Smithsonian Institution
Mexican War
Did you know that without the Mexican War, the United States would not include the states of Arizona, California, New Mexico, Texas, Nevada, Utah, and even parts of Colorado? Scholars learn a variety of interesting facts about the...
Curated OER
Valuable Lessons
Learners explore how immigration, citizenship, due process of law, and the freedoms of speech and assembly have shaped American values throughout American history
Curated OER
Are We Americans Again? A Portrait of Japanese American Internment
Young scholars study letters and images of the Japanese American Interment during World War II. They discuss the issues presented.
Smithsonian Institution
Conflicting Voices of the Mexican War
Americans wanted to fulfill Manifest Destiny, and this pattern continued with the Mexican War. The resource specifically teaches about the Mexican War through a variety of exercises including a research project, group work, brainstorming...
Curated OER
My Very Own Washington Exhibition
Students work as curators. In this George Washington lesson, students research primary and secondary sources in order to create their own exhibitions of the first president. Students may visit selected Web sites in order to create their...
Curated OER
The Social Security Act
High schoolers examine the Social Security Act of 1935. In this U.S. history lesson, students research primary sources in order to prepare for a mock debate of the act prior to it becoming legislation.
Curated OER
A "Capital" Idea
Eighth graders prepare for a field trip to Washington, DC by researching landmark, monument, or building in Washington. They use the information in small groups to design a multimedia presentation. They include a spreadsheet that shows...
Curated OER
1948 - Berlin Airlift
Young scholars examine a document from the Berlin Airlift in order to research his important event in World History.
Curated OER
Social Studies: Presidential Mock Interviews
Students, working in pairs, conduct mock interviews of American presidents, highlighting personal and political details. They research their chosen president on the Internet prior to their role-playing presentation. Students publish...
Curated OER
Religious Revival: The American Response to the Cold War
Students examine the impact of religion on the Cold War. In this Cold War lesson, students analyze speeches delivered by Lenin, Truman, and Graham regarding the role of religion in society. As a culminating activity, students are tested...
Penguin Books
Teacher's Guide: When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka
Julie Otsuka's haunting novel, When the Emperor Was Devine, is the subject of a 14-page teacher's guide. The guide includes the text of an interview with Otsuka, background information about Japanese immigration to the United States, and...
Curated OER
Know Your Presidents
Students research and are able to identify the presidents placing them in chronological order.
Curated OER
Persuasive Practice: A Mt. Rushmore Addition
Budding authors research a US President and persuade the National Park Service to add him to Mt. Rushmore. In addition to the persuasive essay, individuals are required to develop a visual presentation using a web-based software that...
Curated OER
What Portraits Reveal
Young scholars examine how portraits can tell us more about people of the past than just what they looked like. They compare three portraits of U.S. Presidents, analyze portraits of Americans from the Revolutionary War, and write a...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
The War of 1812: America’s First Declared War
Free Trade and Sailor's Rights! Pupils dive into America's first declared war, the War of 1812. They analyze the presidencies of Jefferson and Madison through diary entries and historical reasoning. To conclude the lesson, they use their...
Constitution Facts
U.S. Constitution Crossword Puzzles: Intermediate #1
All of the details of American history fall into place with a clever crossword puzzle. Nearly 100 clues prompt middle and high schoolers to fit the correct answers to topics including the American Revolution, the Civil War, and...
Curated OER
What is Meant by Returning to Fundamental Principles?
What did the Founding Fathers mean by the importance of continually returning to fundamental principles? Your young historians will analyze a series of quotations illustrating the fundamental ideals and principles of the...
Curated OER
The Debate in the United States over the League of Nations
Young scholars investigate Woodrow Wilson's ideas for peace through the League of Nations. They examine how he attempted to encourage American support for the League and the opposition to it that was found in the Senate.
Curated OER
Cartoons in the Classroom: The Stimulus Package
A large pig labeled "Stimulus Package" wrapped in an American flag is the primary image on this political cartoon. Ready for analysis, this instructional activity provides learners with the opportunity to understand the pros and cons of...
K12 Reader
The Attack on Pearl Harbor
After reading a short passage about Japan's involvement in World War II and why the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, readers are asked to analyze how the attack effected the attitudes of Americans who previously had not wanted to go...
Judicial Learning Center
The Judge and the Jury
Unless you are a lawyer, you might not understand just how unrealistic Law and Order and other legal dramas actually are. Here's a great resource to help scholars of criminology gain a more realistic perspective. The lesson outlines the...
Curated OER
Heart Mountain Relocation Center
Students examine several primary source documents related to the Japanese internment camp at Heart Mountain, Wyoming. They write an essay about Heart Mountain and explore the concept of restitution to Japanese-Americans.
National First Ladies' Library
State Dinners And Funerals: Protocol And Diplomacy
Learners investigate the use of dinners and funerals as protocol in the life of American Government. They conduct research using the internet and a variety of resources. The information is used in order to answer key questions about...
Curated OER
The Kanaka Village at Fort Vancouver: Crossroads of the Columbia River
Students study the interaction between Native American and European cultures in the Pacific Northwest in the 1800s. They focus their study on the Hudson's Bay Company and Fort Vancouver.