Lesson Plan
Crafting Freedom

Man in the Middle: Thomas Day and the Free Black Experience

For Teachers 5th Standards
How did free and enslaved blacks work to craft freedom for themselves and their families before the Civil War? Young historians read about the life of Thomas Day, a free black man who also owned slaves and had abolitionist ties in...
Lesson Plan
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Museum of Tolerance

Where Do Our Families Come From?

For Teachers 3rd - 6th Standards
After a grand conversation about immigration to the United States, scholars interview a family member to learn about their journey to America. They then take their new-found knowledge and apply their findings to tracking their family...
Unit Plan
Annenberg Foundation

Revolutionary Perspectives

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Learners go to the heart of the causes of the American Revolution. Examining political cartoons, Enlightenment documents, and firsthand accounts, they present their ideas and reflective...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Red Scare

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students identify and interpret issues of Nativism and Protectionism in early 20th Century America. They analyze the roots of anti-immigrant movements in the Post-World War One United States. Finally, students identify and explore the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

All Americana

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders research American landmarks and symbols. In this United States history instructional activity, 5th graders create a KWL chart about the symbols of America and take notes during a PowerPoint presentation. Students complete...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Entrepreneurship: merit badge

For Students 5th - 12th
The Boy Scouts of America need to know their stuff to get an entrepreneurship merit badge. Test your class or use some of the questions from this eight page packet. They'll fill out short answer questions about entrepreneurship in order...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Geographic Regions and Backyard Geology with the USGS Tapestry Map

For Teachers 6th - 12th
A beautiful tapestry map of North America is examined by geology masters. The map incorporates the topography and geology of different regions. You can purchase printed copies or a large poster of the map, or if you have a computer lab...
Organizer
Curated OER

Wealth Dispersal in the US

For Students 9th - 12th
Some handouts speak for themselves. Give your economics class a better grasp on the dispersal of wealth in America. The handout compares the total US wealth to 100 dollars. A graph then shows how that 100 dollars is distributed amongst a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Secret Life of Bees Research

For Teachers 9th - 10th
The Secret Life of Bees provides high schoolers an opportunity to connect the events in the novel to events in America’s history. After choosing a topic from a provided list, individuals research how the event affected the Civil Rights...
Lesson Planet Article
Curated OER

Presidential Faces Worthy of Recognition

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Using dollars and cents to study the biographies and achievements of America's past presidents.
Lesson Planet Article
Curated OER

Why Study Economic Downturns?

For Teachers 8th - 10th
Research and connect America's current economic downturn with the 1929 Stock Market Crash and the Great Depression.
Writing
Polk County Public Schools

The Blame Game for the Loss at Pearl Harbor

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Known as the day that will live in infamy, the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 was a shock to all. But why was the United States unprepared on that December morning? Study a series of primary sources in a document-based question that...
Lesson Plan
Constitutional Rights Foundation

History of Immigration From the 1850s to the Present

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
The Statue of Liberty may embrace the huddled masses of the world, but has American society always joined in? After young historians read a passage about the history of American immigration in the 19th and 20th centuries, focusing on...
Lesson Plan
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Advocates for Human Rights

A Global Perspective on Immigration

For Students 8th - Higher Ed Standards
To gain a global perspective on immigration, groups investigate and create a map of the migration patterns in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. Class members then examine the background, immigration history, and...
Lesson Plan
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media

Early English Settlements History Detectives

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Young historians play the role of history detectives as they investigate some primary source texts and images related to the early colonization of America, The Jamestown Settlement, and the Mayflower Compact. 
Organizer
Mr. Nussbaum

THE Founding Father

For Students 4th - 8th Standards
Who is the founding father—George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, or Benjamin Franklin? Scholars decide which of three early Americans, should be crowned the founding father of America based on research. Then, they compose a persuasive...
Lesson Plan
National Society Daughters of the American Revolution

Lesson 3: What Makes Attitudes Towards Education Change over Time?

For Teachers 8th - 12th Standards
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...
Website
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Smithsonian Institution

Spanish American War

For Students 5th - 12th Standards
Today, Cuba and America sometimes struggle with diplomatic relations, but did you know that America went to war against Spain to free Cuba? Learners examine many interesting facts related to the Spanish American War using an informative...
Unit Plan
Annenberg Foundation

A Nation Divided

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Can a presidential election cause a civil war? Learners research the events surrounding the presidential election of 1860 in a lesson that explores America's history. Using maps, videos, and primary sources, they uncover, brainstorm, and...
Unit Plan
Annenberg Foundation

The New Nation

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
The conclusion of the American Revolution brought about a new conflict—choosing the stye of government for the newly formed United States. Using the views of both Federalists and Anti-Federalists, learners work in pairs and groups to...
Unit Plan
Annenberg Foundation

Contested Territories

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
United States expansion into Western territories impacted much more than just lines on a map. The seventh installment of a 22-part series about America's history puts scholars into the lives of those making the journey westward as well...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Should Art Be for Art's Sake?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars examine how European-America aestheticians (philosophers of art) do not all agree about the value and definition of art. students examine how some cultures do not have a distinct word or definition for art.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Write a Short Story

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students compare two paintings, depicting urban life in America in the 1940's, answering a series of questions, then create a short story about the paintings' characters. They compare 'Nighthawks' and 'Nightlife.'
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Having Fun: Leisure and Entertainment at the Turn of the Twentieth Century

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students explore how the innovations in culture and technology influenced the development of a leisure industry in America at the turn of the twentieth century.

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