An extremely engaging and well-designed "Who Wants to be a Millionaire"-type game awaits your class. The subject is American history, with an emphasis on questions about past presidents. The usual lifelines are built into the game, and...

Young historians explore US culture by investigating the US flag. They will use their textbooks, prior knowledge, and sources provided by the teacher to research the history of the American flag. They will design and create a trading...

Who is Christopher Columbus and where does he fit on the timeline of history? Students explore U.S. history by viewing a slide-show of famous images. They view a PowerPoint presentation of paintings and documents showing the voyage...

Here is a complex lesson plan that interweaves the history of the Jim Crow South and the Great Migration with the study of poetry, art, and blues music from the Harlem Renaissance. The plan helps young historians develop a deep...

ELLs are introduced to the experiences of Filipino immigrants to the United States. As a class, they discuss the various waves of immigration to the United States and state the reasons why they would leave the Philippines. They compare...

To better understand who George Washington was and why we celebrated the bicentennial, pupils read a story and complete a worksheet. They sing and talk about the song, "Yankee Doodle Dandy" as they march around the room.

The class analyzes a series of documents intended to show the events that lead to women gaining the right to vote. They play a Tic-Tac-Toe style game, make a time line with sequencing cards, and review the 4 steps of social change....

Travel back in time with your class and actually see what a Revolutionary War battle may have looked like. This video depicts a historical re-enactment of a battle. Filmed at a reenactment camp in Illinois, this amateur clip may be...

"Well there's more and more people, what do they know?" Help your class connect their lives with history and literature using this resource, which guides them through the lyrics of John Mellencamp's "Pink Houses." Using the images in the...

Students explore social studies by answering study questions. In this U.S. Constitution lesson, students view a slide-show of paintings and documents from the 1700's when the Constitution was being drafted. Students complete a journal...

Primary scholars investigate economics by analyzing images of the Great Depression. They will view a photograph from the era and discuss the imagery with a partner. In addition, they answer study questions about their photograph and...

Have your class learn through exploration. They use their texts and go on a US Constitutional scavenger hunt. Included are 45 questions they must hunt to find answers to. This plan uses the text as the main resource, why not give clues...

Examine the United States through the lens of intolerance using this 2-week unit plan, which includes details for 13 days of instruction. Scholars study examples of prejudiced behavior throughout history, discuss issues in groups,...

Create a digital movie documenting research about an American President. Using internet sources, students with special needs gather information about their chosen president. Working in groups, they use this information to create a...

In this Cinco de Mayo activity, students view a specific website on the computer and determine whether four statements are myths or facts. Students, if the statements are a myth, they write a sentence related to Thanksgiving on the lines...

Fifth graders view primary documents to become familiar with the causes of the American Revolutionary War.  For this Causes of the American Revolution lesson, 5th graders answer questions based on the documents. Students complete a...

Student define issues and questions they would discuss with a president. Students read "Bill and Leo's Excellent Encounter". Students choose famous personalities, research their celebrity, and create a mock interview with them.

Explore connections within and between informational texts with this lesson plan about encyclopedia articles. Middle schoolers write encyclopedia articles focusing on topics in American history. They discuss how to determine credibility...

Students research Native American legends from the American Southwest. In this Native American legends activity, students read legends and identify the main ideas and supporting details. Students use graphic organizers to brainstorm...

Eleventh graders analyze multiple resources to explain the contacts between the American Indians and the European settlers during the Age of Discovery. In this American history lesson, 11th graders analyze a historical painting and read...

Students compare the cultural customs of people from European descent and African Americans between 1900 and 1940. Next students listen to interviews about life during the time of Jim Crow laws, and determine how life might be different...

Test release items can be a big help for getting the class ready for the end of the year state exams. Prep your 7th graders with 30 release questions in PowerPoint form. Questions cover US government/civics, US geography, and US history. 

Way before the digital age radio was the medium of popular culture. After listening to excerpts from radio programs (easily available on the Internet), participants return to the radio age by creating a two-minute sketch based on a...

Fifth through seventh graders develop definitions for freedom, unity, progress, and responsibility, as they relate to American history. They read and discuss an informational handout, participate in a class discussion, and create an...