What element was worth more during the growth of empires in West Africa: gold or halite? After examining various pieces of evidence of primary and secondary source documents placed around the room, your class members will each make a...

This is an excellent resource for US history classes, especially AP history. After learning some background on the Marshall Plan, the class, divided into two groups, researches opposing positions on this aid program. Groups read and...

Fourth graders are introduced to primary and secondary sources. Using examples of each type of source, they work together to identify which are primary and which are secondary sources. They end the lesson by reviewing the...

Most twenty-first century pupils don't know how to interpret cuneiform. Examining images of cuneiform and papyrus writing and using a chart and Venn diagram, young historians extrapolate what life may have been like for people who lived...

World War I was known for its gruesome battlefields and horrific injuries. Using photographs from a battlefield surgeon's scrapbook, scholars see first-hand what life was like in the trenches. After creating a timeline of the war using...

Sometimes all kids need is a little guided practice and then they can be on their way. They can use an analysis activity to help them analyze a primary or secondary source document. They answer several questions describing the type of...

Mexican folk songs offer an authentic look at WWII immigrant workers. This study of the U.S. Bracero Program sets historians up with context information so they can write their own corrido. The class reviews themes and formulas of...

How do you convey someone’s creativity? Individuals answer the question as they design exhibitions to showcase the intellect and genius of Benjamin Franklin. After conducting research, classmates work in groups to try to capture and...

Here you'll find an extensive textbook chapter on Australia's indigenous people and the impact of European settlers on aboriginal tribes. The text includes several images, graphs, primary and secondary sources, follow-up...

Hedy Lamarr led a double life. Best known as an actress, Lamarr was also a brilliant inventor, responsible for the technology found in Wi-Fi, GPS, and Bluetooth. After studying primary and secondary source materials, groups conduct an...

Imagine breaking out of prison only to continue to go back in to get others out. Welcome to the life of Harriet Tubman. Scholars research her amazing life and her impact on abolition in the United States. Using primary and secondary...

Students discover how to use primary and secondary sources in research. In this Civil War lesson plan, students conduct research on slavery as they distinguish between primary and secondary sources regarding the same events.

In this sources of information worksheet, pupils respond to 7 fill in the blank questions regarding primary and secondary sources.

Students examine child labor laws. In this social justice instructional activity, students compare and contrast child labor laws of the United States and the state of Nebraska. Students research primary sources and complete the included...

High schoolers explore with Lewis and Clark. In this research skills lesson plan, students analyze primary and secondary source links to study the accomplishments of the Lewis and Clark expedition. High schoolers use their findings to...

Students examine push and pull factors at work in China. In this modern China activity, students research primary and secondary sources in electronic and print formats to investigate the plight of migrant workers in China today. Students...

Students explore women's rights. In this women's history lesson, students examine primary and secondary sources regarding the women's suffrage movement in the United States. Students compare and contrast the states' methods for achieving...

Learners examine World War I war crimes. For this world history instructional activity, high schoolers use primary and secondary sources to research and understand the action taken by the United States during the Armenian Genocide....

Young scholars interpret historical evidence presented in primary and secondary sources. In this Great Depression lesson, students read John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath and use ethnographic research...

What would future archeologists learn from your scholars' personal belongings? Have them bring in a box of "primary sources" from their home. Discuss the difference between observations and inference, using some of your own items to...

While the Industrial Revolution may have fueled America's rise to the top of world markets, the child laborers often faced dangerous conditions. Using primary source images and other information, scholars consider what these children...

What was daily life like for those attending segregated schools in 1925? Modern learners fill out a KWHL chart as they explore historical background and primary source documents about the Laurel Grove School in Fairfax County, Virginia....

Even though American slaves were officially emancipated in 1865, the effects of slavery perpetuated throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. Middle and high schoolers learn about the ways that discrimination and the Jim Crow laws...

David McCullough's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, 1776, is the focus of a 28-page teacher's guide. The guide includes pre-reading questions, background information about key British and American figures, and chapter-by-chapter lessons.