Students explore the content of Abraham Lincoln's First Inaugural Address. In this Abraham Lincoln lesson, students analyze the text of the speech to determine how Lincoln sought to preserve the Union from secession attempts.

Students are introduced to the European Union and begin to look inside the significance of the movement. They become familiar with the countries of the EU, gain insight into the concept of "free movement," and research the benefits and...

The Space Race saw the Soviet Union and the US go from competitors to partners. Scholars read a letter regarding the first docking of the US and Soviet space craft. Young historians also complete a written assignment and participate in...

The European Union has had a profound effect on world economic dynamics. A structured inquiry investigates its impacts on global interest rates. Other authentic testing materials from College Board explore banking reserve requirements...

The Cold War did not begin with a bang, but with a swift tactic that reflected the Soviet Union's growing distrust of its former Allies. High schoolers choose either the USA or the USSR in a role play activity as they analyze why each...

Easily broken into pieces for several class sessions, this presentation is a great way to transition your class out of a Civil War unit and closer to the 20th century. Engaging photographs, including relevant maps and humorous political...

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...

While many often associate Ben Franklin with his kite electricity experiments, budding historians find out he contributed much more. They discover Franklin's political savvy by examining primary sources in the informative installment of...

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

Archaeologists have discovered a cache of Native American relics. They want to preserve these relics by removing them from the rapidly eroding site to a lab where they can be studied. Native American traditions demand that the items...

After viewing The Last Roundup, a documentary that examines the transitioning of Santa Rosa from a privately owned island to a National Park, class members adopt the point of view of Tim Vail, a member of the family that once owned the...

A picture speaks a thousand words, no matter how old! Scholars use political cartoons from the era of Prohibition and the Temperance Movement to analyze what, a primary document (in this case, a bootlegger's notebook) is telling them...

This resource offers a detailed review of the events that led South Carolina to nullify the Tariffs of 1828 and 1832, as well as to pass the Nullification Ordinance, which questioned the federal government's authority to enforce any law...

Students use primary sources - diaries, letters, and photographs - to explore the experiences of women in the Civil War. By looking at a series of document galleries, the perspectives of slave women, plantation mistresses, female spies,...

This worksheet provides an acronym (C.H.A.N.G.E.S.) to help young historians remember the main effects of the industrial revolution. I also includes a reflection that asks which change is most important and why.

An all-encompassing view of the Ottoman Empire, this presentation takes a 300 year journey through the history, culture, and fate of the original "sick man of Europe." Grand photos and detailed maps provide the necessary context to...

Designed to be used with a showing of the 1951 version of The Red Badge of Courage staring Audie Murphy, this learning guide includes discussion questions, suggestions for activities, and topics that can be discussed with parents.

Students focus upon the Civil War era using research methods of drawing information from primary sources. Literature and photographic images reflect, communicate, and influence human perspectives of historical events. The lesson helps...

The best part of this presentation about the Cold War is the various pictures, photos, and maps throughout the slides. The timeline of this time period is difficult to follow in the presentation, as well as the details about several main...

Students examine the advantages of being flexible when visiting or living in a different culture. They read and discuss a first-hand account by a Peace Corps volunteer in Kazakhstan, and write a letter from the point of view of a...

Students engage in activities to understand how ideologies were constructed before and during the Revolutionary War. How and why were some "reluctant revolutionaries" turned into whig patriots willing to fight against the British empire,...

Seventh graders compare drafts of the Declaration of Independence. In this primary source analysis lesson, 7th graders access copies of Thomas Jefferson's original draft of the document and compare it the final document that gave birth...

Covering the main events of the Cold War, this (mistitled) presentation includes photographs, political cartoons, and amusing graphics to illustrate its points. The information on the slides is helpful for an overview of the Cold War,...

How does cultural diversity impact political identity? That is the question researchers face as they continue their examination of the European Union and the programs it has developed in its attempt to achieve unity in diversity. To gain...