Curated OER
The Economics of Risk
Learners consider the plight of immigrant food industry workers in the United States. In this social justice lesson, students identify the pros and cons of being an undocumented worker in the U.S. and discuss labor laws.
Council for Economic Education
The Silk Road
The Silk Road connected the European, Middle Eastern, and Asian worlds. It also helped create the modern trade world. An analysis activity makes the importance of this Chinese innovation clear by asking participants to evaluate trades...
PBS
Taking A Field Trip
Field trips require a great deal of advanced planning to be successful. Ensure the success of your trips with a step-by-step preparation guide that itemizes before, during, and after activities as well as extension and adaptation...
Council for Economic Education
Why Didn't China Discover the New World?
Who was Zheng He and why haven't we heard of him? Scholars consider the question as they compare his vast expeditionary force to that of Christopher Columbus. Young historians then ponder the intersection of science, economics, and...
DocsTeach
Evaluating a Needlework Sampler as Historical Evidence
Needlework isn't just for home decor; it can also help record family history. Academics analyze a needlework sampler to understand how they were used to record marriages and births. The activity includes a series of written questions,...
DocsTeach
Road to Revolution: Patriotism or Treason?
Patriot or traitor? Scholars debate the line between patriotism and treason in a short activity. Academics analyze a political cartoon and discuss varying viewpoints between different groups living in the American colonies. The activity...
DocsTeach
To Sign or Not to Sign
To sign or not to sign, that is the question. Scholars review the Declaration of Independence and discuss the Framers' decisions for signing the document. The activity uses primary text, a worksheet, and group discussion to help...
DocsTeach
Pearl Harbor Dispatch Analysis
Scholars play a historical version of the telephone game when they analyze the dispatch from the Pearl Harbor attack. The quick activity uses primary sources to help academics analyze an historical event. Young historians also complete a...
DocsTeach
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the Mexican-American War, but it did not end tensions between the two nations. The activity provides learners with an opportunity to practical historical analysis with text experts from the Treaty of...
DocsTeach
Celebrating America's Bicentennial in 1976
Budding historians learn the process of preserving history in an interesting hands-on-activity. The resource walks academics through the process of restoring the Declaration of Independence. Individuals place a series of images in...
DocsTeach
Election of 1800
The 2020 election is not the only unpredictable one in history. The Election of 1800 highlighted an unforeseen event in a presidential election. The activity reviews documents from the elections and what happened when the electoral...
DocsTeach
The Voting Record of the Constitution
A piece of the past helps shape the future. Learn what historical documents reveal about the past using an engaging activity. Academics participate in a role-playing scenario, view the voting record of the Constitutional...
DocsTeach
Analyzing Einstein's Citizenship Application
Albert Einstein contributed greatly to America's history, but he wasn't always a citizen. An engaging activity analyzes Einstein's citizenship application to understand the process of immigration and how it impacts those trying to reach...
DocsTeach
The Settlement of the American West
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....
DocsTeach
The Night Before D-Day
Get inside the mind of General Eisenhower regarding the D-Day invasion. An interesting activity uses historical documents to highlight the differences between Eisenhower's public stance on D-Day and his private opinions. Scholars analyze...
DocsTeach
The New Deal: Revolution or Reform?
Scholars weigh in on FDR's New Deal policies in an in-depth activity. The resource uses historical documents to explore whether the New Deal polices were reformatory or revolutionary. Learners review documents, rate them using a scale,...
DocsTeach
The School Lunch Program and the Federal Government
The school lunch program is rooted in the struggles of the Great Depression and is still assisting families today. Academics research documents and images relating to the creation of the school lunch program. Scholars use a worksheet to...
DocsTeach
Two Versions of FDR's Infamy Speech
Historians follow FDR's Infamy speech from rough draft to the official address to the Senate. An intriguing activity compares and contrasts FDR's original speech to the official version. Academics also listen to FDR address the Senate....
Curated OER
China: Land Beyond the Wall
An excellent series of five lessons on China awaits you and your young geographers. In these lessons, learners engage in hands-on activities, watch streamed video, access websites, and complete activities in cooperative groups in order...
Curated OER
Promoting Disability Awareness and Acceptance in Childhood
Create a safe and respectful school environment with the help of this special education teaching guide. Offering dozens of instructional ideas and activities for raising awareness and acceptance of children with disabilities, this is a...
Curated OER
Orville and Wilbur Wong and the Fantastic Flying Machines
Upper elementary and middle schoolers examine the role of Chinese immigrants in America. They investigate literature, history and cultures of Chinese-Americans. This ambitious plan takes two weeks to complete, and it brings in elements...
Curated OER
Gas Prices Keep Rising
Students discuss rising gas prices, then read a news article about how the increase in fuel cost may affect other prices. For this economics and current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a discussion and vocabulary...
Curated OER
Ye Ole Middle Ages
Upper graders get a glimpse into the amazing time period known as The Middle Ages. In this history lesson, learners use video, engage in hands-on activities, and access websites to get a good look at this mysterious, and rather violent...
Curated OER
Westward Ho!
For any teacher of American History, The Lewis and Clark Expedition is a watershed event that should be shared with your learners. This is a very good lesson on the Expedition, and the events that led up to it; including The Lousisiana...