Students explore daily life and its influences in the late 1700s for two families in different colonies- Delaware and Massachusetts by becoming historical detectives. After gathering information from artifacts to make inferences about...

No unit on important women in history would be complete without a lesson on Sandra Day O'Connor. After reading background information about the first female Supreme Court justice, middle schoolers engage in several activities addressing...

Middle schoolers explore the Westward Expansion Movement of U.S. history. In this Westward movement lesson, students use primary and secondary source documents research personal accounts of those who travelled west during the era....

What is a political party, and what major parties exist in American politics today? How did the party system develop in American history, and how are parties organized? These questions and many other details regarding the political party...

Students explore the Native American migrant experience in the United States. They define and describe reservation and the relationship between the U.S. Government and Native tribes through individual textbook research and class discussion.

Students identify inducements the emperor Constantine offered people to move to his fledgling capital city of Constantinople and compare similar situations offered by the American government in our history and by local governments for...

Taking on the roles of a fiery Boston patriot, a Philadelphia merchant's wife, and a prominent abolitionist, your young historians will consider the reactions of these early Americans to the creation of the Declaration of...

Students investigate the separation of powers that are outlined in the Constitution. The lesson includes essential questions that are used to guide the research. The information is used to increase knowledge of how power is used in...

Students create scripts about California settlers. The document reflects the settlers' fears, expectations, and realizations.

In this online interactive history worksheet, students respond to 7 short answer and essay questions about the causes and effects of Reconstruction following the American Civil War.

Students identify human rights and study the values of historical figures who fought for human rights. In this human rights lesson, students define the term human rights and research examples of human mistreatment in history. Students...

Though the movement for Women's Suffrage stretched over several decades and across two centuries, the final few years were the most difficult hurdle in many ways. Use a document-based question writing exercise to make inferences about...

Thomas Jefferson remains one of the most fascinating figure in American history, both for his innovative contributions to the United States government and his remarkably contradictory personal life. A series of discussion questions and...

Should age matter when it comes to voting? Scholars read an article discussing the pros and cons of lowering the voting age to 16. They then consider both the advantages and disadvantages of having younger voters. After thinking about...

Students compare their preconceptions of Native American movement with their current perceptions. They identify why they have changed. Students conclude with a final reflection addressing how they define the Native American experience in...

Fourth graders analyze a document and make assessment and historical prediction based on the text. In this establishment of American government activity, 4th graders analyze a poem and discuss the climate of the Union in the early...

Students investigate themes of justice and rights while reading the novel Farewell to Manzanar. They research contemporary civil rights issues and write reports. They also research the background of internment camps during World War II.

Students use primary sources and timelines to begin a study of school integration; students watch "Nantucket Rock of Changes," and compare the case of Eunice Ross with the story of the Little Rock Nine.

Eighth graders interpret historical evidence presented in primary and secondary resources. In this Reconstruction lesson, 8th graders research the role of Reconstruction in South Carolina by simulating the environment of East Bay Street...

Learners Compare and contrast the beliefs and methodology of three leaders of the Civil Rights movement. Using specific examples, discuss how these leaders were either successful or unsuccessful in attaining their goals.

Learners participate in a "To Tell The Truth" game show activity in order to determine the role of Sam Adams in the Revolutionary events that took place in the Boston area. They ask questions of three students posing as Sam Adams to...

Students explore the duties of commander-in-chief. In this George Washington lesson plan, students research Revolutionary War military leaders and examine the relationships they had with George Washington. 

Drawn by promises of fertile land, thousands of settlers poured West because of the Homestead Act of 1862. By examining images of the ads that drew them westward, learners consider the motivations for movement. They also consider how the...