How much can opinion influence a news story? A standalone resource discusses the importance of John Brown's Raid through the lens of journalism. Learners analyze two different texts, one from the perspective of the North and the other of...

An engaging lesson plan delves into the effects of slavery on society. Young historians read text excerpts, complete handouts, and participate in group discussion to understand how slavery was a means to control society and establish a...

Students research life in Plymouth during the Civil War. Using the internet and other resources, students examine the historical effects of the Civil War. In groups, they publish a newspaper explaining the events of the day.

Students explore the concept of slavery and manumission through a variety of activities. In this civil rights lesson, students gather information from primary sources, then analyze the politics and historical context of the time....

Eighth graders investigate the Battle of Corydon. In this American Civil War instructional activity, 8th graders discover details about the Battle of Corydon and the leaders of the battle. Students also identify how the Corydon...

Young scholars examine the Jim Crow Laws and goals of the Civil Rights movement. They read and discuss handouts, answer questions, conduct research, and write an essay about the effects of the Civil Rights movement.

Students utilize an online database to conduct research and analyze the conditions for African-Americans before and after World War I. They consider the role of the 92nd and 93rd divisions in affecting social change.

Just how far can the American government go during war time? With primary source documents, learners consider the effects on restrictions of freedom of speech, the detention of American citizens of Japanese descent, and the Patriot Act...

Your young historians will compare and contrast the details of the American flag today with an an image of the nation's flag from the post-Civil War era, and identify the flag's importance as a national symbol through analysis...

The resource, a standalone, shows how news coverage of John Brown's Raid began when the event happened and how that reporting shaped perception in West Virginia history. The resource includes interesting anticipatory discussion...

Students examine Civil War battlefields in Arkansas. They read primary source documents written by Arkansans. They discover what life was like during the Civil War as well.

John Brown is considered by many to be a martyr for abolition and civil rights. The resource covers an important event in West Virginian history, the raid by John Brown, as a standalone that discusses Brown's last words and his reaction...

Practice sequencing with your 2nd graders via Patricia Polacco's Civil War book Pink and Say. Begin with a blindfold and a bag of mystery items. Connect their use of clues to identify what they can't see with the skill of making...

Learners explore American Civil War, hypothesize that the Union Army was defeated at Gettysburg by Lee's army, and write an essay describing how different North America would be today if the South had won the Civil War.

Students use a Web resource to obtain information on a specific subject; study the nature of naval warfare and commerce raiding during the Civil War; and assume the identity of a participant and viewing the events of the era from that...

Is Maryland in or out? Using primary source documents that examine the state's geopolitical location, learners discuss whether the Old Line State is Northern or Southern to its core. The resource includes numerous documents and...

Offering a comprehensive overview of the beginning of World War II, this resource could be a useful addition to a unit on this topic. It could be used as a way to lead a discussion on the war, or as a review tool before a test. Either...

Today, Cuba and America sometimes struggle with diplomatic relations, but did you know that America went to war against Spain to free Cuba? Learners examine many interesting facts related to the Spanish American War using an informative...

Students report on battles of the Civil War. In this American Civil War lesson, students conduct research that allows them to report on selected battles of the war. Student's newspapers should include eyewitness statements, photographs,...

Students continue their examination of the Civil War. In groups, they use the internet and print sources to research the life of a slave. For each slave researched, they copy quotes and other information from primary and secondary...

The man who invented the earliest examples of chemical engineering was an American-born, French-educated, free man of color before the Civil War, and went on to translate Egyptian hieroglyphics. There is something of...

The presidencies of John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, and Ronald Reagan were defined by the Cold War. Using primary source documents and scaffolded analysis questions, pupils explore the effect the Cold War had on these presidencies. A...

America was built on the ingenuity, work ethic, and foresight of our ancestors. Sixth graders learn about the complex Gilded Age in American history, including the prominent inventors and captains of industry, and how they all connect...

Fifth graders become familiar with the events of Reconstruction and the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments. In this reconstruction lesson, 5th graders work in pairs where each student  creates a building with blocks and draws it. Their...