Curated OER
The Overextended Society/The Conservative Ascendancy
Students write an essay presenting their understanding of presidential elections and the issues related to presidential elections. Students discuss the effect of immigration on the United States and the major points that swung the nation...
Curated OER
Advanced Critical Reading: The Great Debates
In this critical reading learning exercise, students read a passage about The Great Debates between Kennedy and Nixon and answer questions based on the reading.
Curated OER
The Executive Branch
Students identify the key terms and describe each one as it applies to the Executive Branch. Students identify and analyze the powers and duties of the president. Students discuss the Executive Branch in more detail, including the...
Curated OER
Checks on Presidential Power
Students examine presidential powers. For this checks and balances lesson, students identify the constitutional and informal restraints of the president and consider the reasons for the limitations.
Curated OER
The Role of the Independent Counsel
Students analyze the role of independent counsel. In this Bill of Rights lesson, students listen to their instructor present a lecture regarding Watergate, Impeachment, and the role of independent counsel. Students respond to discussion...
Curated OER
Welfare to Work: The States Take Charge
Pupils examine the Work Opportunity Act of 1996. In this welfare instructional activity, students listen to their instructor present a lecture regarding the history of welfare and the passage of welfare reform. Pupils respond to...
Curated OER
The Watergate Crisis
Students examine Watergate and explore how this crisis affected American politics.
Curated OER
The Saturday Night Massacre
Students look at the actions taken by Nixon from several perspectives. They explain the Constitutional issues involved with the firings and the concept of Presidential privilege as it evolved during this period. Students draw conclusions...
Curated OER
Skepticism Toward Government
Students explain how the media portrays certain events and its effects on public opinion of government. They focus on Watergate, the Vietnam War, and the Clinton impeachment. They write essays about skepticism promoted by the media.
Curated OER
Analyzing the Language of Presidential Debates
Scholars assess how word choice and linguistic patterns affect a presidential debate. They examine candidates' words for repetition and analyze what this repetition means. Then they locate countries that fit the expression free world. In...
Curated OER
Incorporate Father's Day into Your Curriculum!
Projects ideas and simple classroom activities for honoring dads and classroom timelines.
The New York Times
Teaching the Vietnam War with Primary Sources from the New York Times
Use the New York Times database of primary sources to teach a unit on the Vietnam War. The resource consists of a variety of primary sources as well as a lesson plan showcasing how to teach a lesson using them. Pupils analyze the sources...
Curated OER
Constitution/Impeachment/Reconstruction
Eleventh graders analyze a chart comparing U.S. census data from 1850, 1880, 1900, and 1920. They read a handout summarizing immigration legislation from 1882-1996 and create a graph charting how open / closed U.S. immigration is over time.
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: Herblock at 100
In celebration of renowned cartoonist Herb Block's Library of Congress exhibition, this handout includes 2 of his famous political cartoons for scholars to analyze. Background information describes "Herblock's" career, and talking points...
Tennessee State Library & Archives
Vietnam War
A picture can speak 1000 words. Scholars research the Vietnam War through the lens of a camera. Examining photos from the collection of Christopher D. Ammons allows open interpretation of life during one of America's darkest conflicts....
Curated OER
Columbus Day
Students create a boat out of cardboard egg cups, clay, and more for Columbus Day. In this Columbus Day lesson plan, students also watch a Columbus Day video.
Curated OER
OPEC and the Energy Crisis
Students color the Middle East Nations of OPEC on outline maps. They discuss and watch a video about the United States reliance on oil producing nations of the Middle East. They participate in a discussion of the problems of the gas...
National First Ladies' Library
Women on the Wall: A Vietnam Memorial
Students investigate the role of women during the Vietnam War. They conduct Internet research, and create a Chronicle of Women in Vietnam project that could take the form of a journal, PowerPoint presentation, or scrapbook that includes...
Curated OER
Research Skills and Exercises
For this grammar worksheet, students rewrite five sentences to eliminate the striking or catchy language and rewrite three student paraphrases to make each one grammatically correct.
National First Ladies' Library
Hey, Hey, It's the Beatles!
Young scholars study the Beatles and the contributions their music made to much of the pop music that came afterward. They synthesize complex information and the skills of "compare and contrast" in writing. They research some aspect of...
National First Ladies' Library
Searching for China: A Full WebQuest
Young scholars research the six key aspects of Chinese culture. They examine problems and issues from different perspectives and look in to the nature of international relations in an interdependent world. All of this is accomplished by...
Curated OER
Father's Day
In this Father's Day worksheet, students complete activities such as reading a passage, phrase matching, fill in the blanks, correct words, multiple choice, spelling, sequencing, scrambled sentences, writing questions, survey, and...
Curated OER
Red, Undecided, and Blue
Students analyze voter preferences in past elections, and then write letters to a presidential candidate, recommending winning strategies drawn from their research.
Curated OER
The U.S. Trade Embargo on Cuba
Students examine perspectives for and against the U.S. trade embargo on Cuba, develop a position on the embargo and articulate viewpoints in a public forum.