Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Decision to Americanize the War in Vietnam

For Teachers 10th - 11th
Students research the major events of the Vietnam War and construct a timeline. They do the same with the presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson or the 1960's. They act as an advisor to President Johnson to recommend a course of action...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cuban Missile Crisis: Teaching Activities

For Teachers 10th - 11th
Students create a timeline of the important events of John F. Kennedy's presidency. They construct a timeline of the major events of the Cuban Missile Crisis. They compare the Missile Crisis events with their presentation in the movie...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Foreign War and Domestic Freedom: A Delicate Balancing Act

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate civil liberties in the U.S. They watch and discuss a PowerPoint presentation, conduct research on an event from a timeline, complete a worksheet, take an ideology quiz, and conduct a debate.
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A System of Rules

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Young scholars write letters, create models, create a photo display, and make charts about the rules that a state has. In this rules lesson plan, students learn about and make different displays of how states come up with rules, change...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

War of 1812

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders locate the major land forms and bodies of water on a map of Louisiana. In groups, they discuss the role of the Mississippi River in the Battle of New Orleans and how land and water affect the outcome of battles. To end...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Teaching With Documents Lesson Plan: Sioux Treaty of 1868

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students study the Sioux and their lives in the Black Hills before 1868. They engage in a wide variety of cross-curricular activities which give them a good understanding of the Sioux culture.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Four Enlightenment Thinkers

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers examine lives, philosophies, and political beliefs of four Enlightenment Thinkers: Baron de Montesquieu, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Thomas Hobbes, and John Locke. Students then work with partner to write short speech from...
Lesson Plan
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Lesson 2: The Tired King

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students are introduced to the three functions of government (legislative, judicial, and executive). They read and discuss a story about an overworked king who must handle all the tasks of government. Students give a description of the...
Lesson Plan
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The Three Branches of Government

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders discover details about the 3 branches of government. In this primary source analysis lesson, 6th graders examine documents and images from the Library of Congress to investigate the structure of the U.S. government.
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Civic Virtue in Democracy

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students identify and describe characteristics of civic virtue. Following a class discussion, they create their own definitions of civic virtue. They write essays based on their own definitions and formulate conclusions on the state of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"The Big Bridge Scheme": The Building and Impact of the Brooklyn Bridge

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students watch a video and examine archival newspaper articles to study the different points of view about the building of the Brooklyn Bridge. They examine the impact the bridge had on those living in Brooklyn and Manhattan.
Lesson Plan
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Reconstruction to Civil Rights

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders complete a unit of lessons on the period of time from Reconstruction to the Civil Rights movement. They analyze and interpret political cartoons and editorials, conduct research on famous civil rights places, and complete...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Political and Cultural Road to the American Revolution

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Learners examine the Declaration of Independence. For this Revolutionary War lesson, learners use primary sources to analyze how the creation of the Declaration of Independence lead to the development of the United States as an...
Lesson Plan
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How the Court Became Supreme

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate how the Supreme Court changed under the leadership of John Marshall. In this Supreme Court lesson, students recognize the role of the Supreme Court as well as the significance of Marbury v. Madison. Students also...
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In Whom Do We Trust?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Learners articulate their understanding of the framers' intentions with respect to the separation of church and state, explore the issue of church/state separation and how it is currently manifesting itself in Ohio by reading and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The New Republic

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Learners research the Federalists and Anti-federalists. In the lesson on state legislature, students use primary sources to create a brochure and write an essay that illustrates federalist and anti-federalists viewpoints.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Civil War as Photographed by Mathew Brady

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students gain historical background on the Civil War era from textbooks, encyclopedias, or supplemental material. Assign at least two photographs for each student to analyze using the Photograph Analysis Worksheet which is imbedded in...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

declaration of Independence

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders research the Declaration of Independence and its impact. They assemble puzzle pieces of the declaration and create their own declaration of independence including grievances and resolution.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

With Liberty and Justice for All

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers examine the role of Supreme Court justices. In this judicial branch lesson plan, students consider the civil rights and civil liberties as they investigate Minersville School District v. Gobitis (1940) and West Virginia...
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Understanding Treaties: Students Explore the Lives of Yakama People Before and After Treaties

For Teachers 7th - 11th
Students analyze treaties made between the US government and Native American tribes. In this government lesson, students evaluate bias emotionally connect with what was gained and lost during the late 1700's. This is a 3 part lesson...
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Photographs of the 369th Infantry and African Americans during World War I

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students engage in a discussion regarding images of war we see, how quickly do we see them, and how they affect us? They view and analyze war photographs taken during World War I.
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The Many Faces of Paul Robeson

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Young scholars discuss and construct timelines based on the life of author/performer/Civil Right's activist, Paul Robeson. They view photographs of him at various times in his life and discuss the roles he may have been playing at those...
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Antebellum North Carolina

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders examine pictures & documents relating to the Hayes Plantation (Edenton, NC). They also use various maps of North Carolina to help them analyze how James Cathcart Johnston used, modified and adapted to the physical...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Affects of Prejudicial Attitudes

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders explore the concept of cultural assimilation. They study the affects of prejudice on the authors of Curious George (Margret & H. A. Rey). They communicate ideas and opinions of the rights and responsibilities of...