An engaging lesson delves into the effects of slavery on society. Young historians read text excerpts, complete handouts, and participate in group discussion to understand how slavery was a means to control society and establish a racial...

Frederic Douglass and Abraham Lincoln, although dissimilar in their backgrounds, were united in their views about slavery. A set of 14 primary sources permits scholars to examine the views of these two powerful men.

Students research Sojourner Truth. In this African-American history lesson, students read the speech "Ain't I A Woman?" and brainstorm descriptive words that describe Sojourner Truth. Students discuss why her acts were considered...

Learners examine the African-American migrants entry into the political process. They summarize their findings in a short essay.

Young scholars examine the motivations that prompted people to move westward during the 19th century. They take on the role of an average citizen and weigh the costs and benefits of making such a move and decide if they would have...

Get high school historians to step outside their own shoes by responding to JFK's inaugural address from the perspective of a civil rights activist, a soviet diplomat, or a Cuban exile. After a class discussion about the address,...

Young scholars research African American history and the Underground Railroad. In this African American history lesson plan, students discuss the Drinking Gourd. Young scholars read 'If You Traveled the Underground Railroad' and discuss....

Students examine the life and times of Abraham Lincoln. They explore the trials and tribulations of the Civil War, and the problem of slavery that destroyed the Union. They also explore the man behind the image of the 16th president.

Young scholars watch a film about slavery. Students view a PowerPoint about the Underground Railroad and use various resources to make a timeline for the topic. Young scholars research a historical figure from the Underground Railroad...

Students analyze how slavery shaped social and economic life in the South after 1800, the different economic, cultural, and social characteristics of slavery after 1800, and slavery both prior and after the Civil War.

Students, through lecture and group discussion, explore the American Civil War Reconstruction and how it affected the development of the 1868 Constitution of South Carolina. They discuss its impact on South Carolina even today.

High schoolers identify popular songs from 1968 and make connections with the year's current events They recognize popular music as a reflection of the culture. They focus on songs of the Vietnam War era.

Students research reform efforts during the 1800's, primarily those leading up to the Civil War. They complete several lessons that investigate the life of Sojourner Truth and her contributions to the abolitionist movement and women's...

Students analyze the role that Alabama played in three major events of American History and how those roles contributed to Alabama being dubbed the "Cradle of the Confederacy" and the "Birthplace of the Modern Civil Rights Movement."

Eighth graders study World War II through art.

Young scholars conduct a mock Congressional Hearing to decide whether or not Japanese Americans who were sent to internment camps during World War II should be provided financial restitution. They research and create a time line of...

Students examine the life and works of Langston Hughes. In groups, they research the characteristics of the Harlem Renaissance and how Hughes' poems relate to the era. They use the themes in his writings and relate it to the Great...

Students read the narrative, Caribbean Immigration and examine how sugar production and migration of people of African origin have been intertwined for centuries. Working in three groups, they present oral reports on the three eras of...

Students participate in a unit that focuses on the Underground Railroad of the Civil War Period of History. The intent of the unit is realized in the culminating activity of going to many different stations to interact for different...

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.

The post-Revolutionary Period of 1781-1787, also known as the Critical Period, is the focus of a series of lessons that prompt class members to examine primary source documents that reveal the instability of the period of the...

Students read articles relating to Jackie Robinson's breaking of the racial barrier in professional baseball. This leads to a deeper exploration of racism in the United States. They use a variety of worksheets imbedded in this plan to...

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....

Students explore the causes of the American Revolution. In this taxation without representation activity, students analyze political cartoons in order to gain an understanding of the efforts of the colonists to resolve conflict with...