Ninth graders explore selected Internet sites to discover details about the life of John Calvin. For this Reformation lesson, 9th graders follow the steps in the provided Web Quest to locate and record information about Calvin as well as...

Fifth graders write a paragraph comparing their lives to the lives of a child working in South Carolina during the early 1900's. In this Industrial Revolution lesson plan, 5th graders explore primary and secondary sources to teach them...

High schoolers analyze eight case studies of Supreme Court decisions regarding due process of law and their impact on American society in the early 20th century. They digest that although the 14th amendment was intended to give federal...

Students examine the political and religious factors that influenced English, Spanish, French, and Dutch colonization of the Americas, and the economic characteristics of the early Spanish and Portuguese empires in the Americas.

Eighth graders utilize the SOAP method to analyze a work of art and relate it to what they know about the Progressive Era and the reasons why cities changed and the ways in which cities changed during the end of the 19th century. They...

Students compare and contrast family life today with family life in the 1830s. They conduct research on Old Sturbridge Village, read primary source documents, and develop a list of generalizations comparing/contrasting families of the...

Take your class through a moment in modern history in this presentation, which details the rise of Saddam Hussein and the dynamics between Iraq and its neighbors during the Persian Gulf War and the current Iraq war. Though slightly...

The words of Henry David Thoreau on Civil Disobedience seem particularly relevant today, as are his writings and those of other transcendental thinkers who ask what it mean to live deliberately and what are the responsibilities of...

How did the struggle for Civil Rights during the 1950s transform American society and politics? Why are American schools integrated today? Class members explore these essential questions by examining a series of primary and secondary...

Explore the earliest American cities in this presentation, which details the demographics, geography, and characteristics of New York, Pennsylvania, and the Carolinas, among others. These slides help to fill in the gap between the...

Analyze a primary source document "Our America" which depicts a Spanish-American point of view. The class answers 3 critical-thinking questions based on the reading and create a time line of Cuba's struggle for independence. 

As you explore an excerpt from Upton Sinclair's The Jungle with your class, discuss how his descriptions of the meat-packing industry caught the public's attention and helped to promote change in the Progressive Era.

Students examine how different groups gave health services to pregnant immigrant women. They analyze the class and ethnic tensions during this time period. They work together in groups to read articles and answer questions.

If you are completing a unit on the European impact on China, this short instructional activity may be useful. It requires an excerpt from Chinese Civilization: A sourcebook, by Ebrey, that gives Liang Qichaos's account of his visit...

Learners investigate the Lewis and Clark expedition and how it helped to shape American expansion during its early history. Students reflect upon the period of history and its implications for America.

Seventh graders explore the role of women. They contrast their empowerment from Confederation until 1920. They compare that to the role and empowerment of women in today's society through their own experiences, media, and music.

Learners trace the history of the development of Eugenics. In this social studies lesson, students read and analyze a real life case. They write a paper about what they read.

Fifth graders explore the many decisions that early colonist had to make when coming to North America. In this royal charter lesson plan, 5th graders work in teams to create a proposal for the King of England to establish a new colony in...

Middle schoolers become familiar with procedures for helping Indians assimilate in the 1800's. In this history lesson plan  middle schoolers explore how football helped Indians to assimilate in a positive way. Middle schoolers...

Ninth graders explore the history of the African Methodist Church in the United States. In this African American history instructional activity, 9th graders discover why the church was founded and research its history and noteworthy...

Students examine the governorship of Huey Long. They view and discuss Ken Burn's documentary, "Huey Long," read and discuss a speech, conduct Internet research, and create a visual display of their research information.

Learners explain how the Civil War and Reconstruction both solved and created problems for our nation. They study how Reconstruction caused a further decline in relations between the North & South and how racism has been and is...

Students identify and acquire an understanding of what the Civil Rights Movement consisted of, the issues that sparked the Movement, the people who participated and the events that occurred during the Movement. They also identify how to...

Students analyze selected pieces of art and infer how they reflect a sense of disillusionment, and/or cynicism in American society in the aftermath of the Vietnam War and Watergate scandal. Then they identify and place cultural attitudes...