Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Photographs as Documents

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students analyze photographs of Maine's history. They discuss the character of Maine and read a photograph. They analyze photos in pairs and complete an analysis sheet for each one. They evaluate their photos and rank them for qualities...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Brief History of Fairfax County

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students begin the lesson by writing what they know about Fairfax County in their journals. Using primary source documents, they identify ten interesting facts about the area and watch a video. They complete a Venn Diagram comparing...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

All Men Are Created Equal

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students engage in a instructional activity to investigate the concept of all men being equal. The concept has a historical context during the time of the American Revolution. They use primary and secondary sources in order to discover...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

South Korea

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars use primary and secondary resources in order to investigate the culture of South Korea. They use guiding questions that progressively lead them to higher order thinking to make connections from the information to how...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Real World War II

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students work in groups in order to investigate primary and secondary resources in order to make their own conclusions about the history of World War II. They look at the evidence critically looking to find valid resources.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Primary Sources by and about Mexicans and Californios

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners access many pages of unique and interesting people of Mexican/Californios decent/heritage. After reading an insert on one, they can future research that person on the Internet. Students share their findings on a power point...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cabeza de Vaca Meets the Coahuiltecans

For Teachers 4th - 7th
Students examine the difference between primary and secondary sources by examining the journal of Cabeza de Vaca and creating a poster about the Coahuitecan Indian groups. They portray a scene of the groups in 16th Century south Texas.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

World War I: Overview of the Great War

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders read first hand accounts of soldiers' lives during World War I, examine historical timeline of major events during war, and research and listen to clips of popular music of the time.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

If a Picture's Worth a Thousand Words...

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Pupils examine the debate between the preservation of and access to historical artifacts. They explore the notion of ownership and commodification of historical artifacts and come up with a plan for compromise.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Introduction of Primary Sources

For Teachers 1st - Higher Ed
Students will use the internet to access information about artifacts to justify their use as primary sources of information. The activities can be done as a whole class or in groups. The differences between primary and secondary sources...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Introduction of Primary Sources

For Teachers 1st
First graders are introduced to photographs and newspaper articles to be used as primary sources. Using a projecter, they are shown photographs of a famous person to prove they were real and not make believe. In groups, they use...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Introduction of Primary Sources: Introduction to TDC site (Lesson 3)

For Teachers 1st
First graders are introduced to using a database as a primary source. Using the internet, they choose a site of artifacts and practice navigating through the site. They identify an artifact and draw them on a large piece of white...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Class Celebration of Primary Sources (Lesson 6)

For Teachers 1st
First graders participate in a celebration to end their examination on primary sources. In teams, they guide special guests around their classroom to show what they have done with primary sources. They share their peronal primary...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hamlet and the Pirates

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers use seventeenth century primary sources to understand the off-stage pirate attack that occurs in Hamlet. Students read and discuss Hamlet's letter to Horatio from the play, Hamlet. High schoolers analyze primary documents...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Using Primary Documents: The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Students examine primary documents from various key historical events, including those from the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. They discuss the importance of such documents.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Learning from Primary Source Documents One Day at a Time

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students differentiate between primary and secondary research sources before making a visual representation of their research into the colonist of Fort St. Louis. They write inquiry questions to guide their research.