Curated OER
The Dynamics of the Leadership Process
Students explain the dynamics surrounding the selection of a leader for a country. They explain the involvement of individual citizens in the selection process.
Curated OER
Taxation Without Representation
Eighth graders empathize with how colonists felt when they were taxed without representation. They use a metaphor of students and a school principal to describe the strained relationship that developed between the colonies and Britain.
Curated OER
The Two Sides of the Declaration of Independence
Budding historians read six documents related to grievances that led to the writing of the Declaration of Independence. They then craft an essay in which they discuss the perspective of both the colonists and the king. This DBQ could be...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Lesson 2: The United States, France, and the Problem of Neutrality, 1796–1801
While the French Revolution could be considered inspired by the American Revolution, it created thorny problems for the new United States. Should the United States get involved and be drawn into a European drama? Was the US strong...
Curated OER
"Declaration of Independence" From Plagiarism
So, what does the Declaration of Independence even mean? Learners of all ages paraphrase the Declaration of Independence in modern terms. They work as a group or class to paraphrase the language of the Declaration of Independence. There...
What So Proudly We Hail
Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness: A Lesson on the Declaration of Independence
What does it mean to say that a right is unalienable? How did the founding fathers convey this revolutionary concept in the Declaration of Independence? Engage in a close reading and analysis of the Declaration of Independence, and...
PBS
Myth of the West: The Battle of the Washita
Go West, young man! Scholars use PBS video clips, slide shows, and interactive materials to create a picture of Manifest Destiny in the American West. Using a variety of primary and secondary sources, young historians learn about the...
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media
Founding Documents
Teach the class about the predecessor to Declaration of Independence—the Virginia Declaration of Rights. Using the foundational documents, scholars examine the two writings to consider how they are similar and how they are different. A...
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
Fredrick Douglass...A Digital History
Seventh graders research the life of Fredrick Douglass. In this Fredrick Douglass lesson, 7th graders read about his life and discuss it. They write poetry describing his experience as a slave and create their own monument for Fredrick...
Curated OER
Comic Strip
Students work in groups in order to perform research about the different aspects of immigration. Once they have completed the research a comic strip is created regarding the findings.
Curated OER
What is a Treaty?
Students examine the notion of terra nullius, the idea under which Australia was settled. Then they compare the economic and social outcomes for Australia's indigenous people under terra nullius with those of other indigenous peoples...
Curated OER
Read loud: The Media
In this media read aloud activity, students read a dialogue aloud in pairs. Student A will ask a question about the media, and Student B gives the answer.