Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media
The Boston Massacre: You Be the Judge!
The importance of considering multiple perspectives of the same event is the big idea in this exercise that focuses on the Boston Massacre. Class groups examine photos of four depictions of the massacre, an English and an American...
Curated OER
Prairie People
Eighth graders interview a person who explains the lifestyles of people who lived on the prairies in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. They examine how today's lifestyles impact the environment and write up what they learned.
Curated OER
Loyalists and Loyalism in the American Revolution
Students engage in activities to understand how ideologies were constructed before and during the Revolutionary War. How and why were some "reluctant revolutionaries" turned into whig patriots willing to fight against the British empire,...
Curated OER
Rituals/traditions with Gullah religion
Sixth graders discuss some of the earliest people who lived in each region in order to comprehend how humans interacted with the environmental conditions at that time. They make connections to present-day regions including...
Curated OER
Obstacles to Perseverance
What does it mean to persevere. Young historians review the definition of perseverance then brainstorm a list of obstacles colonists and revolutionaries had to overcome during the American Revolution. Using this list, they identify...
Curated OER
Learning from the Past: A New Approach
Young scholars research nonprofit organizations. As they research, they learn how those living in the colonial period formed community organizations to provide for the common good of their society. Each pupil chooses one organization to...
Curated OER
Crispus Attucks and the Boston Massacre
Students interpret historical evidence presented in primary and secondary resources. In this Boston Massacre lesson, students listen to a lecture regarding the massacre and Crispus Attucks. Students respond to discussion...
Curated OER
Colonial America
Young scholars read the novel, The Witch of Blackbird Pond. In groups, they conduct research using the Internet, encyclopedias, and books to gather information on an assigned colony. The projects are presented to the rest of the class.
Curated OER
People, Not Numbers: Bringing 12 Million into Personal Ter
Students forge a compassionate link to the large numbers of people who were the victims of slavery as opposed to thinking of them simply in terms of numbers. They perform a math exercise to put the number of people in slavery into...
Curated OER
My Brother Sam is Dead: A study of the Revolutionary War
Fifth graders complete an analysis of the Revolutionary War through literature. After "My Brother Sam Is Dead," students create a time capsule containing items that would be relevant during the Revolutionary War. They identify key...
Curated OER
Serach for the Lost Cave People
Students examine primary source documents to draw inferences about 17th century American colonists.
Curated OER
Faces of the Revolution
Fifth graders investigate the important figures of the American Revolution. In this American Revolution lesson, 5th graders outline the important events of the war and complete a worksheet.
Curated OER
Imperialism: Locations of Colonial Rule
Eighth graders examine the conquest of the Americas. In this Exploration lesson, 8th graders locate the areas of colonization. Students create a visual map of these areas of conquest.
Curated OER
Americans Who Stood Up for Their Beliefs
Students will reflect upon the use of music to teach lessons throughout history. The focus of the study is based upon early American History. The tie of music and the abolition of slavery makes for interesting inquiry for learners.
K12 Reader
Import/Export
The reading passage here uses the example of the American colonies to introduce imports and exports. After reading the text, class members respond to five questions, which require pupils to find facts in the text and form opinions about...
North Carolina Consortium for Middle East Studies
The French and Indian War: The War That Shaped America’s Destiny
How would a Frenchman, Englishman, and Native American have each viewed the French and Indian War? Your young historians will learn about their unique perspectives and the war as a whole through a role-playing activity, engaging...
Stanford University
Annexation of Hawaii
Once an independent nation, Hawaii became part of the United States only after a business-sponsored coup of its queen. After examining newspapers from the 1890s, learners consider whether native Hawaiians wished to become Americans at...
Curated OER
Thanksgiving
First graders summarize similarities and differences of life in England and America for the Pilgrims by reading a mini-book. Then, they write a journal entry in first person on what it is like to be a pilgrim in England and in America....
Curated OER
Jamestown Celebrates 400th Anniversary
Students view a world map and identify the locations of England and Virginia and discuss what kinds of things they would take with them on this kind of trip. They read the words in the news box on the student page and fill in the blanks...
Student Achievement Partners
You've Been Lied To: The REAL Christopher Columbus
Looking for resources that explore alternative perspectives of the Christopher Columbus story? Check out the images, videos, cartoons, primary source documents, and other texts in a packet designed to spark debate.
American Museum of Natural History
Tools of the Trade
Archaeologist David Hurst Thomas details his search for a lost Spanish Mission on St. Catherines Island, Georgia. A great way to introduce youngsters to the life of and the tools used by archaeologists.
Curated OER
Scaffolded Reading of "Drawing of an African Burial Ground Grave in Situ"
The class reads the description of the "Drawing of an African Burial Ground Grave In Situ" then completes a work sheet. They act like archaeologists and answer a series of critical thinking questions to better understand the historical...
Curated OER
Exploring Life in Jamestown Settlement
Students research a historic timeline and other texts to explore life in the colonies and the Jamestown settlement. Students investigate what the settlers ate while in the colony. Students prepare foods similar to colonists' foods.
Curated OER
Honor and Passion for Glory: George Washington in the Ohio Valley
Students examine George Washington's life as a young British colonial officer during the French and Indian War.