Smithsonian Institution
Borders and Community: Early 20th Century Chicago Neighborhoods and Ethnic Enclaves
Chicago is one city, four neighborhoods, and countless nationalities. The lesson explores the ethnic division of Chicago in the early twentieth century. Academics read primary sources, analyze maps, and tour an online exhibit to...
Core Knowledge Foundation
European Exploration of North America Tell It Again!™ Read-Aloud Anthology
Third graders listen to read-alouds and participate in extension activities about European Explorers—Christopher Columbus, Juan Ponce de León, Hernando de Soto, Francisco Vasquez de Coronado, John Cabot, Henry Hudson, and Samuel de...
Curated OER
The Portuguese and Spanish in the Americas
Test the class on what they know with a thirty-two question multiple-choice quiz. It tests basic facts regarding the Portuguese and Spanish explorers in the Americas from the time of Christopher Columbus.
Americans All
A Simulation: The Peopling of America
What was it like to pass through Ellis Island? Learners move through the immigration process of the early 1900s in a simulation activity. A comprehensive activity includes role-playing profiles and other manipulative items such as...
Curated OER
Colonial America Introduction
Students watch a teacher presented Readers Theater about Colonial America to introduce the students to the topic. In this Colonial America lesson, 4th graders recreate a timeline of early American history, using unconventional...
Curated OER
The Roots of Prohibition: Examining the Effort to Prohibit Alcohol in America
Five segements from Ken Burns' documentary series Prohibition, easily accessed on the PBS website, are at the center of a terrific short unit on the roots of America's ambivalent relationship with alcohol. Engage your secondary class...
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 II. To...
Curated OER
The Brief American Pageant: The Planting of the English America
A series of maps illustrate the early growth of English America, which includes the Maryland, Virginia, Carolina, and Georgia colonies. Settlements such as Jamestown, Roanoke, and Charleston are labeled on the map, allowing a teacher or...
Curated OER
Picturing America
Teachers look here! You'll find a treasure trove of images, all representing the face of young America. There are 27 different paintings that depict early settlers, the landscape, Native Americans, and famous folk throughout early...
Smarter Balanced
Growth and Expansion of America
Despite the difficulty of travel, the US expanded significantly between the 1800s and the early 1900s. To prepare for a performance task assessment on the rapid expansion of the US in the 1800s, class members engage in a write-pair-share...
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media
Early English Settlements History Detectives
Young historians play the role of history detectives as they investigate some primary source texts and images related to the early colonization of America, The Jamestown Settlement, and the Mayflower Compact.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Soviet Espionage in America
The war against Communism and Joseph McCarthy’s place in it are the focus of a series of three lessons examining postwar America from 1945-1950. This first lesson asks groups to read an introduction that describes the Verona Project and...
NPR
The History of America’s Weed Laws
To understand the laws regarding marijuana use in the United States, you can go all the way back to the 1800's to learn about farming hemp, or you can go back to 2018 when California became the sixth state to legalize recreational...
What So Proudly We Hail
The Meaning of America: Freedom and Religion
The United States of America was founded on firm ideals of both the pursuit of happiness and a spirit of reverence. Through a close reading of Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The May-Pole of Merry Mount," you can examine what some consider was a...
National Endowment for the Humanities
“Read All About It”: Primary Source Reading in “Chronicling America”
Can investigative journalism become too sensationalistic and accusatory, or is it vital for the survival of a democracy? Middle schoolers analyze primary source documents from early 20th-century newspapers as well as Theodore Roosevelt's...
Curated OER
Coming to America: A Look at Colonization in the 1600s
Students analyze the European colonization of America. In this colonial America lesson, students use provided Internet resources to research colonization and representative government. Students use their finding to create webpages,...
Curated OER
Conquering North America
Young scholars create a study guide on colonization of North America. In this American Colonization activity, students complete a chart of explorers and their conquests. Young scholars complete a crossword puzzle using explorer facts....
Curated OER
Early American Woodworking
Students compare and contrast tools used in colonial America to modern ones. They create a bootjack, coat rack, or candleholder based on actually using the tools. The students also compose a description of a colonial woodworker based...
Curated OER
Interpreting Foundation Documents of the American Republic
Explore early American documents that qualify as primary sources. Tenth and eleventh graders use the provided worksheets to analyze the texts of the Articles of Association, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation,...
Curated OER
The Economienda System
Explore the Economienda System common in Latin America during the 1700s. The class will read the included text, answer 3 critical-thinking questions, and fill out a pie chart showing the demographics of the time. They will learn about...
Curated OER
America: The Land We Live In: Landmarks
Young scholars explore the concept of landmarks. In this landmark lesson plan, students brainstorm different landmarks around their community and nationally. Young scholars then identify the patterns in Georgia O'Keeffe's paintings or...
Curated OER
Pre-Columbian Civilizations in the Americas
Before you begin a unit on Christopher Columbus and the European explorers, take your class through the Mayan, Aztec, and Incan Civilizations in this vivid and interesting presentation. With photographs of golden artifacts and ancient...
Curated OER
Early America
Students identify men and women who are leaders in their community and in the world at large. In this character traits lesson, students examine leaders of the past (Washington, Jefferson, Revere) and determine how each of these men...
Curated OER
Jazz in America Lesson Plan 5
Students survey Bebop and identify the basic terms associated with jazz.They experience the music of Charlie Parker and Billie Holiday and participate in a class discussion regarding jazz's contribution to and reflection of American...
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