History Lesson Plans

Students explore oral history and how it is important to historical record. They interview someone who is a U.S. immigrant and create an oral history project/paper based on this interview.

Compare and contrast old and modern historical accounts of the life of Thomas Jefferson. Learners begin by evaluating the responsibilities of history textbooks in reporting on historical events, people, and eras, and discuss how new information should be used to enhance the information contained in standard texts. This could be a a critical-thinking activity for your class.

Students consider how we learn about the past and discuss how the framing of history is always done by the person who is telling it. They construct a personal and class timelines, compare two or more accounts of the same event and record oral histories from members of their family.

Fourth graders research the history of Tallahassee using a Website and other materials to determine why the capital is where it is today. They organize the information on a timeline and investigate the "heart" of Florida.

Fourth graders compare and contrast life of the Montana Indians before and after contact with Europeans. In this Indian tribes  lesson students create a timeline that shows life before, during, and after contact with Europeans. Students reflect on the affect that history has on the future for Montana Indians.

Students explore eras in African American history, then create quilts depicting important events and personalities from these eras and write an explanation of the significance of the imagery of the quilt; display in classroom or school hallway.

Explore connections within and between informational texts with this lesson about encyclopedia articles. Middle schoolers write encyclopedia articles focusing on topics in American history. They discuss how to determine credibility online, practice fact checking, assess their own ability to read actively and skeptically, and write memos that educate others on how to do so. Lesson provides vocabulary, assessment options, extensions, and interdisciplinary connections.

Learners explore historical connections, talking with family members about landmark events they have witnessed in their lifetimes to explore how history touches our lives. They identify several landmark events of the late 20th century.

Students explore the history of Virginia. In this lesson on early statehood, students view several PowerPoint presentations and then research, design and create a classroom time line of Early American history. This lesson includes several activities, multiple slide-shows, and primary resources.

Sixth graders view pictures and participate in a research project.  In this women's history lesson, 6th graders view pictures and research a famous woman in American History.  Students complete a research report.