Young scholars share opinions about the conditions under which they might risk their lives for a cause. They write letters from the perspective of soldiers and family members during a tour of duty.

A picture is worth a thousand words, but sometimes a single word can go a long way as well. Practice making inferences about character traits with a letter written from the perspective of a soldier in the American Revolution.

Examine the effects and interesting facts regarding global conflict during WWI. Topics covered include The Lusitania, Zimmerman Telegram, the collapse of central powers, and John Pershing. Slides include informative text and images in a...

Do governments have the right to authorize individuals to perform illegal acts during times of war? Did the US government really employ pirates? Use the War of 1812 as your vessel to answering these questions through class discussion and...

The Battle of Fort Sumter was both the first and the least deadly battle of the American Civil War, with no soldiers lost during the lengthy bombardment. Learn more about the first shots of the Civil War with a short reading passage and...

African Americans fought in the Civil War, and they were recruited by both the Union and the Confederacy! By comparing the wording of posters—one directed at freedmen and another to the owners of enslaved people—young historians discover...

Students interpret historical evidence presented in primary resources. In this Civil War activity, students examine the service of African Americans in the Civil War and consider their plight to secure the rights and...

Eighth graders watch electronic field trip entitled Call to Arms, and simulate daily life of eighteenth-century soldier, including marching, camp building, cannon firing, and sharing common meal. Student groups form regiments by signing...

Students explore the role of women as soldiers during the Civil War period. They read about a young Brooklyn woman who concealed her identity to join the army and imagine how her family or fellow soldiers responded. They role play a...

Young scholars explore the studies on scientists building a mechanical super-soldier that can heal its own wounds. Students consider and discuss the implications of mastering and using this type of technology. Young scholars analyze the...

Students analyze the poem, "The Colored Soldier" by Langston Hughes to gain a greater experience of how poets use language to create meaning, influence thinking and thus become pioneers of change in American society. They work on the...

Students investigate maps to examine the life of a Confederate soldier based on troop movements as well as letters and diaries.

Tenth graders observe several films, including The Divided Union, focusing on the conditions of slavery and African American soldiers in the Union Army. In addition, they watch Uncle Tom's Cabin and Glory to reinforce their knowledge of...

Students investigate the concept of foot soldiers with oral history. They are provided with primary and secondary resources. Students differentiate the terms of oral history versus the written record of history. They have class...

Middle schoolers read and interpret letters about James Vanderhoef included in lesson. Students make connections and note interesting vocabulary used in the letters. Middle schoolers generate a list of questions about the soldier's life...

Eighth graders examine the role of Indiana soldiers in the Civil War. In this American Civil War lesson, 8th graders listen to a lecture about the involvement of Indiana soldiers in the war and then analyze letters written home by the...

Fourth graders research soldiers in the Civil War. In this Civil War lesson plan, 4th graders listen to the story Pink and Say by Patricia Polacco and identify the main events. They read facts about "Hoosiers in the Civil War" and...

In this Roman times worksheet, students view and interpret a drawing that shows a street from Roman times with soldiers and buildings. Students state what this drawing tells them about Roman soldiers and buildings.

Students investigate the military recruitment that exists in many foreign countries. They research the occurrence of using children in the military and its social implications. For research the instructional activity contains a great...

Students design and create a poster, advertising for recruitment of African American volunteers for the Tuskegee Airmen. Students Create a historical newspaper front page, from 1996, which details the awarding of the Medal of Honor to...

Young scholars examine letters written by Union soldiers fighting in the South during the Civil War, and write descriptions of the South using information found in the letters.

Introduce your middle and high schoolers to a different perspective on war: that of  soldier's. Read Guisseppi Ungaretti's poem "Vigil" to kick-start this instructional activity. After discussing his perspective, read "The Screaming...

What do the homecoming experiences of soldiers who fought in WWII, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan reveal about the politics and culture of the US during the time period of each war? Young historians view The Way We Get By, which tells...

Students examine the process and effects of World War I on different segments of the population, beyond the political, diplomatic and military framework of the war. They analyze the memoirs of soldiers, read poetry of the time, and...