National Endowment for the Humanities
Walt Whitman to Langston Hughes: Poems for a Democracy
Explore the idea of democratic poetry. Upper graders read Walt Whitman, examining daguerreotypes, and compare Whitman to Langston Hughes. They describe aspects of Whitman's I Hear America Singing to Langston Hughes' Let America Be...
Curated OER
Curriculum Guide For Teaching Texas History
Follow Texas history from Native Americans all the way to the 21st Century. Teachers analyze the creation of a year-long course on Texas history and use a wide range of teaching subjects and materials to guide them through the state's...
Curated OER
Photography and the National Park Service
During the 1800s the United States was expanding westward; land was there for the taking. Kids explore how some early photographers used their photography to influenced the US Congress to save areas like Mirror Lake. They...
Library of Congress
George Washington: First in War, First in Peace, and First in the Hearts of His Countrymen
Does the lens of history portray George Washington as a good leader? A three-lesson unit looks at Washington's early military career as the commander of the Virginia Regiment, his role in the fight for independence...
Curated OER
South Carolina's African American Women: "Lifting As We Climb"
Middle schoolers explore the formation of the National Association of colored Women's Club. In this civil rights lesson, students research the history and mission of the NACWC.
Curated OER
Slices of American Pie: The 1960s Through Music
Eleventh graders examine political, cultural, and social movements through music. For this 1960s American history lesson, 11th graders explore the music of the decade in order to better understand the complexity of the time period....
Curated OER
Matthew Henson: Heroic Explore Who Conquered Racism
Students explore the concept of racism. In this character building lesson plan, students read a biography about a hero Matthew Henson. Students discover the challenges he, and others, faced during a time of unfairness.
HISTORY Channel
Westward Expansion of the United States
How did early American pioneers decide what to take with them on their journeys, and what was their traveling experience like? Here you'll find a collection of activities to help you explore Westward Expansion with your young learners.
Curated OER
American Indians
Fourth graders explore the American Indians and the music from their culture. They discuss the music of American Indians and compare that music with the music that we listen to today. Students create rainstick and perform their own...
Curated OER
Exploring Life in Jamestown Settlement
Third graders examine life in early colonial settlements. Students investigate what settlers ate and create a menu for a fictitious restaurant in a settlement.
Curated OER
Native American Project
Students explore the influences that geography has on a Native American tribe's culture and lifestyle. They examine how the first encounters with Europeans affected that tribe.
Curated OER
Early North Carolina Exploration (warm-up activity)
Eighth graders focus on the European perspective of exploration and findings along the North Carolina coast.
Curated OER
Boarding Schools And Native American Culture
Students engage in a lesson that focuses on the influence of American values placed upon the Indians. Students use primary and secondary documents in order to explore the indoctrination. They create a project that reflects adequate...
Curated OER
Early Native Americans
Students create a scrapbook illustrating the culture of Native Americans that settled in the Kickapoo Valley. Working in groups, students choose a topic related to the Kickapoo Valley Indians. Using traditional and technological...
Curated OER
African Americans in the Columbia River Basin
Students research the Columbia River Basin Ethnic History Archive (CRBEHA) and use a variety of primary sources to explore the history of blacks in the region.
Curated OER
Effects of African-American Emigration From the Late 1700s-Early 1900s
Students read narratives to explore the pros and cons of the 19th century African-American emigration movement. They research major groups and people involved with the movement.
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Women in the Military
Scholars analyze the role of women in the military in United States history. Using group research, debate, and diary entries, they explore various military activity in America. To complete the lesson, young historians write an essay...
Curated OER
German Immigrants Contributions to the Upper Midwest
Students explore contemporary lifestyles, cultures, traditions are influenced by the contributions of the German settlers of that region. They research these influences and design a brochure to entice potential immigrants to the Upper...
PBS
Evolution of the Presidency: Theodore Roosevelt to Franklin D. Roosevelt
How much power should a president be allowed to exert? Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin D. Roosevelt exercised their power according to their interpretations of the United States Constitution, and these interpretations affected the...
American Institute of Physics
The Physical Sciences at Historically Black Colleges and Universities
The history of science instruction at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) is the focus of a lesson that explores the early challenges these institutions faced in accessing equipment for their labs and instructors for...
McGraw Hill
Study Guide for The Scarlet Letter
How does or society punish people who break the law? What effect does guilt have on a person's life? In what way does or society demand we conform to certain conventions? Such questions, found in this study guide, are sure to...
Curated OER
The Evolution of Transcendentalism
Key concepts, major writers, and historical events related to Transcendentalism are explored in a student-produced PowerPoint about this movement. The presentation could be used as an introduction to a unit or as a model that class...
Curated OER
Step by Step
Students explore agriculture by creating a food production diagram. In this farming lesson, students read assigned text about the entities that assist in food production companies such as farmers, truckers and supermarkets. Students...
Curated OER
Early America
Students explore what a leader represents. In this social science instructional activity, students discuss what the traits, qualities, or characteristics are of a leader. Students also understand that leaders existed in America's past...