Curated OER
Tales of Truman's Travels Fifty Years Ago
Fourth graders study President Truman and the Whistlestop Campaign. In this US history lesson, 4th graders complete a KWL about President Truman and write letters to stops on Truman's Whistlestop Campaign. Students create a presentation...
Curated OER
Prosecution or Persecution
Investigate the future of the presidency in the wake of the House of Representatives' vote to impeach President Clinton. The class brainstorms both sides of the argument, reads and discusses an article, then analyzes and writes a journal...
Center for Civic Education
Orb and Effy Learn About Authority
Simplify the teaching of the US Constitution with this primary grade social studies lesson. While reading a fun story about an imaginary place called Bubble Land, children learn about the concept of authority and the importance of rules...
Curated OER
Cartoons in the Classroom: The Stimulus Package
A large pig labeled "Stimulus Package" wrapped in an American flag is the primary image on this political cartoon. Ready for analysis, this activity provides learners with the opportunity to understand the pros and cons of US spending...
Heritage Foundation
The House of Representatives
The House of Representatives has a lot of responsibility in the United States government. But how did it all begin, and why is it the way it is now? A comprehensive lesson answers all of these questions about the US Constitution and...
Curated OER
President William McKinley
In this US history worksheet, students read a biography about President William McKinley and answer 6 multiple choice questions.
Curated OER
Baseball Saved Us Teacher’s Guide
Students read the book "Baseball Saved Us" and respond to the story through writing activities. In this reading lesson, students create a chart of events which they predict will take place in the story. Students then use their chart as...
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum
Military Advisers in Vietnam: 1963
How did the beginning of the Vietnam War factor into the Cold War with the Soviet Union? As part of a study of American involvement in Vietnam, class members read a letter address to President Kennedy and his response in which he...
Polk Country Schools
The Death of Abraham Lincoln DBQ
The assassination of Abraham Lincoln was a pivotal moment in American history, but what were the immediate effects throughout the newly unified country? A document-based question focuses on the consequences of the first assassination of...
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Military Conscription in World War I: Alabamians Express Their Opinions
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 second...
K12 Reader
Find the Meaning: JFK's Inaugural Speech
Analyze a seminal speech from the 20th century with an activity focused on President John F. Kennedy's inaugural address. After reading an excerpt from the address, pupils use a worksheet to practice their reading comprehension skills...
PBS
Pearl Harbor and the Internment of Japanese Americans during World War II
Balancing national security and civil liberties can be tricky. To appreciate the tension between these two concepts, class members investigate the Japanese attack on the U.S. Naval Base at Pearl Harbor and President Franklin D....
Curated OER
Women’s Suffrage Movement
Though the movement for Women's Suffrage stretched over several decades and across two centuries, the final few years were the most difficult hurdle in many ways. Use a document-based question writing exercise to make inferences about...
Curated OER
How was the Constitution Used to Organize the New Government?
How did the United States Congress determine how the new president and vice president would be named when the nation was first established? Who would provide money for the government, and how would the executive branch be organized?
Curated OER
Chapter 3 – Antebellum Innovation, Politics, and the Jackson Administration
The inter-war Antebellum Era was a fascinating time in U.S. History! In this textbook response worksheet, historians read assigned textbook pages regarding the topics and respond to 46 short answer display questions regarding the...
Curated OER
Citizens of the Future
Young sociologists explore how local, state, and federal governments work. This very impressive and ambitious lesson requires pupils to contact government officials who represent them and their families. They research elections, and hold...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
The Iran Nuclear Deal and Its Critics
What was the purpose of the Iranian Nuclear Deal? An insightful resource explains nuclear tensions in the Middle East and Iranian weapon development that contributed to the Nuclear Deal in 2013. Academics learn the agreement limited...
Curated OER
History by Heroes
Pupils role play one of the Presidents between 1877 and today. Individually, they use the internet to research the President through official documents, political cartoons and various editorials. Throughout the year, they are asked to...
Curated OER
Chapter 24 – The JFK & LBJ Administrations
For this 20th century American history worksheet, students read assigned textbook pages regarding the Kennedy and Johnson presidencies and respond to 46 short answer questions.
Curated OER
United States Entry into WWI: Two Diametrically Opposed Views
Young scholars reconsider the events leading to US entry into WWI through the lens of archival documents.
Curated OER
US Government: The Checks and Balances System of the US Constitution
Students examine the responsibilities of the 3 branches of U.S. government. In this checks and balances lesson, students identify the powers of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government. Students share examples of...
Curated OER
US Government: Foreign Policy
Learners explore the basic precepts of American foreign policy. In this diplomacy lesson, students read textbook chapters regarding American foreign policy practices before and after World War II. Learners also watch a filmstrip...
Curated OER
Can History Be Rewritten?
Can history be rewritten? Or, more precisely, is history documented accurately? High school juniors and seniors compare primary source material with secondary sources. For example, they compare President Roosevelt's December 29, 1940...
Curated OER
My Secret War: Lesson 5
Fifth graders determine how freedom comes with rights and responsibilities through literature and poetry about World War II. In this World War II lesson, 5th graders use the letters in the word "infamy" to write an acrostic poem. They...