Curated OER
The African Burial Ground
Students analyze African American burial grounds. In this African American history lesson, students draw conclusions about African American communities in early New York and consider how archeology made it possible to study the communities.
Curated OER
A Visual History: Industry, Society, and Social Mobility in Hartford
Eleventh graders examine the industrialization of Hartford. In this American History lesson plan, 11th graders analyze pictures in Hartford. Students participate in a gallery walk of artifacts.
Curated OER
A New Society Project
Ninth graders examine the social and political movements of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era. For this American history lesson, 9th graders work in groups to form their own society and laws. Students make a diagram of their town and...
Curated OER
Imperialism and Expansion: Part 1
Young scholars explore the era of imperialism and expansion of the United States. In this American history lesson, students play a game regarding the U.S. attempts to expand the nation in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Curated OER
Intellectual/Social/Cultural Movements: 1870s - 1914 (2)
In this online interactive American history worksheet, students answer 10 multiple choice questions regarding the social and cultural movements from 1870-1914. Students may submit their answers to be scored.
Curated OER
The Early American Contradiction
Students use the Constitution and Declaration of Independence to investigate the apparent contradictions between slavery and freedom. The activity looks at the reasons for the incorporation of slavery into early colonial life even with...
Curated OER
Sporting Tolerance
Students investigate African-American baseball players from the early 20th century. They read an article, answer discussion questions, write a journal entry, and create a poster-size baseball card for an athlete.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Slavery and the American Founding: The "Inconsistency Not to Be Excused"
High schoolers examine slavery in the revolutionary and colonial eras of the United States. In this slavery lesson, students investigate the presence of slavery in early America, the language of the Constitution, and the intent of the...
Curated OER
Bison on the Plains
Fifth graders explore U.S. geography by reading assigned text about American Indians. In this migration lesson plan, 5th graders identify the differences between Native Americans and European settlers who traveled through middle America...
Library of Congress
Suffragists and Their Tactics
Learners research the fight for voting rights. In this women's history lesson, students analyze primary sources to develop an understanding of the strategies employed by the suffragists to gain voting rights.
Curated OER
The First American Party System: Federalists and Democratic-Republicans: The Platforms They Never Had
Students investigate the beginnings of the political party system in the US. They determine the key positions of both the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans. They compare the views of the early political parties with those of today.
Curated OER
The Oblate Sisters of Providence and Early African American Education in Baltimore
Eighth graders examine the educational system for free African-Americans in Baltimore in the early 19th century. In this American History lesson, 8th graders read a handout and answer focus questions. Students analyze...
Curated OER
Historical Fiction Writing: Connecticut’s African and Native Americans in the American Revolution
Students explore what life was like for African-Americans and Native Americans during the American Revolution. For this early U.S. history lesson, students research primary sources to find out more about their lives in order to write...
Curated OER
Pre-fieldtrip Preparation: Museum Windham Textile & History
Eleventh graders prepare for a trip to the Windham Textile and History Museum. In this industrialization lesson, 11th graders discover what it was like to work in the textile mills and then write their own oral history accounts of life...
Curated OER
Cattle Trails
In this cattle trails study guide activity, students read about the American West. Students read 4 sections of information.
Curated OER
Charles Lawrence's Expulsion Orders or Acadians in 1755
An interesting, but sparse, PowerPoint on early North American history awaits your class. The presentation is only two slides. It is a copy of a letter written by Charles Lawrence to Major Hanfield commanding him to clearing the country...
Curated OER
Women's Lives in American Paintings
Learners analyze paintings to determine characteristics of women and attitudes toward them in different time periods. They create a portrait of a woman and discuss their views of women through their own artwork.
Curated OER
Ann Arbor Growth & Immigration
Third graders describe some of the factors that brought early settlers to Ann Arbor. They read Narrative-A Trip from Utica, New York, to Ingham County, Michigan in 1838. As an added challenge, 3rd graders can use maps to track Silas...
Smithsonian Institution
Stamp Stories of Westward Expansion
What a fantastic project idea for discussing not only the history of America's expansion into the West, but for reviewing any major unit of history in your class. Pupils build stamp collections to visually represent themes of the...
Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation
How Did Relations between Britain and the Colonies Change after the French and Indian War?
What does the French and Indian War have to do with the American Revolution? Following the war, Britain issued the Proclamation of 1763 in an attempt to limit the colonists' western expansion. To understand how the proclamation, the...
Channel Islands Film
Cache: Lesson Plan 2 - Grades 4-6
Class members will dig this activity that has them trying their hand at recovering artifacts. Groups are assigned a section of a sandbox, carefully uncover the artifacts in their section, and then develop theories about who might...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Educating European Immigrant Children Before World War I
As if surviving a journey to America wasn't enough of a feat for early 20th century immigrants, they then needed to settle into American life. Learn about the ways New York public education attempted to meet the needs of its learners,...
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
The Cotton Gin
High schoolers are introduced to an early American inventor, Eli Whitney, and his experiences with the Patent Office. The economic importance of the cotton gin and its impact on slavery are also addressed.