EngageNY
Peer Critique: Historical Accuracy of Ideas and Vocabulary
Promote collaboration in the classroom with a historical fiction instructional activity. Fourth graders partner up and read the other's narrative to give feedback on vocabulary choice and the accuracy of historical information. After...
Curated OER
Revolutionary Newspaper
Fifth graders write a newspaper article about an important event or cause of the Revolutionary War. In small groups they participate in a jigsaw activity, and return to their original group to report on their new information. Students...
Curated OER
Environment: River of Life
Learners assess the impact of human activity on the environment. After reading the book, "A River Ran Wild," they role-play and discuss how people changed the river. Students write stories about living along a river from the point of...
Curated OER
Can't You Make Them Behave, King George?
Fifth graders describe the changes in King George III's policy toward the American colonies by sequencing key events between the French and Indian War and the American Revolution. They explain the colonial reactions to command decisions...
Curated OER
Patriot or Loyalist? A Revolutionary Decision
Students research as a reporter would and present the loyalist and patriot point of view on the American Revolution. In this patriots versus loyalist lesson, students produce a project such as a video debate or webpage explaining...
Curated OER
Decolonization and Self-Determination
Young scholars define and discuss colonialism and self-determination. After reading the European's view on the topic, they analyze a map of imperialism in 1914. They watch excerpts of a video and take notes on various United Nations...
Curated OER
History In The Making
Students visit Colonial America in a Time Machine to discover the process that a citizen today must follow in order to make or change a law. Students research the Colonial Era in their Time Machines. Students encounter various government...
Curated OER
Postcards From Mars
Fifth graders research and explore what life would be like for human colonists on Mars. They explore various websites, read and discuss newspaper articles, develop a chart of the hardships and conditions that would be faced by colonists...
Curated OER
Migration and Immigration in the United States: Three Case Studies
Students examine the early migration of Native Americans, African Americans, and the British Colonists. They conduct Internet research, complete a timeline, label maps, compare/contrast the three groups' experiences, and write an essay.
Curated OER
To Declare Independence or Not??
Students debate and role play about whether the colonists should declare independence from England or not. In this American history and oral communication lesson, students read informational text about the colonists and their...
Curated OER
Art of Cynicism
Students analyze selected pieces of art and infer how they reflect a sense of disillusionment, and/or cynicism in American society in the aftermath of the Vietnam War and Watergate scandal. Then they identify and place cultural attitudes...
Curated OER
Immigration to the Golden Land: Jewish Life in America
Students examine waves of Jewish immigration during three time periods and analyze a variety of primary sources, including letters, memoirs, and laws, to gain insight into both the American immigrant experience and American society...
Curated OER
U.S. History: The Progressive Era
Students examine the Colonial Revival Movement as a response to industrialization and immigration. focusing on Deerfield, Connecticut, they create a documentary artifact reflecting the period.
Curated OER
Reconstruction of Iraq: A Lesson of Historical Precedents
Students view a video clip about the reconstruction efforts in Iraq. They work together to compare and contrast the reconstruction plans after the Spanish-American War and World War II. They compare those results to the situation in Iraq.
Curated OER
Model United Nations Activity
Students examine current and past problems and situations affecting the United Nations, and explore life, career, and philosophy of Ralph Bunche, American diplomat and Nobel Peace Prize winner. Students then prepare portfolios to...
Curated OER
America's Wars, 1898-1945
Students examine the wars the United States was involved in between 1898 and 1945. In groups, they determine the causes and effects of each war and how each war changed the way the United States handled their foreign affairs. As a class,...
Curated OER
The British Attack on the Capital
For this reading comprehension worksheet, students read a historical passage about the British American war. Students then answer 10 true/false questions based on their reading.
Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary
Learning the Printing Trade
Students explore U.S. History by reading biographical text in class. In this Benjamin Franklin instructional activity, students read about the famous American's first job and the transition he underwent from printing to politics....
Curated OER
Revolutionary Idea
Students take a field trip to watch a reenactment of the Revolutionary War. In groups, they participate in the same daily chores as the soldiers and examine the contributions of the colonies. To end the lesson, they eat a typical...
Curated OER
The Pocahontas Show
Eleventh graders complete background reading of Europeans and the Native American Indians. They work in groups and represent an area of European colonization and create a "character" to represent their colonists on a class talk show....
Curated OER
A Day for Choosing Revolution
Students read contemporary news articles about public protest. They describe a form of protest that took place in 18th-century Virginia. Students compare events or ideas that people protest about today to events or ideas protested about...
Curated OER
Thanksgiving Unit
Second graders identify: why the Pilgrims came to America; how they adjusted to life in America; what impact the Native Americans had on the survival of the Pilgrims; and what events brought about the First Thanksgiving.
Curated OER
The Mayflower Compact
Pupils use primary source documents to discuss the Mayflower Compact and the story of the first Thanksgiving. They discover how the Pilgrims were influenced in developing a community and American democracy.
Curated OER
Exploring Life in Jamestown Settlement
Third graders examine life in early colonial settlements. Students investigate what settlers ate and create a menu for a fictitious restaurant in a settlement.