Beverly Hills High School
Congress of Vienna 1815
Europe was changing in the early nineteenth century, and the Congress of Vienna largely sought to slow and contain those sweeping changes. A slideshow presentation illustrates the details of the Congress of Vienna, including its three...
Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary
Reading the Work of B. Franklin, Printer
Placing Ben Franklin’s ideas about a free press next to those embodied in the First Amendment sheds light on both. Learners interpret and compare two primary sources and then examine them in the light of a contemporary survey about...
Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary
Designing Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World
How do you convey someone’s creativity? Individuals answer the question as they design exhibitions to showcase the intellect and genius of Benjamin Franklin. After conducting research, classmates work in groups to try to capture and...
Center for Civic Education
Lesson 2: Suffrage Amendments
Youngsters examine selected amendments to the Constitution to determine how voting requirements in the US have changed from the colonial days to the present.
K12 Reader
Summarize It: President Theodore Roosevelt's 7th Annual Message to Congress
How did Theodore Roosevelt stress the importance of conservation during his time as president of the United States? Take a closer look at the language Roosevelt used himself in a 1907 address to Congress, and have your young...
Channel Islands Film
Cache: Lesson Plan 4 - Grades 4-5
After viewing the West of the West's documentary Cache, individuals craft either a newspaper article chronicling the discovery of the cache on San Nicolas Island, a historical narrative of the placement of the cache in the cliff side, or...
Council for Economic Education
Business in the Middle Ages: Working in a Guild
Long before modern labor unions, guilds worked to ensure that workers had a fair wage. But, in medieval Europe, they also cooperated with the government. Using a simulation and primary source analysis, young scholars become hatters in...
Skills Workshop
Rosa Louise Parks
One moment can define the rest of your life—and in the case of Rosa Parks and her famous decision in December 1955, it can define the trajectory of a nation. Elementary readers learn more about the life and message of Rosa Parks with an...
Curated OER
"Shooting An Elephant": George Orwell's Essay on his Life in Burma
Pupils read an essay by George Orwell's life in Burma and place it in its cultural and historical context. They identify the main points of the essay and Orwell's use of symbolism in the essay. They explain how each persuasive tool...
Curated OER
The Collaborative Works of Rodgers and Hammerstein: Show Business
Students study the work of Rodgers and Hammerstein in an historical context of the development of American musical theatre as an art form. Students explore "roots" of the genre as it evolves in last half of the 19th and first two decades...
Facing History and Ourselves
Emmett Till: Examining the Choices People Made
The choices made by Roy Bryant and J.W. Millam, the men who murdered Emmett Till in 1955, are usually the ones people ponder when they examine the case. But other individuals made choices that contributed to the event and its subsequent...
Facing History and Ourselves
Emmett Till: Connecting the History of Lynching to The Murder
Though the murder of Emmett Till shocked 1950's America into turning attention to the racial crimes of the South, it was far from the first time racism had erupted into violence. High schoolers examine the killing in context with the...
Curated OER
The Declaration of Independence: From Rough Draft to Proclamation
Students discover how the Declaration of Independence transformed from a draft to a treasured historical document. In this Declaration of Independence lesson, students discuss the context in which Jefferson wrote the document and analyze...
Curated OER
The Noble Savage - The Social Contract Rights and Freedoms of Modern Humanity
Students, in groups, research various philosophers and the historical context of their work. They discuss the necessity and interaction of laws, regulations and human freedoms and consider the importance of the Canadian government to its...
Curated OER
Learning about a Culture from Objects
Young scholars examine and interpret possible functions of several traditional cultural objects. In this learning about a culture from objects lesson, students identify how environment impacts a culture and the role of animals and plants...
Curated OER
Slavery in My World: Educating for Peace and Social Change
Students research present-day slavery issues in a particular country and present their findings to the class. In this slavery in our world lesson, students discover the nature and extent of slavery in modern countries, present...
Curated OER
Exploring Historic Cemeteries
Students explore how artifacts vary at different times and in different places. They examine gravestones, observe both the individual markers and the larger context or setting of the graves.
Historical Thinking Matters
Rosa Parks: 5 Day Lesson
What led to the success of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and how might historians approach this question differently? This rich series of lessons includes a short introductory video clip, analysis of six primary source documents, and...
American Institute of Architects
Architecture: It's Elementary!—Fifth Grade
Young citizens construct an understanding of urban planning in this cross-curricular unit. Covering every aspect of city development from the political, economic, and social influences to sustainable building practices, this...
Curated OER
The Art and History of Japanese Calligraphy
Chinese and Japanese calligraphy is beautiful and significant in both culture and tradition. Engage your class in this expressive fine art form through a lesson on using, holding, and creating brush strokes common to Japanese writing...
Bantam Books
The Tempest: Chalk Talk
Discussion doesn't always need to be spoken. Before you begin The Tempest by William Shakespeare, have kids connect their ideas and experiences to central questions of the play with a silent discussion activity. Once they have...
Curated OER
The Declaration of Pillnitz (1791)
Primary source documents are wonderful because they provide a real context for historical events. Here is an expert from The Declaration of Pillnitz (1791) for your readers to examine. They consider the passage then use it to answer...
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: The Tea Party
Investigate the Tea Party Movement through this political cartoon analysis handout! Background information gives scholars the necessary context to access the cartoon, and includes the historical derivation of the Tea Party name. Three...
Curated OER
Exploring 9/11 in Historical, Cultural and International Context: Why Here, Why Us, Why Now?
Students examine the international conflicts that might have caused the terrorist attacks of 9/11. In groups, they research the similarities and differences between the three major religions and how they connect to 9/11. To end the...