Curated OER
Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Lesson: Immigration
Many of your class members will have heard of Executive Order 9066 and the Japanese internment camps of World War II. Some may even recognize the terms “Issei” and “Nisei,” but few will have heard of Enemy Alien Hearing Boards, of the...
Curated OER
American Colonists Protest Song
Middle schoolers explore the role of protest songs. In this early American history lesson plan, students research the acts passed by the British that angered colonists. Middle schoolers then listen to protest songs from contemporary...
Curated OER
Poetry: A Mirror in Which to See Myself
Fifth graders focus on their self-esteem and strengths while reading poetry. In groups, they research the contributions and achievements of African-Americans and discuss how they overcame obstacles. They are read a poem, define new...
Curated OER
Conflict in the Frontier town of Deerfield
Students use primary sources to investigate, explore and represent varying perspectives on the 1704 Deerfield Raid. They consider the reasons Deerfield was at the center of English, French and Native American conflicts in the early 18th...
Curated OER
American Jews and Civil Rights
Tenth graders examine the Civil Rights movement of the 1960's and how American Jews were involved. They discuss the responsibilities of any minority or ethnic group. They consider the process of change in politics as well.
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Refugees from the Caribbean: Cuban and Haitian “Boat People”
Should refugees fleeing poverty be allowed the same entrance into the United States as those fleeing persecution? High schoolers read about US foreign policy in the late 20th century regarding refugees from Cuba and Haiti, and engage in...
American Chemical Society
Dissolving Different Liquids in Water
Not many youngsters realize that solids aren't the only materials that can possibly be dissolved in water. During this investigation, they find out that some liquids can dissolve in water as well. This is part of a unit on solubility,...
Curated OER
Jews in America at the Time of Growth and Change: Forging New Frontiers
Tenth graders examine the role of Jewish Americans in the 1900s. They examing the changes in industry and inventions. They also identify how Jewish Americans changed society and religious organization.
Curated OER
Weaving a Story of Cooperation: The Goat in the Rug
Weaving is an important part of Navajo culture. Read The Goat in the Rug to your fourth and fifth graders, and give them a glimpse into the process of rug making from the point of view of a goat! They will learn new vocabulary words and...
Federal Reserve Bank
Gini in a Bottle: Some Facts on Income Inequality
Delve into the hard numbers and fundamental concept of income inequality in the United States, using graphs, detailed reading materials, and an organized activity.
American Chemical Society
Dissolving a Substance in Different Liquids
Second of six lessons in a unit on dissolving, this one focuses on how sugar behaves in different liquids. Learners stir it into water, alcohol, and oil and make observations. This lesson can stand alone, but is best used as part of the...
Curated OER
Thomas Edison's Inventions in the 1900s and Today: From "New" to You!
Young scholars research types of technology available to Americans at the beginning of the 20th century and compare the style of living to modern times. They identify Thomas Edison's contributions to technology and their own current...
Curated OER
Famous Americans
Students investigate famous Americans. In this American history and research lesson plan, students choose a famous American to research, collect information from a variety of sources, and create a related PowerPoint presentation.
Curated OER
Everything American
Eighth graders complete an American slideshow. In this American culture instructional activity, 8th graders take digital photographs of things they believe contribute to American culture. They create a slideshow showing these photographs.
Curated OER
Latin American Film
High schoolers explore the Latin American film industry. In this Latin American film lesson plan, students compare Latin American films to American films as they watch segments of "Que Viva Mexico!" High schoolers research the painters...
Curated OER
The American Flag and the Pledge of Allegiance
Young scholars create an iMovie about what they have learned about the American flag as a conclusion to an eight-day unit.
Curated OER
Student Travel in the Shadow of War
Students research on the Web and in magazines and newspapers what a variety of school districts have decided on student travel during the War in Iraq. Students examine the rationale the administrators or state officials use for canceling...
Curated OER
William Apess and the Mashpee "Revolt" of 1833
Prompt your class with the following question: What was the status of American Indians in Massachusetts during Jackson's presidency? To answer this question, class members will read a series of primary source documents (attached),...
National Constitution Center
American Treasures
Just how long did it take the framers to write the Constitution? What role did the drafting process play? Scholars examine various drafts from the Constitutional Convention to gain a better understanding of its formation. Interactive...
Daughters of the American Revolution
Lesson 1: How Do Society’s Expectations Influence Education?
The history of women's education can be traced back to the delicate stitching of student samplers from the 19th century. Modern-day pupils examine and analyze four primary sources, three of which are images of embroidered samplers, which...
Curated OER
What's in the Time Capsule? A Technology-Connected Lesson Plan
Twelfth graders use computers and the Internet to research a specified area, word processors to prepare an essay, a digital camera, a video camera gather visuals, and a scanner to add visuals to a PowerPoint presentation as they discover...
Curated OER
America on the Home-Front during WWII
Here are 35 images ready to complement your next lecture on the Home-Front during WWII. While there isn't any text in this presentation, it won't matter. Each image is a great representation of what life was like for the people back...
Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary
Ingenious: Franklin Assembles a Scientific Community
Few Americans have heard of the burgeoning scientific community known as the America Philosophical society, started by none other than Benjamin Franklin. With inquiry, research, and discussion, high schoolers come to understand their...
Facing History and Ourselves
The Legacies of Reconstruction
The final lesson in the seven-resource Reconstruction Era collection examines the legacies of Reconstruction. Class members investigate why the period has been called an "unfinished revolution," "a splendid failure," and "the second...