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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Slave Narratives: Constructing U.S. History Through Analyzing Primary Sources

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Learners access oral histories that contain slave narratives from the Library of Congress. They describe the lives of former slaves, sample varied individual experiences and make generalizations about their research in journal entries.
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Lesson Plan
Polk Bros Foundation

American Presidents

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Emanuel Leutze's painting Washington Crossing the Delaware. Alexander Gardner's photograph of Abraham Lincoln. What do these works of art tell us about the character of these American Presidents? After examining the techniques the...
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Lesson Plan
Middle Level Learning

Philip Reid and the Statue of Freedom

For Teachers 8th - 11th Standards
Approach the concept of freedom in United States history from a variety of angles and delve into rich primary source analysis practice. Pupils study the Statue of Freedom, which sits atop the dome of the Capitol building in Washington...
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Lesson Plan
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Alabama Department of Archives and History

Strange Fruit: Lynching in America

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
To continue their study of the Civil War, Reconstruction, and the beginning of the civil rights movement, class members watch the YouTube video of Billie Holiday singing "Strange Fruit" as an introduction to an examination of lynching in...
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Lesson Plan
Constitutional Rights Foundation

Issues of Asylum in the U.S.

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Who gets to come to the United States? Examine cases of individuals seeking asylum with an informative reading passage that includes examples, statistics, and representations of public opinion regarding asylum. Groups then go on to...
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Lesson Plan
University of Southern California

Coming to America After the War

For Teachers 10th - 12th Standards
As part of their exploration of the American dream, class members examine primary source materials to compare immigrant experiences of those arriving early in our country's history to those arriving in the US after World War II. To...
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Lesson Plan
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Smithsonian Institution

Lexington and Concord: Historical Interpretation

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Learners view and analyze three different images related to the Battle of Lexington and Concord. They also answer a variety of questions in a graphic organizer to help keep the information straight.
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Writing
DC Vote

One Kid, One Vote

For Students 7th - 11th Standards
Learn about why the citizens of Washington, D.C. feel unrepresented in Congress with an article about D.C voting rights. Individuals read about the movement toward congressional representation in Washington, D.C., before answering...
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Lesson Plan
Stanford University

Voices of the Struggle: The Continual Struggle for Equality

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
As part of a study of the Civil Rights Movement from 1868 to the present, class members examine first person narratives, the Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education, and other significant events in civil rights history. They then...
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Lesson Plan
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NPR

This Isn't Right: Women Reform Leaders

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
The 20th century saw many new possibilities open up to women in America, thanks to many well-known female historical figures — and some women who are not as famous but who are equally accomplished. Learn about the women who contributed...
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Lesson Plan
Civil War Trust

Gettysburg Address

For Teachers 4th - 12th Standards
The Gettysburg Address may have been four score and seven years ago, but its message is still as relevant today. Young historians explore the context of the famous speech, as well as its central theme and argument, before discussing the...
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Lesson Plan
Civil War Trust

Civil War Soldier: Experiencing the Battle of Franklin

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Fighting a war over home soil makes a living nightmare even more real. Class members describe the experience of a Civil War soldier during the Battle of Franklin, poised right at a major turning point of the war, after researching the...
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Interactive
US National Archives

We the People Focusing on Details: Compare and Contrast

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
Even the most inspiring documents in American history had to go through a few drafts before they were ready for publication. Reinforce the importance of the writing process, as well as the collaborative nature of democracy, with an...
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Activity
National Constitution Center

Born in the U.S.A: Music as Political Protest

For Students 10th - 12th Standards
Though often used in shows of patriotism, Bruce Springsteen's 1985 song "Born in the U.S.A." is critical of America's role in the Vietnam war and its treatment of American veterans. High schoolers analyze the song's lyrics in an activity...
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Lesson Plan
Maryland Department of Education

A Raisin in the Sun and Dreams Deferred

For Teachers 10th Standards
To conclude a study of A Raisin in the Sun and to prepare for a visit to the Lewis Museum, class members analyze Langston Hughes' poem "Harlem." Learners then draw connections to characters in the play and to their own experiences by...
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Lesson Plan
Mississippi Department of Archives and History

Protesting Violence without Violence

For Teachers 8th - 12th Standards
The ultimate legacy of Emmett Till's violent death is its role in the non-violent roots of the Civil Rights Movement. A lesson compares contemporaneous articles with the lyrics of Bob Dylan's "The Death of Emmett Till" and prompts...
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Worksheet
National Endowment for the Humanities

The Declaration of Independence in Six Parts

For Students 8th - 10th Standards
Everyone knows that the Declaration of Independence is important, but what does it actually say? Members of American history classes analyze the Founding Fathers' arguments against British tyranny and for a more perfect union with a...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

America Established Because of Protest

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students explore events and causes that led to American Revolution and examine popular pro-Patriot renderings and texts of these issues created both at that time and in later years. Students then prepare and deliver oral presentations...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Chapter 28: Red Flags and Velvet Revolutions: The End of the Cold War, 1960-1990

For Students 10th - Higher Ed
Set your historians up for testing success using this interactive flashcard tool. It is one of many learning strategies offered in this thorough online resource. Although designed for use with a text, the site is valuable independently....
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

An American President in American Art

For Teachers 6th
Learners discuss the life and death of both Elaine De Kooning and the president she painted, John Kennedy. They learn how Kooning chose to describe President Kennedy through abstract expressionism and why her choice of color and shape...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

George Washington Crossing the Delaware: A Study of Setting and Character

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers examine "Washington Crossing the Delaware." In this American Revolution lesson, students analyze the painting, research its background, and then perform skits based on their findings. 
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Graphic
PBS

Library of Congress: Media Gallery | Women's Suffrage

For Students 6th - Higher Ed
Designed to support a study of women's suffrage in the United States, a primary source document set from the Library of Congress includes images, song sheets, articles, statistical documents, political cartoon, and audio recordings...
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Lesson Plan
Library of Virginia

Emancipation and the Thirteenth Amendment

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Why didn't the Emancipation Proclamation free all slaves? Young historians study primary source documents including Lincoln's proclamation and the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution. Groups also investigate the three...
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Unit Plan
Oklahoma City of Museum Art

Harlem Renaissance

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Individuals expressed the Harlem Renaissance in diverse forms of art, ranging from poetry to photography to painting. Learners explore pieces using a carefully curated collection from the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. Included lessons ask...

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