Curated OER
Presidents and the Constitution: Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation
Students consider the impact of Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation In this U.S. Constitution lesson, students read a narrative regarding the move by Lincoln to officially end slavery. Students take notes on the case and respond to...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Factory vs. Plantation in the North and South
North is to factory as South is to plantation—the perfect analogy for the economy that set up the Civil War! The first lesson in a series of five helps teach beginners why the economy creates a driving force for conflict. Analysis of...
James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation
Those "Other Rights:" The Constitution and Slavery
Did the United States Constitution uphold the institution of slavery, or did it help to destroy it? Young historians study Article 4, Section 2, Clause 3 of the Constitution and evaluate the rights of slaveowners as they compared to or...
Southern Poverty Law Center
Teaching Hard History: A Framework for Teaching American Slavery
Pupils investigate American slavery from colonial times through the Civil War. They incorporate primary sources, video clips, and firsthand accounts to understand how the slavery issue gripped the nation. Essays, presentations, and...
Kentucky Department of Education
Kentuckians in the Civil War Era: Constructed Response Essay
What part did Kentucky play in the Civil War? A constructed response essay assignment tests to ensure scholars understand the concepts and the arguments for the causes of the Civil War. Learners must read a primary source quote and then...
Curated OER
Lincoln, Emancipation, and the Constitution
Students determine how President Lincoln promoted emancipation. In this slavery lesson, students examine primary documents, including the U.S. Constitution, to reconstruct Lincoln's attempts to end slavery and deliver the Emancipation...
Curated OER
Abraham Lincoln, the 1860 Election, and the Future of the American Union and Slavery
High schoolers examine Abraham Lincoln's political views about slavery. In this American Civil War lesson, students determine how Lincoln's beliefs led to the restriction of slavery in American territories. Student also analyze the party...
Curated OER
Comparisons, Redeeming Slavery, and Code words.
Students compare and contrast parallels between various aspects of slavery. In this anti-slavery lesson students examine types of slavery from the Holocaust to contemporary issues of slavery in the world today.
Curated OER
The Antebellum South
Your history students will be on the edges of their seats during this fascinating presentation, which details the abolition movement and slave life during the Antebellum period in the American South. Students will be left agape at the...
Curated OER
Slavery and Abolition: Three Unforgettable Names
Students research the people and events involved in the abolitionist movement prior to the U.S. Civil War. They read about and discuss the roles of Nat Turner, Harriet Tubman, and John Brown. Students complete a word splash, Venn...
Curated OER
The Great State!
The creation of state home pages is the focus of this lesson. Learners research one of15 states for which special State Quarters have been released, and create a home page for that state. They also perform Internet research and utilize...
Curated OER
Chalkboard Challenge: Social Studies Online
If used as an independent review, this presentation could be a quick way for students to study U.S. History facts. Since it only presents a few simple facts, it would not be adequate for a comprehensive review, but a teacher could...
Curated OER
Slavery in the United States: Primary Sources and the Historical Record Lesson
Students analyze primary source documents to determine how life was for slaves. In this slavery lesson plan, students view online resources from the Library of Congress to analyze and discuss. Students select a final object to analyze...
Curated OER
Slavery: Population Growth in Arkansas
Eighth graders examine the number of slaves in Arkansas in each census period from 1820 to 1860. They graph the data using the proper labeling and write a paragraph summarizing the data from each period making comparisons between slave...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
History of Immigration Through the 1850s
Everyone living in the United States today is a descendant from an immigrant—even Native Americans. Learn about the tumultuous history of American immigration with a reading passage that discusses the ancient migration over the Bering...
Curated OER
Voyage to Freedom - What Does It Mean?
Fifth graders investigate the Underground Railroad by creating a quilt. In this U.S. History lesson, 5th graders discuss the history of slavery through a class "word splash" and by reading an Underground Railroad map online. Students...
Curated OER
Abraham Lincoln, the 1860 Election, and the Future of the American Union and Slavery
Learners examine the political alternatives regarding the spread of slavery and the preservation of the American union facing the American people in the decade leading up to the 1860 presidential election.
Curated OER
Juneteenth Proclamation Jubilation
Learners research the U.S. holiday Juneteenth and examine the historical elements that contributed to the delayed announcement of the emancipation of slaves in Texas. They recreate a facsimile of the Emancipation Proclamation with the...
Curated OER
Slavery
Fifth graders complete a short unit on slavery and the U.S. Civil War. They read and analyze the book, "Follow the Drinking Gourd," compose their own secret song, complete an Abraham Lincoln crossword puzzle, and dramatize a historical...
Curated OER
Plessy V. Ferguson: "Separate but Equal," Equal Protection
Students explore the details and impact of the Plessy vs. Ferguson U.S. Supreme Court case. In this U.S. History instructional activity, students participate in several group discussions and group activities that examine both sides of...
Curated OER
Making Connections: I Know Why Caged Birds Sing
Young scholars discuss equality and fairness by reading a Maya Angelo poem. In this U.S. history lesson, students read the poem I Know Why Caged Birds Sing, and discuss how the era it was written in affected the words. Young scholars...
Curated OER
Water Cycling in the Wilderness: Alaska quarter reverse
The Alaskan wilderness contains every imaginable element of the water cycle: it has flowing streams, cool spring rain, and frozen glaciers. Pupils use a series of worksheets to identify and define evaporation, condensation, and...
Curated OER
Civil Rights/Segregation
Sixth graders investigate Civil Rights by participating in role-playing activities. In this U.S. History lesson, 6th graders research the history of slavery in order to portray a story through their debating and acting abilities. ...
Curated OER
Underground Railroad
Students explore the Underground Railroad. In this U.S. history and technology lesson, students research an assigned topic related to the Underground Railroad, such as "abolitionist," "conductor," or "station houses." Students design a...