Center for History and New Media
Founding of the Laurel Grove School and Other "Colored" Schools in Fairfax County, 1860–1890
The right to public education was not always so clear in American history. Readers study several primary and secondary source documents, including property deeds, maps, and photographs, about the founding of local schools during the...
Smithsonian Institution
Western Indian Wars
Why do many Native Americans live on reservations? An interactive resource teaches about how reservations came to be and the tragic history behind Native Americans moving from their lands. Teenagers read passages, view images, and click...
Global Oneness Project
Exploring the Creative Process
Launch a discussion of the creative process with a short video that features the daily ritual of Slobodan Dan Paich, a San Francisco artist. Slobodan models his approach to tea painting and shares his reflections on the...
Albert Shanker Institute
Strategizing for Freedom
Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. DuBois, Marcus Garvey, and A. Philip Randolph developed different views on how to advance civil rights for African Americans. Class members research these famous figures and their strategies before developing...
US House of Representatives
Women Pioneers on Capital Hill, 1917–1934
As part of a study of the women elected to Congress from 1917 to 1934, groups research and then design a museum exhibit that describes the life and the congressional service of one of these women.
Deliberating in a Democracy
Freedom of Expression
Should democracies include hate speech as a protected right? Scholars analyze the rights found under the First Amendment to the Constitution through researching evidence. Freedom of expression becomes the focal point of the...
PBS
What's In a Name?
What is in a name? Eager historians trace the geographical history of places in the United States with Spanish names. Using a worksheet activity, clues, and web research developed in conjunction with the PBS "Latinos in America" series,...
Museum of Disability
Buddy, The First Seeing Eye Dog
Learn about how the seeing eye dog program began with a reading lesson about Eva Moore's chapter book, Buddy, The First Seeing Eye Dog. With vocabulary words, discussion questions, and extension resources, the lesson is a...
Practical Action
The Wind Power Challenge
Up it goes! Groups must design and build a windmill able to lift a weight. The packet includes discussion points to use prior to the build that cover topics such as variables, fairness, and the design process.
Curated OER
Churches and Taxes
Churches have been tax-exempt since the founding of America, but should they be? Pupils ponder the question as they browse the website in preparation for a class debate or discussion. They research the history of tax-exemption for...
Global Oneness Project
Today’s Native America
The 2016-2017 protests over the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) motivated Camille Seaman to create "We Are Still Here," a photo essay featuring portraits of contemporary Native Americans who protested the pipeline. This eight-page...
Channel Islands Film
Who Owns the Bones
A study of the history of the Channel Islands, located off the coast of southern California, continues as class members conduct a mock trial to determine which group of stakeholders should have the right to claim the remains of Juan...
US House of Representatives
The Women of Congress Speak Their Mind
A picture may be worth a thousand words, but words can tell many stories. To conclude their study of the women who have served in the US Congress until 2006, groups analyze statements made by these remarkable women.
National Woman's History Museum
19th Amendment
As part of a study of the women's suffrage movement and the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment, young historians examine documents that detail when voting rights were granted to women in various countries and when US states...
Teaching for Change
Stepping into Selma
The 1964 Selma to Montgomery, Alabama voting rights marches are the focus of a lesson plan designed to introduce learners to people who took part in the Civil Rights Movement. Class members set into the role of one of the participants,...
National Woman's History Museum
From the Declaration of Independence to the Declaration of Sentiments
As part of a study of women's rights in early America, class members compare the Declaration of Independence to the Declaration of Sentiments presented at the Seneca Falls Convention. As an exit ticket, individuals explain whether or not...
Anti-Defamation League
Analyzing Primary Source Documents to Understand U.S. Expansionism and 19th Century U.S.-Indian Relations
Historical events can be viewed from multiple perspectives. This simple truth is brought home in a instructional activity that examines primary source documents related to the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the Doctrine of Discovery and...
University of the Desert
How Can Conflict and Disagreement be Managed and Resolved?
As you explore the meaning of cultural understanding and diffusion with your learners, discuss how dialogue can play a role in resolving conflicts based on misunderstanding. Examine keywords such as compromise, communication, and...
US House of Representatives
Traditionalist, Feminist, and the New Face of Women in Congress, 1955–1976
As part of a study of women in Congress, class members read the contextual essay, "A Changing of the Guard; Traditionalist, Feminist, and the New Face of Women in Congress, 1955–1976." Groups then research a woman serving during this...
ProCon
Obesity
Is obesity a disease or just a preventable risk factor for other diseases? Scholars attempt to form their own opinions by reading a background of the issue and watching videos that explore the main pro and con arguments using an included...
K5 Learning
The Story of Regulus
The great Roman general, Regulus, was known for keeping his word. Read about the extent of his honesty in a reading passage about his imprisonment in Carthage, and assess reading skills with four comprehension questions.
Curated OER
Knights in Armor
Arm your social studies class with knowledge about the middle ages. After learners use the internet to view photographs of the Middle Ages, they research the various types of armor used by those who were fighting and how it was...
The Alamo
Lorenzo de Zavala and José Antonio Navarro: Their Contributions to the Independence of Texas
Lorenzo de Zavala and José Antonio Navarro were both native Mexicans and leaders of the Texas Revolution, but with different backgrounds and careers. Compare and contrast the two influential men with a research assignment in which...
Judicial Learning Center
Do You Know Your Bill of Rights?
The Bill of Rights is much more than an important piece of paper! The rights cover everything from freedom of speech to the right to remain silent if arrested. Scholars find out their own rights by answering the questions in the form of...