Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Expanding United States

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners display comprehension of the concept of nationalism. They design a tool to conduct a survey. Students conduct a survey to find out which groups learners feel affiliated (family, nation, religion, school, etc). They complie...
Lesson Plan
Foreign Policy Research Institute

Imperialism, Arab Nationalism and World War I

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Continued conflict in the Middle East makes this lesson relevant, and the inclusion of a critique of Lawrence of Arabia might increase student interest in a potentially challenging topic. The resource includes a solid...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lewis and Clark: Meeting the Indians of the Northwest

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders examine the relationships forged with Native Americans by Lewis and Clark. In this Westward Expansion lesson, 8th graders research digital and print sources to study details regarding the Native American tribes that Lewis...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Star-Spangled Banner

For Teachers 4th - 6th Standards
Get your kids moving as they learn about the history of the United States National Anthem. Scholars examine the War of 1812, Francis Scott Key, and the meaning behind The Star Spangled Banner as they listen to an 18-minute...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Glorious Revolution, the American Revolution, and the French Revolution

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students relate the Glorious Revolution, the American Revolution, and the French Revolution through web based research and scenarios.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Public I or Private I

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students explore the topic of national identity cards in the United States as a starting point in determining what types of information should be publicly accessible to the government and private industry about specific individuals.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Art and National Identity: Analyzing Painting and Literature from the Era of Manifest Destiny

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students begin the lesson by discussing the causes and effects of the movement west. Using primary sources, they develop their own definition for manifest destiny. In groups, they view examples of paintings and read poems on the topic. ...
Lesson Plan
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PBS

Making Change: Revolutionary Tactics of the Civil Rights Movement

For Teachers 10th - Higher Ed Standards
The film American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs introduces viewers to the differing philosophies of and strategies employed by 1960s civil rights leaders such as Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. and the debate over...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Nationalism and Conflict-Two Fronts, Two Perspectives!

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students examine the major conflicts of the 20th century. After watching a video, they discuss the various types of technology and how they were used in World War I. They watch excerpts from films covering different wars and view them...
PPT
National Humanities Center

Teaching The Great Gatsby: A Common Core Close Reading Seminar

For Teachers 11th - 12th
The 41 slides in a professional development seminar model how to use close reading techniques to examine the many layers of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. In addition to passages from the novel, slides provide biographical...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Nationalism and Immigration

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students use the internet to research how immigration patterns changed after 1880. Using this information, they create a pie chart to organize it effectively and discuss how immigration changed Europe and the United States. They also...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The French Revolution

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders explore the events leading up to the French Revolution. In this World History instructional activity, 10th graders participate in a class discussion as the teacher shares a Powerpoint presentation, then the students...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Immigrant's Voice

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explain the concept of the "push-pull" effect. They distinguish between voluntary and involuntary immigrants and apply the concept of double consciousness to the immigrant's sense of national identity.
Interactive
Curated OER

The Imperial Republic: 1865-1914 (6)

For Students 9th - 12th
In this online interactive American history worksheet, learners respond to 12 matching questions regarding 1865-1914 America. Students may check their answers immediately.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Black American Soldiers in the Civil War

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders explore the actions needed to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor.  In this US History lesson, 8th graders analyze documents pertinent to the Congressional Medal of Honor.  Students examine the process of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Twist On American Symbolism

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students discover how and why flag and national anthem of the United States were created, and in what ways they represent the foundation of our national identity.
PPT
Curated OER

Manifest Destiny

For Teachers 8th - 11th
Complete with maps, photographs, and historical documents, this presentation would be a great resource throughout a unit about mid-19th century America. Manifest Destiny, Texas Independence, the Oregon Trail, and the Mexican War are...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Arkansas' Reaction to Draft Resistance During World War II

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Young scholars identify consequences to the resistance of the draft in Arkansas during World War II. They role-play scripts of local board members who were Southern businessmen, farmers; and conscientious objectors, their friends,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Social Studies: Bombing of Hiroshima

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students read a first person account of the bombing of Hiroshima written by a Japanese physician. By reading Michihiko Hachiya's journal, they discover the fatalities caused by the bomb itself and later by radiation poisoning. To...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Canadian Symbols

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students discover the ideals of Canada by analyzing its symbols.  In this Canadian culture lesson, students identify the symbols that established the U.S. as its own nation and compare them to important Canadian symbols....
Lesson Plan
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PBS

Malcolm X: Minister and Civil Rights Activist

For Teachers 3rd - 7th Standards
Any study of the leaders of the Civil Rights Movement would be incomplete without an examination of the life of Malcolm X. Class members view a short biographical video and analyze primary source documents to gain an understanding of the...
Interactive
DocsTeach

The Impact of the Immigration Act of 1924

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Welcome to America ... only if you're on an approved list. The activity uses a map to explain how the Immigration Act of 1924 placed quotas on immigration from certain countries, such as India. Scholars analyze the map, complete a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Birth of an American Hero: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow???s ???Paul Revere???s Ride???

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers examine the heroic archetype and apply it to the history of Paul Revere's Ride and to Longfellow's poem, "Paul Revere's Ride." They identify heroic qualities, discuss archetypes, read and discuss Joseph Campbell's "Stages...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Irish-Americans: Work and Song

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students research the experience of Irish immigrants who helped build the railroad systems of the United States. They analyze primary source documents, take notes, and create an artistic piece.