Middle Tennessee State University
A House Divided: The Civil War Home Front in Tennessee
To broaden their understanding of both the short term and long terms effects of the Civil War, class groups examine primary source materials and then assume the role of a family member and draft a letter to a soldier describing life at...
Polk County Public Schools
The Blame Game for the Loss at Pearl Harbor
Known as the day that will live in infamy, the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 was a shock to all. But why was the United States unprepared on that December morning? Study a series of primary sources in a document-based question that...
American Bar Association
What Is Separation of Powers?
Who has the power? Scholars investigate the creation of the three branches of government in the United States Constitution. They analyze just why the framers created the branches the way they did.
Deliberating in a Democracy
Public Demonstrations
Have you ever fought publicly for an idea you believe in? Scholars research and analyze the right to demonstrate peacefully. Incorporating different real-life scenarios as well as legal decisions exposes the concept of democracy and free...
Mr. Nussbaum
Fort Sumter Reading Comprehension
The Battle of Fort Sumter was both the first and the least deadly battle of the American Civil War, with no soldiers lost during the lengthy bombardment. Learn more about the first shots of the Civil War with a short reading passage and...
ProCon
Drinking Age
Eighteen is the age of adulthood in the United States, but 21 is the legal drinking age. Pupils use the provided website to determine whether the age to legally purchase and consume alcohol should be lowered. They weigh the pros and...
Beverly Hills High School
Napoleon: What Would You Do?
Begin a study of Napoleon Bonaparte and the French Revolution by presenting class members with 10 situations that Napoleon would face as he rose to power. Individuals select one of three options for each scenario that represents what...
K12 Reader
Branches of Government
Set down the basics of the three branches of government with the reading passage included here. After reading, class members answer five questions related to the passage.
K12 Reader
What's the Purpose? FDR's Pearl Harbor Speech
FDR's December 7, 1941 address to the nation is the focus of a reading comprehension exercise that asks middle schoolers to read an excerpt from the Pearl Harbor speech and determine the president's purpose.
Institute for Energy and Environmental Research
Practice with Scientific Notation
Zeroes are more important than they look! A guided practice activity takes learners through the process of both scientific and decimal notation, culminating in more complex word problems and equations.
University of California
Containing Communism Abroad
Learn more about the policy of the United States to contain communism during the Cold War. The fifth installment of an eight-part series looks at primary and secondary materials about a challenging time in history. After analyzing the...
US Holocaust Museum
The Art and Politics of Arthur Szyk
Have you ever listened to a song that had a deeper political meaning to it? Every examined a work of art with layers of meaning? Pupils analyze the drawings of Arthur Szyk. They research the deeper meaning of several artistic cartoons...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
The Cold War: How Did It Start? How Did It End?
What is the difference between a Cold War and a Hot War? Scholars research the beginning of the Cold War. They analyze diary entries as well as excerpts from various events during the 45-year standoff. To finish, they prepare final...
Curated OER
A Day in the Life of a Veteran: Oral History
Seventh graders conduct an interview with a veteran of a recent war to provide an account of military conflicts. In this oral history lesson, 7th graders research a recent war and write interview questions for their research. Students...
Curated OER
W.A.R. (Wars Are Real)
Eighth graders research America's involvement in wars and conflicts throughout its history. They are assigned a specific war or conflict and then research basic facts and what society was like in the era of their research. They present...
Curated OER
Child Soldiers
Students investigate the military recruitment that exists in many foreign countries. They research the occurrence of using children in the military and its social implications. For research the activity contains a great variety of...
Curated OER
Europe's Last Resort
Learners explore the statement issued by the European Union with regards to the use of military force in Iraq, and discuss it and related issues. They write a position paper supporting one of the countries or a person or organization.
Curated OER
Virginia's Five Geographic Regions
Tenth graders study the products and industries of five major geographic regions in Virginia. They use web based resources to examine maps of Virginia and to make a large classroom map which they label with the products and industries....
Curated OER
Fielding Fears
Students consider how real the threat of terrorism might be after military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, and then explore the terrorist attacks of May, 2003.
Curated OER
Forceful Persuasion
Students investigate U.S. foreign policy in Middle Eastern countries, and rank their level of support for American military and diplomatic actions.
Curated OER
Turning the Tide in the Pacific, 1941-1943
Students analyze the Japanese strategy for the Pacific and compare it to the Allied strategy. They identify on a map the sites that were important the early war in the Pacific, and identify key military engagements.
Curated OER
We Thank You, Veteran!
Fifth graders use information from videos, picture books, and relatives' military backgrounds to write a short or extended message of gratitude on a greeting card for local veterans.
Curated OER
Two Faces Of Greece: Athens And Sparta
Pupils investigate the civilizations of Ancient Greece while focusing upon the city-states of Greece and Sparta. They conduct research using a variety of resources. The information is used to create the context for a variety of activities.
Curated OER
Wounded Knee Massacre
Students interpret historical evidence presented in primary and secondary resources. For this Westward Expansion lesson, students examine sources regarding the Battle of Wounded Knee from the perspective of Lakota fighters and...