Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary
Franklin, Master Diplomat
While many often associate Ben Franklin with his kite electricity experiments, budding historians find out he contributed much more. They discover Franklin's political savvy by examining primary sources in the informative installment of...
National Endowment for the Humanities
The War in the South, 1778–1781
The second in a three-part look at the Revolutionary War focuses the years from 1778 through 1781 and zooms in on military operations in the southern colonies, the French alliance, and the role African-Americans played in events. Class...
Curated OER
Marie Antoinette: The Tragic Queen
Students view a documentary on Marie Antoinette, who became a symbol of the reviled monarchy. After viewing, students discuss what they saw then create a family line of Marie Antoinette. They compare maps of Europe from her time to ours.
Curated OER
1776: The American Revolution in the Champlain Valley
Students examine the significance of Lake Champlain in the Revolutionary War. In this American Revolution lesson, students discuss how Lake Champlain was integral to the war, create war time lines, and identify the 13 original colonies.
Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation
Making a Patriot Inquiry: Are Independence, Freedom, and Liberty the Same Thing?
As part of a study of the American Revolution, class members engage in an inquiry-based lesson that has them watch a scene from the play Slave Spy, examine multiple primary source documents, and then discuss the similarities and...
Curated OER
Old Stone House Lesson Plan
From stagecoach to railroad tracks, your class will discover how advancements in travel in the United States during the nineteenth century played an integral role in the industrialization and development of American society. The main...
Curated OER
Social Studies: Haitians in America
Students examine Haitian culture, including its discovery, colonization, and political and economic development. Role-playing in two ethnic groups, they caucus and develop strategies for the Haitian Revolution. In learning centers,...
Curated OER
The Haitian Crisis: Thinking Historically
Students analyze the 2010 earthquake's effects on Haiti. In this Economics activity, students brainstorm the problems caused in Haiti by the earthquake. Students listen to interviews with scholars to identify additional answers to focus...
Curated OER
The War in the South, 1778-1781
Students explore the major terms of the Franco-American alliance and their importance to the cause of independence. The most important military engagements in the South are discussed and their significance for the outcome of the war noted.
Curated OER
The History of Rock and Roll: Part 1 - Rock and Roll Explodes Music Reflects The Times
Young scholars examine technological advancements in music and broadcast over the decades.
Curated OER
Newscasts From Tiananmen Square
Students study the issues surrounding the Tiananmen Square Massacre through student-produced newscasts. They read, "China after Mao" to understand the intellectual and political climate of the times surrounding the Tiananmen Square...