The Women's Rights movement is the focus of an engaging and collaborative exercise, in which young historians use information found in textbooks, class notes, and the provided documents to craft a DBQ essay.

It's hard to imagine a world where women were marginalized from the seats of power. Yet, there are women today who remember what it was like to not be allowed to vote. Using a DBQ of images and other primary sources, such as political...

Budding historians read six documents related to grievances that led to the writing of the Declaration of Independence. They then craft an essay in which they discuss the perspective of both the colonists and the king. This DBQ could be...

High school social studies teachers addressing the crisis in Darfur could use elements of this plan to increase social studies vocabulary and research skills. It includes a page of lecture/discussion notes, instructions for creating...

Students take a closer look at U.S. intervention in Mexico. In this 20th century history instructional activity, students examine primary documents to consider why the United States entered the Mexican War and then write DBQ essays on...

Students evaluate the ship of state metaphor in relation to the historical events in America from the Revolutionary War to the Civil War. They synthesize ideas presented in ten different primary source documents and compose an essay...

In an age of fake news and photoshopped images, it is vital that 21st century learners development the skills they need to evaluate mass media and assess its validity. A great way to launch such a study is with a carefully crafted lesson...

To better understand the Indian Removal Act of 1830, class members examine primary source documents including letters written by Alabama governors and the Cherokee chiefs. The lesson is part of a unit on the expansion of the United...

How did the Voting Rights Act affect the daily lives of American citizens? A document-based lesson developed by the Student Non-Violent Coordinating committee (SNCC) presents a case study of the impact of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 on...

Students write about the impact of the Underground Railroad. In this slavery activity, students examine primary documents as they conduct independent research to explore the role of the Underground Railroad during the fight for...

The beginning of the 20th century began with a shock: the assassination of President McKinley. The man who would take his place—the youngest American to ever become president—led quite a life before stepping foot in the Oval Office. An...

Students read and explore the historical evidence that supports the viewpoint that Islamic women have made significant and lasting contributions to Islamic Civilization. They read and analyze secondary and primary sources relevant to...

Young scholars examine opinions about the Boston Tea Party. In this colonial America lesson, students analyze several primary sources about the Tea Party and then write essays that reveal efforts to compromise as well as efforts to...

Seventh graders complete a unit on the French and Indian War. They conduct an Internet document search and use what they find to complete a document based essay about the war.

Students use documents and other resources to evaluate the success or failure of the Reconstruction for giving rights to African Americans. The documents are primary resources with questions included for students to complete.

Students investigate the region of Southeast Asia. They research the history, geography, and spread of ethnicity throughout the region. The various lessons consist of class discussion and group work to find common themes shared in...

Students access websites for background information and learn how to interpret political cartoons. They incorporate higher-order thinking skills to determine if the information presented in the cartoons is accurate, what the colonists...

Students examine the climate regarding women and slaves following the American Revolution. In this primary research skills lesson, students examine 15 case studies that require them to discuss the scenarios paired with primary...

Students examine the relationship between Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Charles Dickens. They read and analyze a manuscript, answer discussion questions, conduct Internet research, and discuss societal and historical context of the...

Students engage in a lesson to investigate the concept of all men being equal. The concept has a historical context during the time of the American Revolution. They use primary and secondary sources in order to discover the concept of...

Students examine the 2004 Presidential election between George W. Bush and John Kerry. Using a variety of primary source documents, they discover where the candidates stood on the issues. In groups, they create a tableau in which they...

Using a number of primary source documents, students will assess the validity of a claim. Practice for testing that includes DBQs, and for critical thinking, close reading skills.

[Free Registration/Login Required] The Revolution and Early America unit covers the standard eighteenth century topics that would appear in any textbook. These lessons, however, will push students to dig deeper as they read the documents...

[Free Registration/Login Required] Learners use primary source documents to investigate central historical questions. In this investigation, students use evidence to explore whether Pocahontas actually saved John Smith's life and...