National Endowment for the Humanities
James Madison: Madison Was There
Madison was there! Scholars go on a journey to discover the person behind the founding father label as they explore James Madison's role in the formation of the United States government. The culmination is a writing assignment and...
Curated OER
Historical Witness: Social Messaging
Students research the effects of the Industrial Revolution through art and satire. In this Industrial Revolution lesson plan, students complete a Venn diagram, a symbolism study, a satire study, and complete an art activity to define the...
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Reconstructing Reconstruction-Comparing Primary and Secondary Accounts of Post-Civil War Georgia
Students explore Reconstruction by writing Ms. Walls back in the voice of the "Little Folks of the North and South."
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Changing Opinions
Students compare their preconceptions of Native American movement with their current perceptions. They identify why they have changed. Students conclude with a final reflection addressing how they define the Native American experience in...
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Attitudes About Slavery in Franklin County, Pennsylvania
High schoolers examine the historical attitudes towards slavery in Pennsylvania. They read transcriptions from two Pennsylvania newspapers and compare/contrast the county's Republican and Democratic Parties' positions on slavery.
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The Second Draft of History
Learners draft entries about a recent historical event for a history textbook using two specific sources of information. They then compare their entries and examine the differences.
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I Knew Him When
Students research the life of Abraham Lincoln and write a first-person account from the viewpoint of someone who knew him. They develop a timeline of Lincoln's life, research a particular period of his life, and write a first-person...
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Battle of New Orleans
Students use the Internet, encyclopedias, and other library resources to discover basic facts about the Battle of New Orleans and the 1768 revolt by French colonists in Spanish Louisiana. They examine two websites that give information...
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To Be or Not to Be Democratic
Seventh graders explore the democratic republic principles of U.S. government. In this U.S. government lesson, 7th graders compare and contrast the governments of ancient Athens,the Roman Republic, and the United States today. Students...
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Constitutional Convention
Students engage in a role-playing situation to illustrate the kinds of compromised that were made a teh Constitutional Convention. They write three short 1-2 paragraph arguments and then present their arguments to the class at the...
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The Battle of Fort Moultrie
Eighth graders interpret historical evidence presented in primary and secondary resources. In this American Revolution lesson, 8th graders examine the Battle of Fort Moultrie and create their own historical narratives regarding the event.
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Documents about the Boston Massacre and the Biases of Their Creators
Students compare and contrast writings about pre-American Revolution events. In this political agenda lesson, students conduct research to determine how bias and perspective have made their way into historical documents. Students examine...
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Being Too Hard on Microsoft?
Students compare the antitrust case against Microsoft with other historic antitrust cases. After exploring the notions of capitalism, monopolies and trusts, students examine the current case against Microsoft.
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Passing Down Family History Through Oral Tradition: Corridos
Students create and perform Corridos which are oral tradition ballads. In this Passing Down Family History Through Oral Tradition lesson, students interview family members using a predetermined list of questions. In addition, students...
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Lincoln's Legend and Legacy
Students evaluate Lincoln's impact on American History. In this Civil War lesson, students view a film clip of writings about Lincoln. Students take notes and compare how the writings define his legacy. Students write their own poem or...
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Introduction to World Religions
Sixth graders compare and contrast the world religions. In this cultural practices lesson, 6th graders locate places in the world where Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, and Islam are practiced.
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Louisiana's Major Folk Regions
Learners study the three major folk regions of the state. They break the regions down into smaller folk regions or use the concept of three regions: North Louisiana, South Louisiana, and New Orleans. They identify some of the markers...
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The First American Party System: Federalists and Democratic-Republicans: The Platforms They Never Had
Young scholars investigate the beginnings of the political party system in the US. They determine the key positions of both the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans. They compare the views of the early political parties with those...
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Technology as a Design Tool for self-portraits
Students create self-portraits using the technology of digital cameras mixed with other media. Adobe Photoshop is a requirement for this specific three week project. State standards for the arts are addressed.
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The City Symphony- The Original Reality Show
Students discuss the purpose of city symphonies that were used in the past. In groups, they compare and contrast the social systems of a school and city to create their own city symphony video together. They also write what is known as...
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Protesting through Art
Students experience critiquing, analyzing, and comparing different works of art from different eras. They discuss how these works can or can't be considered a form of protest and assess how to evaluate their own judgments and values on...
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Separate But Equal? A Lesson on the Briggs v. Elliott Case in Claredon County, SC
Third graders discussschool integration. In this racial inequality instructional activity, 3rd graders read Remember: The Journey to School Integrationand discuss the school facilities and how people must have felt. Students watch a...
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Revolutionary Women of South Carolina
Students examine multiple primary sources. In this revolutionary war lesson, students read case studies regarding women from South Carolina. Students will compare the different roles women played during the Revolutionary War. Students...
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How Are Boundaries Made, Kept, Broken?
Students examine the different perspectives of Igbo women. They simulate a silent debate in response to the question, "Is the Igbo society sexist?" They write their response to the question and exchange papers with their partner as the...