University of Southern California
Coming to America After the War
As part of their exploration of the American dream, class members examine primary source materials to compare immigrant experiences of those arriving early in our country's history to those arriving in the US after World War...
Curated OER
Winnie the Pooh discovers seasons
Here is a charming worksheet on the seasons. Young learners watch a video about Winnie the Pooh and seasons which is embedded in the worksheet. They read sentences, fill in the blanks, and identify seasons based on the Winnie the Pooh...
Library of Congress
Child Labor in America
Students investigate child labor during the Great Depression. In this US policy activity, students evaluate multiple layers of the social, economic, and political affects of policy during the Great Depression. Students will engage in 5...
Curated OER
U.S. History: Virginia Assembly in America
Third graders discover the importance of the Virginia Assembly in English America as a governing body. After discussing the formation of the House of Burgesses, they elect their own representatives to make class decisions. In groups,...
Curated OER
Pilgrims/Voyage to America
Second graders are read the story "Tattered Sails". Using the text, they discover the reasons why the Pilgrims came to America. They identify the hardships they faced on the voyage and once they settled on land. Using a map, they locate...
Curated OER
Exploration of North America
Fifth graders examine some famous explorers who have helped to discover our country. They discuss explorers from three countries today. They are: Spain, Portugal, and England.
Curated OER
Discovering National Parks
Students work to preserve American National Parks. In this environmental activism lesson plan, students research the history of the national parks and determine why they were created. Students then focus on protecting the land, using it...
Curated OER
Victorian America: Reflections of Life in Death
Students, after viewing a video and researching the changes in society during the Victorian period, assess a prediction-confirmation guide to consider how changes in burial customs in the late 1800's reflect the changes in society as a...
New York City Department of Education
Geography and Early Peoples of the Western Hemisphere
Young historians discover the early people of the western hemisphere. The unit explores how the land changed, how it was used and homes of early Americans such as Incas, Mayans, Inuits, Aztecs, and Pueblos. Individuals also examine these...
Curated OER
Bartering in Jamestown
Learners explore bartering. In this bartering lesson, students study everyday life in the Jamestown colony. Learners discover how bartering was used as a way to acquire necessary supplies.
Curated OER
The Salem Witch Trails
Describe the Salem Witch Trails in terms of the accusers and the accused. The colonial stage is set with background information, then a list of accusers and accused individuals is introduced. Learners will discover their causes and...
EngageNY
Practice Planning a Historical Narrative: The Wheelwright
Fourth graders use a four-square graphic organizer to plan a paragraph writing about a wheelwright. Using gathered research from the previous unit, young writers discover how to organize a plot in preparation for writing a historical...
Museum of the American Revolution
Historical Analysis: Objects Tell Stories
Dig this! Young archeologists discover what objects teach us about the past. The activity uses an image of a Revolutionary War artifact to help historians practice analyzing the past. Scholars study the object and complete a worksheet to...
Museum of the American Revolution
Object Observation: Purpose on a Powder Horn?
Young archeologists discover the significance of ordinary objects from the past in an interesting lesson on artifact analysis. The activity focuses on examining the image of a powder horn from the Revolutionary War to understand what it...
Facing History and Ourselves
After Charlottesville: Contested History and the Fight against Bigotry
History doesn't always reflect all sides. Academics discover how the remembered history of the Civil War differs for White and African Americans. The lesson explores how Civil War monuments and celebrations have racist connotations for...
DocsTeach
Around the World with First Lady Pat Nixon
Travel the world with the First Lady! Academics study images from Pat Nixon's travels as First Lady to discover her role in Richard Nixon's presidency. Historians match images to world locations, complete a worksheet, and...
DocsTeach
Challenger Explosion Photograph Analysis
Young historians turn into detectives in a thought-provoking activity on the Challenger Explosion. The activity uses an image of President Reagan watching the Challenger explode on live TV to help academics practice historical analysis....
Curated OER
Columbus Discovers America
In this word search worksheet, students identify the words related to the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus. Students find 20 words in the word search.
Curated OER
Christopher Columbus
Some very good graphics are included in this informative presentation on the life of Christopher Columbus and the voyages he took. Among other things, students discover that Columus missed the chance to be the first European to view the...
Annenberg Foundation
Industrializing America
Imagine an eight year old spindle boy working barefoot in a factory in the late 1800s. Scholars research the industrial period in American history in the 14th lesson of a 22-part series that explores the country's background. Groups...
EngageNY
Grade 10 ELA Module 2: Unit 1, Lesson 13
Freedom is not free. Scholars write to a prompt analyzing two pieces of work that develop ideas about freedom. Readers compare “Freedom” by Rabindranath Tagore and "Letter from Birmingham Jail" by Martin Luther King Jr. Learners work...
K20 LEARN
Electoral College: Does My Vote Count?
How can a candidate get the most votes, yet still lose the race for the presidency? This is has happened more than once in American history, including in the elections of 2000 and 2016. Using an activity for creating group notes, young...
Curated OER
Travel to Mesoamerica
Students research books, watch movies, and look on the internet to find information on ancient America, Mexico, and Central America. In this Mesoamerica lesson plan, students participate in a social studies unit on North America of the...
Curated OER
The Puzzle of the Ice Age Americans
Learners describe alternative theories for how the first humans cane to America. In this human origin instructional activity students study the origins of the first Americans.