Federal Reserve Bank
What Do People Say?
After reading a series of fictitious letters that represent actual events during the time period, young historians craft a small town newsletter to explain the causes of the Great Depression.
Federal Reserve Bank
What Really Caused the Great Depression?
Falling wages. Rising unemployment. Falling prices. Sound familiar? Young economists look at the role the US banking system had in causing the Great Depression.
Curated OER
Bill of Right in Action
Groups reserach and write about topics given to them by their teacher dealing with the Bill of Rights.
Curated OER
Working Where The Sun Never Shines
Students analyze documents of miners and identify their working conditions. In this industrial revolution instructional activity students view documents and photographs of miners and discuss their conditions and what some possible...
Curated OER
Hope In The Hard Times - A Unit on the Great Depression
Students examine the Great Depression through the analysis of the novel, 'Bud, Not Buddy.' They analyze photos from the National Archives website, complete a character analysis, and conduct research and summarize a topic from the Great...
Curated OER
World War II Webquest
Tenth graders work with a partner to locate and follow the directions of a webquest of their choice. Using the internet, they research their topic in depth and write a paper on their findings. They are assessed by the criteria on the...
Curated OER
On the Line
Students view a television program that traces the use of the assembly line in mass production and the subsequent conflict between workers' rights and management. They analyze and discuss the portrayal of the American worker over time...
Curated OER
Social Movements of the 20th Century
Sixth graders study the social movements of the 20th century. In this social movements lesson, 6th graders discuss social unrest, review social and political movements of the 20th century, and discuss the main movements for unrest....
Curated OER
Money Matters Curriculum
Students complete a concept map on how money matters in our society. They use the internet to discover an online exhibit about money. They also complete a concept map.
Curated OER
The British Origins of Industrialism
Tenth graders brainstorm the Industrial Revolution and how it changed the lives of people. They describe rural life in preindustrial Britain. They identify the factors that allowed Britian to become the first industrialized nations.
Curated OER
Children's Literature
Introduce the students to basic economic concepts and types of economic systems and develop the an understanding of how economic choices involve costs and consequences; provide introduction to rural America circa 1920 and compare to our...
Curated OER
Are We There Yet? The Changing Pocono Vacation
High schoolers study the Poconos and the importance of the resorts there. In this Poconos lesson plan students research and plan a travel itinerary to the Poconos.
Curated OER
Discovering and Covering the Battle of Homestead
Students examine the general events of the Homestead strike through reading comprehension of a one-page synopsis. They locate the events of the Homestead Strike. Comprehend multiple perspectives of the reasons, relationships and results...
Curated OER
Prune Boom
Students explore the process of harvesting and canning prunes. They discover the benefits of prunes to the Santa Clara Valley. Students investigate prunes at designated websites.
PBS
Pbs: Working for Freedom: Labor Reform and the Triangle Factory Fire [Pdf]
A lesson plan from the producers of the 16-episode PBS series "Freedom: A History of US" that examines the conditions American workers faced in the late 1800s. Students will understand the factors that precipitated the birth and growth...
National Women’s History Museum
National Women's History Museum: The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire
Student will use primary and secondary sources to gain a richer understanding of women's activism and how the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire led to changes in labor and safety regulations in America.
PBS
Pbs Teachers: Joe Hill and the International Workers of the World [Pdf]
A lesson plan from the producers of the 16-episode PBS series "Freedom: A History of US" that focuses on the growth of militant labor unions like the International Workers of the World, on Joe Hill's role in the IWW, and on the...
Stanford University
Sheg: Document Based History: Reading Like a Historian: Pullman Strike
[Free Registration/Login Required] Students read primary source documents to solve a problem surrounding a historical question. This document-based inquiry lesson plan allows students read parallel accounts of the Pullman Strike of 1894...
University of Houston
University of Houston: An American Industrial Revolution Unit: Rise of Labor
Students learn about the history of the labor movement in Industrial America, including some of the major unions that emerged and the most well-known strikes. Next, they make connections to the role of unions today. They then work in...
Other
Nysed: The Great Railroad Strike of 1877
This very complete lesson plan from the New York State Library uses newspaper accounts to give a "you are there" feeling to the discussion of the Railroad Strike of 1877. Included are a history of the strike, student activities,...
University of California
History Project: The Pullman Strike of 1894
Given background information and primary source documents, students will write an essay describing the events of the Pullman Strike of 1894 organized around a theme.
University of California
History Project: The Homestead Strike of 1892
This high school activity focuses on the Homestead Strike of 1892. Students are asked to write an essay explaining why the strike occurred and how the Carnegie Company went about winning the strike. Included are twenty-seven primary...