Ben Franklin was the only American to sign The Declaration of Independence, the Treaty of Alliance with France, the Treaty of Paris, and the US Constitution. An interesting resource explores his role in the latter by comparing the US...

It's the classic paradox in this political cartoon analysis; any jobs plan requires extra government spending. However, the unemployed aren't willing to concede to more federal spending for what they want most, jobs. Background...

Ninth graders examine the causes and major events of the Cold War. They listen to a lecture and fill in the blanks on a handout, and in two groups develop a proposal to deal with the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Eleventh graders examine how President Lincoln formulated the principles of the Declaration of Independence as the goal of the American Union.  In this American Government lesson, 11th graders read and analyze primary sources based...

Students evaluate the role labor groups had on the U.S. Government in the early 1900's.  In this teaching American history lesson, students complete several activities, including response writing and listening to music, that...

Students explore the life and times of a coal miner in Illinois through the analysis of primary source documents and images.

High schoolers describe the Gettysburg Campaign and the major actions of the armies during each day of the battle. They analyze the motives, actions, and experiences of several participants in the battle and evaluate the Gettysburg Address.

Students explore American Civil War, hypothesize that the Union Army was defeated at Gettysburg by Lee's army, and write an essay describing how different North America would be today if the South had won the Civil War.

In this 1960s American history worksheet, young scholars identify the 7 terms that best match 7 descriptions, eliminate 3 false statements, and identify 2 historical themes pertaining to Kennedy's new frontier and Johnson's Great Society.

Students research the Civil War and the Battle of Gettysburg. In this Gettysburg lesson, students analyze journals and letters written by the Gettysburg soldiers. Students define Civil War soldier vocabulary words. Students compare and...

Very briefly detailing the election of Franklin D. Roosevelt, this slideshow consists of two maps, the first of which shows the election results in 1940, and the second of which indicates the main flow of Lend-Lease Aid. An instructor...

Learners consider the impact of Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation In this U.S. Constitution lesson, students read a narrative regarding the move by Lincoln to officially end slavery. Learners take notes on the case and respond to...

Learners use primary sources - diaries, letters, and photographs - to explore the experiences of women in the Civil War. By looking at a series of document galleries, the perspectives of slave women, plantation mistresses, female spies,...

Eleventh graders study the Presidency of Abraham Lincoln.  For this American History lesson, 11th graders analyze documents related to Reconstruction.  Students participate in a debate on Reconstruction.  

Young scholars examine the advantages of being flexible when visiting or living in a different culture. They read and discuss a first-hand account by a Peace Corps volunteer in Kazakhstan, and write a letter from the point of view of a...

Students engage in activities to understand how ideologies were constructed before and during the Revolutionary War. How and why were some "reluctant revolutionaries" turned into whig patriots willing to fight against the British empire,...

Students focus upon the Civil War era using research methods of drawing information from primary sources. Literature and photographic images reflect, communicate, and influence human perspectives of historical events. The instructional...

Students examine the happenings at the Battle of Antietam from all sides. In this American Civil War lesson, students analyze newspapers accounts from different perspectives regarding the battle and then write their own accounts of the...

What was the true meaning behind WWII propaganda posters? Historians analyze images from the U.S., Great Britain, Nazi Germany, and the Soviet Union, sharing findings in small groups. A poster analysis worksheet and all posters are...

Take your class through the period between World War I and World War II. Covering various treaties and pacts between America and its neighbors - namely, Japan, Germany, and the Soviet Union- these slides could inspire some political...

President John F. Kennedy bought 1,200 Cuban cigars the night before he enacted the Cuban trade embargo in 1962. Should the United States maintain the embargo? Using the website, pupils explore the topic to prepare for a class debate or...

Before the implementation of tenure in 1886, female teachers were sometimes fired for wearing pants or staying out too late at night. Scholars research the debate topic to decide if teachers should get tenure. They review the history of...