Curated OER
Airplane Manufacturing in Kansas
Seventh graders determine how Kansas become a producer of airplanes. In this Kansas history lesson, 7th graders read selected Read Kansas! cards and articles. Students then discuss the primary sources they read regarding Wichita's growth...
Curated OER
Life of a Civil War Soldier
Eighth graders write about the physical hardships endured by soldiers of the Civil War. They compare the losses between two communities during the Civil War. They analyze personal letters to understand what a battle was like. They...
Curated OER
The Rest Cure: Gender in Medicine and Literature
Read and discuss "The Yellow Wall-Paper" and the gender issues that the story brings up. Use articles from the time period to analyze, complete with specific discussion questions. After two days, scholars write an essay based on topics...
Curated OER
Cold War Era Film Censorship: High Noon- a Slice of Americana Or Communist
Students study of the effects of the Cold War on the home front. They analyze the film High Noon according to an abbreviated version of the standards that films were judged by in the early 1950s and determine whether or not High Noon is...
Curated OER
Friar Margil and the Spanish Missions
Students examine the concepts of diversity and assimilation. They identify the validity of sources and recognize bias, and create original illustrations from the students' point of view which show the impact of the Spanish friars on the...
Curated OER
The First World War
Students examine the process and effects of World War I on different segments of the population, beyond the political, diplomatic and military framework of the war. They analyze the memoirs of soldiers, read poetry of the time, and...
Curated OER
Give Me Liberty or Give Me Freedom
Welcome to America, the land of liberty and freedom. Examine the ways in which the terms liberty and freedom have been used in the United States. After researching and analyzing quotations from the past and present, students create an...
Curated OER
The Rise and Fall of Joseph McCarthy
High schoolers analyze documents, cartoons, speeches and articles about Joseph McCarthy and his crusade against "Un-American" activities. They guide their research with a worksheet and participate in class discussions about their findings.
Federal Reserve Bank
The Free Silver Movement and Inflation
Why are US dollars no longer backed by gold and silver? What is our medium of exchange, and what would it be like to live in a barter economy? Learners consider these questions, as well as learn about the major historical events in the...
Curated OER
Identifying and Using Parallelism and Balance in Literature
Analyze the use of balanced sentences and parallelism in a narrative. Included in this resource is a narrative about serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Kazakhstan titled, "The Train Ride Home". Middle and high schoolers review...
Friends of Fort McHenry
A Just War or Just a War?
What, if anything, makes a war "just"? This is an interesting and important question to explore with your class, and you can utilize an excellent lesson plan to support your group inquiry. The American Revolution and the War of 1812...
Curated OER
Water: A Source of Life and Culture
Students explore water as a feature of culture. In this visual arts lesson, students consider the necessity of water in every culture. Students select water symbols and use their artistic skills to create water symbol silhouettes.
Curated OER
Gathering And Analyzing Information
Learners participate in a lesson that focuses on the skill of analyzing information. They pick the subject for keeping engagement throughout the assignment. The information is analyzed using higher order thinking skills and they develop...
Smithsonian Institution
In His Own Words: George Washington Quotation Timeline
Learners read and analyze a series of excerpts from George Washington's letters, journal, and speeches to match quotations to the event or date in his life. They identify the author or source of the historical document or narrative. They...
Curated OER
Analyzing Artifacts Using Bloom's Taxonomy
Seventh graders apply Blooms Taxonomy to analyze a collection of artifacts. They define and discuss the nature of artifacts and work in groups to complete handouts. Students analyze an object (stone pipe) on a mystery artifact analysis...
Curated OER
Irish-Americans: Work and Song
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.
Curated OER
Woman Suffrage
Students are provided access to primary sources for a discussion of woman suffrage. They are introduced to the motivations, ideology, and organizations involved in woman suffrage. Students analyze primary documents including cartoons,...
Curated OER
World War I: Overview of the Great War
Ninth graders read first hand accounts of soldiers' lives during World War I, examine historical timeline of major events during war, and research and listen to clips of popular music of the time.
Curated OER
To Come to Illinois - Or Not?
Students analyze primary documents to determine whether the author is pro- or anti-emigration. They outline reasons for or against immigration to Illinois during the early 19th century.
Curated OER
Racists Actions Toward the Native Americans
Students explore Thomas Jefferson and his attitude toward Native Americans. They study maps from European colonization and the westward movement that pushed the Native Americans further west. Students analyze primary source writings of...
Curated OER
Turning Points: Crises in French-English Relations
Students investigate major crises and turning points in Qu??bec-Canada relations, explain viewpoints and arguments used by key political figures, analyze primary documents, define viewpoints in press conference setting, and write short...
Teaching History
Jamestown: The Starving Time
Students analyze a variety of primary and secondary sources to determine the cause of the Jamestown starving time during the winter of 1609–1610.
Curated OER
After Reconstruction: Problems of African Americans
Students describe issues or problems facing African Americans following Reconstruction. They explain possible solutions to these problems suggested in the sources you find, and cite arguments for and against these solutions.
Museum of Tolerance
Can It Happen in America?: Taking Social Action
Class members investigate the Jim Crow Laws, Executive Order 9066, the Chinese Exclusion Act, and the Indian Removal Act to gather information about not only the challenges encountered by diverse groups of Americans, but their...