National First Ladies' Library
Recovery! Coping with the Effects of a Natural Disaster
Students explore natural disasters and the devastation caused by them. Using specified websites, learners examine how people rebuild after a disaster. In groups, they design and rebuild a community and conclude by writing an essay...
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Double V Campaign: Victory at Home and Victory Abroad
Students write a persuasive essay as if they were an African American in World War II and decide if they would contribute war bonds or not. In this World War II lesson plan, students study the segregation of World War II and the unity...
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Universal Suffrage
Young scholars explore concept of suffrage. For this voting rights lesson, students participate in a classroom activity that excludes girls from voting. Young scholars discuss gender issues and write essays regarding the restriction of...
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The Great Chicago Fire: Did Mrs. O'Leary's Cow Really Cause It?
Students research the Great Chicago Fire and its myths on how it started. They use their critical thinking skills to determine what really happened. They write an essay supporting their opinion on the fire.
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Louisiana Purchase
Students use maps to locate and describe the area purchased by the Louisiana Purchase. In groups, they write a letter to Thomas Jefferson in which they evaluate the topography, climate and geography of the land. They determine the land's...
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Math for the Frontier
Students explore the concept of inflation. In this inflation lesson, students compile a list of necessities they would need to take with them if they were moving to a new state next month. Students compare their list with that of a...
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Cold War into Guerilla War
Students examine the Cold War and the War on Terror. In this American history lesson plan, students research print and nonprint resources regarding both wars. Student compare the experiences of youth at the time so both the Cold War and...
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Designing Another Juilliard
Students investigate the vision and history of the Juilliard School. They develop a personal mission statement, watch a video, conduct Internet research, and create a PowerPoint presentation about a fictional school that also promotes...
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Do You Want to Risk it?
High schoolers investigate the history of natural disaster events for a given county, discuss the impact of population and the risk from natural disaster events. In this hurricane lesson students use a geographic information system to...
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Rebuiding Houses of Worship
Young scholars explore architecture as a reflection both of culture and history as well as practical/functional considerations. They discuss examples of local architecture they find beautiful or interesting, and their criteria for making...
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The Aerial Age
Students infer America's attitude towards aviation in the early 1900s. In this The Aerial Age lesson plan, students analyze early 1900s literature, music, advertisements, and popular culture in reference to aviation. Students represent...
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ESL Holiday Lessons: Aviation Day
In this language skills worksheet, students read an article regarding Aviation Day. Students respond to 6 matching questions, 29 fill in the blank questions, 30 multiple choice questions, 12 word scramble ...
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Case Study: Manzanar
Eleventh graders investigate Japanese-American internment. In this World War II lesson plan, 11th graders conduct research from the Manzanar National Historic Sites and then write essays based on their findings.
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Divided We Fall
Students investigate the consequences of eliminating one or more of the amendments to the Bill of Rights.
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Doubles: Japan and America's Intercultural Children
Students experience issues of intercultural children born as a result of the Occupation of Japan by American soldiers. They reflect on how these experiences and issues might be relevant to our own lives. Task cars are available to print...
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Who's Been Persecuted, and How Does it Feel?
Young scholars participate in a role-playing activity which depicts groups that have been persecuted. Using these perspectives, they discuss how it would make them feel and develop empathy for other groups. They write an essay about...
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Farewell to Manzanar
Students investigate themes of justice and rights while reading the novel Farewell to Manzanar. They research contemporary civil rights issues and write reports. They also research the background of internment camps during World War II.
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Planting Seeds of Philanthropy
Students explore the importance of maintaining a democracy through philanthropic actions. In this character education lesson, students discover what the Japanese internment camps were, and why they were an infringement on personal...
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A Legacy of War -- The Gold Rush and the Foreign Miner's Tax
Students examine the results of the Mexican War from both countries. They analyze the impact of a war for the losing side. They also compare the politics of the time of the Mexican war with those of today.
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Property?
Students complete a list of seven items that they own with an appropriate value attached. They understand the principle of property and write an essay on why people owned slaves.
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Anne Frank: Citizenship Laws
Students study early civilizations and the contributions they made to the foundations of human culture. They discuss why citizenship is valuable and the Constitutional Amendments that are associated with it.
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What Is Democracy?
Students explore the concept of democracy. They define and describe democracy and choose an issue they believe the government should care about for its people. They write a persuasive essay about their issue.
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Sectionalism, Popular Sovereignty, and Secession
Young scholars examine sequence of national events that resulted in the Civil War by using primary sources, and creating timelines and maps.
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Battle of New Orleans
Students use the Internet, encyclopedias, and other library resources to discover basic facts about the Battle of New Orleans and the 1768 revolt by French colonists in Spanish Louisiana. They examine two websites that give information...