iCivics
Drafting Board: Military Intervention
Should countries use their militaries to stop humanitarian crises in other countries? Learners make claims, organize their reasoning, and provide evidence for their arguments with this rich resource.
Beverly Hills High School
Mapping Napoleon's Empire at Its Height (1812)
The complicated political history of Europe becomes apparent as young historians create a map of the borders of France when Napoleon's Empire was a its height in 1812.
Curated OER
Texas Commemorative Maps: Honoring Our Past
To celebrate Texas, groups plan and create a commemorative map for a topic or theme in Texas history. The richly detailed plan and the approach could easily be adapted to any state. Samples are included.
Smithsonian Institution
Borders with the World: Mexican-American War and U.S. Southern Borderlands
The Mexican-American War created social borders—not just physical ones. Scholars learn about the effects of the Mexican-American War on the people living in the borderlands using text excerpts, maps, and partnered activities. Academics...
National History Day
Challenging the Status Quo: Women in the World War I Military
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 second...
Scholastic
Drones Take Off
Ever wonder what drones are doing high above us in the sky? This article gives your class an insight to what those robots in the sky are doing. After reading an article on drone technology, pupils are prompted to respond to a variety of...
Curated OER
Map Analysis Worksheet
In this map analysis worksheet, students decipher what type of map they are using based on a complete list of criteria. Students then answer multiple questions based on their discoveries.
Cornell University
Constructing and Visualizing Topographic Profiles
Militaries throughout history have used topography information to plan strategies, yet many pupils today don't understand it. Scholars use Legos and a contour gauge to understand how to construct and visualize topographic profiles. This...
Curated OER
Map Stratego
Learners determine strategic locations for defense against attack. They use a core map to analyze coast lines and distances to develop a strategic defense plan for the U.S. during World War II.
Curated OER
Waldseemüller’s Map: World 1507
Students take a closer look at historical maps. In this primary source analysis lesson, students examine the first world map produced by Martin Waldseemuller. Students complete the included map analysis worksheet and then write letters...
Curated OER
Moving West with the Forts: Using an Interactive Map
Seventh graders practice reading maps and locating the forts stationed in Texas. Using the internet, they analyze westward movements from statehood to the Civil War. In groups, they complete a worksheet about the forts and share their...
New York Historical Society
The Vietnam War: 1945-1975
Do pupils know that the Vietnam War spanned a period of 30 years? A war that long is bound to leave devastating effects. Help young historians develop a comprehensive understanding of the war through multiple units on the subject that...
Curated OER
Map Lesson Plan
Fourth graders locate and label major sites related to the Revolutionary War in the Hudson River Valley. They examine topographical features of each site and list a few of these features and list two advantages of each military site.
Annenberg Foundation
A Growing Global Power
How does a nation turn into a global superpower? The 16th installment of the 22-part series on American history investigates the rise of the United States to global importance in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Groups...
Curated OER
Victory in the Pacific, 1943-1945
Learners examine the military campaigns of the Pacific theater, tracing the path of the Allied offensives. The lesson presents what the Allies were trying to accomplish and why.
Curated OER
Do the Tallywalker
Students study the basics of mapmaking, then make a tally walker, (geographic location device used in secret).
Texas State Energy Conservation Office
Investigation: Tour de Texas
Teams of Texas tourists gather into groups to analyze what they can do with $50 worth of an alternative fuel. They write checks, keep a balance sheet, and map out their sight-seeing route taking into consideration the location of...
PBS
An Attack on Syria- What Would You Do?
Has United States military intervention in the conflicts of other countries always been warranted? After reviewing a brief background on contemporary US conflicts and reading articles describing the civil war in Syria, your learners...
American Battlefield Trust
Civil War Battle Strategy
But for a fluke, 1862 could have gone differently during the Civil War. When Union troops found Robert E. Lee's battle plans for critical engagements in Maryland wrapped around cigars and tossed aside, history changed forever. Class...
Curated OER
Using Maps to Uncover a Soldier's Life
Students follow path of the Virginia 5th Infantry as it fought its battles, using a rich, interactive map.
Curated OER
Famous Women in the Military
Students identify and research various women and their roles in military history. They describe how modern political positions are affected by differences in ideologies and viewpoints that have developed over time. Finally, students...
Curated OER
Waldseemuller's Map: World 1507
Seventh graders analyze various maps. In this Geography instructional activity, 7th graders create a large map as a whole class. Students write a letter to Mr. Waldseemuller.
The Alamo
A Teacher’s Guide to Antonio LóPez De Santa Anna
Who was Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, and how did he relate to the Texas Revolution? Use an informative resource to find out! By reading primary sources, viewing maps and graphs, and answering short-answer written prompts in handouts,...
Curated OER
Ancient River Valley Civilizations
Ziggurats, cuneiform writing, the Tower of Babel, hieroglyphics, pyramids, the Great Wall. Launch a unit on ancient cultures, with a presentation that introduces viewers to ancient Mesopotamia, Babylonia, Sumer, Egypt, Indus, and China....