University of California
Decolonization
The ripple effect from one small event can impact many others. Young historians research the ripple effect World War II had on decolonization in the second installment of an eight-part series. Through primary and secondary documents as...
Curated OER
Perks and Perils
Students research the life of the first family. In this U.S. Government lesson, students take a White House quiz, read an article about the first family and write in their journals about a typical day in their lives versus what a day...
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Women in History: Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis
In this women in history worksheet, students read a biography of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis. Students then answer 6 multiple choice questions and 1 essay question about the passage.
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Civil Rights Leaders
Tenth graders investigate three American leaders from the Civil Rights Movement while they examine the early 1960's and the topic of racial equality. They listen to music from the era, read speeches, and look at images of Martin Luther...
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum
Military Advisers in Vietnam: 1963
How did the beginning of the Vietnam War factor into the Cold War with the Soviet Union? As part of a study of American involvement in Vietnam, class members read a letter address to President Kennedy and his response in which he...
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Paths to the Presidency
Seventh graders investigate a timeline of the career paths that US presidents took before they became the president. They how these career choices prepared these men for the presidency.
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Using Primary Sources: Letters from the Presidents
Students research the life of a president by reading personal letters on the American Presidents web site, and explore the ways that the character and personality of the president affected the ways they handled historical events.
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Poetry and the American Presidents
Fifth graders choose a poetry activity in order to focus their research about American presidents.
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Digital Dreams
High schoolers write a speech. In this dreams lesson, students define the word dreams and list their own dreams. High schoolers read and discuss Langston Hughes work, read and discuss excerpts from speeches by JFK and Martin Luther...
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John Glenn: The All-American Hero
Students watch a video and participate in discussion about test pilot, astronaut, senator, and hero-John Glenn.
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How did Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson affect the Civil Rights Movement?
Students research Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson then utilize their findings to determine what each of the three Presidents contributed to the Civil Rights Movement. In this U.S. History lesson, students work in small groups to create...
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JFK Analysis
Pupils examine a recent study of the JFK assassination. They review evidence provided by retired atmospheric chemist, Ken Rahn, and ballistics specialist and statistician, Larry Sturdivan, and determine whether or not they believe a...
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Sources of Information
Students review information from a previous instructional activity about JFK and his assassination. As a class, they identify sources they believe historians use and describe the difference between a primary and secondary source. In...
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President Notebook
Students make presidential notebooks which they add to throughout the year. They arrange information about each president into an informational chapter.
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Jefferson vs. Franklin: Renaissance Men
Students investigate the achievements of Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson. They conduct Internet research, identify their achievements, and participate in a 'competition' that compares/contrasts the two men.
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In The Words of Abraham Lincoln...
High schoolers explore the words of Abraham Lincoln. In this Abraham Lincoln lesson, students analyze segments of "The Gettysburg Address," his annual address to Congress in 1862, and his letter to Mrs. Bixby. High schoolers conduct...
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Thomas Jefferson
Students explore the accomplishments of world leaders. In this Thomas Jefferson lesson, students list the accomplishments achieved by Jefferson and read his epitaph. Students then write epitaphs for recent world leaders or celebrities.
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Cuban Missile Crisis
Eleventh graders determine how causation shaped the Cuban Missile Crisis. In this Cold War lesson, 11th graders examine photographs and documents related to the crisis and analyze the television address that President Kennedy made to the...
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The Unfinished Lincoln Memorial
Students develop a list of images of President Abraham Lincoln: for example, self-taught youth, great debater, advocate of abolition of slavery and assassinated hero. They must determine if these images of Lincoln stand up under scrutiny.
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You're Hired!
Students participate in a simulation of being a speech writer for the President. They listen to and analyze speeches and present one of their own.
Teach with Movies
Learning Guide to Thirteen Days
While Thirteen Days is a fantastic film to use in the classroom in reference to the Cold War and the Cuban missile crisis, it is important to take care to effectively and properly incorporate its contents into your curriculum. This...
Scholastic
The Rise of Railroads: California
Railways are an integral part of the history of California. Using a timeline format, class members connect major historical events to the rise of the railroads and their impact on the state. Activities include a mix of independent and...
Scholastic
The Rise of Railroads: Illinois
Railways not only cross the US, but they are also intertwined with the history of America. Using a timeline format, individuals explore the connections between major events in American history—such as the Civil War—and the rise of the...
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum
Red States/Blue States: Mapping the Presidential Election
Young historians investigate how voting patterns have changed by comparing the outcome of the 1960 election to the outcome of the recent election. A creative final assessment has participants making a news show wherein they provide...