National First Ladies' Library
Will the Real Pocahontas Please Stand Up?
Learners explore the life of Pocahontas and Powhatan Indians. After studying information on a given website, students compare and contrast what they read about Pocahontas and what they previously thought of her. They explore life in a...
Curated OER
Field Trip to Living History Farms
Young scholars tour "Living History Farms" in Iowa. In this field trip preparation instructional activity, students observe ways Native Americans began growing crops in the 1700's as well as how the farm changed in the 1800's. Upon their...
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Rules, Resistance and Repeal: How the Stamp Act Was Repealed
Eighth graders examine the causes of the American Revolution. Participating in activities, they discover how it would have felt to be taxed without representation. They identify an object from a museum and discuss how it might have been...
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Good Brother, Bad Brother
Learners are exposed to the writings of John Wilkes Booth. They discover that fanaticism is not just a modern phenomenon. They examine four periods in American history when treason was at issue.
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Creating a Neighborhood Timeline
Students research information about their neighborhoods. Uncovering facts about geology and Native Americans, they examine how the neighborhood has evolved over time. They work together to create a timeline of specific events.
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The Original Layout of the Town of Deerfield
Eleventh graders explain that elements of the early settlement of Deerfield can still be seen in the town layout and in some of the early 18th century houses which survive. They read and analyze historical maps and analyze a drawing of...
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Jefferson vs. Franklin: Revolutionary Philosophers
Students cite connections among Franklin's Albany Plan of 1754, his Plan of Confederation of 1775 and the U.S. Constitution and/or the Declaration of Independence. In an essay, they give examples of the philosophical and political...
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Causes of the Revolution Newspaper
Students examine the events that led to the Revolutionary War. Using the internet, they discover the advantages and disadvantages of each side. They use the information to produce a special edition newspaper on the war. They must include...
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The 1726 Casco Bay Treaty Conference
Learners simulate the Casco Bay Treaty Conference. They read and discuss an excerpt from the Conference proceedings. They work in groups to discuss the concerns of the Conference and why the Indians conceded. They write a response to...
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Thanksgiving and Agriculture
Students listen to the book "The Pilgrim Story" and discuss the Pilgrims and why they came to America. Students role play the Thanksgiving story and write about how Pilgrims and Indians relate to them today.
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Revisiting Pocahontas
Students discuss the characteristics that make a historical resource reliable. As a class, they brainstorm a list of examples of possible historical resources and why they are important. In groups, they discover the consequences of...
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The Breaking of Charity
The danger of mob mentality is on display in The Crucible by Arthur Miller. Get your class thinking with some challenging quickwrite questions, then assign characters from the play to be read aloud altogether. Links to worksheets...
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Baseball in Korea
Seventh graders explore the origins of baseball. In this Geography lesson, 7th graders compare Korean baseball teams with other countries. Students create a map of all the baseball teams around the world.
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Weaving a Story of Cooperation: The Goat in the Rug
Weaving is an important part of Navajo culture. Read The Goat in the Rug to your fourth and fifth graders, and give them a glimpse into the process of rug making from the point of view of a goat! They will learn new vocabulary words and...
Boston University
South African Short Stories: Apartheid, Civil Rights, and You
How are short stories from South Africa connected to issues of civil rights in the United States? A unit plan uses South African short stories to discuss issues such as apartheid, colonization, and civil rights. Questions and activities...
Annenberg Foundation
America's History in the Making: Classroom Applications One
Someone finds a time capsule 100 years from now, and it includes your family photo album. What would the photos tell that person about you and your place in history? Scholars investigate how artifacts tell stories. Using photos, maps,...
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Ancient Gold Working
Students create a sculpture inspired by the masks, pendants, or human and animal forms found in ancient Indian art of the Americas. They focus on the techniques of metalworking, especially repousse.
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Life in Ancient Ghana, Mali, and Songhai
Learners study the ancient African kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai. They brainstorm what they know about ancient African kingdoms before investigating the trade and barter situations, and researching one of the kingdoms for an oral...
Curated OER
The Happy Progress of Our Affairs: George Washington and the U.S. Constitution
Students engage in a lesson which uses Washington's own words to illustrate the events leading to the establishment of our national government, and the crucial roles he played throughout that process.
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Three Centuries of Child Labor In America
Fifth graders investigate the history of child labor that is found in America. They use a variety of resources to conduct research. Students create cause and effect arguments using the information that is found. They also compare and...
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The Great Gatsby
Learners develop a visual display illustrating an event from F. Scott Fitzgerald's life and write a paper showing the relationship between the visual and The Great Gatsby. In this The Great Gatsby lesson, students research the life...
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1986 Capsule: Hispanic Influence in the New World
Students research the conditions in Spain during the 15th and 16th centuries. In groups, they write a paper on the information they gathered during their research and why the situation is unique to Spain. As a class, they discuss the...
Curated OER
The Right to Remain Resilient
Students examine the Civil Rights Movements in the U.S., both current and historic. In small groups students investigate a specific civil rights group, create an illustrated timeline, noting key events, people, and state and federal laws.
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Revolutionary War: The Battle of Oriskany
Students evaluate the decisions several New Yorkers made about which side to support during the Revolutionary War and analyze the Battle of Oriskany to determine whether the Tories or the Rebels won the battle.