National Woman's History Museum
State vs. Federal Campaigns
Campaigns to gain voting rights for women during the 19th and 20th centuries took place on both the state and federal level. After examining primary sources that document both types of campaigns, class members debate the merits of the...
National Woman's History Museum
Humor and Activism
As part of their study of the women's suffrage movement, groups analyze political cartoons and drawings. They create a caption for an image from the time, add an exhibit label that provides a context for their drawing, and post as part...
National Woman's History Museum
Seneca Falls Convention
The 1848 Seneca Falls Convention was a historic milestone in the quest for women's rights. After researching one of the participants of the Seneca Falls Convention, young historians craft and share a short presentation about their subject.
National Woman's History Museum
Creating a Historical Thesis Statement
A strong thesis statement not only identifies the subject of an essay but also presents a claim that must be supported with evidence. After researching how nursing has evolved in the United States since the Colonial era, young writers...
National Woman's History Museum
The Road to Suffrage
Scholars each research a different entry on the included suffrage timeline that lead to the ratification of the 19th Amendment. Using a minimum of three sources, investigators add what they have learned to a combined class Suffrage...
National Woman's History Museum
Country to City
After reading a series of primary source documents, groups compare the lives of and opportunities available to rural and urban women in the 19th century to rural and urban life in the 21st century. As an exit ticket, individuals craft a...
National Woman's History Museum
The National Woman’s Party
Two parties led the women's suffrage movement. The National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) was a moderate organization while the National Women's Party (NWP) was more militant. Young historians investigate why members of the...
National Woman's History Museum
Taking a Stand: Woman Suffrage and Protest at the White House K-8
A class discussion opens a lesson on women suffragettes. Learners imagine they are preparing to protest for women's voting rights. Scholars create a colorful poster to hold up high when marching in front of the White House.
National Woman's History Museum
Getting with the Program
A seven-step instructional activity introduces the emergence of computer sciences and the contributions women made to the profession after World War II. Several science experiments offer pupils a hands-on learning experience that...
National Woman's History Museum
Tea with Penelope: A 2-Point Perspective of the Edenton Tea Party
A brief introduction to Penelope Barker sets the stage for a discussion about political cartoons and the persuasive technique used to create them. A graphic organizer aids scholars in the analysis of a piece of work using a 2-point...
Stanford University
Annexation of Hawaii
Once an independent nation, Hawaii became part of the United States only after a business-sponsored coup of its queen. After examining newspapers from the 1890s, learners consider whether native Hawaiians wished to become Americans at...
Stanford University
Pullman Strike
History is ironic, isn't it? In the Pullman strike, federal power thought to protect citizens was used to break the union. What started as a quest for better wages and benefits during an economic crisis was crushed through violence and...
Stanford University
Carlisle Indian Industrial School
How do policies aimed to help actually hurt? Native American boarding schools—an attempt at assimilating children of indigenous tribes into white culture—had a shattering effect on those who attended. With primary sources, including...
National Woman's History Museum
Introduction to Activism
Activist, feminist, and labor organizer Dolores Huerta are perhaps best known for her work with Cesar Chavez to create the United Farm Workers. Class members explore primary source documents to learn more about this Medal of Freedom winner.
National Woman's History Museum
Songs of Protest: Seneca Falls to Vietnam
Long before the songs of the 1960's Peace Movement, long before the songs of the Civil Rights Movement, and even before the songs of the Abolition Movement, were the songs of the Suffrage Movement. To understand the power of protest...
National Woman's History Museum
Congresswoman Jeannette Rankin
Political activist, suffragette, pacifist, and the first woman elected to Congress, Jeannette Rankin has been largely ignored in history and history textbooks. Young historians set out to rectify that situation by examining primary...
National Woman's History Museum
Propaganda and Women's Suffrage
Americans who backed the suffragist movement used posters to gain the support of others for their cause. Class members analyze the visual imagery and propaganda devices used in a variety of these posters. In addition, groups examine how...
Stanford University
Oswald Assassination
What happened to Harvey Oswald after he assassinated President John F. Kennedy? The assessment designed for social studies has scholars describe the image of Oswald's assassination and explain its historical significance. It uses short...
Stanford University
Napalm in Vietnam
An assessment requires high school scholars to use their knowledge of the Vietnam War while analyzing primary sources. A short answer format asks pupils to identify the image and explain the significance of using napalm during the...
Stanford University
Nagasaki
After mere minutes, the atomic bomb in warfare changed the world forever. Pupils use their knowledge of primary sources to complete a written assessment. The assessment requires learners to identify the event and to explain in...
Stanford University
Kent State
Why did a peaceful student protest end in disaster? Young historians explain the impact of the Kent State shooting. Academics analyze a photo of the Kent State shooting and explain the significance of the event by completing short answer...
Stanford University
Iwo Jima
What does the American flag represent to different people? An interesting assessment is a useful tool for teaching about primary sources. Academics analyze a photo of the flag raising at Iwo Jima to explain its significance to history....
Stanford University
Native American Rights
It's time for scholars to put their knowledge of primary sources to the test. A helpful assessment uses photos to test pupils' knowledge of how to analyze primary sources and determine their time periods. High school social studies...
Stanford University
United Farm Workers
What do primary sources tell people about important events in history? The assessment geared toward high school social studies focuses on primary sources. Learners analyze a poster and a blueprint to determine how the documents show the...