Curated OER
Before Dred Scott: Freedom Suits in Antebellum Missouri
Learners examine and analyze original documents that enhance understanding of antebellum slavery in Missouri and a particular method of gaining freedom: the freedom suit.
Curated OER
Causes of the Civil War: Missouri Compromise, Compromise of 1850 and Kansas Nebraska Act
How did the Missouri Compromise, the Compromise of 1850, and the Kansas-Nebraska Act contribute to the growing tensions that led to the Civil war? To better understand the events that led to the Civil War, young historians engage in a...
Curated OER
Arkansas Civil War Bandits and Outlaws
Young historians study civilian Arkansas during the Civil War. They look at the many challenges they faced to keep their homes in order while the men were at war. Learners hear stories of bands of outlaws who ravaged the state during...
Scholastic
Perfect Postcards: Illinois
Connect the geography and history of Illinois using an art-centered activity on the railroads. The railroad connected once-distant places, particularly in the Midwest. Using research, class members create postcards of fictional...
Curated OER
To Compromise or Not to Compromise: The Missouri Question
Learners evaluate the fairness of the Missouri Compromise. They read the Missouri Compromise and discuss how it reflected the North-South, anti-slavery and pro-slavery division in the country. They work in groups to debate the Missouri...
US Mint
The Growth of a Nation
Young historians explore the identity of the early United States in this four-part lesson series. Working in groups of three, students research the political, economic, and cultural atmosphere of each member of the union prior to 1812,...
Curated OER
Country's Music
Jazz, Blue Grass, Hip Hop, Swing. Gospel, R&B, Ragtime, Disco. So many music genres born in the USA. After reading an article about the fate of New Orlean's Jazz after Hurricane Katrina, class members investigate the life cycles of...
Curated OER
The Role of the Media
Students participate in class discussion to investigate how media affects the ideas of Americans (specifically in politics) and then research events in political history to analyze how the media may have influenced the government's...
Curated OER
A Tough Nut to Crack
Sixth graders explore agriculture by examining world geography. In this pecan cultivation lesson, 6th graders identify the history of the famous nut and the impact it has on the U.S. economy, diet and human body. Students define...
Curated OER
Pick a Topic, Any Topic
Students investigate the expedition of Lewis and Clarke. In this United States history lesson, students choose a topic from the story to explore, such as the Missouri River, Sacagawea, and dugout canoes. The teacher creates a web on the...
American Battlefield Trust
Gettysburg Virtual Tour
Step into one of the most iconic battlefields of the American Civil War with an educational interactive resource. Young historians learn about key moments, locations, soldiers, and turning points in the battle with a clickable map and...
Curated OER
Man's Best Friend:The Old Drum Story
Students explore the Missouri courts. For this primary sources lesson, students examine the Missouri court case Burden v. Hornsby as well as other primary documents and narratives relating to the case. Students analyze the case as they...
Curated OER
Sectionalism, Popular Sovereignty and Secession
Students read and discuss background material on several key decisions that played a role in the Civil War including the Missouri Compromise, the Kansas-Nebraska Act and the Dredd Scott Decision. They create a timeline and write an essay.
Curated OER
Lesson 2-Profiles in Courage: To Kill A Mockingbird and the Scottsboro Boys Trial
Review one of the most memorable cases in the history of the United States. After reading To Kill A Mockingbird, young scholars read and select court transcripts and other primary source material from the Scottsboro Boys Trial of 1933....
Curated OER
Project Whistlestop
Students conduct research and present a part of Kansas City history to the class. They develop questions and ideas to initiate and refine research. They use technological tools and other resources to locate, select and organize information.
Curated OER
Tales of Truman's Travels Fifty Years Ago
Fourth graders study President Truman and the Whistlestop Campaign. In this US history lesson, 4th graders complete a KWL about President Truman and write letters to stops on Truman's Whistlestop Campaign. Students create a presentation...
Curated OER
Lincoln Home National Historic Site: A Place of Growth and Memory
Eighth graders study the history of Lincoln's home. In this American History lesson, 8th graders examine artifacts from his home to learn about his beliefs. Students participate in a webquest on Lincoln's home.
Curated OER
The 1848 Revolution, the Second Reich, and the First World War
Students explore the events that led up to World War I. In this World History lesson, students read an article on Germany and World War I, then answer four study questions and write an essay about the article.
Curated OER
Little House in the Census: Almanzo and Laura Ingalls Wilder
How would you use census data from 1880-1900? Here are a set of ways you can incorporate the book Little House on the Prairie and US census data from that time period. Learners will research the validity or the book based on factual...
Curated OER
The Civil War: A Nation Divided
Discuss the differences between the North and the South and how those differences led to the Civil War. Middle schoolers examine and analyze a famous speech or writing by President Lincoln in order to better understand the speaker's...
ReadWriteThink
Martin Luther King, Jr. and Me: Identifying with a Hero
Here, young historians compare their early lives to that of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s. They listen to a read aloud of a story by Dr. King's sister, and then write in the provided reflective journal template. Lastly, they share their...
Judicial Learning Center
Your 4th Amendment Rights
Americans love to learn about their rights, especially those that protect them from the government's power to invade their privacy. Young people are especially engaged by this topic. An informative lesson explores four Supreme Court...
Curated OER
The Battle of Lexington
Students discover the Missouri River and its importance during the Civil War. In this U.S. history lesson, students examine a map of the great Battle of Lexington, and discuss why the Missouri River was a key element to the conflict....
Curated OER
Progress Amidst Prejudice: Portraits of African Americans in Missouri, 1880-1920
Students explore and analyze a database of historical portraits of an African American family of the late 1800's. They trace the migration of one of the African Americans as he/she migrates toward urban areas.