Students investigate the impact of historical events. In this historical scavenger hunt lesson, students examine photographs of a local monument that zoom in on details. Students record their impressions regarding the photos. Students...

Learners explore ethical issues. For this human rights lesson, students read articles and documents related to torture used in government investigations and if medical ethical guidelines were adhered to. Learners respond to discussion...

Students examine the development of racial stereotyping beginning with the antebellum years. They research how blackface minstrel songs reinforced the antebellum mindset of African-Americans. Secondly, students investigate "Uncle Tom's...

Students explore 1950's America. In this American history lesson plan, students research the McCarthy hearings, Civil Rights, war fatigue, and economic issues of the decades. Students respond to discussion questions about topics.

The choices made by Roy Bryant and J.W. Millam, the men who murdered Emmett Till in 1955, are usually the ones people ponder when they examine the case. But other individuals made choices that contributed to the event and its subsequent...

Class groups examine primary source documents to determine how the voting rights of African Americans were restricted after the failure of Reconstruction, and how African American participation in World War II lead to change.

Debates around immigration in the news are not new, but they are a defining feature of the Hispanic American experience throughout the twentieth century. Looking through the lens of Hispanic Americans in Congress, class members explore...

High schoolers examine the changes in the U.S. in the period of industrialization before the Civil War. They analyze census data, list/describe inventions and innovations, explore various websites, conduct a Factory Simulation activity,...

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...

Much has been made of the differences between Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X. But was there any common ground between them? Class members reconsider what they think they know about these two civil rights leaders with...

Imagine having no control over your life and then suddenly having to provide for yourself. Such was the challenge faced by many American slaves after emancipation. Class members are asked to consider these challenges are they examine...

"Promises Denied," the second instructional activity in a unit that asks learners to consider the responsibilities individuals have to uphold human rights, looks at documents that illustrate the difficulty the US has had trying to live...

Though Abraham Lincoln's life was tragically cut short, it was filled with accomplishments and inspiring moments that continue to influence American democracy. Explore the ways the 16th president of the United States made his way from a...

Is separate but equal actually equal? The 1950 Supreme Court case Sweatt v. Painter discusses the law of segregation and inequality. Scholars investigate the impact of the case on the desegregation of public schools across the nation...

Students research a web site of primary documents to determine the level of support among whites in for the education of African Americans during Reconstruction.

Eighth graders create simple html pages as a vehicle for presenting the Inspiration web.  In this American History lesson, 8th graders research slavery in the United States. 

Seventh graders study the American Civil War and the contributions of Texans to the war effort. They read first-hand accounts of Joseph Polley, member of Hood's Texas Brigade and discuss his account of his first charge and what emotions...

Students research the events that led to the Civil War and the Reconstruction. In this Civil War history lesson plan, students study images of Robert Smalls and research his role in the Civil War. Students review the South Carolina...

Tenth graders produce a multimedia project using HyperStudio. This project is similiar to an "information kiosk", with engaging media to "tell a story" about the Battle of Gettysburg. They have knowledge about the Civil War events that...

Students investigate how Mobile, Alabama was significant to the Confederacy during the Civil War. They analyze maps, read primary source documents, write a research paper on Civil War military technology, and explore the Fort Morgan...

Students examine work by Mark Twain in the context of pre- and post-Civil War America. In this cross curricular lesson, students gather biographical information about Twain, use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast him with...

Students describe how the brave word of one female Quaker served as a lifeline for fugitives before the Civil War. In this research lesson, students research several examples of the philanthropic work of individuals and organizations...

Students study the legislation and Amendments of Reconstruction period in America. In this Reconstruction instructional activity, students work in groups to dissect the Black Codes, an article in the US Constitution, as well as the...

Fifth graders, in groups, study the differences between the 13 Original Colonies, then explore the relationship between the Revolutionary War and the Civil War.