New York State Education Department
US History and Government Examination: June 2012
The reform movements—such as abolition, the push for women's suffrage, and the labor movement—shaped modern America. A document analysis activity and essay prompt help learners consider why. Other items in the high-level exam include an...
New York State Education Department
US History and Government Examination: June 2011
Those who lived during the Great Depression could clearly draw a line between the roaring 1920s and the desolation of the following decade. Class members examine these two periods and compare them using an essay question prompt and...
Alabama Wildlife Federation
Colors to Dye for!
Nature provides a rainbow of colors at one's fingertips. A hands-on activity uses natural plant materials to create all-natural dyes. Plants range from fruits and vegetables to flowers and greens. After extracting the pigments, eager...
Curated OER
Preserving the Memory
Young historians explore ways to help preserve historic battlefields and artifacts. Designed for secondary scholars, the resource focuses on Civil War battlefields and the National Registrar of Historic Places Application. Pupils also...
American Battlefield Trust
Civil War Battle Strategy
But for a fluke, 1862 could have gone differently during the Civil War. When Union troops found Robert E. Lee's battle plans for critical engagements in Maryland wrapped around cigars and tossed aside, history changed forever. Class...
Judicial Branch of California
The Constitution: What It Says and What It Means
Learners get the chance to act as representatives to the Constitution Convention, and must decide whether or not to recommend your state ratify the new framework. After examining the Constitution line-by-line, they consider their...
Judicial Branch of California
Planet Fourth Grade is Researching the U.S. Constitution
Using the Constitutional Convention as a model, learners create their own governments. Other activities to explore the American Constitution include creating posters to help explain the Bill of Rights.
Constitutional Rights Foundation
270 Votes to Win: The Electoral College in the United States
What exactly is the Electoral College and how does it work? The lesson is part of a larger series on government that explains what the Electoral College is and how it helps determine an election winner. Academics participate in...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Purged From the Voter Rolls: Husted v. A. Philip Randolph Institute
Once a registered voter isn't always a registered voter. Academics explore the topic of voter registration and hindrances to remaining registered. The resource focuses on data analysis, federal voter registration law, and Supreme Court...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Why Don’t More People in the U.S. Vote?
To vote or not to vote, that is the question. Secondary scholars explore voter turnout in the United States. The resource uses informational text, group discussion, and a worksheet to help academics understand hindrances to voting...
National Endowment for the Humanities
“From Time to Time”: Presidents and Communicating with the Public
While the Constitution requires a "State of the Union" address, it doesn't give many details. In fact, it wasn't until Woodrow Wilson that the periodic update to Congress was given in-person. Using primary sources, recordings and...
Teaching Tolerance
The Truth About Voting
True or False: Only Presidential elections matter. Academics delve into common voting myths to understand what is true and why the election process is critical to democracy. The lesson uses group discussion, activities, and handouts to...
Teaching Tolerance
Free to Believe!
The United States: One nation with countless religions. An interesting lesson focuses on the freedom of religion protected under the First Amendment. Academics learn why it is important to protect all religions, why there is a separation...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Hopi Traditional Dance and Song
Very few outsiders get to see the Hopi "Butterfly Dance." However, using approved footage from the tribe, class members consider the importance of symbols in Hopi culture by watching the dance and analyzing lyrics from its songs....
American Art Clay Co., Inc.
Ceramic Tile Wall Murals
Science, social studies, language arts, and art classes work together with administrators to produce a permanent, ceramic tile wall mural to install at their school.
Curated OER
Native Americans in Arkansas: The Quapaw
The Quapaw Indians of Arkansas are the focus of this American history lesson plan. Learners discover many aspects of the Quapaw culture, such as their dwellings, social organization, food, and how the tribe was eventually driven out of...