Curated OER
Child Labor in Maryland: An Historical Investigation
Tenth graders, after reading two excerpts about contemporary child labor situations, discuss two broad questions in detail along with the industrial boom following the Civil War conditions in the United States. They investigate how the...
Curated OER
Utah's Children's Health Insurance Program (chip): How Well Are We Doing?
Students analyze Utah's CHIP program. They compares it to other states in terms of benefits and customer satisfaction. They examine how rules and regulations at the federal level shape state-level program operations. They research and...
Curated OER
Immigration Debate
Students examine statements made by immigrants about immigration. They use the internet to research the truthfulness of these statements. They practice their decision-making skills.
Curated OER
Frontier Forts
Seventh graders study frontier forts. In this Kansas history instructional activity, 7th graders research the history and conditions of Fort Leavenworth, Fort Scott, Fort Riley, Fort Larned, and Fort Hays. Students write letters...
Curated OER
The Persuaders
Have your upper graders watch the documentary, "The Persuaders" as they explore how advertisers try to gain potential customers. The video is followed by a discussion and close examination of new marketing trends and strategies.
Curated OER
The failure of Diplomacy, September-December 1941
Students investigate four main issues of concern between US and Japan prior to US involvement in World War II. In this role play lesson plan, students will take the role of US and Japanese negotiators trying to find a diplomatic solution...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Educating About Immigration The DREAM Act
Group members role play state legislators, supporters of and opponents to the The DREAM Act (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors). After listening to the arguments put forth for and against the immigration...
Curated OER
9/11: The Flight That Fought Back
Who is the al Qaeda and what happened on September 11? Older students will explore the political objectives of al Qaeda and possible reasons for the September 11 terrorist attacks by watching a video program and working through evidence...
Curated OER
Globalization: Trade Agreements
Students explore international trade agreements. In this trade lesson, students investigate trade liberalization, examine trade agreements, and participate in a NAFTA negotiation simulation. Several articles and documents are linked to...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
History of Immigration From the 1850s to the Present
The Statue of Liberty may embrace the huddled masses of the world, but has American society always joined in? After young historians read a passage about the history of American immigration in the 19th and 20th centuries, focusing on...
University of Wisconsin
Analyzing Presidential Campaign Propaganda
Campaign propaganda has evolved from 1952 through the presidential election of 2008. A social studies activity prompts class members to analyze the devices used in ads and political cartoons, noting strategies they believe would work to...
Curated OER
What Is the Federal Reserve?
Students examine simple bank transactions. In this banking lesson, students analyze banking transactions such as deposits, loans, and how they hold reserves. They participate in simulations of the process of clearing a check and the...
Curated OER
Lesson 6: Crowded Skies
This is a treasure-trove of multimedia resources to help your scholars analyze transportation methods. They discuss different forms of movement, utilizing several infographics to spur conversation deeper and get visual learners engaged....
Curated OER
"The Missiles of October": The Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962
High schoolers 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...
Curated OER
Malaysia: Foreign Investment Returns
Students examine the Malaysian economy and the effect of the SARS epidemic. They conduct research, write an editorial evaluating Malaysia's proposed budget for 2004, and develop an advertising campaign to promote business in Malaysia.
Curated OER
Six Day War
Learn about the diverse perspectives involved in the Six Day War by having learners examine and annotate presidential speeches given by the three nations—Egypt, Israel, and the United States—at the heart of the conflict and producing...
Curated OER
Hunger at Home
Learners identify basic nutritional needs. They also glean recommendations from the food pyramid, recommended dietary guidelines, importance of exercise throughout the life cycle, and how proper nutrition helps the body to resist...
Peace Corps
Introducing Culture
Growing up within a culture leaves a lot of ideas and values unspoken. Take a closer look at the cultures in which your learners live with a discussion activity that addresses cultural identity and traits of those living within the...
Rutgers University
How the Allies Won World War II: Island-hopping in the Central Pacific
Using primary source documents, young historians explore the strategies the US used to defeat Japan during WWII. They also learn about the American military experience, and innovations that changed the style of warfare. Young scholars...
Curated OER
Should Homosexuals Have the Right to Laws Protecting Them From Discrimination?
Students explore discrimination issues in America. In this homosexual rights lesson, students listen to their instructor lecture on antidiscrimination laws and gay rights. Students respond to questions about the Romer v. Evans case.
Curated OER
The First American Party System: Events, Issues, and Positions
Students identify factors which lead to the development of the Federalists and Democratic-Republicans. They examine the writings of Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton as well. They discuss what elements are needed for an orgainized...
Curated OER
News Coverage WWII
Students explore how Americans were affected by news coverage of World War II.
Foreign Policy Research Institute
A Geography Lesson
Fewer and fewer people have a strong grasp of world geography, but this activity helps high schoolers understand geopolitics by creating their own original historical map. The activity requires selecting a country from the list provided,...
Curated OER
Reporting on the 1920s
Use this roaring 1920s history lesson 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 the 1920s and...