Curated OER
The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854: Popular Sovereignty and the Political Polarization over Slavery
Students read selections from the Declaration of Independence, Northwest Ordinance of 1787, and the Wilmot Proviso of 1846. They contrast the maps of 1820 and 1854 to analyze developments in the national debate over slavery. They...
National Endowment for the Humanities
The 1828 Campaign of Andrew Jackson and the Growth of Party Politics
High schoolers analyze changes in voter participation and regional power, and review archival campaign documents reflecting the dawn of politics as we know it during the critical years from 1824 to 1832. Students utilize worksheets and...
Curated OER
The Wannsee Conference
Twelfth graders examine what occured at the Wannsee Conference during World War II. Using documents, they discover how the conference fits into the final solution of the Jewish question. They analyze the language used and the attitudes...
Curated OER
Yearbook: The Basics in Adobe Photoshop
Ninth graders, after extensive analyzing in groups of the Basics to Adobe Photo shop, they demonstrate mastery of selecting layers, choosing colors and cropping in Adobe Photo shop by manipulating an image.
Curated OER
Literature: Esperanza Rising
Students read and discuss the book, Esperanza Rising. After analyzing and identifying the novel's structural elements, they examine working conditions for migrant workers in the 1930s. As part of the lesson plan, students in groups...
Curated OER
Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice: The Novel as Historical Source
Students examine historical fiction as historical sources. In this historical fiction lesson, students analyze excerpts from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice as well as Mary Wollstonecraft's A Vindication of the...
Curated OER
The Treaty Trail: U.S. - Clothing That Talks: Meaning and Material Culture
Young scholars investigate the cultures of Native Americans and Euro-Americans through their clothing. In this photograph analysis lesson, students observe historic photographs and analyze the style of clothes people wore and how...
Curated OER
Lesson 2: The First Inaugural Address (1861)—Defending the American Union
Students explore the content of Abraham Lincoln's First Inaugural Address. For this Abraham Lincoln lesson, students analyze the text of the speech to determine how Lincoln sought to preserve the Union from secession attempts.
Michigan Sea Grant
Invasive Species
Learners identify invasive species to the Great Lakes and analyze their impact on the ecosystem. Using photo cards with pictures and facts, young scientists work in small groups to match invasive species with their corresponding...
Curated OER
Where in the World is...?
Students work in groups to locate an appropriate planet where inhabitants of a fictional place can be relocated. They create a PowerPoint presentation to introduce their relocation site, as well as ecosystem information about the site....
Curated OER
The Panic of 1837 And the Presidency of Martin Van Buren
Students analyze period political cartoons as they study the causes of the Panic of 1837. They use primary sources to evaluate President VanBuren's response to the panic and public opinion of the results of his policies. Then they...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Eleanor Roosevelt and the Rise of Social Reform in the 1930's
Eleventh graders explore the various roles that Eleanor Roosevelt took on. In this US History activity, 11th graders analyze the views that Eleanor Roosevelt held as an advocate for social justice. High schoolers evaluate her...
Curated OER
The Election Is in the House: The Presidential Election of 1824
Students read an account of the election from the Journal of the House of Representatives, analyze archival campaign materials, and use an interactive online activity to develop a better understanding of the election of 1824 and its...
Curated OER
Storytellers: Pearl Jam, Lesson 1
Students examine the meaning of genre, and specifically investigate the musical genre of grunge. They view and discuss photos, watch the video, "VH1 Storytellers: Pearl Jam," answer discussion questions, and paraphrase the lyrics to a...
Curated OER
Desertification
Students investigate the process of desertification in the Sahel region of Africa. They discuss photos from a National Geographic magazine, analyze the physical/political map of the Sahara, identify the causes and effects of...
Curated OER
Through the Looking Glass: Eudora Welty's Photography and The Ponder Heart
Students study the context of The Ponder Heart through Welty's photographs.
They analyze how illustrations and photographs interact with written text and
create their own images to illustrate a well-known Welty short story....
Curated OER
Front Page News
Students collect and analyze the front pages of various newspapers and perform research on the Titantic tragedy. They choose a name for their newspaper, a headline, gather photographs, and write a front page article. Using computer...
Curated OER
The Second Inaugural Address (1865)—Restoring the American Union
Students explore the content of Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address. In this Abraham Lincoln activity, students analyze the text of the speech to determine how Lincoln sought to reconstruct the country as the Civil War drew to a...
Curated OER
African-Americans and the New Deal's Civilian Conservation Corps
Students discover the responsibilities of the Civilian Conservation Corps. For this New Deal lesson, students analyze the impact that the inclusion of African Americans in the Civilian Conservation Corps made on race relations in the...
Curated OER
America Enters WWII
Students analyze the attack on Pearl Harbor. In this World History lesson, students research the events that led to the attack of Pearl Harbor then discuss the what happened after the attack. They finish the lesson with...
Curated OER
California Crops
Students explore agriculture by researching the native food crops of California. Students define a list of agriculture vocabulary terms and analyze maps of California which explain which foods come from which area. Students write a...
National First Ladies' Library
Learning to Be Consumers: The Emergence of Catalogs and Advertising
Learners study the historical context of marketing and how it came to be so important in the 19th century. They analyze advertising in the 19th century, 20th century, and today to understand how much or how little has changed.
Curated OER
Norman Rockwell, Freedom of Speech: Know It When You See It
Students explore the U.S. Constitution. In this First Amendment lesson, students examine Norman Rockwell's "Freedom of Speech" and analyze the five freedoms listed in the amendment.
Curated OER
Catching Rays
Students investigate solar collectors. In this energy lesson, students create and demonstrate solar collectors. They will use measurement, data collecting, and analyze their findings to determine the best orientations for their solar...