The struggles of Sam McCulloch, a free black man, to be recognized as a citizen entitled to own land in Texas are the focus of research project that ask groups to examine a series of primary source documents and piece together...

Students make decisions about how best to deal with or resolve dilemmas during the Civil War. For this women in war lesson, students word in groups to discuss how a given dilemma could be handled. Groups elect a spokesperson to report to...

What would you ask Abraham Lincoln if you had the chance? Class members draft interview questions for the 16th U.S. President, and imagine what his responses would be.

Students examine and determine Abraham Lincoln's effectiveness as commander-in-chief during the Civil War. Role-playing as historians, they write essays evaluating Lincoln's performance after conducting Internet research from provided...

Learners explore desegregation in the courts. In this civil rights lesson, students listen to their instructor present a lecture on Supreme Court cases Brown v. Board of Education and Plessy v. Ferguson. Learners examine the...

Revolution and counterrevolution. Protest and counter-protest. Collaborators and bystanders. The focus of the fifth resource in the Reconstruction Era and Fragility of Democracy series is on the political violence that followed Radical...

Although some African American abolitionists—such as Sojourner Truth and Frederick Douglass—are well known, others, like Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, remain in the shadows of history. Harper was a poet and activist who played an...

Students analyze primary source material from the Civil War. They describe the war as it was perceived by those on the homefront in Johnson County, Indiana. Students describe how Hoosiers responded to the draft. They write a document...

Pupils research African-American participation in the Civil War. In this Civil War lesson, students read the article "Fighting Rebels with Only One Hand" and write a persuasive paragraph on whether the participation of the...

Eighth graders read and discuss Isabella Fogg's letter to John Hathaway during the Civil War. They review the roles of women during the civil war. They decide on a question they would like to research. They try to answer their question...

High schoolers identify the key issue in the election of 1856, they also identify some of the key people invovled in the election. Students discuss the role of propaganda in politics. Also, high schoolers discuss the significance of the...

Fifth graders interview each other in the role of civil war personalities. In this Civil War lesson, 5th graders create a script and video of an interview with classmates who are portraying characters from the Civil War. Students are...

Students investigate slavery in the development of pre-Civil War Arkansas. They study the influence of the French, Spanish, and American settlers on the establishment of slavery and create a timeline of events associated with events.

Students continue to examine the events of the Civil War. Using primary source documents, they identify how Lincoln's religious beliefs affected the decisions he made during this time period. They discuss the meaning of his "Meditation...

Upper graders investigate how the Seventh Day Adventists are objectors to the practice of war. The lesson covers the Civil War and examines the church's position about the practice of war. The research extends to modern wars and learners...

The traditions, costumes, and the music of the Mardi Gras Indians, African-Americans and those with African American or Native American Heritage are the focus of a unit that introduces class members to a little-known group that...

Students discover racism and slavery by completing a role playing activity. In this U.S. history lesson, students analyze documents from the Civil War era and describe the Fugitive Slave Law. Students view a video on YouTube about the...

Students examine the time after the Civil War known as Reconstruction. In groups, they role play a Senate Subcommittee Hearing on Reconstruction in which some members are senators and others are witnesses. They share their ideas on how...

Learners will need to discuss the Civil War to truly understand the painting Peace and Plenty by George Inness. They'll analyze the painting in terms of context, style, and technique. Then, they'll experiment with light and composition...

After completing Nightjohn, Gary Paulsen's young adult novel about slavery set shortly before the Civil War, readers respond to a series of questions crafted to reflect Bloom's taxonomy.

Sixth graders investigate the Civil War by identifying famous figures of the era. In this slavery abolitionist lesson, 6th graders read a text on the history of the Civil War and discuss heroes of the era such as Harriet Tubman and John...

Students explore 1950's America. In this American history lesson, students research the McCarthy hearings, Civil Rights, war fatigue, and economic issues of the decades. Students respond to discussion questions about topics.

Students role play a trial in which they consider if the United States government violated the rights of Japanese Americans after Pearl Harbor.

Young scholars visit the West Virginia Museum, with the goal of creating and publishing a newsletter that demonstrates learning. Students complete vocabulary activities, and are given web site resources to this end. Young scholars choose...