Ninth graders explore the meaning of the American dream and how it has been explained in various forms. After reading various immigrant accounts, 9th graders use poetry and writing to explain how different cultures view the American...

Students investigate the American Revolutionary War era from the perspective of Britain and the American colonists by researching causes, effects, events and people. They compare the views of the Colonists, and the British and recognize...

Students study the American Revolution using Google Earth and United Streaming online resources. In this American Revolution lesson, students complete a KWL chart with information they know about the American Revolution. Students then...

Students investigate famous Americans. In this American history and research lesson, students choose a famous American to research, collect information from a variety of sources, and create a related PowerPoint presentation.

Learners investigate the concept of a biography by using famous African Americans for a subject. Each student is assigned one biography and conducts research in order to complete an ABC book for the class that is used for display...

Students study Japanese American internment camps. In this American history lesson plan, students compare and contrast the camp internees' experiences with with team sports-related challenges students have encountered. Students discuss...

Students study the various patriotic symbols which represent America. They choose one, research its history, and write a report about it. They make a drawing of the symbol and use the drawing in a PowerPoint presentation for the rest of...

Third graders research the Native American nation of Kumeyaay. Scholars use the internet to research past history. Through email, 3rd graders communicate with a Kumeyaay child to discover life on a present day reservation. They create a...

Examine popular language and slang and how they have changed over the course of American history. Conduct Internet research, use an online interactive Colonial House website to translate 17th century language into 21st century language,...

Are American young people prepared to become tomorrow's leaders in technological innovation, or does an obsession with being cool sidetrack essential skills? That is the question freshmen and sophomores must address in a performance...

Twelfth graders examine the impact of African American culture on the United States by inspecting Faith Ringgold's story quilts. Working in groups, they create a collective story quilt about current cultural issues. They research their...

Seventh graders explore how influential people have taken a stand on difficult issues and the consequences that followed. This lesson connect American studens with students in England who present their own person for exploration.

The US Constitution is the beginning of Americans' rights. Use a five-paragraph passage to give a brief history of the US Constitution. A great last minute addition to a lesson on Constitution Day.

S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders is still relatable to teenagers today, even though it was written more than 50 years ago. Explore how the figurative language of the story works to establish characterization, and how foreshadowing lays...

Students examine Sojourner Truth's philanthropist acts during her life. They discover that everyone has the right to be heard by their government. They compare and contrast the woman's movement and the anti-slavery movement.

Students describe some of the characteristics of country and blues music. They see how country music rose to a nationally known music style. They write a two-paragraph essay on what they think country music be like in the next 100 years.

Here's an exercise designed for the Common Core Literacy Standard L.11-12.6 that asks learners to demonstrate their ability to put together all they have learned about language. The first activity is based on a passage from Rosencrantz...

In order to understand the challenges the Continental Army faced during the American Revolution, class members analyze primary source materials including a soldier's journal and an officer's letter, and watch a short reenactment video.

Students design a biographical web for a famous American figure. They identify key research questions and organize information as a prewriting strategy. This can be done individually or as a class, depending on your needs and students.

Young scholars compare and contrast statements made by people in "Man on the Streets." They are interviewing them on the current war in Iraq and how they felt on Sept. 11th. These interviews are tape recorded. To see what kinds of...

Students are introduced to the romantic cultural movement in America. Reading examples of pictures of Washington Irving's home, they identify the characteristics of the movement. They view other paintings of artists from the same time...

Students discuss the attributes that a hero can have and what it takes to be a Distinguished American, and be commemorated on a stamp.  In this courage lesson plan, students research an everyday hero that they know about and create...

Students imagine what it was like to be part of the Lewis and Clark expedition. In this Lewis and Clark Expedition lesson, students watch "East Meets West: Americans on the Move," and then write journal entries from the...

Students examine excerpts of Thomas Paine's Common Sense. In this early American history instructional activity, students read Paine's pamphlet and analyze the information according the rubric provided.