Curated OER
Study History through Journal Keeping
Journal writing can be a fun way to bring history to life. Upper graders read a series of journals from the time of the westward expansion, specifically the pioneer journey along the Oregon Trail. They compose an ongoing journal from the...
Curated OER
Passing Down Family History Through Oral Tradition: Corridos
Learners create and perform Corridos which are oral tradition ballads. In this Passing Down Family History Through Oral Tradition instructional activity, students interview family members using a predetermined list of questions. In...
Curated OER
Dorothea Lange and the Relocation of Japanese Americans
Students consider the relocation of Japanese Americans during World War II. For this Japanese relocation lesson, students examine photographs by Dorothea Lange, the "Pledge of Allegiance," and a US government flyer from 1942. They use...
Curated OER
36 Public Policy Questions to Energize Your Government/History Classroom Debates
Need topics that are sure to engage your debaters? This list of public policy questions includes such topics as school mascots, regulation of major league baseball, physician-assisted suicide, and violence in video games. A great...
Curated OER
Defining Character, With Help from History
In a single, soundly-designed class period, high schoolers define good character, think-pair-share about thought-provoking quotes on character (More options would enhance the discussion, worth searching online for other quotes to add.),...
Curated OER
Discovering Why I Am Who I Am
Students analyze their family history and traditions. For this family history lesson, students identify family members to research and interview their family about the people. Students write their family histories and traditions....
Curated OER
Dorothea Lange and the Relocation of Japaneses Americans
Young scholars analyze Dorothea Lange's photographs about Japanese American relocation. In this art and history lesson, students analyze a photograph about the relocation of Japanese Americans. Young scholars discuss the impact of...
Curated OER
Harvesting the River Lesson Plan: Taking an Oral History
Students practice researching history through oral traditions. In this U.S. History lesson, students examine an online exhibit titled Harvesting the River, in which students interview someone from the story. Students utilize Internet...
Curated OER
Living History: Documenting Our Senior Citizens Lives
Students investigate stereotypes by researching the elderly. In this senior citizen lesson, students interview elders in a rest home and video tape their experience. Students present their videos to their interview subjects after and...
Curated OER
Writing about Art:Comparing Portraits
Students compare and contrast an academic and Impressionist portrait. For this art history lesson, students look at two different styles of painting and write a paragraph as if they are the subject in the painting. They compare and...
Curated OER
Gatsby and the American Twenties Newspaper
Students research 1920's US History. In this historical literature lesson plan, students use the novel The Great Gatsby as a tool to examine the era. They work in individually to create newspaper articles based on different historical...
Curated OER
Ceramics: A Vessel Into History
Students review a previous ceramics lesson and journal about a personal clay vessel they will create. In this ceramics lesson, students recognize various ceramic forms created in different time periods and cultures and how ceramic...
Curated OER
History Personified
In 1856 Congressman Preston Brooks of South Carolina beat Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts over the head with a cane. This event, which highlighted the acrimonious debate over the expansion of slavery, is the focus of a paper...
Curated OER
Studying History through Journal Keeping
Students read and write journals to relate to events of the past, in this case the Oregon Trail travels. They watch a video and read journal accounts dealing with the trip to the West as they attempt to keep a journal of what the trip...
Curated OER
Graphic Organizing: Early American History
In collaborative groups, young US historians sort cards (each labeled with a single early American event or issue) according to which of the first four presidents was leading the country at the time. Learners copy the events onto a...
Curated OER
Slavery Bound or Underground
Examine the role of slaves,, slave owners, and abolitionists during the Civil War with a study of the history of the Underground Railroad. Through the many links learners research the people involved and the heroes of the movement....
Curated OER
The Crittenden Conway Duel
Young scholars explore primary and secondary sources. For this primary and secondary source lesson, students investigate a crime scene. Young scholars search for evidence around the classroom and evaluate their findings. Students write a...
PBS
March on Washington: A Time for Change
Young historians conclude their study of the events that lead up to and the planning for the March on Washington. After examining videos and primary source documents, they consider the civil rights objectives that still need to be...
Curated OER
Take an In-Depth Look at Biographies
Students research biographies and develop hypotheses about conditions for women at various points in history. They utilize a worksheet imbedded in this plan to organize their findings.
Curated OER
Write a Song About American History
Students explore the historic background of the song, The Battle of New Orleans. Working in pairs, students research other historic events and write their own songs based on them.
Curated OER
Lesson: Allison Smith: What Are You Fighting For?
Trench art is a nontraditional art form created by soldiers in trenches during wartime. Artist Allison Smith connects her art to the American Revolution and the question: "What are you fighting for?" Kids examine her art, how it connects...
NPR
Civil Rights of Japanese-American Internees
Prompted by a viewing of Emiko and Chizu Omori’s Rabbit in the Moon, a documentary about the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II, high schoolers examine a series of documents, including the Bill of Rights and the UN’s...
Curated OER
Speech in the Virginia Convention
“. . .different men often see the same subject in different lights. . .” but the great orator Patrick Henry used all the skills at his command to craft a speech to convince listeners to see things as he did--that liberty was worth dying...
Curated OER
Making a Report to President Washington
Learners gain an understanding of some of the challenges the U.S. faced at its birth. They are asked to compose a report on the state of the nation in 1790 (addressed to President George Washington), which includes a narrative, maps and...