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Benjamin Franklin and the U.S. Constitution
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...
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Making Plans
Young scholars gain an understanding of the U.S. Census. In this civic lesson plan, students use real-life problem-solving skills and census data to choose a site for new school.
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"History of My Family"
Students explore world geography by participating in a family history project. For this U.S.S.R. lesson, students read assigned text regarding the Stalinist era of Russia and the intolerance that thrived there. Students answer a list of...
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Citizen Me
Fifth graders examine what it means to be a citizen. Using the Constitution, they discover the functions and purpose of government. They compare and contrast the difference between a democracy and a monarchy. As a class, they discuss...
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Using History to Teach Tolerance: A Ripple of Hope
Students investigate the prejudice and racism that has existed in the U.S. for centuries by attending a field trip. In this equality instructional activity, students visit the Tolerance Museum and discuss the history of the U.S....
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Immigration
This 3-day immigration study draws on historical trends and current events. A worksheet accompanies initial research on one group's U.S. immigration history, giving opportunity for collaborative learning through sharing findings. Groups...
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From a Bill to a Law
Learners explore government by participating in a role playing activity. In this legal system lesson, students discuss the tasks which needed to be competed in order to write a bill and have it turned into law by the President. Learners...
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Capitals, Oceans, And Border States
Students investigate geography by completing games with classmates. In this United States of America lesson, students examine a map of North America and identify the borders of Mexico and Canada as well as the Pacific and Atlantic....
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Black Kentuckians and the Civil War
Students demonstrate how the American Civil War affected black Kentuckians socially and politically. They identify and discuss the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which forced the end of slavery in Kentucky months after the...
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Sounding Off About Impeachment
Help your middle and high schoolers reflect on the responsibility of newspapers to act as a vehicle for 'everyday citizens' to voice their opinions. Then, using an article about the first day of the Senate impeachment trial of President...
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The Rise and Fall of the Jim Crow Era
Students explore African American history by researching the Jim Crow laws. In this Civil Rights lesson, students define the Jim Crow laws, the reasons they were put into place, and how they were ultimately defeated. Students write a...
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The U.S. Constitution and Disability Laws
Young scholars examine the United States Constitution for laws that protect people with disabilities. They discover how the education system provides equal education to all students and how the Federal Government makes sure this is...
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Lessons from the Holocaust
Middle schoolers discover what a dictatorship is by examining the holocaust. In this government lesson, students discuss the laws that were enacted for Nazis to take control of Germany, and the types of laws we have put place to prevent...
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Participating in Democracy
Young scholars analyze film clips in class. For this democracy lesson, students identify the differences between civil liberties, democracy and freedom. Young scholars view a video regarding Japanese internment and answer study questions...
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Tracing Migration Patterns
Seventh graders analyze migration patterns. In this migration lesson, 7th graders use U.S. Census records to trace the migration patterns of 2 German families in Kansas.
Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary
Benjamin and the Way to A Good Life
Young scholars explore American history by reading biographical text in class. In this Benjamin Franklin lesson, students research the famous inventor by reading assigned text and answering reading comprehension questions afterwards....
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What is Suffrage? Understanding the Right to Vote
Students discover one of the restrictions forced on women of the early 1900s. In this civil rights lesson, students investigate suffrage and why women were not allowed to vote in the early twentieth century. Students create a mock...
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The Russian Years: Back in the USSR
Learners examine communist Russia. For this lesson on changes in politics, students work in small groups to compare and contrast soviet communist era citizen rights to those of the US. They participate in discussion of a film and create...
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Compare and Contrast Timelines of the World
Seventh graders create a classroom timeline of important world events. This lesson is meant to be used during the entire school year. As the school year goes along, events are added to the timeline as chosen by the class. The events are...
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History In The Making
Young scholars visit Colonial America in a Time Machine to discover the process that a citizen today must follow in order to make or change a law. Students research the Colonial Era in their Time Machines. Young scholars encounter...
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Identifying Risks at a Superfund Site
Students work together to discover the type of risks at Superfund sites. They examine how sites are found and where to report hazardous sites. They evaluate the activities of the government to protect its citizens.
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State Symbols
Third graders examine the symbolism of the United States by observing different flags. In this U.S. History lesson plan, 3rd graders utilize the Internet to research state seals, flags, and other symbols that represent specific areas of...
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USA Today: Global Awareness Edition
Bring global awareness into the classroom. Young politically minded learners read an article about the ban on arms sales to China and discuss political concerns about this issue. They research other embargos on foreign trade and use a...
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The Abolitionist Movement: A Fight for Freedom
Sixth graders investigate the Civil War by identifying famous figures of the era. In this slavery abolitionist lesson plan, 6th graders read a text on the history of the Civil War and discuss heroes of the era such as Harriet Tubman and...