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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Historians Interpret Sources

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students read excerpts from the historian Conover Hunt writing about John F. Kennedy and from primary source documents using the handout: Historical Sources and Historians. Students discuss and identify source types, evaluate sources,...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Comedy Across the Curriculum

For Teachers 11th - 12th
The New York Times Learning Network provides the resources that permit pupils to examine and then write and perform a fake news broadcast in the vein of “The Daily Show” or “Saturday Night Live” Weekend Update. The generated reports...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Steps In Selecting A President

For Teachers 8th - 10th
Students follow a flowchart that describes the process of electing the American president and vice-president. They create a flowchart that explains some aspect of the US government.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Clinton's Farewell to the Nation

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students read the newspaper article, "A Pat and a Nudge from Outgoing Chief," about President Clinton's end of term actions, then discuss it.
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Interactive
Curated OER

Outstanding African Americans Activity

For Students 5th - 10th
Challenge historians to investigate influential African-Americans through this online research activity. Learners undertake this task using online links, some of which require investigative searching. Print the worksheet out first, so...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Who Wrote That?

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Students explore the Project Gutenberg website and conduct a webquest to answer questions about well known literature and authors.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Roles of the President

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars list the many jobs of the U.S. president and explain the reasons for them. They compare current and past roles of the chief executive of the United States.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Careers in the Capital

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students explore the role that the president plays in appointing persons into the Cabinet or White House positions. Various positions that they might like to hold are researched and the changes that a new administrations creates in those...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Interpreting & Verifying the News in an Era of Info Overload

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students practice their critical thinking skills. In this media awareness lesson, students read articles about media overload and interpretation of media. Students respond to discussion questions and discuss how they verify news....
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Activity
American Museum of Natural History

Mint Your Own Coin

For Students 6th - 12th
Provide young archaeologists with an opportunity to craft their own artifacts. The step-by-step directions in an engaging resource show them how to mint their own coin, complete with image, date, and motto.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Freedom by the Fireside: The Legacy of FDR's "Four Freedoms" Speech

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students read and analyze Franklin Delano Roosevelt's 1941 State of the Union Address. They listen to recordings of speeches by F.D.R., answer discussion questions, and participate in a debate.
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Lesson Plan
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Academy of American Poets

We Sing America

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Pair the famous poems "I Hear America Singing," by Walt Whitman, and "I, Too, Sing America," by Langston Hughes, with a more recent poem by Elizabeth Alexander called "Praise Song for the Day" to demonstrate a theme and introduce your...
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Lesson Plan
Great Schools

My First Presidential Election

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Register, establish a platform, make campaign speeches, and design campaign advertisements with a study of presidential elections. Young citizens engage in various activities that mimic the election process.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Leaders in a Media Age

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students identify ways in which the president can use various media to communicate his messages and intent. They demonstrate ways in which the news media can create public opinion.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Senate Confirmation Hearings on Cabinet

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Pupils explain the confirmation process of presidential nominees to the Cabinet. They compose a list of questions to ask at a conformation hearing.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lincoln’s Political Theology

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars consider the weight of Lincoln's spiritual life on his political life. In this Abraham Lincoln lesson, students read excerpts from speeches delivered by Lincoln and determine whether they reveal information about Lincoln's...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

In The Words of Abraham Lincoln...

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers explore the words of Abraham Lincoln. In this Abraham Lincoln lesson, students analyze segments of "The Gettysburg Address," his annual address to Congress in 1862, and his letter to Mrs. Bixby. High schoolers conduct...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

George Washington: The Living Symbol

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students discuss George Washington's life and how he became a symbol of this nation. They categorize various images of Washington into the various roles he plays.
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Vocab-u-lous! Build a Fabulous Vocab

For Students 7th - 8th
For this vocabulary worksheet, students select the best word choice to complete the sentence. All words correspond to the theme of Presidents' Day.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Putin: 'No way back' from democracy

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Imagine a meeting between President Bush and Putin. Get your class thinking about global awareness, democracy, and totalitarian modes of government. They examine how two leaders approach major governmental issues and run their countries...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Introduction to Poetry Part I-- The Three Pillars of Poetry

For Teachers 5th - 6th
In these poetry writing worksheets, students learn the power of words and the ability of the poet to say a great deal with a few well-chosen words. Students learn the 3 pillars of poetry: Emotion (makes you feel something), Image (makes...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

U.S. Set to Celebrate Lincoln Bicentennial

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students use a news article about the celebration of the Lincoln Bicentennial to answer questions about Abraham Lincoln and the celebration. In this current events and US history lesson based on a news article, students participate in a...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Recasting Language through Found Poetry

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Discover the concept of found poetry in this engaging instructional activity. Secondary students will explore the poem "Natural Selection" and compare it to the writings of Charles Darwin in Origin of the Species. Students chose a text...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Cartoons for the Classroom: Fine Tooning a Candidate's Message

For Students 8th - 12th
In this current events worksheet, students analyze political cartoons featuring John Kerry. Students respond to 4 talking point questions.