Learners explore historic West Virginia. In this US history lesson, students examine primary sources and political cartoons that depict the issues of statehood for West Virginia and the role that those played in the Civil War. This...

Students read and predict the outcome of a story set during the Civil War, then map the story. To prepare for the activity, students determine why it is important to look at historical events from all angles by using primary and...

Students examine World War II through the eyes of local journalists such as Al McIntosh. As a class, they discuss how stories about the war affects the public back at home. In groups, they compare and contrast how newspapers reported...

Students research the positions of civil defense and nuclear disarmament during the Cold War era. They participate in a class debate to support a given position.

Though the murder of Emmett Till shocked 1950's America into turning attention to the racial crimes of the South, it was far from the first time racism had erupted into violence. High schoolers examine the killing in context with the...

Students review list of statements pertaining to United States History, and determine whether statements happened during the Civil War, after the Civil War, or had no connection to War. Students then speculate about connection between...

Students explore the conflicts which evolved into the Civil War. Students examine the differences between the north and the south. They discuss slavery and the battles during the war. Students create a mural and write battle songs...

Eighth graders examine the amount of destruction in the South following the Civil War. They explore the reasons why Reconstruction was needed.

Students explore the impact of William Tecumseh Sherman's actions during the Civil War.

Students investigate the building of the first warships of the Civil War. They conduct research using a variety of resources. Students compare and contrast two battleships of the era using a graphic organizer. They also compose a journal...

Learners study the role of volunteering during the Civil War, the Reconstruction, and today. In this volunteerism lesson plan, students work with a partner to read biographies of volunteers while looking for their Core Democratic Values....

In groups, 8th graders read different documents and answer questions on the Civil War period. Students read documents by Thoreau, Stowe and Frederick Douglas.

Seventh graders comprehend the interaction and conflict between Native Americans and white settlers in the years following the Civil War. They examine how those conflicts impacted the Native American way of life on the Great Plains.

When, if ever, is the government justified in restricting individual rights? When, if ever, should the "greater good" trump individual rights? To prepare to discuss this hot-button topic, class members examine primary source documents,...

Learners examine role of Naval blockades in Union war strategy, and analyze primary source image "On Deck of a Union Warship" and make detailed observation about people and activities shown.

This is an excellent resource for teachers to use for incorporating the motion picture Glory into the classroom! Breaking down the film into particular noteworthy and telling scenes, the guide offers important considerations for...

Trench art is a nontraditional art form created by soldiers in trenches during wartime. Artist Allison Smith connects her art to the American Revolution and the question: "What are you fighting for?" Kids examine her art, how it connects...

Learners access oral histories that contain slave narratives from the Library of Congress. They describe the lives of former slaves, sample varied individual experiences and make generalizations about their research in journal entries.

Joris Debeij's film, Making It in America, takes a look at Alma Velasco, a Salvadoran immigrant who was granted political asylum in the United States. The lesson gives a face to immigrants and their struggles to embrace the...

On April 4, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. Four video clips reveal the events of that time, including the shift in the focus of the Civil Rights Movement, the aftermath of the assassination, and...

Why are some immigrant groups in the United States embraced while others become disenfranchised? To answer this question, teams investigate why groups emigrated to the US, why some of these these peoples were...

Class members investigate The Indian Removal Act of 1830, U.S. Theft of Mexican Territory Timeline, and President Abraham Lincoln’s letter to Horace Greeley, 1862, and then conduct a mock trial of each of these documents to determine...

Fifth graders examine excerpts from a diary of a Confederate soldier and his experiences in a Union prison camp. After receiving character cards, they write diary entries from the perspectives of their Civil War identity. As an...

Eleventh graders watch and discuss various clips from the movie "Gettysburg". Using the video, they identify the main motivation for the Union and Confederate soldiers. They describe how soldiers motivation changed from 1861 and 1863.