Lesson Plan
Curated OER

America's Wars, 1898-1945

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners examine the wars the United States was involved in between 1898 and 1945. In groups, they determine the causes and effects of each war and how each war changed the way the United States handled their foreign affairs. As a class,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pioneer America: Journey West

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders experience pioneer life on the Oregon trail. For this pioneer lesson, 4th graders research the reasons for moving west and what life was like on the trail. They create a map, complete an oral presentation, and write about...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pioneer America: Pioneer Living

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders research pioneer life. In this pioneer lesson, 4th graders read the book Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder and discuss what life was like for early pioneers. They research pioneers and show what they...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Country Twice Divided

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners study biography from the 19th century. They read "The Red Badge of Courage." Students research a topic from the list provided in the lesson and write a 5-7 page paper. They study lyrics and melodies of the confederacy and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

U.S. History: Immigrant Scrapbooks

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students role-play as immigrants coming to America around the turn of the 19th century. They conduct Internet research and print out pictures to use in an immigrant scrapbook. Students write captions for the pictures and narratives to...
Lesson Plan
Syracuse University

American Industrial Revolution

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
While the Industrial Revolution may have fueled America's rise to the top of world markets, the child laborers often faced dangerous conditions. Using primary source images and other information, scholars consider what these children...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

America's Castles: The Age of Invention

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students tour the estates built by America's wealthiest visionaries during the years 1911-1929. They discuss the Age of Invention and the people associated with that age in US history.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

War and International Law:America’s Foreign Policy: A Brief History

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students discover the history of American foreign policy. In this foreign policy activity, students listen to their instructor present a lecture that presents a brief history of American foreign policy. Students respond to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What is Government?

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explore values that unite Americans. In this government activity, students recall the symbols of America and discuss how to create a "Classroom Constitution." Students form rules and write their own Constitution.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Imperialism in China

For Teachers 10th - 12th
If you are completing a unit on the European impact on China, this short lesson may be useful. It requires an excerpt from Chinese Civilization: A sourcebook, by Ebrey, that gives Liang Qichaos's account of his visit to America....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Collaborative Works of Rodgers and Hammerstein: Show Business

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students study the work of Rodgers and Hammerstein in an historical context of the development of American musical theatre as an art form. Students explore "roots" of the genre as it evolves in last half of the 19th and first two decades...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Most American Thing in America: The Chautauqua

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers explore the Chautauqua movement. In this Pennsylvania history lesson, students use primary documents to explore what the Chautauqua was and how it made a difference in the American way of life.
Lesson Plan
National First Ladies' Library

Mark Twain's America

For Teachers 11th - Higher Ed
Students read Huckleberry Finn, analyze text for historical contexts, and write book report emphasizing historical elements, type report comparing and contrasting events in book to events of today, create Powerpoint presentation...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

To Move or Not to Move? Decision Making and Sacrifice

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine the motivations that prompted people to move westward during the 19th century. They take on the role of an average citizen and weigh the costs and benefits of making such a move and decide if they would have participated...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

To Come to Illinois - Or Not?

For Teachers 10th - 11th
Students analyze primary documents to determine whether the author is pro- or anti-emigration. They outline reasons for or against immigration to Illinois during the early 19th century.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Evaluating the "Save the Indian" Reforms

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore the policies of the "Save the Indian" reforms. Working in groups, they review the motives, methods, and effects of the "Save the Indian" campaign of the late 19th century. Through discussion and writing, they form an...
Lesson Plan
National First Ladies' Library

The Sport of Kings: Horse Racing in America

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Pupils examine the history of horse racing. They discuss their experiences with horse racing and conduct Internet research. They select a topic related to the history of horse racing, write and present a report, and read and summarize a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Press Perception of Jack Johnson

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students role-play the role of journalists during the 19th and 20th centuries. They create their own sports newspapers. They report on Jack Johnson's life and career.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Teen Immigrants: Five American Stories

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students watch the PBS program "In the Mix" about teen immigrants. They discover the number of immigrants in America and their problems moving to this country. They answer questions as the film plays.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Immigration and the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders explore the effects of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. In this immigration lesson plan, 11th graders consider the impact of Chinese immigration to America as they read and discuss writings on the topic from noteworthy...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Entrepreneurs and the African-American Dream

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students make a simple graph of labor supply and labor demand in the North and South in the early twentieth century. They conduct research to identify top contemporary African-American entrepreneurs.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"Go West, Young Man!"

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars examine reasons why people migrated west. They describe how the geography of the U.S. changed in the 19 th century and design a PowerPoint presentation to convey factors for westward expansion.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

History Detectives

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders investigate the significant events in America's history. Students listen to a variety of books based on significant historical events in America. Students divide into 6 groups, each of which is responsible for researching...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Work And Resistance In America

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students investigate the history and events that surround the industrial revolution. They conduct research using secondary sources. They look reflectively at the history in order to build an idea of how the arts could have influenced the...

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