Students investigate Native American culture reading and writing about early Native American authors. They listen to an expert to extend their understanding of the culture.

Kate Chopin's The Awakening introduces readers not only to the lush Louisiana setting of Grand isle but also to the nuances of Creole culture. the second lesson in a three-part series examines how Chopin's use of literary realism and...

In this historical letter writing worksheet, students choose an aspect of 19th century American life that is of interest. Students write a letter from the point of view of a person in this time. Students exchange letters with a partner...

Attitudes toward women have changed radically in the last hundred years. The first instructional activity in a six-part unit that uses Kate Chopin's short story "The Story of an Hour" as an anchor text begins with a shared reading of...

Only a thorough understanding of history can save us from repeating it. Practice close reading skills with an eighth grade unit that focuses on 19th century America, including European immigration into Ellis Island and Frederick...

The struggle for women's rights is not unique to this generation, or even to the 20th century. Class members explore the conflicting opinions of Alexander Graham Bell and his wife, Mabel Hubbard Bell, regarding women's pursuits of higher...

Kate Chopin's short story, "The Story of an Hour" and John H. Young's "Our Deportment, or the Manners, Conduct, and Dress of Refined Society" offer high school juniors an opportunity to compare the role of women in the 19th century with...

Students discuss how Washington Irving is considered an important 19th century-American storyteller. They create their own version of a passage from 'The Legend' after listening to the story.

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...

What does an ad reveal about a culture, or about the values of its intended audience? Class members examine a series of runaway slave ads—one of which was written by Thomas Jefferson—and consider what these primary source documents...

Five segements from Ken Burns' documentary series Prohibition, easily accessed on the PBS website, are at the center of a terrific short unit on the roots of America's ambivalent relationship with alcohol. Engage your secondary...

Students take on the persona of a sailor or a captain of a whaling vessel in New England in the 1800s and write five journal entries as that person.  For this Moby Dick lesson, students research the whaling industry in 19th...

Students are introduced to women authors during the 19th century. In groups, they read about the criticism they faced during this time period by the public and literary community. Using the internet, they research one author to...

A carefully crafted three-day instructional activity integrates poetry and visual art. By analyzing and comparing Langston Hughes' poem "Mother and Son" and Romare Bearden's collage "The Dove," readers explore the theme of hope. The...

Students explore 19th century American artwork.  In this cross curriculum New York history and art appreciation lesson, students view a reproduction of the painting "Situation of America, 1848," and identify visual symbols and...

The history of women's education can be traced back to the delicate stitching of student samplers from the 19th century. Modern-day pupils examine and analyze four primary sources, three of which are images of embroidered samplers, which...

Have women always had the same educational opportunities as their male counterparts? Young historians read an 1819 essay by Emma Willard on the state of female education in the 19th century before discussing their views regarding women's...

Students use video and the Internet to research the life of Nellie Bly, a famous female reporter from the 19th century. They research a writer and present their information to the class in the style of a news reporter.

Terror, mystery, excitement. American writers of the 19th century, including Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville, and Emily Dickinson, used these elements to create morally ambiguous tales that challenged the prevailing belief in...

Students analyze cowboy literature. In this United States history and literacy instructional activity, students listen to a variety of cowboy songs and poetry, view the video "Rediscovering America: The Real American Cowboy," and view...

Students examine Sojourner Truth's philanthropist acts during her life. They discover that everyone has the right to be heard by their government. They compare and contrast the woman's movement and the anti-slavery movement.

Students are introduced to the romantic cultural movement in America. Reading examples of pictures of Washington Irving's home, they identify the characteristics of the movement. They view other paintings of artists from the same time...

Students read the novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin, and explain public attitudes towards slavery in 19th century America.

Fifth graders explore U.S. geography by reading assigned text about American Indians. In this migration instructional activity, 5th graders identify the differences between Native Americans and European settlers who traveled through...