US National Archives
National Archives: Benjamin Franklin: Politician and Diplomat
Benjamin Franklin was the only man to help shape all the major documents that established the United States. Students will review those documents and match the correct document to its description. Upon completion, students will choose...
US National Archives
National Archives: We the People
View George Washington's annotated draft of the Constitution while discussing the ratification process. Specifically, the students will analyze changes to the Preamble of the Constitution. Critical thinking questions are provided.
US National Archives
National Archives: Lewis and Clark's Expedition to the Complex West
Jefferson sent Lewis and Clark to explore the land annexed in the Louisiana Purchase knowing that his area was already inhabited and politically complicated. Students will explore documents related to the purchase and use the map to...
US National Archives
National Archives: The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
Was the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo a fair compromise to end the Mexican-American War? Students will dissect sections of the treaty to summarize and formulate a conclusion to that question.
US National Archives
National Archives: u.s. V. Amistad: A Case of Jurisdiction
Young scholars will review the Amistad case and use passages from the case explore the concept of jurisdiction and how a case travels through the federal court system. Also, included are links to the background of the Amistad case, a...
US National Archives
National Archives: From Dred Scott to the Civil Rights Act of 1875
The Dred Scott case decided that African Americans were not citizens of the United States. However, 18 years later they would have citizenship and many other rights. Students will examine the following documents to understand how and why...
US National Archives
National Archives: How Effective Were the Efforts of the Freedmen's Bureau?
Upon being freed, the formerly enslaved people had many challenges to overcome. The Freedmen's Bureau was established to assist the newly free people. Students will examine the following documents and formulate an opinion about the...
US National Archives
National Archives: The Civil War as Photographed by Mathew Brady
Students will surmise what life was like for soldiers fighting in the Civil War by viewing photographs from that time period. Students will answer questions in small groups and reconvene for a whole class discussion.
US National Archives
National Archives: To What Extent Was Reconstruction a Revolution? (Part 1)
Should Reconstruction be viewed as a revolution or not? Using primary source documents, students can weigh the evidence and come up with their conclusion. This instructional activity can be used as a whole class, small group, or...
US National Archives
National Archives: To What Extent Was Reconstruction a Revolution? (Part 2)
This is a continuation of part 1 of the instructional activity "To What Extent was Reconstruction a Revolution?". Students will study the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to see if their opinion changes from the previous instructional activity....
US National Archives
National Archives: Prohibition and Its Consequences
Was prohibition necessary to protect family values or was it an over-reach by the government? Students will debate this question while analyzing documents from this era. Documents include political cartoon, photos, letters from citizens,...
US National Archives
National Archives: Extending Suffrage to Women
The passage of the 15th Amendment sparked the Women's Suffrage Movement. Students will analyze documents pertaining to the Suffrage Movement such as letters from prominent suffragists, anti-suffrage postcards, photos from parades, and...
US National Archives
National Archives: How Have Americans Responded to Immigration?
How have Amercian's views on immigration changed over the course American history? What causes the shifts in acceptance? Students will view documents spanning the 19th and 20th century to answer those questions. They will examine...
US National Archives
National Archives: Confronting Work Place Discrimination on the Wwii Homefront
African Americans were not able to take advantage of the booming industries as Americans were mobilizing for WWII. The FEPC was established to make sure Roosevelt's executive order providing for equal opportunities in defense industries...
US National Archives
National Archives: The First Amendment
Students will look at documents and cases throughout American history to understand the effects of the First Amendment on our nation.
US National Archives
Animal Welfare Act: Hist. Perspectives, Future Directions
Information from the symposium of the 30th anniversary of the Animal Welfare Act as provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
US National Archives
Docsteach: The Constitution at Work
In this activity students will analyze documents that span the course of American history to determine their connection to the U.S. Constitution. Students will then make connections between the documents they have examined and the big...
US National Archives
National Archives: Bring History to Life
How can you actually bring history to life? Here are some tools from the National Archives that allow students to create their own projects using primary-source based activities that develop historical thinking skills. Special historical...
US National Archives
Docsteach: Celebrating America's Bicentennial in 1976
In this activity, students will learn how the Declaration of Independence has been made available so that Americans can still read this important document. They will follow the steps that were involved in printing copies of the...
US National Archives
Docsteach: The Civil War as Photographed by Mathew Brady
Students will analyze a series of photographs taken by renowned photographer Mathew Brady to reflect on the lives of soldiers during the Civil War. The holdings of the National Archives include over 6,000 photographs taken by Brady and...
US National Archives
Docsteach: Integration of the u.s. Armed Forces
Students will draw upon the visual and textual data presented in photographs and documents to gain an understanding of the participation of African Americans in the U.S. Armed Forces and of changes in American military policy regarding...
US National Archives
Docsteach: A Revolution, a Reaction and a Reform: National History Day
Students will analyze primary source documents related to the National History Day (NHD) theme for 2011-12: Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History, determine how the documents are connected to the theme, and evaluate the effectiveness...
US National Archives
Docsteach: Extending Suffrage to Women
In this activity, students will analyze documents pertaining to the women's suffrage movement as it intensified following passage of the 15th Amendment that guaranteed the right to vote for African American males. Documents were chosen...
US National Archives
Docsteach: Lewis & Clark's Expedition to the Complex West
This activity can be used as an introduction or for a closer study of the Lewis & Clark Expedition. Students will learn that the United States purchased the Louisiana Territory in 1803 and President Thomas Jefferson sent Lewis and...