What was the most beneficial policy for nineteenth-century African Americans: to stay in the United States and work for freedom, or to immigrate to a new place and build a society elsewhere? Your young historians will construct an...

Eleventh graders research the acquisition of colonial outposts throughout the Pacific Ocean by the United States during the late-nineteenth century. They present their findings to the class and propose which countries or territories the...

Focusing on Doppo's "Unforgettable People" and late nineteenth century Japanese literature, this resource also leads to discussions of form being dictated by content. Explore the development of new literary styles first-hand by...

Students use the methodology described by Prown (1982) to interpret paintings. They determine artistic, historical, and scientific content and develop an understanding of aspects of nineteenth century American culture. They study the...

Students compare two nineteenth century family portraits using historical data, statistics, and historical context. Students analyze their own family pictures adjusting the criteria to the current decade. Lastly students study the...

Students investigate the monetary system during the late 19th-century. They view a video, answer discussion questions, read and discuss text, and write an essay justifying either the pro-silver or pro-gold standard side.

Philanthropists, revolutionaries, or money-hungry businessmen? An interesting lesson examines four of the men who impacted business and industry in the nineteenth century. With group discussion, writing prompts, and worksheets, young...

Students compare and contrast the elements used in the 19th century British novel and those novels in American society today. In groups, they brainstorm what it might have been like to be a teenager growing up in England during the 19th...

Eighth graders interview a person who explains the lifestyles of people who lived on the prairies in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. They examine how today's lifestyles impact the environment and write up what they learned.

The final lesson of a three-part series on Kate Chopin's The Awakening has scholars investigate life as a woman in late nineteenth-century America. They research the role of women in society through the eyes of the characters in the...

It's hard to imagine a world where women were marginalized from the seats of power. Yet, there are women today who remember what it was like to not be allowed to vote. Using a DBQ of images and other primary sources, such as political...

Middle schoolers read about the life and work of John and Mary Jones. Using primary source documents, they draw conclusions about their role in the abolistionist movement. They also examine artifacts from their lives and analyze their...

Two great men, one time period, and one purpose; it sounds like a movie trailer, but it's not. It's a very good comparative analysis lesson focused on Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. Learners will research and read informational...

Through the journals written by Harriet Jacobs and Elizabeth Keckly, young readers gain insight into the lives of two enslaved children on nineteenth-century plantations.

Learners examine the Second Great Awakening and the religious revivals that swept through the United States during the early decades of the nineteenth century. They compare various communities to the Harmonists of Old Economy.

Students are introduced to the life and art of Mary Shelley and consider the still-relevant themes of the Frankenstein myth. Also, students become acquainted with the nineteenth century fascination with electricity by reviewing...

Louisa May Alcott's Little Women is a literary masterpiece as well as a timestamp of the formative mid-nineteenth century in America. Using a primary source set of photographs, letters, and portraits, readers discuss the ways...

How did free and enslaved blacks work to craft freedom for themselves and their families before the Civil War? Young historians read about the life of Thomas Day, a free black man who also owned slaves and had abolitionist ties in...

Students discuss meaning of symbols associated with Statue of Liberty, read and analyze Emma Lazarus' sonnet, "The New Colossus," and write persuasive letter to a nineteenth-century audience to gain support for bringing statue to America.

Second graders explore the work of Americans when it came to coloring materials. In this interdisciplinary instructional activity, 2nd graders follow the provided steps to make natural goldenrod dye from scratch.

Pupils research the life and daily activities of a slave during the nineteenth century. They write an essay role playing a slave during this time period.

Student reflect on the differences between the life of children in the early nineteenth century and their lives in the present. They demonstrate these differences by creating a drawing of "then and now." In addition, they create a...

In an engaging simulation, class members imagine immigrating to the United States in the late nineteenth century and arriving at Ellis Island. They then write creative journal entries about their experience and chart their journeys.

Personal correspondence in the form of letters is not as common as it once was. This resource presents an opportunity for you to introduce your class to letter writing and cover topics in social studies. Learners read a letter written in...