+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Jazz in America

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students learn where Jazz came from and why it is an important part of America's history.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words: Public Views of Lincoln

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students write a letter in the voice of Abraham Lincoln. In this history lesson, students interpret the way the public viewed Lincoln during various times by examining political cartoons and images. Students write a letter in the voice...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

American Indians

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Students research early Indian adaptations in this lesson. They research the different American Indian tribes. They also research and compare the tribes' rituals, daily lives, and their impact on the Europeans who came later to the...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Charleston Architectural Study

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Student learn about the historical significance and local history of Charlestown SC. Students begin with lectures, notes, coloring books and culminate with historical building visits.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Reliving History Through Slave Narratives

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students read slave narratives and retell the stories to the class, identifying sensory details. In this slavery lesson, students discuss the importance of sensory details, then read the slave narratives looking for specific examples. ...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

It's Just a Barn

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Investigate Pennsylvania Barns. Have your class consider the elements common to Pennsylvanian barns and why they are significant to the food production process. They write summaries of Frederick Watts and his impact on agriculture.
+
Lesson Plan
National First Ladies' Library

The Education of Freedmen...and Women and Children

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Pupils examine political debate surrounding Freedmen's Bureau, use primary sources to explore trials and successes of effort to educate newly-freed slaves of all ages, research reasons for creation of Freedmen's Bureau, discuss President...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Stop the Bus: Confronting Our Assumptions About Muslims in America

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore Virginia Interfaith Center's A More Perfect Union "Misunderstanding" Ad Campaign, view two episodes of PBS America at a Crossroads series, examine historical context of colonialism and geo-political tensions in Middle...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Forced to Move in More Ways Than One

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders explore the Native American movement. They study the Indian Removal Act of 1830, the Dawes Act of 1887, and the Indian Boarding Schools in 1887. They research each episode and create a Venn diagram poster.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Trails to the West

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders research American history of the 1850's. In this American history lesson, 8th graders write about how different American groups looked at the idea of Manifest Destiny. Students then draw the Oregon and Santa Fe Trail. 
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Railroads in Virginia

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students decscribe the importance of railroads, new industries, and the growth of cities to Virginia's economic development. They locate on a map the small towns and cities that grew because of the railroads and create a flow chart...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Historic Takes

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine photographs of memorials for veterans. They identify who is being honored and why. They research one hero they find interesting and create a memorial for them. They share their hero with the class.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Evaluating the "Save the Indian" Reforms

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore the policies of the "Save the Indian" reforms. Working in groups, they review the motives, methods, and effects of the "Save the Indian" campaign of the late 19th century. Through discussion and writing, they form an...