Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rollin' on the River: The McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers take a close look at the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation system. They study how the Army Corps of Engineers built and monitor the system. Learners discover how a lock and a dam work, and study three benefits of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Your Role as a Taxpayer: Why Pay Taxes?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students evaluate the basic rationale, nature, and consequences fo taxes. They describe why governments need taxes as revenue to provide goods and servicesin this series of activities.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lincoln's Spot Resolutions

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine the controversy and varying points of view leading up to the 19th century Mexican War. They research examples of anti-war movements throughout history and write editorials about their findings.
PPT
Curated OER

American Becomes a Colonial Power

For Teachers 8th - 11th
Exploring the idea of America joining "the imperialist club" at the end of the 19th century, this presentation presents reasons why America not only had the drive to explore the world, but the power and wealth with which to do so....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Milestones in Human Spaceflight

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Young scholars investigate the history and goals of NASA and human spaceflight. In this space science instructional activity, students answer questions about one of seven manned space programs and print pictures from the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

If These Walls Could Talk

For Teachers 7th - Higher Ed
Students investigate the influence of the Enlightenment on American society and government. For this Enlightenment lesson, students work cooperatively in groups to define the principles of the Enlightenment, American...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

News Magazine: Special Issue on Iran. (It's about Perspective)

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students take on the role of journalists. In this Iran instructional activity, students explore the condition of the country at this point in history and collaborate to create a news magazine that features current events and cultural...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Geography: Intro to Canada

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students investigate the geography of Canada by analyzing a map of the country.  In this North American geography lesson, students identify the 13 provinces of Canada and their locations by examining a Canadian map.  Students...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Alcatraz Proclamation: A Primary Document Activity

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students investigate the Alcatraz Proclamation. In this Native American lesson, students research Native American history and activism as they examine the Alcatraz Proclamation of 1969.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Monroe Doctrine: Whose Doctrine Was It?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
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.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Cartoons for the Classroom: Celebrating the 19th Amendment

For Students 10th - 12th
Eighty-eight years after women earned the right to vote, a women ran for president. Young analysts consider the role women play in politics, how they are portrayed, the standards they are held to, and if they are still treated unfairly...
Lesson Plan
National History Day

Challenging the Status Quo: Women in the World War I Military

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Why are some so resistant to change? The status quo is often to blame for a lack of forward movement in society. Following the events of World War I, women in America suddenly had a voice—and were going to use it. Scholars use the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What Can We Learn about India from a Ten Rupee Bank Note?

For Teachers 8th - 12th
The class finds and cites evidence showing India's unity in diversity and work to recognize some of the complex interactions of a civilized community. They read to understand how geography, history, politics, economics,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Presidential Places Quilt

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students design historical quilts. In this presidential history lesson, students research past presidents and landmarks named for them. Students create quilt squares to represent the landmarks and piece all of them together in a large...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"The Missiles of October": The Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate the presence of Soviet missiles in Cuba in 1962 and how that presence triggered an international crisis. The options available to the president as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each are articulated in...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Promote Nonviolence

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Take a look at the topic of violence as seen in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. Discuss together the values that Atticus holds and brainstorm ways to combat violence in a similar manner to what he portrays in the novel. Get your...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Do Suspected Enemies Have Rights?

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Young scholars investigate the history of Japanese immigration. They complete an online Webquest, explore various websites, answer discussion questions, and locate and read newspaper articles about enemy compatants.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Presidents of the United States

For Students 6th - 8th
In this social studies worksheet, students find the names of the presidents and the answers are accessed at the link at the bottom of the page.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ethnicity, Gender and the Courts

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders explore their own beliefs about the qualities that make someone qualified to sit on the Supreme Court.  In this American Government lesson, 11th graders write about and debate the ethnic, religious, and gender...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Philadelphia Convention

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders investigate the conflict over representation that occurred at the Philadelphia Convention. They participate in a class discussion, and in small groups represent a fictional large population state and small population...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Citizenship City

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students design labels promoting civic responsibility to distribute to the community. In this civics lesson, students engage in a simulated reunion and discuss their future careers and research various community organizations and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Kill the Indian, Save the Man!

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate primary sources from Carlisle Indian School including letters and photographs.  In this investigative lesson students answer questions about their research.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Reporting on the 1920s

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Use this roaring 1920s history instructional activity to have young writers research primary and secondary sources. They use their research to examine the events or famous public figures of the time period. Next, they imagine they're in...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Imposing Democracy

For Teachers 12th
Twelfth graders discuss the probability of imposing a democracy in a country in which there is no history of this type of government being successful. Using the internet, they work together to research Japan's experience with democracy...