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Jefferson's Blood
Learners view the video "Jefferson's Blood" and complete a series of activities, dealing with both Thomas Jefferson's public and private life, in order to better explain Jefferson as a man and politician.
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Becoming American: The Chinese Experience
Students examine the experience of Chinese American immigrants in the PBS series BECOMING AMERICAN. ESL learners investigate and explore their own identities within a multicultural context.
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Johnny Tremain for the 21st Century
Seventh graders complete a unit of lessons on the American Revolution based on the novel, 'Johnny Tremain.' They define key vocabulary terms, develop a timeline, write a report on a colonial craft, make a colonial flag, and create a...
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Hot Wheels (Grades 9-12 )
Using internet research, students compute the costs of different models of card. They discuss the advantages/disadvantages of purchasing a new car versus a used car, the cost of car insurance, and the best way to finance their purchase.
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Decisions, Decisions: The Constitution
Eighth graders, after working with the software Decisions, Decisions: The Constitution, become face to face with the dilemmas, compromises, and struggles of writing the American Constitution. Each student is evaluated on how well they...
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Will the Real Samuel Adams Please Stand Up
Students participate in a "To Tell The Truth" game show activity in order to determine the role of Sam Adams in the Revolutionary events that took place in the Boston area. They ask questions of three students posing as Sam Adams to...
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Americana Trivia Game
In this American history game, students use the blank game board and the trivia question cards to play a board game that tests knowledge of American history. There are 28 trivia questions and full directions.
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Politics and Leadership
Students research a historic leader and analyze how a philosopher's writings influenced the ruler in an essay. In this philosophy of government lesson plan, students view a video and participate in a class discussion on how great...
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Teaching the Theme: The American Dream
This can be a good time for students to discuss what the idea of the American Dream means to them.
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Paper Makers
Students make recycled paper out of scrap paper, water, and leaves. In this natural resources lesson plan, students learn about conservation of the forest and how we can use recycled paper to fuel our paper supply.
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How the Court Became Supreme
Students investigate how the Supreme Court changed under the leadership of John Marshall. In this Supreme Court lesson, students recognize the role of the Supreme Court as well as the significance of Marbury v. Madison. Students also...
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Abraham Lincoln on the American Union: " A Word Fitly Spoken"
Students consider Lincoln's perspective. In this presidential perspectives instructional activity, students explore the political thoughts of Lincoln through a series of lessons that make use of primary source analysis. They hypothesize...
Thomas Jefferson Foundation
Personal Morals vs. Political Moves Document Based Essay
Was Thomas Jefferson a hypocrite? Tackle this question with primary source analysis and an essay. The packet includes historical background, a writing prompt, a combined outline and checklist, and ten primary documents paired with...
City University of New York
Woman's Suffrage and World War I
How did women use President Wilson's ideals and rhetoric in their bid for suffrage? To answer this essential question, class groups analyze primary written documents and visual images.
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Teaching Grammar in Context: Using Sentence Combining to Teach Subordination
Reinforce sentence styles with this lesson, which prompts young grammarians to build complex and compound-complex sentence structures. They respond to non-print text and identify subordinators as parts of speech procedure. They spell...
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Obstacles to Perseverance
What does it mean to persevere. Young historians review the definition of perseverance then brainstorm a list of obstacles colonists and revolutionaries had to overcome during the American Revolution. Using this list, they identify...
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Simulation: Revolutionary Town Hall Meeting
Secondary historians simulate events leading up to the American Revolution. They assume the roles of patriots, loyalists, or neutrals in a town meeting set prior to the Revolution. As Patriots and Loyalists make their arguments, neutrals...
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Colonialism/The Arab/Israeli Conflict
Investigate critical historical issues using primary source documents then gather and evaluate information regarding the Jewish and Arab claims to land in Israel. Learners use their findings to prepare detailed timelines of events during...
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Manifest Destiny and Westward Expansion
Students explore the economic, political, racial, and religious roots of Manifest Destiny. They read articles and analyze how the concept influenced the nation's westward expansion. Students discover the motivations and expectations of...
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How Women Won the Right to Vote
Students consider how women gained the right to vote in America. In this suffrage instructional activity, students investigate major events of the suffrage movement and conduct research. Students also role play petitioning to...
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Catharine Blaine
Students research Catherine Blaine by navigating websites to investigate her ideas on reforms for women and the challenges of western settlement. In this Catherine Blaine lesson, students view grade appropriate materials and...
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Early Congress Proclaims Holidays
Students read about and discuss the historical effects of Congressional decision-making in the establishment of national holidays.
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Henry VIII
In this online interactive history activity, students respond to 10 short answer and essay questions about King Henry VIII. Students may check some of their answers on the interactive activity.
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Boston Spies' Report on the Redcoats
Students collect information about British actions in Boston and send it by secret message to leaders in Philadelphia.