Make a match! Scholars play a matching game after looking at excerpt five from Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. Learners match types of figurative language with example sentences, and add to their powerful language word wall...

The conclusion of Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass comes to life in a reader's theater. The class discusses the use of quotation marks in the text and then divides parts among the groups. After the performances,...

How do nineteenth-century texts by African American and Native American writers contribute to the country's ideals of freedom and individuality? Learners explore the topic by watching and discussing a video, reading biographies, writing...

Students investigate John Brown.  For this U.S. history slavery lesson, students view a PowerPoint presentation about John Brown.  Students discuss the North's and South's reaction to John Brown's raid, and determine whether...

Students identify important Americans from the colonial, revolutionary and slavery periods who are noted for standing up for their beliefs in the face of peer disapproval. They identify the importance of music in motivating and...

Tenth graders investigate the Abolitionist Movement in the United States. In this 19th century American lesson, 10th graders research Frederick Douglas, William Lloyd Garrison, and Sojourner Truth and their efforts to end slavery....

Who gets to vote? Learn more about struggles for suffrage throughout United States history with a lesson based on primary source documents. Middle schoolers debate the importance of women's suffrage and African American...

Ken Burn's epic documentary miniseries The Civil War, broadcast in 1990, was the most-watched PBS program ever. A question sheet helps viewers keep track of events in the first episode of the documentary.

History sleuths read articles for and against Uncle Tom's Cabin, examine visual images, print responses, and multi-media tomitudes to better understand the impact of Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel on American culture prior to...

A unit covers many aspects of the Civil War. Over six weeks, fifth graders delve deep into the history of slavery, the Civil War—before, during, and after—Abraham Lincoln, women's contributions, the Emancipation Proclamation, and...

Students examine history of slavery in United States, discuss abolitionists such as Frederick Douglass who worked to end slavery, listen to excerpts from Douglass' autobiography, and visit interactive Underground Railroad web site.

Young scholars examine the ideas of Lincoln and Douglass. In groups, they compare and contrast writings from each man and how they formed the nation with their ideas. After watching "Glory", they discuss how people like Lincoln and...

Learners role-play as escaped slaves making their way from North Carolina to Canada, stopping in Indiana. They track their journeys on maps and include a stop at Harriet Tubman's. Students write three paragraphs about how Tubman aids...

Eleventh graders examine the reactions Americans had to the Dred Scott decision.  In this American History lesson, 11th graders read editorials from newspapers.  Students analyze these editorials and audio tapes from that...

Eighth graders study the Civil War. In this Civil War lesson plan, 8th graders read and analyze primary sources. Students complete handouts in relation to the primary sources.  

The Emancipation Proclamation freed slaves in the Confederate states. The Thirteenth Amendment banned slavery in the United States. However, neither document defined freedom. The second lesson in the Reconstruction Era series examines...

Hilary Clinton may have been the first woman to run for president on a major party ticket, but she was only one example of an historic candidacy. Class members use video clips curated from C-SPAN to examine historical firsts in...

Scholars go on a musical journey to discover the origin, importance, and evolution of the song, "This Little Light of Mine". Class members boost their voice talents and clap to the beat while learning the lyrics in both English and Zulu....

Test scholars' knowledge of famous Black Americans with a 10-question quiz in which participants match a name to a contribution or fact. 

Much of history is distasteful. Primary sources often reveal attitudes acceptable at the time that no longer are. But to understand controversial historical events, historians must examine primary sources that represent a wide variety of...

Who were they? High school freshmen brush up on their research skills by investigating an important person in American history. They select a name, fill out a KWHL chart, and research why their person is important. Scholars then complete...

As pupils match information to photographs, a document is revealed—the Joint Resolution Proposing the Thirteenth Amendment. Scholars read about some of the people who worked to end slavery, then list each person and at least one way that...

A student reader shares information about the history of slavery, the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln, women's contributions to the war, the Emancipation Proclamation, and reconstruction.

Using a Venn diagram, class members generate similarities and differences between narratives and summaries. Next, pupils co-create an anchor chart to capture their thinking about how an author zooms in on a particular part of a story.