Curated OER
Who Are Our Greatest Presidents?
Students create criteria to evaluate U.S. Presidents. In this presidential legacy lesson, students determine criteria to rank presidents. Students research the presidents, then evaluate the current president and assess how they will be...
Smithsonian Institution
Battle of the Bulge: America Responds to a German Surprise
World War II and the Battle of the Bulge are the focus of a history resource. Exercises include analyzing images, writing letters in the mindset of a soldier, and even immersing oneself in a cold experience to better empathize with the...
Curated OER
Tibet and the U.S.
Students study the Tibetan situation. In this global issues lesson, students listen to a lecture regarding Tibet, its location, and its ties to China. Students then create political cartoons or write letters to their Congressperson about...
Curated OER
The 8th Amendment: The Death Penalty
High schoolers take a closer look at the death penalty. For this U.S. government lesson, students watch a Discovery video about capital punishment in the United States and then compose letters to the editors of newspapers about their...
Curated OER
The Three Branches of Government
Sixth graders discover details about the 3 branches of government. In this primary source analysis lesson, 6th graders examine documents and images from the Library of Congress to investigate the structure of the U.S. government.
Curated OER
Message in a Bottle - A Satellite Journey through the Gulf Stream
The Gulf Stream has historically provided humans with a faster trade route because of its swift-moving waters. It continues to be a source of information and fascination for oceanographers today. As your class views this collection of...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Guest-Worker Program
The U.S. Guest-Worker Program and the H-2A visa are the focus of a social studies activity. First, class members assume the role of advisors who must present the president with four proposals that would amend the visas given to...
Curated OER
The Bill of Rights in Current Events
Divided the class into pairs, each group is assigned one of the amendments. They use the internet to research current cases and issues involving their amendment. They are then lead into the introduction to some of the basic concepts of...
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: Multinational Corporations
The octopus is a commonly used symbol in political cartoons. Help your scholars examine why it has been used in this way throughout history. Three cartoons depict different uses of the octopus. Background information helps gives context...
Curated OER
King Tut On The Move
Students read a story called King Tut On the Move and answer vocabulary and comprehension questions about it. In this current events King Tut lesson plan, students respond to literature by answering questions, recalling details, sharing...
Curated OER
Arab Americans: In the Aftermath of the Terrorist Attacks on the U.S.
Young scholars examine the effects of the terrorist attacks in 2001. In this lesson plan on discrimination and the dangers of stereotyping, students will expand their understanding of stereotyping in contemporary society and compare in...
Curated OER
History of Supreme Court
Students study the role of the U.S. Supreme Court in U.S. history. They explore current events about the U.S. Constitution and discuss the Marbury v. Madison case from 1803. They identify the term "judicial review" and judicial...
Curated OER
Enduring Legacies of the New Deal
Students investigate U.S. history by listening to an economics lecture. In this U.S. government instructional activity, students research the "New Deal" which happened after the Great Depression. Students identify movies, books and music...
Curated OER
Breaking News: Bin Laden Photo To Be Released
Students explore current events by completing worksheet activities in class. In this Osama Bin Laden lesson, students read the news article of Bin Laden's death and subsequent photo while discussing the event with classmates. Students...
Curated OER
The Women’s Suffrage Movement
A set of lessons about the women's suffrage movement will bring history to life for your middle schoolers. Learners study primary documents, learn about famous suffragettes, and compare the suffrage movement to current events...
Curated OER
Tibet and the U.S.
Young scholars examine the relationship between Tibet and the United States. They explore the political relationship between the two countries. Students identify geographical features and political boundaries of the Tibetan and Chinese...
Curated OER
The Revolving Door: U.S. Immigration
Young scholars compare current cultural perceptions of the immigrant experience with ones of the past. They will relate current immigration stories as seen in the PBS documentary "The New Americans" to those of the historical past.
San Francisco Symphony
Music Reflects History
Exploring the baroque era can be exciting and fun when it's done thorugh the arts. Middle schoolers examine the music and art history of the baroque era through research. They use their findings and class notes to create an expository...
Center for History Education
To What Extent Were Women's Contributions to World War II Industries Valued?
Women rose to the challenge when the nation's war effort called them—but were sent home when the GIs came back from World War II. Young historians consider whether the United States valued women's contributions during the war using a...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Lost Hero: Was John Hanson Actually the First President?
The first president of the United States was ... John Hanson? Scholars investigate the notion that the initial leader of the nation was not George Washington. Using research, articles, and open discussion, individuals create a quest for...
Curated OER
Culture Regions of the U.S.
Young scholars identify the location of different cultural groups within the United States (agricultural, retirement, urban, etc.) They map these areas and analyze the correlation between the landscape of a given region and the type of...
Curated OER
Border History
Young scholars research primary sources to construct an outline of a border city's history.
Curated OER
The Foreign Policies of Harry S. Truman
Students read an article about the new interest in Harry S. Truman. In groups, they review his foreign policy decisions and how situations might have been different if he had made a different decision. They also examine the problems he...
National Energy Education Development Project
Introduction to Wind Energy
The U.S. produced enough wind energy in 2015 to power all of the homes in Alaska, California, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, and...