. The resource includes interesting anticipatory discussion...
Curated OER
Robert Smalls: Warrior and Peacemaker
Students research the events that led to the Civil War and the Reconstruction. For this Civil War history lesson, students study images of Robert Smalls and research his role in the Civil War. Students review the South Carolina...
Curated OER
You Ain't Whistling Dixie
Seventh graders complete a unit of lessons on the Civil War. They identify the factors that led to the Civil War, develop and perform a skit, research and write a report, or create a replica of art from Civil War period.
Curated OER
Bridges for All
Pupils describe how the brave word of one female Quaker served as a lifeline for fugitives before the Civil War. In this research instructional activity, students research several examples of the philanthropic work of individuals and...
Curated OER
Cotton Journey
Students use "Cotton Journey-A Field Trip In A Box" kit to relate the significance of cotton to the Civil War period and to study the cotton industry in general.
Curated OER
Fort Morgan
Students investigate how Mobile, Alabama was significant to the Confederacy during the Civil War. They analyze maps, read primary source documents, write a research paper on Civil War military technology, and explore the Fort Morgan...
Curated OER
After the American Revolution: Free African Americans in the North
Middle schoolers investigate the life of African Americans in the North during the American Revolution. They analyze how authors use various techniques to write biographies, read about Sojourner Truth, conduct research, and write an...
State Bar of Texas
Plessy v. Ferguson
Where did separate but equal originate and what does it mean? Scholars investigate the Supreme Court Case Plessy v. Ferguson. Using a short video clip, they analyze the impact the decision of legal segregation had on society in 1896....
PBS
Civil War: Face Jug
Students examine African American art. For this African American history lesson, students research face jugs created by African American freedmen after they watch a video about the artifact and its significance. Students then create...
Curated OER
Fugitive from Labor Cases:
Students examine the cases of Henry Garnett and Moses Honner, both of the 1850s. Students analyze the political climate building up to the Civil War through the lens of these similar cases with different outcomes.
Curated OER
The Underground Railroad and The Fugitive Slave Law of 1850
Students discover racism and slavery by completing a role playing activity. In this U.S. history lesson plan, students analyze documents from the Civil War era and describe the Fugitive Slave Law. Students view a video on YouTube about...
Curated OER
Civil War Documents In Brooklyn
Pupils investigate the use of monuments and why they are important for the study of history. They conduct research using a collection of primary sources. Students write a report about the information they find and present it to the class.
Stanford University
Observing Human Rights Day
How much intervention is appropriate for America to take in cases of human rights violations? Class members ponder a question that has lingered since the birth of America with a series of primary sources that reflect the degree to which...
Curated OER
Bridges for All: Better Way
Middle schoolers explore organizations founded for the common good. In this character education lesson, students read about organizations that developed for the common good during the Civil War and Reconstruction. In small groups, middle...
Curated OER
To Be Black and American: World War II
Twelfth graders research wartime conditions African American had to endure during World War II. They explain what role African Americans played in World War II and describe what life was like for African Americans in the United States...
Curated OER
Civil War in Indiana
Fourth graders investigate events that occurred in Indiana during the US Civil War. They brainstorm how Indiana was involved in the Civil War before working in small groups to conduct research on one specific event. They take roles in...
Curated OER
A Light in the Storm
Examine the genre of historical fiction while reading A Light in the Storm. They extract events in chronological order to make a timeline. Then, they use information in the book important to the characters to create a presentation of an...
Curated OER
Muhammad Ali and his Vietnam War Resistance: Defining Nonviolent Action through Gandhi and King
Students research Muhammad Ali's act of civil disobedience. In this civil disobedience lesson, students research Ali's defiance of the Vietnam War draft and compare his reasoning to Martin Luther King's thoughts on the war. Students...
Curated OER
The Underground Railroad
Students examine slavery and the civil war by creating a research project. In this underground railroad lesson, students create a KWL chart and decide on one of several creative projects they will complete about slavery....
West Virginia Department of Education
The Debate - John Brown: Martyr or Madman?
Did he die for a cause, or was he crazy? Although the resource discusses John Brown and West Virginia history, many historical figures have the same reputation. Teach learners about different perspectives and highlight the importance of...
Curated OER
Mapping the Changes
Learners research an aspect of life of their choosing of a western state either before the Civil War, after the war or today. They are to write about the aspect they choose and make illustrations.