Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bill of Rights: Rights and Responsibilities

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students explore the meaning of freedom.  In this U.S. History lesson, students research the Declaration of Independence and how it relates to American freedom by completing activities and a mock trial.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

US Constitution

For Teachers 7th - 11th
Think about the Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence with your budding historians. They analyze the importance of historical documents by examining several famous documents, and then they complete activities that check...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Story of Latino Civil Rights: Fighting for Justice

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students identify the civil rights abuses suffered by African Americans, Japanesse Americans during WWII, and Hispanic Americans. They explain what the common element is among the discrimination against these three groups. Students are...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Plessy V. Ferguson: "Separate but Equal," Equal Protection

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers explore the details and impact of the Plessy vs. Ferguson U.S. Supreme Court case.  In this U.S. History lesson, students participate in several group discussions and group activities that examine both sides of the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A More Perfect Union: Women's Suffrage and the Constitution

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students reflect on the pros and cons of Women's Suffrage and it was viewed during the late 1800's.  In this history lesson plan, students will analyze documents on women's suffrage so that they can compare and contrast the rights...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Symbols and Landmarks

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders study American national holidays, symbols, songs and landmarks. They appreciate the meaning and significance of our nation's ideals of liberty, justice and equality.
Handout
Curated OER

Abortion

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Abortion has remained a highly controversial issue ever since the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision. Using the website, learners sift through all the information they need to participate in a debate about the topic. They learn about the...
Lesson Plan
National Woman's History Museum

The National Woman’s Party

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Two parties led the women's suffrage movement. The National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) was a moderate organization while the National Women's Party (NWP) was more militant. Young historians investigate why members of the...
Study Guide
Penguin Books

The Discussion Guide to the Inaugural Poem: The Hill We Climb by Amanda Gorman

For Teachers 6th - Higher Ed Standards
National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman's "The Hill We Climb," featured at the 2021 inauguration of President Joseph Biden, is the focus of a six-page guide. The guide includes before reading, during reading, and after reading...
Activity
Digital Public Library of America

The Poetry of Maya Angelou

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Maya Angelou's work reflects her passion for life, civil rights, and justice for all. A collection of 12 primary sources provide scholars with insight into this amazing woman. The set includes photographs, articles, recordings of...
Lesson Plan
Advocates for Human Rights

The Right of Indigneous Peoples in the United States

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
The sovereignty of U.S. Native American nations is the focus of a resource that asks class members to compare the Right to Self-Determination in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples with a fact sheet that...
Activity
Curated OER

Getting Our Facts Straight! Holocaust Group Research Projects

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students work together in groups to research the Holocaust. Using a rubric, they gather information and develop visual aids. They apply principles of justice, equality and freedom to real-life situations. They present their information...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bill of Rights

For Teachers 8th - 10th
US history classes explore constitutional rights as they relate to court cases involving teens. Your class must already be familiar with the Bill of Rights before beginning this series of exercises. In preparation for a debate-style...
Handout
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Civil Rights Movement Veterans

Timeline of Events: 1960’s Civil Rights Movement of St. Augustine, Florida

For Students 9th - 12th
A timeline can be a powerful learning tool because it reveals a pattern in events. While few would consider St. Augustine, Florida a hotbed of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement, a selection of background information and a timeline of...
Lesson Planet Article
Curated OER

Sacco and Vanzetti: “The Case That Will Not Die”

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Studying this case within its historical context can help us better understand urgent current issues of today.
Lesson Plan
State Bar of Texas

Hernandez v. Texas

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
What if the jury is not made up of people from your ethnicity or background—are they still considered your peers? Scholars analyze the impact the Supreme Court case Hernandez v. Texas had on jury selection across the nation. Paired...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Put Your Hands in Mine: King Day

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine the concepts of human and civil rights. In this philanthropy lesson, students watch The Mighty Times: The Children March. Students discuss concepts relating to civil rights and change.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Visualizing School Equity

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners examine how school segregation is affected by funding gaps. In this equity lesson,students read the article, "Crossing the Gap." Learners analyze funding gaps between schools. Students understand that every learners is...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Latino Contributions To American Culture

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students create their own working definition of what it means to be an American. They examine the achievements of Latinos and discuss how the contribution of these Americans have enriched and helped shape American culture.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

We the People

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Learners examine both the Preamble of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. They work in small groups to connect the two documents and analyze how the documents are important to their lives today. They create a poster that visually...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Brown v. Board of Education

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers examine school segregation and equal protection laws. In this Supreme Court lesson plan, students examine primary documents from Brown v. Board of Education and discuss the implications of the decision.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Regents of the U. of California v. Blake

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine affirmative action and equal protection. In this Supreme Court lesson plan, students examine primary documents from Regents of the U. of California v. Blake and discuss the implications of the decision.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Underground Railroad

For Teachers 1st
First graders read a book about Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad. In this underground railroad lesson, 1st graders learn songs and code words that the slaves used to communicate with one another. Students discuss how all...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Documents of Diversity

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders explore the cultural diversity in their own families. They examine the cultural profile and historical development of their own community through developing a walking tour, in booklet or web-based form.