Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Governance

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students participate in talking circles. In this self-governance lesson, students examine human rights from the perspective of Native Americans. Students must set up a self-government model for the reserve described.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

People for the Land: Native Americans in Iowa

For Teachers 4th - 9th
Students identify Iowa's American Indian cultures and complete a research project for the topic. In this Iowa's American Indian instructional activity, students research read the background information about tribes in Iowa and complete a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Governance - Grade 8

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders participate in talking circles. For this self-governance lesson, 8th graders examine human rights from the perspective of Native Americans. Students discuss the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms as well as...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Migration - An African-American Adventure During WWI

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders explore the push/pull factors that influenced the South to North migration.  In this African-American migration lesson, 6th graders read an article and answer comprehension questions. Students write a letter to the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Japanese American Baseball in the Camps

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students study Japanese American internment camps. In this American history lesson, students compare and contrast the camp internees' experiences with with team sports-related challenges students have encountered. Students discuss team...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Latin American Film

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Students identify characteristics in a Latin American film. In this filmography lesson, students describe their favorite movies and the reasons why they like them. Students are shown a short clip of a Latin American movie and discuss the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Mayflower Compact

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders explore the events leading up to the Mayflower Compact. In this government lesson, 4th graders have a teacher-led class discussion on the importance of government, then complete a worksheet on the topic.
Lesson Plan
2
2
Smithsonian Institution

Native Resistance: Native Resistance Then and Now

For Teachers 8th - 11th Standards
Native Americans lost so much—and gained so little in return. Scholars explore Native Americans' resistance to the United States government. The lesson uses primary sources to explore the different forms of protest and gives a voice to...
Unit Plan
Annenberg Foundation

By the People, For the People

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
A picture speaks a thousand words—no matter how old. The 18th installment of a 22-part series on the making of American history has scholars research the causes of the Great Depression and the factors of the New Deal. Using photographic...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What is the Federal System Created by the Constitution?

For Teachers 7th - 8th Standards
Explore the unique structure of the federal system of government in the United States. Class members will learn about how most nations were organized before the establishment of the Constitution, how power is currently divided...
Lesson Plan
1
1
National Endowment for the Humanities

The Rise and Fall of Joseph McCarthy

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
"I have here in my hand . . ." The war against Communism and Joseph McCarthy’s place in it are the focus of a series of lessons examining postwar America from 1945-1954. Joseph McCarthy takes center stage in this, the final lesson...
Lesson Plan
1
1
National Endowment for the Humanities

Revolution '67, Lesson 1: Protest: Why and How

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
To some people, protesting is as American as apple pie, but the factors that lead to protests can be as confusing to veteran activists as to today's youth. Revolution '67 explores the riots in Newark, New Jersey as a case study. ...
Lesson Plan
Pace University

Jacksonian Democracy

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Jacksonian Democracy ... a total success or a complete failure? Young academics examine Jacksonian Democracy, including the concept of the supremacy of the federal government and the forced relocation of Native Americans. Scholars...
Lesson Plan
2
2
Smithsonian Institution

Racism and Removal: Japanese Incarceration During World War II

For Teachers 8th - 11th Standards
During World War II people saw how far the government's control would go, but it was at the expense of its citizens. The resource brings the conditions of Japanese American internment camps to light using primary documents. Scholars...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Role of the Judiciary in a System of Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students determine the role of each branch of government in a system of checks and balances. They demonstrate the role of the judiciary in American government
Lesson Plan
US National Archives

Documented Rights Educational Lesson Plan

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
How have groups struggled to have their unalienable rights recognized in the United States? Acting as a research team for the Human Rights Council of the United Nations, your young historians will break into groups to research...
Lesson Plan
Center for Civic Education

What Is Authority?

For Teachers 1st - 5th Standards
Young scholars examine the concepts of power and authority as they begin learning about government in this elementary social studies lesson. Through a series of readings, discussions, and problem solving activities, children...
Lesson Plan
PBS

Lessons in Leadership, Roosevelt Style

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
It's easy to criticize those in power until you're sitting at their desk, faced with the same decisions. A history lesson prompts secondary learners to research the Roosevelt presidencies through the lens of leadership and...
Lesson Plan
The Alamo

A Lesson in Citizenship

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
What does it mean to be an American citizen? Lieutenant Colonel Commander William Barret Travis believed that it meant honor to country first—even above one's own life. Middle and high schoolers read his final letters from the Alamo that...
Lesson Planet Article
Curated OER

The American Revolution and Williamsburg

For Teachers Pre-K - 12th
Williamsburg provides a way for students to learn about the American Revolution.
Interactive
DocsTeach

Baseball: A Morale Booster During Wartime?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
How did baseball become America's national pastime? A sports-minded activity explores the importance government placed on baseball to boost morale during both world wars. Academics read letters to understand the importance of baseball...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lesson 6: Crowded Skies

For Teachers 5th - 12th
This is a treasure-trove of multimedia resources to help your scholars analyze transportation methods. They discuss different forms of movement, utilizing several infographics to spur conversation deeper and get visual learners engaged....
Lesson Plan
1
1
National Endowment for the Humanities

The "To Do List" of the Continental Congress

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
What is on your to-do list today? The second lesson of a three-part series on Lost Heroes of America investigates the laundry list of items in front of the second Continental Congress. Scholars research, analyze, and present information...
Lesson Plan
1
1
World History Digital Education Foundation, Inc.

COVID-19: Comparison with the Influenza Pandemic of 1918

For Teachers 9th - 12th
A timely lesson uses documentation from the Spanish influenza pandemic of 1918 to compare it to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Scholars watch a short video, analyze sources, complete a worksheet, and write a claim with supporting...