Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Durable Memento: Portraits by Augustus Washington

For Teachers 7th - 11th
Students read primary source newspaper articles from mid 19th century United States. The topics of the articles are slavery, abolitionism and colonization. Students are given several options for activities based on the readings.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Criminal or Hero

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders explore the origins of slavery.  In this US History instructional activity, 5th graders create a map of the United States that shows where slavery existed.  Students examine the life of a Northern slave through...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Writing Exercises: Ancient Greece

For Students 6th - 10th
Combine subjects with a cross-curricular writing exercise. Although limited as an engaging or interactive activity, this Ancient Greece assignment has learners responding to 3 clear and simple prompts, each of which can easily lead into...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Freedom for All? The Contradictions of Slavery and Freedom in the Maryland

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students are be able to analyze the contrast between the rights and privileges referenced in the Declaration of Independence and the Maryland State Constitution in comparison to the rights and privileges of slaves. They are be able to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Creating an Abolitionist Newspaper

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders develop an understanding of the lives of slaves and their quest for freedom. They develop an understanding of the people who fought against slavery and the efforts that were made by them to create a better life for all...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lesson Five: Newsflash: CBS Evening News

For Teachers 9th - 11th
Students observe a CBS Evening News clip which they request in advance. They investigate the four major types of modern-slavery. They present a visual image and identify personal elements in the life of a modern day slave.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Underground Railroad

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners use vocabulary related to the Underground Railroad. They identify key facts related to the Underground Railroad, evaluate their personal responses to the Underground Railroad and make a judgment about the morality of the...
Lesson Plan
Alabama Department of Archives and History

Runaway Slaves in Alabama: Individual Freedom Fighters in the 1800s

For Teachers 10th - 12th Standards
Class pairs examine eight runaway slave advertisements from the mid-1800s to develop an understanding of the conditions slaves faced and of race relations.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Causes of the Civil War

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders identify and discuss the causes of the Civil War. They define the vocabulary terms-Civil War, economy, plantations, abolitionist, secede, and slave; read and discuss reading passages about the Civil War, and answer...
Primary
Cornell College

Dred Scott v. Sandford Supreme Court Decision

For Students 8th - 12th Standards
Dred Scott was a harbinger of the Civil War. An enslaved man claimed freedom because his owner had taken him into free territory. Not only did the Supreme Court rule that Dred Scott and his wife were to remain enslaved, but it also ruled...
Lesson Plan
Alabama Department of Archives and History

Alabama Slave Codes in 1833: What They Can Teach Us About Slaves Themselves

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
After viewing a short PowerPoint about Nat Turner's rebellion, class groups examine Alabama's 1833 slave codes. Individuals then develop a mini-legal brief arguing against one particular slave law.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rights and Responsibilities, Is It Breaking the Law?

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Young scholars investigate the life and trial of Rev. John Mahan who was involved with the illegal Underground Railroad. The issue of breaking the law to help slaves escape is examined in this lesson.
Lesson Plan
American Chemical Society

Norbert Rillieux, Thermodynamics and Chemical Engineering

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The man who invented the earliest examples of chemical engineering was an American-born, French-educated, free man of color before the Civil War, and went on to translate Egyptian hieroglyphics. There is something of...
Study Guide
Reed Novel Studies

Underground To Canada: Novel Study

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
Julilly dreams of freedom after being taken from her mother by a slave trader. Will she ever be free again? A resource focuses on the first chapter of Barbara Smucker's book Underground to Canada, and includes 10 vocabulary...
Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

African-American Communities in the North Before the Civil War

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Middle schoolers may be surprised to learn that before the American Civil War there were more slaves living in New York than there were in Kentucky! Young historians examine maps and census data to gather statistics about...
Lesson Plan
Middle Level Learning

Philip Reid and the Statue of Freedom

For Teachers 8th - 11th Standards
Approach the concept of freedom in United States history from a variety of angles and delve into rich primary source analysis practice. Pupils study the Statue of Freedom, which sits atop the dome of the Capitol building in...
Lesson Plan
Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History

Women Abolitionists

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine the role of women abolitionists during the Civil War. Using essays and biographies, they try to identify the race and class of the different women activists and determine the expectations of the genders during this time....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

All About Nicknames: New Mexico quarter reverse

For Teachers K - 1st
Most of the states in the union have a nickname. Using the New Mexico state quarter as an example, pupils try to figure out why particular states have particular nicknames. They think about all the reasons New Mexico might be called...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water Cycling in the Wilderness: Alaska quarter reverse

For Teachers K - 1st
The Alaskan wilderness contains every imaginable element of the water cycle: it has flowing streams, cool spring rain, and frozen glaciers. Pupils use a series of worksheets to identify and define evaporation, condensation, and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Four Famous Faces

For Teachers K - 1st
Each one of our quarters is embellished with a famous face or image representing the state it came from. This lesson uses South Dakota's state quarter to get kids thinking about monetary value, what the president of the United States...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Let the Music Play: Bicentennial quarter reverse

For Teachers K - 1st
To better understand who George Washington was and why we celebrated the bicentennial, pupils read a story and complete a worksheet. They sing and talk about the song, "Yankee Doodle Dandy" as they march around the room.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Special Traits: Alabama quarter reverse

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Who knew a state quarter could say so much? Alabama's quarter is embossed with an image of Helen Keller, pupils will use this image to think about what the phrase "Spirit of courage" means. They will use a graphic organizer to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Amazing metals: Nevada quarter reverse

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Nevada's nickname is "The Silver State" and metal is what this lesson is all about. Pupils will make a T-chart to discuss the differences between metals and minerals, then write and explain the properties of metal. They will get into...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Distinguished Discoveries: Florida quarter reverse

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Florida's state quarter has an image of a space shuttle and a Spanish Galleon on its reverse side. Pupils will examine the state quarter and think about how the Spanish explorers and Space explorers are the same and different. The class...

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