Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Time to Break Silence

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders investigate Martin Luther King's decision to speak out against the war in Vietnam.  In this American History lesson, 11th graders read excerpts of MLK's speech.  Students examine why King made the decision to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

End of the Line: What Happened to the Blue Ridge Railroad?

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders study the westward expansion and the role of railroad construction to the expansion. In this railroad history activity, 6th graders complete KWL activity for the topic. Students view a PowerPoint about the growth of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Bill of Rights

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders determine why the Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution. In this U.S. government lesson, 7th graders discuss the first 10 amendments and any vocabulary they may be unfamiliar with. Students then read different...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Beyond Louisiana

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders examine the challenges that faced United States as a new nation.  In this American History lesson, 11th graders study the chronology of events leading up to the expedition of Lewis and Clark.  Students organize...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Let Freedom Ring

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Students go to the computer lab to engage in this thoughtful activity on our national symbols. Students access the internet, and solve an on-line puzzle of a national symbol of freedom. The symbols are the Eagle, The Statue of Liberty,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Slavery by the Numbers

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students examine the role of slavery in the United States. In this American history lesson, students watch segments of the video "Slavery and the Making of America." Students conduct further research pertaining to Thomas Jefferson,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Abuela's Weave Teacher's Guide

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Learners read and response to the book, Abuela's Weave. In this African-American literature lesson, students discuss pre-reading questions, that focus on family traditions and make predictions about the text. Learners read the text and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Perspectives on Civil Rights

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine speeches of the Civil Rights Era. In this American history lesson, students listen to speeches delivered by Martin Luther King, Jr. and John F. Kennedy. Students respond to guiding questions as they listen to the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Using Current Events to Understand Elections

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders explore the the major phases of the electoral process for president.  In this US Government lesson, 11th graders compare and contrast the delegate system of nomination and the electoral college. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

NATIVE AMERICANS

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students study the importance of nature to Native Americans and discover the growth stages of Northern beans and mustard seeds.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Civics and Economics: The Occupation of Japan

For Teachers 7th - 11th
Students compare the American political and economic systems to the Japanese systems. They interpret maps, tables, charts and political cartoons in analyzing the economic and political issues involved.
Lesson Plan
Heritage Foundation

The Amendment Process and the Bill of Rights

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Did you know that lawmakers have proposed more than 5,000 bills to amend the US Constitution in Congress? Your class learns intriguing facts about the process of choosing amendments. A variety of activities including before and after...
Lesson Plan
Heritage Foundation

Slavery and the Constitution

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
It's hard to believe the abolition movement was once seen as scandalous. Help learners understand how the US Constitution changed everything. A variety of activities such as corresponding reading activities, group work ideas, and...
Lesson Plan
Judicial Branch of California

Separate But Equal - Is It Black or White?

For Teachers 4th - 6th Standards
The story of Ruby Bridges and the case of Brown vs. The Board of Education are fantastic tools for discussing the concept of separate but equal. Kids tackle some big questions about what is fair, what is civil, and what rights or laws...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Opinion Poll-arities

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students explore the mathematics behind opinion polls, as well as provides a framework for interpreting trends in opinion poll graphics.
Lesson Plan
Bill of Rights Institute

The Declaration of Independence

For Teachers 8th - 10th Standards
Take classes on an in-depth tour of the Declaration of Independence. An informative resource effectively scaffolds learning by providing warm-up and wrap-up activities. It also includes a variety of handouts for individuals to complete,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Countries of Latin America

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders study the geography, culture, government and economy of Latin American countries. They work in groups to fill out a profile describing their Latin American country. They listen to a reading of Latin American folktales and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Art of Protesting

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students view various images to examine different types of protest Americans have used throughout history, and explore ways in which protest can produce change for better or worse.
Lesson Planet Article
Curated OER

Sandra Day O'Connor: Always Supreme

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Demystify America's governing system through a legendary role model and a fabulous website.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Witch Hunt or Red Menace? Anticommunism in Postwar America, 1945-1954

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate what constitutes an "un-American" activity and why Soviet espionage was such an important issue in the 1940's and 1950's. Joseph McCarthy's impact on American anticommunism is examined in this lesson plan. There are...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A House Dividing: The Growing Crisis of Sectionalism in Antebellum America

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore the debates over American slavery and the power of the American federal government for the first half of the 19th century and how the regional economies and political events produced a widening split between the states.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Jeffersonianism at the Bar

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders participate in a political roundtable discussion. For this Jeffersonianism lesson, 11th graders role play individuals from the 19th century and discuss issues of the Federalist period.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Embodied Presidency

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders compare and contrast the immigration reform policies of Presidents Reagan and Bush. In this immigration lesson, 10th graders examine primary documents related to each president's policy for immigration reform. Students...
Lesson Plan
Alabama Department of Archives and History

Convict Leasing in Alabama: a System That Re-Enslaved Blacks After the Civil War

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The post-Civil War convict leasing program, rarely covered in textbooks, is the focus of a lesson plan that asks class members to use information drawn from primary source documents to assess the program. While the focus is on Alabama's...