University of Arkansas
Promises Denied
"Promises Denied," the second instructional activity in a unit that asks learners to consider the responsibilities individuals have to uphold human rights, looks at documents that illustrate the difficulty the US has had trying to live...
Museum of the American Revolution
Object Observation: Purpose on a Powder Horn?
Young archeologists discover the significance of ordinary objects from the past in an interesting lesson on artifact analysis. The activity focuses on examining the image of a powder horn from the Revolutionary War to understand what it...
Curated OER
Critical Reading, Imaginative Writing and the Montage
Students discuss the difference between primary and secondary sources and consider how an exhibit is researched. They design and create a montage that reflects themselves in a social and historical context.
Curated OER
Why the US Fought and Lost the Vietnam War
Students examine the role of the United States in the Vietnam War. For this Vietnam War lesson, students research primary and secondary sources to find out why the United States was involved in the war and why it was unsuccessful in the...
Curated OER
Cabeza de Vaca Meets the Coahuiltecans
Seventh graders examine Cabeza de Vaca's journal and differentiate between primary and secondary sources. They, in groups, design posters that portray the culture of the Coahuiltecan Indians in Texas during the 16th century.
Curated OER
World War I: Letters from the Front
Students reesearch life on the home front and the front lines during World War I. They use primary and secondary sources to write letters. Students role-play as soldiers writing letters home and then assume the role of the person...
Curated OER
How Hard Were the Times? Investigating the Meaning and Significance of the Great Depression
Students examine causes and effects of Great Depression and its significance on twentieth-century life, analyze value of various types of historical information, specifically primary sources, and relate events, issues, problems, and...
Curated OER
Roughing It in the Backwoods
Young scholars have the opportunity to practice research and essay-writing skills using primary and secondary source materials. They explore aspects of early settlers' lives in the backwoods of Upper Canada.
Curated OER
Feminism Does Not Have to be an F-Word
Students analyze social activism messages in music. In this feminism lesson, students explore selected music that expresses sentiments voiced in the women liberation movement in the United States. Students compare the lyrics of the songs...
Curated OER
VA Statute for Religious Freedom, III
Young scholars analyze the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedoms and consider its implications. For this governing principles lesson, students explore primary and secondary sources regarding the document penned by Thomas Jefferson.
Curated OER
King David
Here is a quick worksheet on King David, the second king of Israel. It discusses his famous contest with the Philistine warrior Goliath and is followed by a few reading comprehension questions.
Curated OER
America 2000: Federal Round Table Discussion
Eighth graders examine the United States Constitution and identify the beliefs and values Americans follow today. In groups, they compare and contrast state's rights and federal rights and the issues affecting them. They debate the...
Curated OER
The Automobile’s Influence on Post-WWII Suburbia
Eighth graders explore post World War II America. In this American History lesson, 8th graders analyze primary and secondary sources to research how the automobile influenced the growth of suburbs, and how the growth of suburbs...
Curated OER
The Embodied Presidency
Tenth graders compare and contrast the immigration reform policies of Presidents Reagan and Bush. For this immigration lesson, 10th graders examine primary documents related to each president's policy for immigration reform. Students...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Albert Sabin and Bioethics: Testing at the Chillicothe Federal Reformatory
Do the ends justify the means? Getting a drug approved in the US is a long and involved process. But at some point out, it involves testing on humans. The ethics of such testing is the focus of a resource that uses Dr. Albert...
Intersectional Black Panther Party History Project, IPHP
Teaching the History of the Black Panther Party: 5 Essential FAQ’s
What are the facts about the Black Panther Party? Was it, as J. Edgar Hoover contended, a terrorist organization and a threat to national security? Or a group of indviduals bound together by a desire to protect and nurture their...
Boston University
South African Short Stories: Apartheid, Civil Rights, and You
How are short stories from South Africa connected to issues of civil rights in the United States? A unit plan uses South African short stories to discuss issues such as apartheid, colonization, and civil rights. Questions and activities...
Curated OER
Levittown, White Picket Paradise?
Pupils study the origins and happenings of Levittown, Pennsylvania. For this Pennsylvania history lesson plan, students use primary and secondary sources to research the beginnings of Levittown, PA. As a culminating activity, pupils...
Curated OER
Give Me Liberty
Young scholars define the term "liberty." They explore the concept of liberty in our nation's history and how it is reflected throughout our rich culture. Students connect the office of the presidency to our nations' development and its...
Curated OER
Pluralism
Students analyze advantages and disadvantages of living in a plurlistic society. They work in groups, to identify the various groups (blacks, whites, Asians, and Coloureds) in the era of apartheid in South Africa by using primary and...
Curated OER
"Medieval Travels, The Mongols and the Silk Road Across Asia"
Eleventh graders are able to take information obtained from the various readings of primary and secondary sources and classroom discussions directed by the instructor and relate it to the student's curretn real life experiences. They...
Curated OER
Pirate Research Project
Middle schoolers create an awareness of numerous pirates and their experiences in the Caribbean. They actively participate in research, using such information as the Internet, library reference materials and other literature for primary...
Curated OER
Age of Jackson
Learners work on political campaigns. For this campaign history lesson, students study the American presidential elections of 1824 and 1828. Learners research primary and secondary sources to learn about the campaigns. Students then...
Curated OER
Native American Presence in Deerfield, Massachusetts
Eleventh graders examine how in this volatile period, colonial powers and Native groups competed for trade goods and land, coming into conflict repeatedly. They also explore primary and secondary sources.