Curated OER
Resisting British Rule in America
Students examine the Sons of Liberty. In this lesson plan on British rule, students analyze terrorism vs. patriotism through a variety of different perspectives. This lesson plan includes instruction, assessment, Internet resources, and...
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Age of Enlightenment
Studnets compare example of primary documents that have shaped U.S. government and our Constitution.
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An Introduction to the National Archives
Fifth graders study the national archives through both images AND visiting the site. This is meant to provide them with an understanding of what documents are important to the U.S. and why (i.e. Declaration of Independence, etc...).
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United States Colored Troops in Missouri: Finding African American History at the M
Students analyze primary source documents about African American soldiers in Missouri. They work together to complete a worksheet about the document. They discuss the information they gathered as a class.
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The People of Kansas
Students investigate primary sources to experience first- hand accounts of Kansas pioneers. They write an historical fiction letter or skit based on territorial documents.
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VA Statute for Religious Freedom, II. Matching Activity
Students read and analyze primary source documents. In this matching lesson, students read sections of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom. Students match the document sections with paraphrased sections and discuss the accuracy of...
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What is an American?
Young scholars investigate how the definition of being American has changed over the years using online primary source documents.
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Common Sense Lesson Plan
Students examine excerpts of "Common Sense" and determine how it influenced the times. Using other primary source documents, they identify the amount of political discourse before and during the American Revolution. They answer questions...
Curated OER
Civil Rights and the Michigan Supreme Court I: A Case of Racial Discrimination in the late 1800s and Minority Supreme Court Justices
Learners read the decision of the Michigan Supreme Court in the Ferguson v. Gies, a case dealing with discrimination in a restaurant. They participate in a class discussion about the case and the justices that presided over it. They...
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Focused Learning Lesson
Eleventh graders analyze charts and primary source documents to compare life in the 1940s and 1950s. They are encouraged to examine the economy, government, sports and education.
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The New Deal
High schoolers investigate the history behind The New Deal through using primary source documents. This allows students to discover history with limited background knowledge. They answer questions and receive further clarification with...
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Serach for the Lost Cave People
Students examine primary source documents to draw inferences about 17th century American colonists.
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Consumer Culture in the 1950s: New Shopping Centers and Advertising trends
Eleventh graders analyze the cultural and social aspects of the 1950s. Using primary source documents, they work together to determine what society was like. They use that information to write an essay about how their information...
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Pioneering Spirits: A Personalized History of Our Jewish Community
Students travel in groups to various stations to discover the history of the Jewish community. At each station, they read primary source documents about the history of their community and research their own family history. They mix...
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The 2004 Presidential Election
Students examine the 2004 Presidential election between George W. Bush and John Kerry. Using a variety of primary source documents, they discover where the candidates stood on the issues. In groups, they create a tableau in which they...
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Coming to Terms: Stories of Southeast Asian Political Refugees
Eleventh graders examine the reasons why Southeast Asian refugees left their home for the United States. They conduct interviews and research their suffering and history. They examine primary source documents to better understand their...
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Wright Brothers Centennial: North Carolina, Creation and Development of the State
Eighth graders examine technological advances and how they influenced the quality of life in North Carolina. Using maps, they locate the city of Kitty Hawk and discuss why it was chosen for the first flight. They read primary source...
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If We Knew Then What We Know Now -- Cuban Missile Crisis (Background)
High schoolers examine the background of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Using the foreign policy decision-making process, they simulate and elaborate the processe involved. They identify the causes of the misconceptions that plagued the...
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Voices at Whisper Bend
Students examine life in Pennsylvania during and after World War II. Using primary source documents, they compare the unity of the United States during World War II and the Iraq War. They also discover how citizens adapt to the war at home.
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Building Texas: the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Lesson Plan
Seventh graders study the engineering projects that the US Army Corps of Engineers initiated during the development of Texas. They examine primary source documents that are in digital and print form, and identify US Army Corp of Engineer...
Smithsonian Institution
The Proper Gentlemen: George Washington and "The Rules of Civility"
Young scholars read and interpret a portion of the "Rules of Civility." They describe the significance of these rules in Washington's time. They discuss how the rules might be significant in today's world. They write rules of etiquette...
Curated OER
History and Analysis of Cryptography
Young scholars are introduced to the code systems and art of cryptography. As a class, they review prior knowledge and brainstorm lists. Using the internet, they research the history of codes and determine how they are structured. ...
Museum of Tolerance
Can It Happen in America?: Taking Social Action
Class members investigate the Jim Crow Laws, Executive Order 9066, the Chinese Exclusion Act, and the Indian Removal Act to gather information about not only the challenges encountered by diverse groups of Americans, but their...
City University of New York
Presidential Elections and the Electoral College
To understand the controversy surrounding the US 2000 presidential election, class members investigate the rationale behind the Electoral Collage, the intimidation involved in the election of 1876, and the 2004 American League...