Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Saudi Arabia

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students view a video clip about bombings in Saudi Arabia. They discuss the causes and implications of other recent terrorist attacks. They examine the United States - Saudi Arabia relationship as well.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Witch Hunt or Red Menace? Anticommunism in Postwar America, 1945-1954

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate what constitutes an "un-American" activity and why Soviet espionage was such an important issue in the 1940's and 1950's. Joseph McCarthy's impact on American anticommunism is examined in this instructional activity....
Lesson Plan
Rutgers University

African-Americans in WWII

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Using transcripts of interviews of African-Americans who served in WWII, class members work in pairs to understand their experience. Prior to the group work, the teacher provides background on WWII and the African-American experience....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Human Rights And Refugees: The Right To Asylum

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students read the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, define asylum and identify when people have the right to asylum. They examine specific cases of asylum in recent times and consider some of the difficulties refugees face.
Lesson Plan
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum

Analyzing the Inaugural Address

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
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,...
Lesson Plan
Harry S. Truman Library & Museum

Marshall Plan: Convince the American People

For Teachers 11th - 12th Standards
This is an excellent resource for US history classes, especially AP history. After learning some background on the Marshall Plan, the class, divided into two groups, researches opposing positions on this aid program. Groups read and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

US Government: Foreign Policy (Part 1)

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students explore foreign policy. In this foreign policy lesson, students define terms regarding foreign policy. Students respond to questions regarding textbook readings and a lecture regarding U.S. foreign policy.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Inauguration of Barack Obama the 44th President of the United States

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders explore the process of inauguration in the United States.  Students describe the symbolic and political significance of the ceremony of the inauguration of the President of the United States.  Students role...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bob Dylan: No Direction Home

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students hold panel discussions on selected topics about the 1960s and their impact on modern-day events. As visual reinforcement, they watch the film about Bob Dylan and research the music of the period as well as his musical...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

1950's Scavenger Hunt

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars encounter how to work together as a group to accomplish a common goal. They gain more experience in doing research using library reference materials as well as internet sources. Each group is responsible for making a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Battering Through the Seasons

For Teachers K - 5th
Students define bartering and barter to investigate supply and demand. In this bartering lesson plan, students read A New Coat for Anna and recall how they exchanged merchandise in the story.  Students complete a sequential graphic...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Explosive Knowledge

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students examine China's suspected theft of American nuclear secrets, as a springboard for the creation of a research-based, multi-tiered timeline that traces the development, regulation, and use of nuclear weapons from the 1940's to today.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

One Room Schoolhouse

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students study pictures and artifacts of the one-room schoolhouse. For this compare and contrast lesson,students list similarities and differences in schools of today and one-room schoolhouses. Then students use this analysis to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Jazz and Math: Rhythmic Innovations

For Teachers 6th - 11th
Students watch a segment of the PBS Ken Burns JAZZ documentary about Buddy Bolden creating the "Big Four." They compare and contrast the rhythms of marches and jazz based on the examples in the film, and explore notation, subdivision of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Industry!

For Teachers 10th - 11th
Students investigate the history of technology development during the twentieth century as a preparation for visiting the Intel Museum. They complete worksheets, review timelines and research specific topics in technology for...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Witch Hunt or Red Menace? Anticommunism in Postwar America, 1945-1954

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners investigate the goals and methods of the House Un-American Activities Committee and offer an opinion regarding whether their investigation of Hollywood was justifiable.
Lesson Plan
Foreign Policy Research Institute

Understanding the Koreas

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Though this resource was designed in 2005, US tension with North Korea remains a relevant topic for exploration and understanding. Unfortunately, this lecture and reading-based lesson is unlikely to engage the class. The end product is a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

End of Mandates and the Middle East

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders investigate the original mandates of the League of Nations regarding the Middle East. They listen to a lecture/PowerPoint presentation on the end of the mandate system, and complete a fill-in-the-blank worksheet that...
Lesson Plan
Teach With Movies

Title: "The Time Machine" - Topics: Science-Technology

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Director George Pal’s film The Time Machine, based on H. G. Wells’ 1895 science fiction novella and starring Rod Taylor, Alan Young, and Yvette Mimieux, is the focus of a lesson that considers the consequences of time travel. Viewers...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

History: I'm Watching You 24/7

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Learners examine the growth of authoritarian societies. Focusing on North Korea, they watch video clips looking for examples of totalitarianism and identify the problems there. They write letters to the editors of local newspapers...
Lesson Plan
National First Ladies' Library

The Space Race

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers investigate the historical events that have surrounded The Space Race. They conduct research using a variety of resources and focus upon the progress between Russia and The United States. Students describe the events that...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Celebrate The Four Seasons

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students investigate cause and effect and compare and contrast how recurring cycles are evident in multiple aspects of their education. They answer questions in the chosen field. Students model each aspect by interpreting, perceiving and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Louis Armstrong

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
In this reading comprehension worksheet students read a biography of jazz musician Louis Armstrong. Students answer 6 questions.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

With Liberty and Justice for All

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers examine the role of Supreme Court justices. For this judicial branch lesson, students consider the civil rights and civil liberties as they investigate Minersville School District v. Gobitis (1940) and West Virginia State...