Curated OER
The Monroe Doctrine: Whose Doctrine Was It?
Was James Monroe the sole contributor of the Monroe Doctrine? Young scholars study the doctrine and cite evidence to show contributions of John Quincy Adams and Thomas Jefferson in its formulation.
Curated OER
The War of 1812: Ch 6
Explore the causes and results of the War of 1812. Covered are reasons the war began, changing presidency, major battles, and The Treaty of Ghent. This presentation could be appropriate for grades 5-8, but could work for high school...
Center for Civic Education
To Amend or Not to Amend, That's Been the Question...Many Times
Looking for some ideas for how to celebrate September 17, Constitution Day? Check out a packet that focuses on the factors that are considered in the amendment process. Class members examine the amendment process and the types of...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Lesson 1: The United States Confronts Great Britain, 1793–1796
After the Revolutionary War, the success of the United States was far from guaranteed. Foreign powers coveted the new land, and Great Britain challenged American sovereignty. Learners consider the challenges facing the new nation using...
College Board
Balance of Power Between Congress and the President
Three branches of government help create a system of checks and balances. A helpful resource provides a series of articles regarding the balance of power between the legislative and executive branches of government. Historians answer...
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Conflict in Alabama in the 1830s: Native Americans, Settlers, and Government
To better understand the Indian Removal Act of 1830, class members examine primary source documents including letters written by Alabama governors and the Cherokee chiefs. The lesson is part of a unit on the expansion of the United...
Curated OER
A House Dividing: The Growing Crisis of Sectionalism in Antebellum America
Students explore the debates over American slavery and the power of the American federal government for the first half of the 19th century and how the regional economies and political events produced a widening split between the states.
Center for Civic Education
What Basic Ideas Are in the Preamble to the Constitution?
Introduce young historians to the US Constitution with this upper-elementary social studies lesson plan. Beginning with a general discussion about the role of government in society, students go on to work in small...
Center for Civic Education
What Basic Ideas About Government Are Included in the Preamble to the Constitution?
Young historians explore the meaning of the Preamble to the US Constitution in this upper-elementary social studies lesson. Working with partners or in small groups, children discuss the purpose of government before reading and analyzing...
Scholastic
The Right to Vote
Who used to have the right to vote in the United States? Who has the right to vote now? Amendments to the US Constitution that have changed the definition of eligible voters are the focus of a one-page worksheet that asks class members...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
The Election of 1912
The Election of 1912: an election with four competitive opponents. Pupils get to know the candidates with informative reading passages that provide context to the election. Then, the class engages in a debate and answers questions as one...
Humanities Texas
Primary Source Worksheet: Lyndon B. Johnson, Excerpt from “The Great Society”
Young historians examine Lyndon Johnson's vision for a rich, powerful, and upward society as detailed in this excerpt from his famous "Great Society" speech presented at the University of Michigan in 1964.
Humanities Texas
Primary Source Worksheet: Tip O'Neill, "Epilogue: What I Believe" from Man of the House
The epilogue to former Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill's memoir provides readers with an opportunity to practice their informational text reading comprehension skills.
University of California
The Civil War: Lincoln’s Speeches
Abraham Lincoln is responsible for uniting the states during the most tumultuous periods in American history, and for his elegant oratory that kept the Union believing in its cause. Young histoians analyze various speeches by America's...
Penguin Books
A Teacher’s Guide to the Signet Classics Edition of Mary Shelley ’s Frankenstein
Contrary to popular belief, the monster's name in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is not Frankenstein. A teacher's guide for the novel helps readers make sense of key details in the text, define vocabulary words, and discuss prominent...
Humanities Texas
A President's Vision: Theodore Roosevelt
Through an engaging, interactive experience analyzing primary sources, invite your young historians to take a closer look at the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt.
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum
Analyzing the Inaugural Address
Get high school historians to step outside their own shoes by responding to JFK's inaugural address from the perspective of a civil rights activist, a soviet diplomat, or a Cuban exile. After a class discussion about the address,...
Historical Thinking Matters
Spanish-American War: 3 Day Lesson
Why did the United States choose to invade Cuba in 1898? As part of a 3-day lesson, your young historians will first develop working hypotheses to answer this question, then work with a variety of historical primary source documents that...
National First Ladies' Library
The President's Assassin: Motives and Outcomes
Young scholars investigate the assassinations of four American presidents. Through research, groups create a dossier on one of the four men who were the assassins. After presentations of the dossiers, the class looks for common traits in...
Curated OER
The American Civil War: A Nation Divided (1861-1865)
Intended for use with atlases, this presentation details the causes and effects of the Civil War. It includes historical pictures of battles and discussion points about the technology which emerged during (and for) the war. The final...
Curated OER
The American Presidents (Middle, History)
Eighth graders get a firm understanding of the major contributions and defining characteristics of the American Presidents.
Curated OER
The Gettysburg Address (1863): Defining the American Union
Students explore the Gettysburg Address. For this U. S. history lesson, students examine Abraham Lincoln's speech and it's themes of freedom, equality, and emancipation.
Curated OER
Abraham Lincoln, the 1860 Election, and the Future of the American Union and Slavery
High schoolers examine Abraham Lincoln's political views about slavery. In this American Civil War lesson plan, students determine how Lincoln's beliefs led to the restriction of slavery in American territories. Student also analyze the...
Curated OER
The Right Choice
Students examine the leadership role of George Washington in the American Revolution. In this George Washington lesson, students read selections titled "Generalship," and "Candidate for Commander-in-Chief." After students read the...