Students explore U.S. history by completing a quiz about civics. In this Benjamin Franklin lesson, students read assigned text about Franklin's role in the development of the Constitution and the creation of a new society. Students...

Fourth graders write new rules of their school. In this rules and U.S. Constitution lesson, 4th graders discuss why we celebrate the fourth of July and examine the U.S. Constitution. Students discuss the differences between people now...

Students read about immigration to the U.S. during the Holocaust. In this immigration instructional activity, students write answers to discussion questions. Students role play members of the 1951 U.N. conference and create...

First graders simulate the signing of the constitution. In this American history lesson plan, 1st graders take on the roll of newspaper reporters during 1787. Students must pretend to interview signers of the constitution and create a...

Eighth graders investigate historical documents of the United States by reading the Mayflower Compact.  In this U.S. History lesson, 8th graders analyze the wording of the original Mayflower Compact of the first U.S. settlers and...

Everyone living in the United States today is a descendant from an immigrant—even Native Americans. Learn about the tumultuous history of American immigration with a reading passage that discusses the ancient migration over the Bering...

Students explore the life and the contributions of five people from U.S. history in the five lessons of this unit. james Madison, Dolly Madison, Sequoyah, Harriet Tubman, and Clara Barton are presented to students for exploration and...

Use this U.S. History unit plan as a template for creating your own! Simply download the resource and edit the text fields with your own customized unit plan. This is a great jumping-off step, especially for newer teachers. 

High schoolers learn about citizens who were actively involved in the civil rights movement, and the strategies they used to overcome the Jim Crow laws that were so prevalent in the 1960s. They investigate the voting amendments of the US...

Students investigate racism in the 20th century by exploring U.S. History. In this Civil Rights lesson, students review the history of slavery, the Civil War and the fight for equality in the mid 1900's. Students complete Civil Rights...

Students complete a unit of lessons on the documents, symbols, and famous people involved in the founding of the U.S. government. They create a personal bill of rights, write a found poem, design a flag, conduct research, and role-play...

Many of your class members will have heard of Executive Order 9066 and the Japanese internment camps of World War II. Some may even recognize the terms “Issei” and “Nisei,” but few will have heard of Enemy Alien Hearing Boards, of the...

Eighth graders explore democratic values. In this U. S. Constitution lesson plan, 8th graders read the Bill of Rights and consider the significance of the amendments. Students design a governmental time capsule that includes their own...

Students examine the Bill of Rights. In this U.S. Constitution lesson, students write essays for perform plays that feature the importance of the first ten amendments. Students imagine the United States without 1 of the amendments that...

Students study the United States Constitution and create a year-long cumulative activity for social studies. In this social studies lesson, students complete activities throughout the year to learn the 5Ws for the United States...

Students create their own HyperStudio cards which include scanned images of at least one member (designated reader) of each group. They add the text of a predetermined amendment. The designated reader then reads the selected amendment.

Students create dictionary of terms for citizens of a democracy, using events and biographies from both their state's history and U.S. history.

Young scholars study the history of the Bill of Rights. For this Bill of Rights lesson, students read and use two handouts to learn about the history of the Bill of Rights. Young scholars then work in groups to study the Bill of Rights....

Students establish similarities to George Washington's time in office with the song "Yankee Doodle."  In this U.S. History lesson, students learn the song "Yankee Doodle" then create a timeline of the song and a timeline of George...

Fifth graders contrast and compare ancient Greece to the U.S.A.  In this Greek History lesson plan, 5th graders investigate the buildings and designs of ancient Greece, as well as their democracy and government.  Students...

Students go to the computer lab to engage in this thoughtful lesson on our national symbols. Students access the internet, and solve an on-line puzzle of a national symbol of freedom. The symbols are the Eagle, The Statue of Liberty, The...

Learners share opinions about what constitutes a worthy design for a postage stamp. They research a subject and design a postage stamp to submit to the United States Postal Service.

Fifth graders read a rewritten version of the Declaration of Independence, create a set of pictures illustrating the Preamble of the Constitution and create a version of the Declaration of Independence in the form of a song, a poem,...

A group of citizens in North Canada has decided to leave their country, and they are asking for help in setting up an American-style democracy. Using a carefully structured activity, pupils lay out the principles in the American...