National Endowment for the Humanities
Walt Whitman to Langston Hughes: Poems for a Democracy
Explore the idea of democratic poetry. Upper graders read Walt Whitman, examining daguerreotypes, and compare Whitman to Langston Hughes. They describe aspects of Whitman's I Hear America Singing to Langston Hughes' Let America Be...
Curated OER
Queen Anne's War and Its Impact on Deerfield
Class members read a series of primary and secondary source materials to examine the effects of Queen Anne's War, also know as the War of Spanish Succession, on the Pocumtucks and other Native Americans in the area of Deerfield, MA.
Curated OER
1704 Attack on Deerfield
Class groups examine conflicting primary and secondary sources describing the 1704 attack on the fort at Deerfield by French and Native Americans and analyze the implications of discrepancies.
Curated OER
Pocumtucks in Deerfield
As part of a study of colonial and Native American history, class members focus on the beliefs and land use of the Pocumtucks, who settled near Deerfield, Massachusetts. Students examine their beliefs about land use and ownership, the...
Curated OER
The Tet Offensive and the Vietnam War
Learners discover how the United States became involved in the Vietnam War, the importance of the Tet Offensive in turning American public opinion against the war, and how the Vietnam War is still a part of American life and culture.
Curated OER
The Demise of the Great American Frontier
Students are introduced to Frederick Jackson Turner and how early Census data, when combined visually with maps, effectively demonstrated the end of the frontier.
Curated OER
History of the American West
Ninth graders research early mining in California. They study the "placer method" for mining gold, which is surface mining that does not involve tunneling. They examine what it was like for the early miners to pan for gold with...
Curated OER
People Of The Plains
Students engage in a lesson that discusses how Native Americans lived in all different parts of North America. They focus on investigating the region's natural resources and how the indians used them to build shelter, make clothing, and...
Curated OER
African American History Challenge
Students research and retrieve information from the Internet. They participate in an online quiz. They identify areas of cultural diversity in United States history.
Curated OER
Unit Plan Template
Use this U.S. History unit plan as a template for creating your own! Simply download the resource and edit the text fields with your own customized unit plan. This is a great jumping-off step, especially for newer teachers.
Constitutional Rights Foundation
History of Immigration From the 1850s to the Present
The Statue of Liberty may embrace the huddled masses of the world, but has American society always joined in? After young historians read a passage about the history of American immigration in the 19th and 20th centuries, focusing on...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Ellis Island—The “Golden Door” to America
Are you one of the 100 million Americans whose ancestors passed through the doors of Ellis Island? Learn about the historic entry point for immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries with an informative reading passage. After...
Curated OER
Splat! Boom! Pow! the Influence of Cartoons in Contemporary Art
Students relate abstract expressionism and cultural influences on 1960's art. They use images appropriated from comic books to create a painting in the abstract expressionist style by changing the scale of the comic and reducing content...
Curated OER
Parts of Art
Young scholars define and use new vocabulary associated with the elements of art. As a class, they brainstorm different ways in which we communicate with one another. In groups, they view different pieces of art from the Native American...
Curated OER
International Summit on Asia
Middle schoolers participate in activities that are focused on the settlement of early America. The skills used in this lesson are diverse because of the application of The Multiple Intelligences Theory.
Curated OER
Native American Boarding School Choice Board
Students investigate the boarding school movement that was imposed on the American Indians from the late 1880's to the early 1900's. The assignment requires the use of primary and secondary resources to find historical information. Then...
Memorial Hall Museum
Problems and Events Leading Up To the Attack of 1704
Groups read primary and secondary sources detailing the ambush at Bloody Brook on September 18, 1675 and the attack on The Falls in May of 1676. After examining the results of each attack, groups reflect on the language...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Learning About Colonial Life
High schoolers use predictions to explore the lifestyle of American colonists. They draw conclusions about the culture of colonial America based on items used in daily life.
Curated OER
Rain
Learners are introduced to the Native American game called "Rain" and develop cooperative learning skills. In this Native American game lesson, students sit in a circle and discuss how games reflect the environment the children...
Curated OER
Weaving Project
Students practice artistic weaving. In this Colonial arts lesson, students weave pieces using lint from their home dryers. Students replicate the weaving process early Americans used. Students are also challenged to weave using the extra...
San Francisco Symphony
Music and Early Man
Creative projects are great ways to increase interest in topical research. Middle schoolers learning about primitive life styles in the Americas explore the importance of music to hunter gatherers. They research and create musical...
Museum of Tolerance
Disenfranchised People of the New Nation
Why are some immigrant groups in the United States embraced while others become disenfranchised? To answer this question, teams investigate why groups emigrated to the US, why some of these these peoples were...
Library of Congress
Understanding Immigration Through Popular Culture
Class members are introduced to a project-based learning unit on US immigration with an activity that asks them to analyze sheet music and other primary source materials to uncover issues raised by immigration.
Curated OER
Deerfield Families
To understand the consequences of the 1704 attack on Deerfield by combined French and Native American forces, groups research primary and secondary resources related to four Deerfield families involved in the attack.