Curated OER
Nov. 4, 2008 | Obama Is Elected President
Read this interesting background information regarding the presidential election of 2008. Your class will read the provided passages and then answer four critical thinking questions that require them to consider the reading and what they...
National First Ladies' Library
Women's Lives in the Victorian Era
The lives of middle-class Victorian women were circumscribed by strict standards that governed all aspects of behavior. To gain a better understanding of the Victorian Ideals for women, class members research the life of a middle-class...
Library of Congress
The Emancipation Proclamation and the Thirteenth Amendment
How did the Emancipation Proclamation lead to the Thirteenth Amendment? Middle schoolers analyze primary source documents including the text of the Emancipation Proclamation, political cartoons, photographs, and prints to understand...
C-SPAN
Presidential Veto and Congressional Override
One of the key powers of the executive branch is the president's ability to pass or veto legislation proposed by Congress. Congress, the legislative branch, on the other hand, can override a president's veto. Five film clips show how the...
Curated OER
The White House
Create a mini-White House in your classroom! After researching information about the Executive Branch and the duties of the president, learners construct an accurate three-dimensional replica of a portion of the United States White House.
Classroom Law Project
What does the Constitution say about voting? Constitutional Amendments and the Electoral College
As part of a study of voting rights in the US, class members examine Constitutional amendments connected with voting and the role of the Electoral College in the election process.
Administrative Office of the US Courts
Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier
Freedom of speech is not always free. Scholars investigate how the First Amendment provides for the right to express opinions. Through the court case Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier, they analyze free speech using primary documents—and hopefully...
Curated OER
First Grade Visits...Washington DC
Take your first graders on a virtual trip to around Washington, DC. This presentation provides illustrated slides featuring a map showing the location of Washington, DC, the White House, and some of the more famous memorials and...
Education World
Every Day Edit - First White House Baby
In this everyday editing activity, students correct grammatical mistakes in a short paragraph about the first White House baby. The errors range from punctuation, capitalization, grammar, and spelling.
Curated OER
Christie Will Not Run for President
Readers answer eight who, what, when, why, and where questions as they read this New York Times article. They peruse the article to learn about Chris Christie and the 2012 presidential race. Next, they answer the related comprehension...
TCI
The 57th Inaugural Ceremonies
Attend the party of the year with a hands-on learning experience focusing on the 57th inauguration of the president of the United States. Middle schoolers role play as guests at the prestigious Inaugural Ball, and learn...
Curated OER
The Care and Feeding of Kids: Finding Information on Nutrition and Fitness
The Learning Network is featuring an article about First Lady Michelle Obama and her quest to help reduce childhood obesity in America. The article talks about how she has talked with the top three suppliers of school lunches and has...
Our White House
The Our White House Inauguration Celebration Kit for Kids!
Get the youngest American citizens involved in the presidential election and inauguration with a set of social studies activities. Focusing on the history of presidential inauguration ceremonies, learners draft their own poems, design...
National Endowment for the Humanities
The 1828 Campaign of Andrew Jackson: Changes in Voting Participation
Students give examples to indicate how voting participation changed in the first half of the 19th century, and make connections between changes in voting participation and the results of the election of 1828.
Youth Leadership Initiative
Selecting a President: Primaries and Caucuses
What is a party caucus anyway? And what part do caucuses play in the primaries? Everything future voters need to know about the four stages in the presidential selection process is provided by this resource. The 2012 US...
Classroom Law Project
What is a class hearing and youth summit and what do they have to do with the presidential election?
After researching the presidential election process, class members develop questions and interview voters about their choice of candidate and the issues that concern them.
National Endowment for the Humanities
The 1828 Campaign of Andrew Jackson: Expansion of the Voting Base
Students give examples to indicate how the franchise was extended and limited in the first half of the 19th century, and cite some differences in the newly enfranchised population that could affect the way they would vote.
Macmillan Education
Webquest: Thanksgiving
Class members use the Internet to research the history of Thanksgiving in the United States and Canada, as well as the traditions surrounding the Thanksgiving-style celebrations of the Hebrews, the Chinese, and in Ancient Greece and Rome.
National Endowment for the Humanities
James Madison: Raising an Army—Balancing the States and the Federal Government
To war! To war! Every nation in the history of the world has had to deal with warfare on some level. Scholars go through a series of activities and discussions surrounding the development of the Constitution to help them better...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Lesson 2 James Madison: The Second National Bank—Powers Not Specified in the Constitution
How much power is too much power for the federal government? Scholars use primary documents and constitutional research in groups to analyze the creation of the Second National Bank under James Madison. This is the second lesson of a...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Lesson 2: The United States, France, and the Problem of Neutrality, 1796–1801
While the French Revolution could be considered inspired by the American Revolution, it created thorny problems for the new United States. Should the United States get involved and be drawn into a European drama? Was the US strong...
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.
National History Day
Why Did the United States Enter World War I in 1917?
World War I was the first major conflict on a global scale. Using primary documents, learners determine why the United States chose to enter World War I when it did. After analytical writing and group research, the causes of America's...
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...