Money can't buy happiness, but it can put food on the table and pay the bills. The first of a five-lesson unit teaches pupils about the unemployment rate in 1963 and its relationship with the March on Washington. They learn how to create...

Students draw on their previous studies of American history and culture as they analyze primary sources from Jackie Robinson and Other Baseball Highlights, 1860s - 1960s in American Memory. A close reading of two documents relating to...

Get the facts straight when it comes to the Reconstruction Era! In this United States history worksheet, learners utilize a word bank of 10 terms or phrases to answer 10 fill in the blank questions about the nation following the Civil...

Choosing from a list, researchers investigate topics that range from the women in the American Civil Rights movement to the quest for equal rights in Iraq and Afghanistan. Although the plan is not detailed, a link to a PBS site that...

Learners gain an understanding of early jazz. They study Dixieland and the Roaring Twenties. They examine the American historical significance and cultural implications of early jazz.

Eleventh graders examine the Adarand case.  In this American Government lesson, 11th graders create a list of reasons for each affirmative action program.  Students develop a defense on certain issues and present it to the...

Explore how the 14th Amendment changed the way the United States operated, both politicallay and socially. In this United States history instructional activity, students utilize a word bank of 10 terms or phrases to answer 10 fill in the...

Seventh graders search online for current and historic images of North African and Southwest Asian architecture. They compare North African and Southwest Asian architecture to North American, European, Russian/Eurasian, and South...

Second graders observe and describe several masks from different parts of Africa housed in the Smithsonian Institute (National Museum of African Art) Washington, D.C. They use the internet to view the Smithsonian's virtual exhibits.

Pupils examine writings of Mary Eliza Church Terrell. They role play themselves as an African American woman in the 19th century. They describe her actions and how they benefited minorities.

Students explore the lives and contributions of the many black Americans who are honored on U.S. commemorative postage stamps, make a presentation that synthesizes information about a historical figure and time, and write a persuasive...

Students examine the labor needs in colonial America. Using primary and secondary resources, they explore the major events and life in the United States during colonial times. They complete a chart listing the pros and cons of a slave...

Students explore the American Civil War. For this Civil War lesson, students examine a slave auction advertisement and an Abraham Lincoln quote. Students also read Pink and Say, create a foldable regarding naval warfare, and design a...

Students practice graphing immigration data from the Caribbean. After practicing making their own graphs, they make the final graph and label it accordingly. They work together to determine the six most populated states of immigrants...

Students demonstrate dances of colonial America. In this colonial American lesson plan, students learn forms of colonial social dancing including the Juba and Virginia Reel. Students examine the history of the 2 dances as well.

Sixth graders examine the different aspects of life in Colonial America. At home, they make traditional colonial recipes to share with the class. In groups, they read a book about the purpose and act of quilting and create their own...

Eleventh graders analyze primary sources for evidence of intent and purpose. In this American government lesson, 11th graders compose a one-page response explaining their understanding of "justice." Students read and examine quotes about...

Students examine the trait of courage. In this character traits lesson, students discuss how to their face fears in order to do the right thing as they discuss the corageous acts of Jackie Robinson.

Students explore courage. In this moral and character development lesson plan, students read biographical information about Jackie Robinson and identify examples of courage exemplified in his life story.

Students determine that thriving African cultures engaged in international trade and exploration before the emergence of European civilization. The study ancient Ghana, its geographic locale, the diversity therein to include its people,...

Students complete a chart comparing and contrasting African villages with their own communities. The lesson focuses on the Mbuti and Fulani people. They explore their style of living, their traditions and everyday life in these villages.

An activity focused on tolerance encourages class members to consider how they might respond when they or someone else is the target of oppression and discrimination. After researching how some key figures responded to the...

This is a fantastic activity that prompts learners to think like educators and consider the value of a historically based film beyond just the accuracy of information. Your young historians will work in groups to do a close reading and...

Learners access oral histories that contain slave narratives from the Library of Congress. They describe the lives of former slaves, sample varied individual experiences and make generalizations about their research in journal entries.