Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Savvy in Sacramento

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students take a field trip to the state capital, Sacramento. Using the Internet, they explain the physical and human geographic features of the area and discuss interactions between the people of California between the time of explorers...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

French and Indian War

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders complete a unit on the French and Indian War. They conduct an Internet document search and use what they find to complete a document based essay about the war.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Decisive Victory: Philadelphia and the Winning of the War for American Independence

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers examine primary documents and apply their knowledge to describe them.  For this primary document analysis instructional activity pupils interpret sources and evaluate roles of foreign allies. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site: Birthplace of the Modern Presidency

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Students examine the circumstances under which Theodore Roosevelt first became President of the United States and how his policies and actions modernized the presidency.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Freedom Voices: Abolition and Suffrage in the United States

For Teachers 8th - 11th
Students explore abolition and suffrage in the United States.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Landmarks Over Time

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students compare/contrast bird's-eye views of Texas cities in the 1800s to those in the 2000s through the identification of landmarks. They write a summary of how one selected city has changed over time.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Is It an Authentic Gutenberg Bible?

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders conduct Internet research to determine what makes Gutenberg Bible authentic, view Ransom Center's digitized version of Gutenberg Bible, and create Powerpoint presentation supporting research findings.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ten Crucial Days- How Can the Underdog Win?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Young scholars identify the strategy that General Washington used to defeat a stronger force. In this Revolutionary War instructional activity, students investigate how Washington won the battles of Trenton and Princeton by watching the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Second Amendment and the Right to Bear Arms

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students interpret the Second Amendment. In this U.S. Constitution lesson, students examine the right to bear arms as they compare 2 Michigan Supreme Court cases and discuss their personal interpretations of the amendment.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Battle of Glorieta Pass: A Shattered Dream

For Teachers 7th - 12th
This lesson can be used in American history, social studies, and geography courses in units on westward expansion and the Civil War.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Latin American Colonial Diary

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers examine the class systems of New Spain. In small groups, they create a five-day diary about the family life, food, occupation, and government involvement of an assigned personality from the time of Colonial Latin America.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Northwest Ordinance

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine the area where the Northwest Territory was located. They discover the steps territories need to follow to become states. They create a map of the Northwest Territory and label the states that came out of that region.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Causes of the American Revolution

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Young scholars access websites for background information and learn how to interpret political cartoons. They incorporate higher-order thinking skills to determine if the information presented in the cartoons is accurate, what the...
Lesson Plan
National First Ladies' Library

Were There Two Wars for American Independence?

For Teachers 10th - Higher Ed
Students debate whether or not the War of 1812 can be counted as America's second war of independence. After researching the War of 1812, they complete a WebQuest designed to help them decide on the validity of the war as a quest for...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

My Time

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students create a timeline of their lives. In this timeline lesson, students discuss relative and absolute time. They use events in their lives to create categories on a timeline. They link this lesson to geologic timelines.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Old Folks Will Bless You and the Girls Kiss You

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders reflect on the Revolutionary War.  In this Colonial America history lesson, 4th graders discuss various battles of the war, specifically the Battle of Cowpens.  Students begin by watching a video chronicling...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Robert Smalls: Warrior and Peacemaker

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Young scholars research the events that led to the Civil War and the Reconstruction. In this Civil War history instructional activity, students study images of Robert Smalls and research his role in the Civil War. Young scholars review...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rock n' Rollin in the '50s

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars explore the culture of the United States in the 1950's.  For this history lesson, students research culture in the 1950's, with a focus on fashion, music, television, automobiles, etc., then work in groups to create a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

America Declares War on Germany, 1917

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Pupils explore the reasons that the United States entered World War I. In this World War I activity, students read "America Declares War on Germany, 1917," and then discuss the consequences for the U.S. entering the war.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cultural and Social Transformation since 1865

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers research the evolution of cultural and social issues in areas of Westward Expansion, Immigration, and Civil Rights. They practice writing clear details with supporting evidence and examples and evaluate ways of improving...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The 1848 Revolution, the Second Reich, and the First World War

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore the events that led up to World War I.  In this World History lesson, students read an article on Germany and World War I, then answer four study questions and write an essay about the article.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Introduction to World Religions - Hinduism

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders explore Hinduism. In this world religions lesson, 6th graders listen to a lecture about the attributes of the religion and then listen to and perform parts of The Remayana. Students also complete a map activity based on the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lesson #3: Internet Map Activity

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students label assembly centers and relocation camps on a given map of the United States in order to create a better understanding of the relocation experience of Japanese-American citizens and the distance that families had to move and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Oregon City: A Convergence of Endings

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students describe the activities that occurred in the Willamette Valley before the establishment of the Oregon Trail and agricultural settlement and explain the impact that American settlement had on the landscape and native groups who...