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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Atomic Bomb Dilemma

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine consequences of using atomic bomb in light of resulting peace, distinguish between fact and opinion and analyze sources to recognize bias and points of view, and assume role of reporter, critic, cabinet member, or...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Flag Day

For Students 2nd - 4th
In this national day holiday instructional activity, students fill in 3 boxes with important information about Flag Day. Students include the year 1777, traditions and the events that happened in August 1949.
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Website
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Smithsonian Institution

Cold War

For Students 5th - 12th Standards
The Cold War was not necessarily always cold in temperature, but the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union sure was frigid! Scholars read various passages, view exhibition graphics, and observe an artifact from the...
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Lesson Plan
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The Formation of the Western Alliance, 1948–1949

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Silence is golden—even when debating post World War II foreign policy. Using a silent debate format, young historians deliberate whether the United States should have kept a foothold in West Germany after World War II. A series of videos...
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Unit Plan
New York Historical Society

The Vietnam War: 1945-1975

For Teachers 8th - 12th Standards
Do pupils know that the Vietnam War spanned a period of 30 years? A war that long is bound to leave devastating effects. Help young historians develop a comprehensive understanding of the war through multiple units on the subject that...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Abraham Lincoln and the U.S. Constitution

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students investigate President Abraham Lincoln's use of the U.S. Constitution and its importance to the Civil War. In this US history lesson, students read text about President Lincoln and the US Constitution. Students examine the...
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Unit Plan
University of California

The Cold War (America)

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The Cold War—with its roots in World War II—impacts the world today. Using an extensive curriculum, scholars consider its impact through primary sources, including speeches and propaganda, as well as other skills-enhancing activities. An...
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Lesson Plan
Stanford University

Public Housing

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The Fair Deal was meant to give Americans after World War II a basic standard of living. Those in public housing often found that promise fell short. Learners consider whether the effort was successful by evaluating images, testimonies,...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Telegram from Senator Joseph McCarthy to President Harry S. Truman

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Young scholars research Senator Joseph McCarthy's February 9, 1950 speech, given at Wheeling, West Virginia, in which he claimed more than 200 State Department employees were members of the Communist Party.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

WWII and the Atomic Bomb

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students examine three points about the use of the atomic bomb by the US during World War II. They take a position on each point and defend it orally.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Primary Documents: The President and African Americans

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Learners examine the efforts of the federal government to address discrimination in the U.S. before and after WWII. They read and discuss two executive orders, complete a worksheet, and answer discussion questions.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Memorandum of a Conference with President Eisenhower after Sputnik

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students use the National Archives to research how the United States and the Soviet Union south to maintain its supremacy after World War II.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

World War II

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine the events of World War II that led to the dropping of the atomic bomb on Japan. Creating a decision making tree, they weigh the positives and negatives of the decision to use the bomb. They participate in a class...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Lost Art of Letter Writing

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students discover the art of writing letters. In this writing instructional activity, students read letters written by President Harry Truman and then write a series of their own letters that would give insight into the times in which...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How did Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson affect the Civil Rights Movement?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students research Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson then utilize their findings to determine what each of the three Presidents contributed to the Civil Rights Movement.  In this U.S. History lesson, students work in small groups to create...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Presidential Briefing

For Students 11th - 12th
In this comparative government instructional activity, students follow the steps provided to form a National Security Council and then brief the President on long-term goals for the nation. Students prepare written briefs with charts and...
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PPT
Curated OER

The Cold War Era (1945 - 1991)

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Provide learners with an excellent resource focused on the Cold War Era. Starting in 1945 and going all the way to 1991, the Cold War Era included major historical events, such as the Berlin Wall, Warsaw Pact, the Korean War, and the...
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Lesson Plan
PBS

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
What rights are guaranteed to students? Do they align with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was approved by the United Nations in 1948? Middle and high schoolers present persuasive arguments about the rights they believe...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Famous Missourians Challenge

For Students 3rd - 4th
In this multiple choice worksheet, students read descriptive sentences and choose the names of the persons being described. Students answer 10 multiple choice questions.
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Lesson Plan
Center for Civic Education

To Amend or Not to Amend, That's Been the Question...Many Times

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
Looking for some ideas for how to celebrate September 17, Constitution Day? Check out a packet that focuses on the factors that are considered in the amendment process. Class members examine the amendment process and the types of...
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Lesson Plan
Center for Civic Education

Historical Analysis of Constitutional Amendments

For Teachers 11th - 12th Standards
Each of the 27 Amendments to the U.S. Constitution were adopted within specific economic, political, social or cultural, and international contexts. As part of their Constitution Day/Week studies, seniors investigate these factors for...
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Lesson Plan
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National Endowment for the Humanities

The New Order for "Greater East Asia"

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Sometimes the New Order becomes synonymous with its implications for European countries, but what about its consequences for East Asia? The final instructional activity in a four-part series teaches scholars about World War II. High...
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Lesson Plan
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Center for Civic Education

Constitution Day Rap

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Engage your class while learning about the US Constitution with this fun primary grade social studies lesson. After viewing a picture of the US Constitution, young learners piece together a US flag using stars and stripes with facts...
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Lesson Plan
Center for Civic Education

What Basic Ideas Are in the Preamble to the Constitution?

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
Introduce young historians to the US Constitution with this upper-elementary social studies lesson plan. Beginning with a general discussion about the role of government in society, students go on to work in small groups identifying and...