Curated OER
American Justice on Trial
Young scholars role play a trial in which they consider if the United States government violated the rights of Japanese Americans after Pearl Harbor.
Curated OER
The War: Japanese Americans and Internment
Students examine the experiences of Japanese-Americans at the beginning of World War II in America. After watching an excerpt from "The War", they answer reflection questions about the Japanese being put into internment camps. In groups,...
Curated OER
13 American Colonies: Citizenship Question 64
Help English learners prepare for their citizenship test with this presentation. Based on question 64 about the thirteen American Colonies, the slides simply list all thirteen states and their flags. Augment this slideshow with a lesson...
Curated OER
I Pledge Allegiance
What does showing respect look like? What behaviors show disrespect? After modeling such behaviors, primary graders create a flag that they hold up while demonstrating respectful behavior as they recite the Pledge of Allegiance. The...
Girl Scouts
Flag Protocol, Ceremonies and Activities
How can an American flag be displayed indoors vs. outdoors? What is proper etiquette for handling the flag? The Girls Scouts of the USA have put together a fantastic packet of information with everything you need to know...
Maryland Department of Education
Our Children Can Soar
Amazing efforts of African American leaders are celebrated in a lesson on civil participation. The engaging resource focuses on primary and secondary sources to analyze the impact of African American leaders such as Ella Fitzgerald....
Curated OER
Struggle for Equality
High schoolers read and discuss a selection of news clippings, sermons, and narratives that depict the continued struggle for equality and mistreatment of African American citizens. They present a "60 Minutes"-style news program with the...
Curated OER
An Issue of Loyalty: Exploring the Treatment of Japanese Americans During World War II
Students consider the meaning of loyalty. They explore the history of Japanese in the United States. and consider the meaning of citizenship. They create a presentation for the class. It can be a poster, Power Point or other...
Curated OER
Active Citizens 101
Students explore and investigate multiple aspects of citizenship and democracy in a sequence of lessons that involve thoughtful discussin and participation to assist in gaining a better perspective of what citizenship and domocracy is,...
Curated OER
Being a Good Citizen
First graders discuss citizenship. In this being a good citizen instructional activity, 1st graders complete a worksheet identifying characteristics of a good citizen. Students draw a picture then use a flip camera to capture good...
Curated OER
What Is an American?
Students explore different backgrounds of Americans. In this lesson, students discuss how people in the United States may come from a different background, yet have similar values and beliefs. After the class discussion,...
Curated OER
Native Americans
Students choose two photographs and explain how they illustrate traditional Native American culture. They discuss how traditional Native American culture has been affected by two specific actions of the United States Government, (they...
Curated OER
A Salute to American Symbols
Learners research American symbols. For this American History lesson, students listen to the story The Wall and discuss the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. They also listen to One Nation and research an American Symbol to create a...
Curated OER
What Was South Carolina's Role in the Spanish American War?
Seventh graders investigate the role of South Carolina in the Spanish American War. In this imperialism lesson, 7th graders analyze primary documents and photographs, in collaborative groups, to determine how the state was involved in...
Curated OER
Letters from the Japanese American Internment
Students explore the concept of Japanese internment. In this Japanese internment lesson, students examine primary sources that enable them to discover what internment camp life was like and its implications, Students write their own...
Curated OER
The American Flag and the Pledge of Allegiance
Young scholars create an iMovie about what they have learned about the American flag as a conclusion to an eight-day unit.
Curated OER
African American Women Trailblazers
Young scholars take a closer look at the accomplishments of African-American women. In this African-American history lesson, students explore the work of Bessie Coleman, Gwendolyn Bennett, Lulu Madison White, and Zelma Watson George as...
Curated OER
Models of American Citizenship
Third graders investigate the concept of American citizenship by pretending to time travel. They travel back in time to visit the eras of Thomas Jefferson, Hellen Keller, Harriet Tubman, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and community heroes....
What So Proudly We Hail
The Meaning of America: National Identity and Why It Matters
Combining a close reading of a classic American text with the study of history can be a very powerful strategy, and this is most certainly the case with this resource using Edward Everett Hale's The Man without a Country. Consider themes...
Teaching Tolerance
Voting in Your Town
A socially important resource focuses on voter turnout and roadblocks to voting. Scholars review resources on voting stats, watch a documentary, and participate in group discussion regarding voting in their local communities. Academics...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Elections, Money, and the First Amendment
Those who spend the most, win. Academics read informational text, participate in group discussion, and defend campaign reforms to understand the correlation between money, the First Amendment, and election results. The resource...
US Citizenship and Immigration Services
Thanksgiving 1—Pilgrims and American Indians
The Pilgrims first arrived in America in order to gain religious freedom. Here is a lesson that takes the class on this journey with the Pilgrims, stopping to look at how they got here, who they met when they arrived, and a peek into...
Our White House
The Our White House Inauguration Celebration Kit for Kids!
Get the youngest American citizens involved in the presidential election and inauguration with a set of social studies activities. Focusing on the history of presidential inauguration ceremonies, learners draft their own poems, design...
Curated OER
Defining Citizenship in Recent Events
Students research the rights and responsibilities of citizens and non-citizens living in the U.S. They present a dialogue that showcases their research and take a quiz on the material.