Invite your class to learn about the first regular US army unit composed of black soldiers during the Civil War with the film Glory. This website reviews the historical accuracy of the movie, offers pre- and post-viewing handouts, and...

What a great list of brief research projects for reviewing the era of westward expansion in the United States! Learners are directed to choose and complete three of the projects on the given list, which includes opportunities to design...

In this research skills instructional activity, students research the noted website to discover details about Lincoln's Inaugural Address and then respond to the provided analysis questions.

Fifth graders explore the significance of the Gettysburg Address. In this United States history instructional activity, 5th graders listen to a Gettysburg Address recording and look at photos of the battlefield. Students discuss their...

Eighth graders compare/contrast population, railroad mileage, manufacturing plants, and industrial workers between the Union and Confederate States in 1860; students analyze effects of the resources of the Union and Confederate Forces on...

Walt Whitman's "O Captain! My Captain!" is one of the most famous and emotional tributes to Abraham Lincoln. Guide readers through the evocative elegy with a reading comprehension worksheet, complete with the poem's text and a...

Students explore the content of Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address. In this Abraham Lincoln lesson, students analyze the text of the speech to determine how Lincoln sought to reconstruct the country as the Civil War drew to a close.

From indentured servitude to involuntary race-based servitude, slavery has taken many forms in American history. Class members examine three manumission petitions that reveal how the rights of African Americans and African American...

Students discover labor issues of the 1800's.  In this Pennsylvanian history lesson, students research the case of Mary Harris Jones and discover her work as a labor activist.  Students discuss the case together in class.

Learners read a case study of one campaign to discover how political campaigns addresses the needs of the voters. In groups, they answer questions related to the case and discuss how the commercials affect society as a whole. They use...

A lot has happened in the month of October in the past 100 years or so. Kids fill in the blank for 31 events, each of which occurred on a day in October. Each event can be found in a New York Times article from the past 100+ years....

Students research the Civil War and the Battle of Gettysburg. In this Gettysburg lesson, students analyze journals and letters written by the Gettysburg soldiers. Students define Civil War soldier vocabulary words. Students compare and...

Should driver's licenses be granted to unauthorized immigrants? That is the question class members grapple with in a lesson plan that asks them to first read a fact sheet that details the arguments for and against...

How do you teach the Civil War and all its intricacies within the time limits of an average school day? Using a three-part plan, teachers easily integrate coverage of key Civil War battles into the unit. The lesson includes activities to...

As part of a study of slavery in the United States, class members analyze documents related to the sale of slaves. They consider not only the text of the bills of sale but also what the appearance of the broadsides suggest.

Honor Abe Lincoln with a set of activity-based worksheets that can be used independently and in collaborative groups. Young historians participate in a listening activity where they fill in the missing blanks in a passage while being...

Students describe the Gettysburg Campaign and the major actions of the armies during each day of the battle. They analyze the motives, actions, and experiences of several participants in the battle and evaluate the Gettysburg Address.

In this online interactive history quiz worksheet, students respond to 50 multiple choice questions about early American history. Students may submit their answers to be scored.

Students explore the U.S. Constitution. For this First Amendment lesson, students examine Norman Rockwell's "Freedom of Speech" and analyze the five freedoms listed in the amendment.

Students uncover the roots of the Cold War. In this Cold War instructional activity, students research the political philosophies of the Soviet Union and the United States during the era as they define key vocabulary and discuss...

High schoolers engage in the study of the social problems associated with the 1960's and 1970's. They explain how the government made attempts to solve the problem and evaluate the success. This is done through the writing of an essay...

Students consider Lincoln's perspective. In this presidential perspectives lesson, students explore the political thoughts of Lincoln through a series of lessons that make use of primary source analysis. They hypothesize and take a...

Learners consider the role of multimedia news features. They analyze the New York Times coverage of the president's State of the Union address.

Students examine how astronomical observations were used to help target sites in the Soviet Union during Cold War and why such targeting was needed. Students then make predictions and observations of same astronomical events for their...