Curated OER
A President's Home and the President's House
Pupils identify specific examples demonstrating how present-day White House reflects duties, powers, and privileges of the office of President, and
compare and contrast Thomas Jefferson's Monticello with the White House.
Curated OER
The Role of a Plantation Mistress
Students investigate the role of a plantation mistress. In this American history lesson, students examine the household accounts kept by Thomas Jefferson's wife. Students decide what Martha Wayles Jefferson's responsibilities may have...
Curated OER
From the White House of Yesterday to the White House of Today: A President's Home and the President's House
Stduents look closely at what one President did at his home in contrast to what Presidents have done in the White House. They take a virtual tour of the White House and Monticello.
Curated OER
Digging up the Past
Students explore history through archaeology. For this critical analysis lesson, students work in teams to recreate a model of the archaeological discoveries made in the excavations at Monticello. This lesson is designed to help students...
Curated OER
Johnny Tremain for the 21st Century
Seventh graders complete a unit of lessons on the American Revolution based on the novel, 'Johnny Tremain.' They define key vocabulary terms, develop a timeline, write a report on a colonial craft, make a colonial flag, and create a...
Curated OER
Impulse, Momentum, and the Conservation of Momentum
What happens when two worlds collide? In the first of several activities, future physicists experiment with colliding ball bearings or Newton's cradle. Another activity requires the use of an air track with cars to examine collision....
Curated OER
Inertial Mass, Weight, and Newton's Second Law of Motion
The stage is set for you to guide future physicists through three forceful activities about motion. In the first, learners experiment with rolling carts to discover how objects interact. In the second, they inspect images of an object in...
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media
Founding Documents
Teach the class about the predecessor to Declaration of Independence—the Virginia Declaration of Rights. Using the foundational documents, scholars examine the two writings to consider how they are similar and how they are different. A...
North Carolina Consortium for Middle East Studies
Missing Pieces of the Puzzle: African Americans in Revolutionary Times
What's missing from most studies of the American Revolutionary War is information about the role African Americans played in the conflict. To correct this oversight, middle schoolers research groups like the Black Loyalists and Black...
National Constitution Center
Fourth of July (Grades 9-12)
Class members work to translate the Declaration of Independence into their own words, as well as design a Facebook page within the context of 1776 to raise public awareness about the document and its meaning for citizens.
Curated OER
Meet the Corps of Discovery
Students assume the persona of one of the members of Lewis and Clark's expedition team. They research a member of the expedition team, write a first-person introduction of that team member, and share that introduction in a 2-3 minute...
Huntington Library
The Corps of Discovery: The Lewis and Clark Expedition
Don't miss this fantastic comprehensive lesson plan on the Lewis and Clark Expedition, packed with instructional guidance, worksheets, map work, informational texts, and secondary source materials.
K12 Reader
The Greatest President
Who is the greatest US president? George Washington? Abraham Lincoln? FDR? Find out the opinions of your young historians with this cross-curricular writing prompt that engages them in researching the accomplishments of these influential...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
The Troubled Elections of 1796 and 1800
Congress does more than create new laws. Political scientists delve into the elections of 1796 and 1800 to understand how political parties, the Electoral College, and personal agendas affected the election process. The resource also...
Carolina K-12
Are You a Democrat or a Republican? Are You Really?
Have new or soon-to-be voters examine different political parties and their platforms as they figure out which one aligns most with their beliefs. After taking a few online quizzes, students split into pairs to discuss and then in larger...
Digital History
Jeffersonians in Office
If you're looking for a description of the major happenings of the presidencies of both Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, then this is the resource for you. Similar to a textbook reading, this worksheet offers a great deal of...
Curated OER
Rollin' Down the River
Students examine the contributions of Lewis and Clark. In this Louisiana Purchase lesson, students research Internet and print sources regarding the Lewis and Clark expedition.
Curated OER
Blessings of a Free Government: The Louisiana Purchase in 1803
Learners may take part in a multitude of activities listed such as creating political cartoons, comparison papers, and creating a portfolio to reinforce concepts and ideas surrounding the Louisiana Purchase.
Curated OER
The Declaration of Independence (1776)
In this online interactive history activity, students respond to 10 short answer and essay questions about the Declaration of Independence.
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...
Curated OER
Looking at Portraits: Thomas Jefferson
Students examine works of art that have influenced images of our founding fathers still in use today, and discuss influences from antiquity on Houdon's sculpture.
Carolina K-12
First Continental Congress, Second Continental Congress, and the Declaration of Independence
Your learners will take on the roles of Congressional members in the year 1775 and devise a plan for America after the onset of the Revolutionary War.
Curated OER
Jefferson vs. Franklin: Renaissance Men
Students list a variety of interests and achievements of Franklin and Jefferson. They take a position that one or the other's interests and achievements were more wide-ranging or that they were equivalent. They write out their findings.
Curated OER
Louisiana's Indian Tribes At the Time of the Louisiana Purchase
Students research primary readings concerning first hand accounts of the Indian tribes living in and around Louisiana's River systems. They complete a brief character sketch of each tribe characterized in the digital readings. These...