Students, divided into three groups, representing the Northeastern, Southern, Western United States. They research these areas in early American history and as a group prepare charts, graphs and reports. They explain their needs and...

Fourth graders analyze colonial rule and policies with regard to the causes of the American Revolution. In this Colonial America simulation instructional activity, 4th graders role play in an Independence Game, reacting to a variety of...

While the Constitutional Convention lay the foundation of the new government for the United States, the protections given under the Bill of Rights were controversial. Using documents, such as James Madison's and Thomas Jefferson's...

Students study early Native American-European trade. They play bartering games to discover trade as an economic funtion, as well as other implications of trading one good for another.

Taking on the roles of a fiery Boston patriot, a Philadelphia merchant's wife, and a prominent abolitionist, your young historians will consider the reactions of these early Americans to the creation of the Declaration of...

Students examine the causes of the American Revolution. In this colonial America lesson, students read handouts regarding the sequence of events that led to the commencement of the war. Students complete the provided worksheets and...

Third graders investigate official government symbols by completing a scavenger hunt.  In this U.S. Government lesson, 3rd graders participate in a scavenger hunt in which they locate seals or logos in their community....

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...

Five segements from Ken Burns' documentary series Prohibition, easily accessed on the PBS website, are at the center of a terrific short unit on the roots of America's ambivalent relationship with alcohol. Engage your secondary...

Was James Monroe the sole contributor of the Monroe Doctrine? Young scholars study the doctrine and cite evidence to show contributions of John Quincy Adams and Thomas Jefferson in its formulation.

Students identify ways that a society promotes assimilation and examine areas where it still occurs in our present culture. They assess the value of assimilation.

Students participate in a "To Tell The Truth" game show activity in order to determine the role of Sam Adams in the Revolutionary events that took place in the Boston area. They ask questions of three students posing as Sam Adams to...

The Election of 1912: an election with four competitive opponents. Pupils get to know the candidates with informative reading passages that provide context to the election. Then, the class engages in a debate and answers questions as one...

High schoolers examine current and past problems and situations affecting the United Nations, and explore life, career, and philosophy of Ralph Bunche, American diplomat and Nobel Peace Prize winner. Students then prepare portfolios to...

Students discover the Medieval reformation. In this ethics lesson, students simulate council and government bodies to determine responses to various opinions regarding religion and ethics. They determine what postilions to take and why...

Students discuss contemporary situations in which governments mistreat people. They examine real-life instances in which people break the law for what they believe is a higher good. They role play a variety of human rights injustices.

Young scholars brainstorm a list of the benefits that Americans at all levels of society have enjoyed as a result of innovations in rail transportation/computers/microprocessors. They write a response from President Jackson to Martin Van...

Here is an interesting topic. Learners examine the economics that led to the founding of the First Bank of America. They participate in a reader's theater experience depicting the debate between Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson...

Learners explore the architecture of New England by identifying geometric shapes.  In this architectural lesson, students examine photographs of classic building architecture and use a transparency to trace geometric shapes they...

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 explore the concepts of blasphemy, censorship and freedom of expression through the lens of Salman Rushdie. They also consider how these issues have been reflected in US history.

Learners compare prices of popular items of late 1920s to cost of those items presently, determine which companies are best in which to invest, analyze causes and consequences of stock market crash of 1929, and evaluate significance of...

Learners research the major events of the Vietnam War and construct a timeline. They do the same with the presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson or the 1960's. They act as an advisor to President Johnson to recommend a course of action...

Young scholars create a timeline of the important events of John F. Kennedy's presidency. They construct a timeline of the major events of the Cuban Missile Crisis. They compare the Missile Crisis events with their presentation in the...