+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854: Popular Sovereignty and the Political Polarization over Slavery

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Why did Stephen Douglas support the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854? Why did Abraham Lincoln oppose it? Young historians examine how the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 affected the political balance between free and slave states and explore how...
+
Lesson Plan
NET Foundation for Television

1850-1874 The Kansas-Nebraska Act

For Teachers 4th - 12th Standards
How the Kansas-Nebraska Act created Bleeding Kansas is complicated—until scholars research and examine documents from the time. After completing activities that include mapping, photo, document analysis, and discussion, learners...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Popular Sovereignty Under the Kansas-Nebraska Act

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders examine the implications of the Kansas-Nebraska Act. In this slavery lesson plan, 7th graders examine a map of 1820 America and discuss the balance of power implied by the map. Students then read Stephen Douglas's speech...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Causes of the Civil War: Missouri Compromise, Compromise of 1850 and Kansas Nebraska Act

For Teachers 8th - 10th Standards
How did the Missouri Compromise, the Compromise of 1850, and the Kansas-Nebraska Act contribute to the growing tensions that led to the Civil war? To better understand the events that led to the Civil War, young historians engage in a...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Eli Thayer and the Kansas-Nebraska Act

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students determine how states were identified as slave states or free states. In this Kansas-Nebraska Act instructional activity, students explore the work of Eli Thayer as well as the work of Thayer's supporters in Massachusetts.
+
Lesson Plan
NET Foundation for Television

1850-1874 Homestead Act Signed: Who were the Settlers?

For Teachers 3rd - 12th Standards
Life in the great, wide-open spaces of the West! Scholars analyze the reasons behind the vast movement to the Great Plains after the passing of the Kansas-Nebraska Act and the Homestead Act. Using photographic, document, map, video, and...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sectionalism and the Kansas-Nebraska Act

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students define and discuss sectionalism and popular sovereignty, analyze impact of popular sovereignty in creation of state of Kansas, compare issues in territorial Kansas to current politically divisive topic, and evaluate primary...
+
Lesson Plan
NET Foundation for Television

1850-1874 Native Americans and Settlers

For Teachers 4th - 12th Standards
Did Western settlers receiving free land from the Homestead Act realize it wasn't really free at all? Scholars investigate the impact Western expansion had on Native American culture in the mid-1800s. They use documents, timelines, and...
+
Activity
NET Foundation for Television

1850-1874 African American Settlers

For Teachers 4th - 12th Standards
Go West, young man! Scholars investigate the impact of African American settlers moving to the Nebraska territory, following the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act in the mid 1800s. Using primary sources, timelines, maps, and...
+
Lesson Plan
NET Foundation for Television

1850-1874 Notable Nebraskan: J. Sterling Morton

For Teachers 3rd - 12th Standards
What are the characteristics of an outstanding citizen? Nebraskan J. Sterling Morton contributed to the formation of societal and family values in his state. Learners gather information on Morton's life accomplishments from primary...
+
Lesson Plan
NET Foundation for Television

1850-1874 Railroads and Settlement

For Teachers 3rd - 12th Standards
Have you ever wondered how your town was placed where it is? Scholars research the impact the advancement of the railroad due to the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act had on the formation of civilization in the Great Plains. Map...
+
Lesson Plan
NET Foundation for Television

1850-1874 Beef Moves to Nebraska

For Teachers 3rd - 12th Standards
Just how long was the Long Drive? Learners investigate the movement of cattle in the Great Plains during the mid-1800s. They incorporate photographic, newspaper, video, and primary source evidence into their posters, artwork, and written...
+
Lesson Plan
NET Foundation for Television

1850-1874 Homestead Act Signed: The Challenges of The Plains

For Teachers 4th - 12th Standards
Start a whole new life in a land known as the Wild Wild West! Learners analyze maps, personal accounts, the Kansas-Nebraska Act, songs, and video clips to uncover life under the Homestead Act. Using their new skills, class members role...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sectionalism, Popular Sovereignty and Secession

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students read and discuss background material on several key decisions that played a role in the Civil War including the Missouri Compromise, the Kansas-Nebraska Act and the Dredd Scott Decision. They create a timeline and write an essay.
+
Interactive
National Constitution Center

Abraham Lincoln's Crossroads

For Students 3rd - 8th Standards
History enthusiasts participate in an interactive website that brings Abraham Lincoln to life as he shares his personal experiences between 1854-1864. Scholars listen and read carefully to form their own opinions and discover if they...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854: Popular Sovereignty and the Political Polarization over Slavery

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers read selections from the Declaration of Independence, Northwest Ordinance of 1787, and the Wilmot Proviso of 1846. They contrast the maps of 1820 and 1854 to analyze developments in the national debate over slavery. They...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How We Got to Kansas-Nebraska

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students explore the causes of the Civil War. In this lesson on slavery students use primary sources to examine the evolution of the issue of  slavery and in the American political system. Students will then write a follow-up essay that...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Popular Sovereignty and the Lecompton Constitution

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students explore the purpose of the Lecompton Constitution.  In this United States History instructional activity, students read several articles then complete several activities to reinforce their reading, such as a cause and effect...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sectionalism and the Kansas-Nebraska Act

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Students use their knowledge of Kansas history to support their position in support of or against slavery in Kansas.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Kansas and Nebraska Act

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students use a primary source of a political cartoon to set the context for a lesson. They answer key questions in writing or orally. Students conduct a class discussion about the issue to stimulate higher order thinking skills like...
+
Unit Plan
Core Knowledge Foundation

The Civil War

For Teachers 5th Standards
A unit covers many aspects of the Civil War. Over six weeks, fifth graders delve deep into the history of slavery, the Civil War—before, during, and after—Abraham Lincoln, women's contributions, the Emancipation Proclamation, and...
+
Interactive
DocsTeach

The Settlement of the American West

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
What do Abraham Lincoln and the Transcontinental Railroad have in common? Using a set of primary source documents, including pictures, maps, and treaties, class members link together the common themes of expansion into the American West....
+
Lesson Plan
Center for History Education

Lincoln and the Republicans: The Cause of the War?

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
In today's political rhetoric, many forget the pivotal role the Republican Party played in the causes of the Civil War. The party's formation was the final straw for Southerners who saw the enslavement of people of African descent a...
+
eBook
Core Knowledge Foundation

The Civil War

For Students 3rd - 8th Standards
A student reader shares information about the history of slavery, the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln, women's contributions to the war, the Emancipation Proclamation, and reconstruction.

Other popular searches