Students research the Great Depression. In this Great Depression lesson, students analyze primary sources to develop an understanding of life in the American south during the depression era as they read Harper Lee's To Kill a...

Eighth graders identify the causes for the Great Depression of 1929 and see the effects of the depression, the Great Flood, and the drought in Arkansas through the eyes of a child.

Learners view examples of Depression era images and relate them to chapters from Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. In this Maya Angelou instructional activity, students discuss chapters 8 and 9 from the text and define...

Scholars investigate the Holocaust through the eyes of an Auschwitz survivor. They analyze and research a firsthand account of events inside the gas chambers moments before hundreds died. Using Holocaust Reading Passages and...

Zora Neale Hurston's novel Their eyes Were Watching God has been highly praised and severely criticized for its depiction of African American folk culture. A set of primary source materials, including photographs, articles, essays, and...

Students examine and analyze primary source documents and pictures from the Great Depression Era. They consider ways in which the suffering of the Era could have been alleviated.

Eleventh graders develop an understanding of the Dust Bowl. In this 1930's America lesson plan, 11th graders respond to questions regarding the songs and literature about the era. The primary sources should be gathered by the instructor.

Twelfth graders research wartime conditions African American had to endure during World War II. They explain what role African Americans played in World War II and describe what life was like for African Americans in the United States...

Eleventh graders explore the origins of the Prohibition Movement in the United States. In small groups, they analyze the influence of World War I in the passage of the eighteenth amendment. Students explain how different demographics of...

Students examine the musical styles of call and response and the blues while delving into the difficult lives of many jazz musicians. Travelling in the South was challenging for black musicians during this time and the difficulties are...

Students access and use the Farm Security Administration and Office of War Information, American Memory collection and Todd and Sonkin collection for research. They develop research skills and strategies, such as key word searches to...

Students complete matching activities and write an essay about Black Americans in Delaware from 1639.

High schoolers discover the responsibilities of the Civilian Conservation Corps. In this New Deal lesson, students analyze the impact that the inclusion of African Americans in the Civilian Conservation Corps made on race relations in...

Students examine the anti-lynching campaign sponsored by the NAACP in the 1930's. For this social justice lesson, students study the history of the anti-lynching campaign and determine why it was not successful. Students conduct research...

Students utilize reading and listening skills in order to discover the key issues in American history and Black baseball history. Students investigate the beginning of the Negro Baseball Leagues and its signature historical baseball...

Students explore U.S. history by researching a historic map. In this westward expansion lesson, students discuss the mystery of the western U.S. in the early 1800's and the impact expansion had on Native Americans and agriculture....

Seventh graders examine and discuss photographs and paintings of the Dust Bowl era. They write a journal entry describing what it would be like if they stepped into one of the photographs, and create a Powerpoint presentation on the Dust...

Students study segregation that occurred in the past and that is currently occurring. In this equal rights lesson, students use primary source documents to student segregation of the past. In a culminating activity, students find or draw...

Fifth graders explore the positive and negative consequences of choosing to fight against discrimination. They read the story of Rosa Parks. Students discuss the movement against segregation. Students read other books about...

Students examine the migration of rural African Americans to northern cities following World War !!. After predicting the effects of cultural and economic factors, they write essays explaining the impact of migration on communities and...

Students explore the concept of anti-counterfeiting measure.  In this economics lesson, students use science equipment to discover anti-counterfeiting designs.  Students then explore other denominations of bills. 

Seventh graders are introduced to the processes of cotton farming in the early 20th century. In groups, they examine the role of Mexican Americans on the farms and the impact of a boom and bust economy on cotton. They identify the...

Students connect their examination of the novel Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry to a historical and contemporary study of the issue of human rights and civil rights by creating a HyperStudio stack.

Eighth graders choose a person who should be honored on our currency. They write a letter outlining the reasons for their choice.