And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country. And so begins your invigorating, innovative learning experience in the JFK Challenge app! Learners...

What rights are guaranteed to students? Do they align with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was approved by the United Nations in 1948? Middle and high schoolers present persuasive arguments about the rights they believe...

Looking for ideas on ways to recognize Veteran's Day? Check out this 92-page packet that includes exercises designed for all grade levels. Reading passages detail the history of the holiday, research projects get individuals involved in...

Young historians investigate how voting patterns have changed by comparing the outcome of the 1960 election to the outcome of the recent election. A creative final assessment has participants making a news show wherein they provide...

If called, would you go? Should the US government have the power to impose a draft during any war? The Selective Service Act of 1917 (aka the Conscription Act of 1917) authorized the drafting of men into the military for only the...

Election years provide the opportunity to evaluate news media as well as the next prospective president. High schoolers read about the same event in several different news sources, varying in type, origin, and political leaning,...

For many people, Barack Obama's presidency was the next step in Martin Luther King, Jr's dream of America's future. Explore the dreams of Americans past and present, as well as the young Americans in your class, with a set of activities...

Students examine the War on Terror. For this national security lesson, students read articles about the War on Terror and President Obama's foreign policy. Students respond to discussion questions and debate the presence of...

Students research the Civil War and the Battle of Gettysburg. In this Gettysburg lesson, students analyze journals and letters written by the Gettysburg soldiers. Students define Civil War soldier vocabulary words. Students compare and...

Students are provided an avenue to express his/her understanding of the life skills being taught and connect the life and times of Harry Truman to the life skills being taught for the purpose of adding relevance for each student.

Students explore the basic precepts of American foreign policy. In this diplomacy lesson plan, students read textbook chapters regarding American foreign policy practices before and after World War II. Students also watch a...

Students analyze the process of Reconstruction after the Civil War.  In this U.S. History lesson, students discuss specific details about Reconstruction with the class, then complete a worksheet with multiple activities reinforcing...

Eleventh graders explore the term Affirmative Action.  In this US History lesson, 11th graders create a presentation that will determine the future of federal affirmative action programs.  Students write a speech that will be...

Upper graders listen to a podcast on the EconTalk website featuring economist Keith Hennessey. The podcast focuses on the Budget Control Act of 2011, the national debt, and government spending. They read specifics about the BCA, then...

“Ich bin ein Berliner.” Here’s the full text of John F. Kennedy’s famous address delivered to the people of Berlin on June 26, 1963. The resource could be used as part of a study of Kennedy’s presidency, of rhetorical devices, or as...

Eleventh graders examine the Dust Bowl in American History.  In this US History lesson, 11th graders read a transcript on the Dust Bowl.  Students analyze a video on the Dust Bowl. 

Fifth graders inquire and research using secondary and primary resources.  In this leadership traits unit, 5th graders investigate information about Harry S. Truman and present on his early life and leadership abilities....

Fifth graders complete a unit of lessons on the life of Abraham Lincoln. They read and analyze a poem, create a timeline, write an essay, research The Gettysburg Address and The Emancipation Proclamation, explore websites, and interview...

Ninth graders investigate specific individuals involved in Operation Iraqi Freedom and working backward to stories from World War II.  In this US History lesson, 9th graders read documents that depict the conflicts faced by...

Students examine American foreign policy. In this diplomacy instructional activity, students research Internet sources to identify and describe foreign policy events that have shaped the United States and examine the role of the United...

In this primary source analysis activity, students analyze a letter from young women in want of CCC jobs of their own during Great Depression. Students respond to 3 short answer questions about the letter to Roosevelt.

Students research three specific and relevant events that occurred during a particular presidential period. They research that period, create a multi-media slideshow, and present it to the class.

High schoolers explore economic security at the local and national level during the time period preceding the 2008 presidential election. They fill out surveys on their thoughts and concerns regarding the US economy, and watch...

Students study the Reconstruction Era after the US Civil War. In this Reconstruction lesson set, students examine the problems that were encountered by the South after the Civil War, look at different plans for Reconstruction, and...