Fourth graders investigate differences between the ideology of the Northern and Southern states in 1856. In this states' history lesson, 4th graders examine the needs for slaves in the Southern agricultural economy, and compare it to the...

Both humorous and fascinating, dialects of the English language are a never-ending source of cultural studies in America. This presentation details characteristics and vocabulary of Eastern U.S. dialects, Southern dialects, and Western...

Fourth graders investigate the role of African American slaves in rice plantations. In this slave life lesson, 4th graders discuss the products produced in the 13 colonies. Students discuss the importance of rice to South Carolina's...

Historical poetry is lyrical in form and rich with content. After examining the differences between the Northern and Southern states before and during the U.S. Civil War, learners complete a Venn diagram and create an illustration of the...

The film version of Gone with the Wind is the focus of this learning guide that asks viewers to consider some of the issues that the Southern states faced prior to and during the Civil War.

Eighth graders examine pictures & documents relating to the Hayes Plantation (Edenton, NC). They also use various maps of North Carolina to help them analyze how James Cathcart Johnston used, modified and adapted to the physical...

Eighth graders examine the lives of the Gullah-Geechee people. In this unique cultures lesson, 8th graders explore music, language, and slavery of the Gullah-Geechee people from the southern low-country in the United States. Students...

Students identify key events and people from Colonial America. Students identify key factors of daily life in Colonial America. Students gather and use information for research purposes. Students create candles in groups following the...

Students read the information about the movie "Song of the South" and watch some of the clips. They write their reaction to the proposal to re-release the movie. Students consider whether it would matter if the studio adds an...

As a reading comprehension exercise, kids read an article about indentured servants and then respond to a series of questions citing evidence from the article to support their responses.

Middle schoolers read one of the most important documents in our nation's history: The Emancipation Proclamation of 1863. After everyone reads the proclamation, they set out to write a "You Were There" type of report on it. They pretend...

Students research the Gullah people and their impact on South Carolina. For this South Carolina history lesson, students study, locate, and color the region of Africa the Gullah people came from. Students listen to Gullah music and watch...

Fifth graders become familiar with the events of Reconstruction and the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments. For this reconstruction lesson, 5th graders work in pairs where each student  creates a building with blocks and draws it....

Learners study how Frederick Douglass uses language to describe a realistic picture of slavery in his writings which are primary source documents. They examine his use of word choice, imagery, irony, and rhetorical appeals and use slave...

Students research the people and events involved in the abolitionist movement prior to the U.S. Civil War. They read about and discuss the roles of Nat Turner, Harriet Tubman, and John Brown. Students complete a word splash, Venn...

In this crossword worksheet, students demonstrate prior knowledge of colonial homes in the U.S. by completing a crossword. There are 18 words which fit into this puzzle that has no word bank.

Eighth graders explain the nature of slavery, the impact of slavery on African-Americans, and how slavery intensified the conflict between the North and South that eventually led to a major cause of the Civil War.

Students will read the story "Battle of Stones River" and define a set of vocabulary words. In this Civil War lesson, students complete a fill-in-the-blank vocabulary activity after reading the story and defining the words.

Students become familiar with an American legend that is unfamiliar to many. Presented with the legend of Forest Joe, a runaway slave who, much like Robin Hood, stole from the rich to give to the poor, students draw comparisons and...

Students study the history of Liberia prior to and after the influx of immigrants of African Americans. They investigate the cultural differences between the African Americans and newly-arrived Liberians.

Students discuss the changes in the legal, social, and political status of African Americans and those of mixed ethnicity after reading the narrative, Haitian Immigration: Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries.

Learners discuss what is meant by the "Old South". In groups, they read stories about the Old South and discover this was not how the area actually was in that time period. They use a database to examine the covers of books and...

A learning module that begins with "Life of a Slave on A Southern Plantation" by BirdBrain History, accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. The text can be printed as a PDF or assigned...

A short essay about William Byrd from the colonial period of American history who detailed life in the Southern colonies.