Curated OER
Spanish Through History - Web de Anza
High schoolers examine the history, economics, and geography of the Anza era. They read primary source journals, diaries, and letters, conduct Internet research, and write a research report.
Curated OER
Enhancing Poetry with American Memories
Pupils explore poetry using American Life Histories: Manuscripts from the Federal Writers' Project. They compose their own unque "found poetry" based on the stories found in the collection.
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Runaway Slaves in Alabama: Individual Freedom Fighters in the 1800s
Class pairs examine eight runaway slave advertisements from the mid-1800s to develop an understanding of the conditions slaves faced and of race relations.
Curated OER
Introduction to Primary and Secondary Sources
Fourth graders are introduced to primary and secondary sources. Using examples of each type of source, they work together to identify which are primary and which are secondary sources. They end the lesson by reviewing the...
Curated OER
Native American Interaction with Other Peoples
Students examine the relationships between Native Americans and the Europeans who settled America. In this cultural diversity lesson, students analyze primary documents and respond to essay questions regarding the relationships.
Curated OER
Exothermic vs. Endothermic
The PowerPoint opens with video footage of the decomposition of nitrogen triiodide and then explains it with diagrams. Graphs of exothermic and endothermic reactions are exhibited, as well as one for the effect of a catalyst on reaction...
Curated OER
Be a Sourceerer's Apprentice
Students examine and discuss various primary and secondary sources. They bring in an example of a primary source, explain how it is a primary source, and complete a worksheet about interviewing a primary source.
Center for Instruction, Technology, & Innovation
Did African American Lives Improve After Slavery?
The Civil War made slavery illegal, but all ex-slaves were not totally free. Scholars visit eight different classroom stations to uncover life during the Reconstruction Era in America. Groups discover items such as Black Codes, 13th,...
Museum of the American Revolution
Historical Analysis: Objects Tell Stories
Dig this! Young archeologists discover what objects teach us about the past. The activity uses an image of a Revolutionary War artifact to help historians practice analyzing the past. Scholars study the object and complete a worksheet to...
American Institute of Physics
The Tuskegee Weathermen: African-American Meteorologists during World War II
Chances are good that young scholars have heard of the Tuskegee Airmen but few would predict that these pilots had their own support in the form of the Tuskegee Weathermen. These Black meteorologists were recruited and trained to provide...
University of Pennsylvania
Using Political Postcards to Teach a Revolution of Political Thought
Discuss how political postcards affected everyday people's thoughts and beliefs. Pupils continue a unit on the Dreyfus Affair as they engage in class discussion, watch a video, view a PowerPoint presentation, and fill out worksheets to...
City University of New York
Presidential Elections and the Electoral College
To understand the controversy surrounding the US 2000 presidential election, class members investigate the rationale behind the Electoral Collage, the intimidation involved in the election of 1876, and the 2004 American League...
Curated OER
Historical Interview Project
Students practice effectively interviewing a subject and then use that interview to create a movie.
Middle Tennessee State University
Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? A Comparison in American Culture
As part of their study of the Progressive Era, class groups examine a 20th century version of "The Three Little Pigs" through a New Era lens and identify how ideals such as the value of hard work, creativity, and problem solving,...
National Endowment for the Humanities
The Power of the Majority over Thought
While Alexis de Tocqueville mourned a lack of "freedom of discussion" in America in the early republic, today's pupils are concerned about peer pressure. Using excerpts of de Tocqueville's writing and discussion questions, scholars...
Curated OER
Was the Stamp Act Fair?
Elementary and middle schoolers examine and evaluate different perspectives concerning events leading to the American Revolution. In this case, they hone in on the Stamp Act. They research controversial bills, laws, or events of the time...
National Woman's History Museum
Introduction to Activism
Activist, feminist, and labor organizer Dolores Huerta are perhaps best known for her work with Cesar Chavez to create the United Farm Workers. Class members explore primary source documents to learn more about this Medal of Freedom winner.
Curated OER
Modern Day Editing
Abigail Adams' letters reveal how the English language has changed and become more standardized over the last 200 years. To underscore this point, pupils edit one of Adams' letters
Curated OER
What Were They Thinking Then, What Are We Thinking Now?
Choosing an issue from a play or novel, researchers find two primary sources from different time periods to compare how people's views have changed. Many questions are listed to guide young writers. In the end, learners produce a...
Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association
A Research Project: A Discussion of the Recreating and Populating of a Colonial Village
Primary source research, secondary source readings, and discussion provide the understanding necessary for learners to create a colonial persona, and simulate a situation appropriate for this person, time, and place. While the lesson...
Curated OER
Rights and Responsibilities in History
Students research rights and responsibilities in historic themes using primary source documents. They produce an iMovie including appropriate images and sounds.
Curated OER
Making Cloth: The Impact of Technology
Students analyze and discuss several primary source documents that address the changes in technology that affected New England agricultural communities in the early 19th century. They also identify and discuss historical contexts for...
Curated OER
In Congress Assembled: Continuity and Change in the Governing of the United States
Students interpret history using primary resources and secondary research. The Constitution is examined and changes are explained within the time period they were made.
Curated OER
African American Life in the Nineteenth Century
Middle schoolers read about the life and work of John and Mary Jones. Using primary source documents, they draw conclusions about their role in the abolistionist movement. They also examine artifacts from their lives and analyze their...