DocsTeach
The Civil War: Commemorate or Celebrate?
While the Civil War ended over 150 years ago, Americans are still unsure how it should be remembered. Is the tragic conflict to be celebrated for bringing freedom to African Americans or commemorated for its sad place in US history?...
DocsTeach
The Civil War: Celebrate or Commemorate? Debate Definitions
Match game for the win! Build learners' historical vocabulary using an interactive matching game. Class members match each term to its definition with a tap. A writing prompt rounds out the lesson, leading to further discussion on how...
DocsTeach
Americans on the Homefront Helped Win World War I
Saving sugar, growing crops, and not eating meat sound like small things, but they were a huge part of the home front effort during World War I. Photographic evidence of civilian struggles during the war, along with a matching game,...
Carolina K-12
African American Troops in the Civil War
Middle schoolers explore the history of the African-American troops that served during the American Civil War. After reading primary source documents that detail the controversies about permitting freemen and former slaves to serve,...
Curated OER
Commemoration of the Gettysburg Battlefield: The Gettysburg Address
Students explore Civil War and Gettysburg Address using primary sources.
Curated OER
Memories of War
Students consider how World War II impacted Europe. In this D-Day lesson plan, students visit selected websites to discover information about the invasion, its conditions, and the people who fought. Suggested activities are included for...
Curated OER
The Battle of Midway
Students examine the Battle of Midway during World War II through an interactive website. They analyze photographs and read the descriptions. They discuss the implications of the Battle at Midway to both sides of the war.
American Battle Monuments Commission
Honoring Service, Achievements, and Sacrifice: A WWI Virtual Field Trip
The largest offensive in United States military history comes alive in a online interactive resource. Young historians explore the Meuse Argonne battlefield and scour the landscape for evidence from the battle. They then use primary...
K12 Reader
An Interview with President Lincoln
What would you ask Abraham Lincoln if you had the chance? Class members draft interview questions for the 16th U.S. President, and imagine what his responses would be.
Curated OER
Commemoration of the Gettysburg Battlefield
Students use a multimedia project, The Valley of the Shadow: Two American Communities in the Civil War, to create a presentation about the significance of the Gettysburg Address. They work on expert teams to explore the interactive...
Facing History and Ourselves
After Charlottesville: Public Memory and the Contested Meaning of Monuments
Are Civil War monuments a kind remembrance or a reminder of a dark past? The lesson plan focuses on the public's memory of the Civil War and the monuments that represent it. Young academics explore past efforts to change historical...
Curated OER
"Mill Springs Battlefield"
Students investigate the Civil War caused deep division in the border states and discover the significance of Kentucky to the Union and the Confederacy. They examine how battle casualties were and are honored in the local community.
Curated OER
Civil War Documents In Brooklyn
Students investigate the use of monuments and why they are important for the study of history. They conduct research using a collection of primary sources. Students write a report about the information they find and present it to the class.
DocsTeach
Two Moments in the Life of Rick Rescorla: Vietnam and 9/11
He saved a group of men under fire from the Viet Cong, and he urged those fleeing the burning Trade Center Towers on 9/11 to "be calm, be strong." Rick Rescorla was last seen going back into the twin towers to bring others to safety....
Curated OER
Choices and Commitments: The Soldiers at Gettysburg
Learners investigate the Gettysburg Campaign and the major actions for each day of the battle. They read primary source documents, write a diary entry, analyze the Gettysburg Address, and write a persuasive speech regarding an issue in...
Curated OER
Memorial Day Shoebox Parade
Learners examine the history of U.S. conflict and Memorial Day. They conduct research, develop a timeline of U.S. conflict, and create a shoebox Memorial Day parade to commemorate veterans and soldiers.
Curated OER
Raven' Beauties
Ravensbruck was a concentration camp for women during World War II. This lesson provides background information on the camp, its effects in Prussia, and a design project intended to commemorate the women who died there. Learners make...
New Museum of Contemporary Art
Lesson: Unmonumental: Fallen and Disappearing Monuments
Due to vandalism, war, and urban decay, many of the world's great monuments have fallen to ruin. Here is an interesting instructional activity that increases understanding of the dichotomy between what are intended as lasting tributes,...
Curated OER
Valuable Veterans
Students select one female veteran and research her background and contribution to the military. They explore the relationship between women and the military and how it has evolved since the Revolutionary War.
Curated OER
Remembering September 11
Students explore the impact of September 11 on American society through analysis of interviews and class discussions. Students evaluate the historic importance of the Gettysburg Address.
Miami-Dade County Public Schools
Veteran's Day—Honoring All That Served
Looking for ideas on ways to recognize Veteran's Day? Check out this 92-page packet that includes exercises designed for all grade levels. Reading passages detail the history of the holiday, research projects get individuals involved in...
Stanford University
Observing Human Rights Day
How much intervention is appropriate for America to take in cases of human rights violations? Class members ponder a question that has lingered since the birth of America with a series of primary sources that reflect the degree to which...
Curated OER
Veterans Day Newspaper
Middle schoolers examine the reasons for and origins of the Veterans Day holiday. They define key vocabulary terms, read and discuss the article "The Origins of Veterans Day," conduct research and complete a worksheet, and create a...
Curated OER
Serving Memory
Students read an article about a woman who lost her fiance in Iraq. Reading a letter he left his son, they discuss how his words will affect his son once he is old enough to understand. They research the number of casualties in the war...