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Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

History in Quilts

For Teachers K - 5th
Learners investigate the use of cloth-based art forms intended to pass down traditions and history. They research types of quilts, quilt characteristics and then identify how Freedom Quilts were historically used in the US.
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Lesson Plan
John F. Kennedy Center

Harriet Tubman: Retelling History Through Dance and Drama

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
Scholars listen to several pieces of music in preparation for a discussion about how instruments and lyrics convey emotions. With Harriet Tubman as the focus, small groups create an original song or dance. A reflection piece concludes...
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Lesson Plan
1
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Center for Civic Education

Constitution Day Rap

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Engage your class while learning about the US Constitution with this fun primary grade social studies lesson. After viewing a picture of the US Constitution, young learners piece together a US flag using stars and stripes with facts...
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Lesson Plan
2
2
Smithsonian Institution

Hidden Histories: Mexican Repatriation During the 1930s

For Teachers 8th - 11th Standards
Mexican Repatriation: the forgotten deportation of American citizens. The resource focuses on the deportation of Mexican American citizens during the Great Depression. Young historians read documents, complete a free-write, and fill out...
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Lesson Plan
Discovery Education

By the Foot: The History of Measurement

For Teachers 6th - 8th
When is a foot not a foot? When you use the length of your own foot to measure distances, of course. To underscore the importance of standardized units of measurement, middle schoolers engage in a series of activities that ask them to...
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Lesson Plan
Center for Civic Education

Orb and Effy Learn About Authority

For Teachers K - 2nd Standards
Simplify the teaching of the US Constitution with this primary grade social studies lesson. While reading a fun story about an imaginary place called Bubble Land, children learn about the concept of authority and the importance of rules...
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Lesson Plan
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Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment

Festivals of Light Hanukkah

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Five sessions make up a lesson on the Jewish celebration of Hanukkah. After reading and teaching young historians the history of the Jewish holiday, learners explore the celebration through hands-on activities and collaborative learning.
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Lesson Plan
Friends of Fort McHenry

Sensory “Star Spangled Banner”

For Teachers 4th - 8th Standards
Music can help us to access memories and events in a meaningful way, and Francis Scott Key used specific words to convey what he had seen and felt when writing what would become America's national anthem. Help your class connect to the...
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Lesson Plan
1
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US House of Representatives

Keeping the Faith: African Americans Return to Congress, 1929–1970

For Teachers 7th - 12th
New ReviewThe third lesson in a unit that traces the history of African Americans serving in the US Congress examines the period from 1929 through 1970. After reading a contextual essay that details the few African Americans elected to Congress...
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Lesson Plan
Facing History and Ourselves

The Weimar Republic: Historical Context and Decision Making

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Did you know that way before Hitler became a dictator, he actually spent nine months in a German jail? Provide the background for the escalating point before the Nazi party took over in World War II through the exercises in the resource....
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Lesson Plan
1
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US House of Representatives

Permanent Interests: The Expansion, Organization, and Rising Influence of African Americans in Congress, 1971–2007

For Teachers 7th - 12th
New ReviewThe fourth installment of the seven-activity unit focused on African Americans elected to and serving in the US Congress looks at the period from 1971 through 2007. Class members read a contextual essay that provides background...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Post-1865: Effects of the War

For Teachers 9th - 12th
An engaging lesson plan focuses on the impact of the war and Lincoln's plan for Reconstruction had on the United States. Historians analyze primary documents, such as Constitutional Amendments and newspaper experts. They also participate...
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Lesson Plan
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Constitutional Rights Foundation

Slavery and the Electoral College

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
How did slavery mold the creation of the US Constitution? The final instructional activity in the series focuses on how slavery impacted the creation of the Electoral College. Academics learn how the Electoral College was created because...
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Lesson Plan
2
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Teaching Tolerance

Racial Disparity in the Criminal Justice System

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Explore the impact of the war on drugs in a thought-provoking lesson for high school academics. Young historians delve into the world of the criminal justice system and the racial disparity that occurs in the US. The resource provides...
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Lesson Plan
1
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Teaching Tolerance

Understanding the Prison Label

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Break the chain. An engaging lesson examines why it is so hard to break free of the prison system in the US. Academics participate in a reader's theater, read primary sources, and discuss their thoughts. The lesson explains the hardships...
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Lesson Plan
Museum of the American Revolution

Historical Analysis: Objects Tell Stories

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Dig this! Young archeologists discover what objects teach us about the past. The activity uses an image of a Revolutionary War artifact to help historians practice analyzing the past. Scholars study the object and complete a worksheet to...
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Lesson Plan
2
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Smithsonian Institution

Borders with the World: Mexican-American War and U.S. Southern Borderlands

For Teachers 8th - 11th Standards
The Mexican-American War created social borders—not just physical ones. Scholars learn about the effects of the Mexican-American War on the people living in the borderlands using text excerpts, maps, and partnered activities. Academics...
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Lesson Plan
2
2
Smithsonian Institution

Racism and Removal: Japanese Incarceration During World War II

For Teachers 8th - 11th Standards
During World War II people saw how far the government's control would go, but it was at the expense of its citizens. The resource brings the conditions of Japanese American internment camps to light using primary documents. Scholars...
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Lesson Plan
2
2
Smithsonian Institution

Targeted at Home: Islamophobia

For Teachers 8th - 11th Standards
September 11th was a terrible tragedy with long-reaching consequences. Scholars learn about the Islamophobia that occurred to many Muslim Americans following the 9/11 attacks. The resource provides videos, articles, and interviews to...
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Lesson Plan
2
2
Smithsonian Institution

Native Resistance: Native Resistance Then and Now

For Teachers 8th - 11th Standards
Native Americans lost so much—and gained so little in return. Scholars explore Native Americans' resistance to the United States government. The lesson uses primary sources to explore the different forms of protest and gives a voice to...
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Lesson Plan
John F. Kennedy Center

Harriet Tubman: An Informative and Impressionistic Look

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
Informational text and impressionistic art lead a lesson plan about Harriet Tubman. Working in teams, scholars examine a variety of resources. They analyze, compare, and contrast the work.  Using their research findings, pupils create an...
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Lesson Plan
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Constitutional Rights Foundation

Unauthorized Immigration and the US Economy

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
As part of a study of immigration and the U.S. economy, class members assume the role of newspaper editors to determine which submitted letters to print on their paper's editorial page to present a balanced view of the debate.
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Lesson Plan
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Curated OER

Call to Arms: A Service Project

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Sick of selling candy and washing cars? How about hosting a Digital Day or a Learning Lunch? The suggestions here make fund raising fun and rewarding. Raise money to preserve important maps and other primary source documents.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Coming to America

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Through this set of three lessons about Ellis Island, class members will learn about why immigrants came to the United States, find out about the difficulties that went along with coming to America, become familiar with the immigration...

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