Digital History
Jeffersonians in Office
If you're looking for a description of the major happenings of the presidencies of both Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, then this is the resource for you. Similar to a textbook reading, this worksheet offers a great deal of...
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
Rollin' Down the River
Pupils examine the contributions of Lewis and Clark. In this Louisiana Purchase activity, students research Internet and print sources regarding the Lewis and Clark expedition.
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The Declaration of Independence (1776)
In this online interactive history worksheet, students respond to 10 short answer and essay questions about the Declaration of Independence.
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Looking at Portraits: Thomas Jefferson
Learners examine works of art that have influenced images of our founding fathers still in use today, and discuss influences from antiquity on Houdon's sculpture.
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media
Founding Documents
Teach the class about the predecessor to Declaration of Independence—the Virginia Declaration of Rights. Using the foundational documents, scholars examine the two writings to consider how they are similar and how they are different. A...
Curated OER
Jefferson vs. Franklin: Renaissance Men
Students list a variety of interests and achievements of Franklin and Jefferson. They take a position that one or the other's interests and achievements were more wide-ranging or that they were equivalent. They write out their findings.
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Understanding the Declaration of Independence
Students identify and interpret the Declaration of Independence and the rights and privileges demanded in the document. They also identify how those rights and privileges have affected our history. Students then research about the...
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Hamilton and Burr : Compare and Contrast
Who were Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton? High schoolers examine the character traits of these historical figures and watch the video, The Duel. Hamilton vs. Burr: An Event that Changed History (available from PBS), to gain...
Curated OER
Blessings of a Free Government: The Louisiana Purchase in 1803
Students may take part in a multitude of activities listed such as creating political cartoons, comparison papers, and creating a portfolio to reinforce concepts and ideas surrounding the Louisiana Purchase.
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Scientists and Statesmen in Early America
Explore the historic and cultural context of the foundations of the United States of America. They identify the political and scientific contributions of early American scientists.
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From the White House of Yesterday to the White House of Today
Students investigate the history of and the current state of the White House. They take a virtual tour of the White House and Monticello, explore various websites, and compare/contrast Monticello with the White House.
Reading Through History
Patriots and Loyalists
Patriots versus Loyalists, a huge divide during the Revolutionary War in what would become the United States of America. An informative resource includes both direct instruction about the two groups and a quiz pupils take after reading...
K12 Reader
Public Education
Your pupils may not know that school was not always required. Teach them a bit about the history of public education with a reading passage and related questions.
Curated OER
Social Studies: Jeffeerson and the Declaration
Students investigate Thomas Jefferson's intentions for the Declaration of Independence. In discussion, they consider what parts of the document are most useful today and to what purposes does it address the most. Finally, students...
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Lewis and clark...and Jodie, Freddi, and Samantha
Students practice descriptive language when one student describes an object to another student who cannot see it. They guess what the object is and relate the experience to that of the Lewis and Clark expeditionary journals.
Curated OER
Pioneer America: Journey West
Fourth graders experience pioneer life on the Oregon trail. In this pioneer instructional activity, 4th graders research the reasons for moving west and what life was like on the trail. They create a map, complete an oral presentation,...
Curated OER
Red, Undecided, and Blue
Students analyze voter preferences in past elections, and then write letters to a presidential candidate, recommending winning strategies drawn from their research.
Curated OER
Internet Leaders Scavenger Hunt
For this leaders scavenger hunt worksheet, students research 10 different leaders important to history. First, they read each questions to determine who they need to search for using the Internet. Then, students write their response in a...
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The Declaration of Independence: From Rough Draft to Proclamation
Students examine and analyze an unknown document (Jefferson's original rough draught of The Declaration). In this document analysis lesson, students compare the rough draught with the first printed version and work in pairs to analyze...
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Consequences of the Sedition Act
Young scholars research and discuss the consequences of the Sedition Act. They illustrate the difficulty of balancing security needs and personal freedom using an example from John Adams's presidency.
Curated OER
Promoting Disability Awareness and Acceptance in Childhood
Create a safe and respectful school environment with the help of this special education teaching guide. Offering dozens of instructional ideas and activities for raising awareness and acceptance of children with disabilities, this is a...
Curated OER
New $1 Coins Honor U.S. Presidents
Elementary schoolers examine money, then read a news article about new coins being produced by the U.S. Mint. The teacher introduces the article with samples of American money and a vocabulary activity, then students read the news piece...
Curated OER
Fall in Love with the Library of Congress
Introduce your class to this special library while simultaneously addressing the Common Core State Standards.