Facing History and Ourselves
The Holocaust: Bystanders and Upstanders
Scholars analyze the role of bystanders during the Holocaust. The investigation explores the roles of the bystanders, upstanders, and rescuers with primary and secondary resources to determine actions taken—or not—and their implications...
Smithsonian Institution
Mary Henry: Journal/Diary Writing
A great way to connect social studies with language arts, a resource on Mary Henry's historical diary reinforces the concepts of primary and secondary sources. It comes with an easy-to-understand lesson plan, as well as the reference...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Revolution '67, Lesson 2: What Happened in July 1967? How Do We Know?
Even in a world in which dozens of participants and curious onlookers record every controversial event, the basic facts of what happened are often in dispute. Revolution '67, Lesson 2 explores 1967 Newark, New Jersey using an examination...
Curated OER
Today's News, Tomorrow's History
Students read and analyze the historic New York Times front pages, and read an article that focuses on the current housing slump and the effect on state budgets. They answer comprehension questions, then in small groups answer questions...
Curated OER
Lesson PlanThe Huexotzinco Codex
Students examine primary sources that include pictographs from Puebla, Mexico. For this Huexotzinco Codex lesson, students perform historical analysis as they investigate the codex as they make inferences and draw conclusions about taxes...
Curated OER
The Home Front (Circa 1863)
Students interpret historical evidence presented in primary and secondary resources. In this American Civil War instructional activity, students examine sources and then write personal accounts of the war.
Curated OER
Paul Revere and Point of View
Students analyze the engraving of Paul Revere to make a judgment about the time period of the Boston Massacre. The objective is that one creates an account of the event from the perspective of a British soldier.
Curated OER
Multiple Perspectives on the Korean War
Students interpret historical evidence presented in primary and secondary resources. In this Korean War instructional activity, students examine and analyze primary sources regarding U.S. involvement in the Korean War.
Curated OER
Rivers Bridge State Historic Site
Students use maps, readings, illustrations and photos to analyze the Civil War Rivers Bridge battlefield and describe how geography affected the outcome of the battle. They explore and explain the causes for the battle's heavy human...
Curated OER
Blue Zones: Out with the old and in with the new
Seventh graders read articles about the Blue Zones, life expectancy and healthy and unhealthy habits of people around the world. In this Current Events instructional activity, 7th graders participate in class discussion of key terms and...
Curated OER
Decoding US Foreign Policy: The Iran-Contra Affair
This is a really good lesson. Learners explore US Foreign Policy, the Reagan Administration, and the Iran-Contra Affair through various documents and readers theater. Worksheets, script, and web links are all included. Teaching can't get...
Curated OER
Tracking Down the Real Billy the Kid
Students analyze the role that gunfighters played in the settlement of the West and distinguish between their factual and fictional accounts. Using internet research, students explore the life of Billy the Kid. They write an essay on...
Curated OER
Images of Immigration
Students evaluate how images of immigrants reflected political and social attitudes toward them in the United States. They interpret visual images in the context of historical and political developments.
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
Using Primary Source Documents
Students examine copies of primary source documents and determine the document's value to a researcher. They analyze and evaluate the document for bias or contradiction. They know the difference between a primary and secondary source.
Curated OER
Creating an Oral History--Who Tells the Story?
Explore the difficulties in compiling an oral history with this lesson. Young researchers conduct interviews and consider how point of view changes various accounts of a single incidence, resulting in conflicting information. They view a...
Curated OER
Mapping the West
Learners determine how Americans' perception of the geographical features of the West changed following the Lewis and Clark expedition. They analyze historical maps of the West.
Curated OER
Louisiana's Indian Tribes At the Time of the Louisiana Purchase
Students research primary readings concerning first hand accounts of the Indian tribes living in and around Louisiana's River systems. They complete a brief character sketch of each tribe characterized in the digital readings. These...
Curated OER
The Treaty Trail: U.S. - Clothing That Talks: Meaning and Material Culture
Students investigate the cultures of Native Americans and Euro-Americans through their clothing. In this photograph analysis lesson, students observe historic photographs and analyze the style of clothes people wore and how it signifies...
Curated OER
Birth and Early Childhood
Eighth graders read and compare creation stories of different cultures around the world. They identify and define the concept of the cycle of life and collect and analyze birth and childhood folk beliefs and stories in their families...
Curated OER
Masters of War
Students explore how artists depict wartime historical events. Then students create their own works of art depicting a historical event that has taken place during their own lives. They create a classroom gallery.
Curated OER
Paper Plate Observation
Young scholars analyze transits from previous scientists. They identify simple objects that could have been used for documentation in the science world. They also practice scientific inquiry using methodology.
Curated OER
Geography And The Gulf War
Young scholars develop maps, tables, graphs, charts, and diagrams to depict the geographic implications of current world events, and analyze major human conflicts to determine the role of physical and cultural geographic features in the...
Curated OER
Traveling Around Nebraska
High schoolers analyze a current or historical photograph from their textbook and as a class complete a worksheet of the analysis. Using the Photographic Analysis Form, they locate and analyze two transportation photographs and use the...