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The Declaration of Independence: From Rough Draft to Proclamation
Students discover the purpose of the Declaration of Independence. In this colonial America lesson, students compare the original draft by Thomas Jefferson to the final draft of the Declaration of Independence.
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President Madison's 1812 War Message: Answers Lead to More Questions
Students investigate President Madison's case for declaring war against Great Britain. Students assume the roles of newspaper reporters and cite key points in Madison's argument for declaring war, and hypothesize about primary documents...
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President Madison's 1812 War Message: A Brief Overview
Students investigate President Madison's War Message. Students read the message and discuss any information they may have misunderstood. Students hypothesize about what kinds of documents might help them find answers to their questions.
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Thomas Jefferson Lesson
Students demonstrate reading comprehension skills, including reading strategies, inference, literal meaning, and critical analysis.
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The Monroe Doctrine: Whose Doctrine Was It?
Was James Monroe the sole contributor of the Monroe Doctrine? Young scholars study the doctrine and cite evidence to show contributions of John Quincy Adams and Thomas Jefferson in its formulation.
Edgate
Discovering New Resources
What is a natural resource, and what resources did the Lewis and Clark expedition seek? After reading an article on the mapping of the west, learners get into small groups to discuss the important natural resources of the period. They...
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A President's Home and the President's House
Students identify specific examples demonstrating how present-day White House reflects duties, powers, and privileges of the office of President, and
compare and contrast Thomas Jefferson's Monticello with the White House.
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Thomas Jefferson's Concept of America
Students study Thomas Jefferson's concept of America. They read a chapter from the book, Thomas Jefferson's America, and discuss its main events comparing it to current events. Role-playing a citizen from the 1790s, they write a letter...
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Call it "Macaroni"
Who knew there were so many fun educational opportunities featuring pasta? Scholars read a brief informational text about the history of pasta (note that "macaroni" is spelled two different ways, so address this if kids are reading...
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Alexander Hamilton and the Roots of Federalism
Explore the origin of political parties in the United States. Learners work in groups to read and analyze copies of the "Report on Manufactures" written by Alexander Hamilton. Then, they complete a worksheet comparing the Federalists to...
What So Proudly We Hail
Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness: A Lesson on the Declaration of Independence
What does it mean to say that a right is unalienable? How did the founding fathers convey this revolutionary concept in the Declaration of Independence? Engage in a close reading and analysis of the Declaration of Independence, and...
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Portraits of Power: American Presidents
Ninth graders explore the presidency of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. In this US History lesson plan, 9th graders examine the life of Abraham Lincoln. students write an essay describing the presidency and the people's...
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Making a Report to President Washington
Learners gain an understanding of some of the challenges the U.S. faced at its birth. They are asked to compose a report on the state of the nation in 1790 (addressed to President George Washington), which includes a narrative, maps and...
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Cast of Personalities - The Louisiana Purchase
The origins of the state of Arkansas are the focus of this history lesson. Elementary schoolers to high schoolers identify persons associated with the development of the state from the very first European contact to statehood in 1836....
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Holding a Wolf by the Ears: Race, Economics, and the Complexity of Thomas Jefferson
Eleventh graders explore the era of slavery when Jefferson was President. In this United States History lesson, 11th graders participate in a class discussion that is led by the teacher. A PowerPoint presentation on the topic is...
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I'm Number One!
Fourth graders complete a unit of lessons on the first seven presidents of the U.S. They conduct research, write a four-paragraph essay, and create posters and speeches for a simulated campaign convention.
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The Declaration of Independence: From Rough Draft to Proclamation
High schoolers discover how the Declaration of Independence transformed from a draft to a treasured historical document. In this Declaration of Independence lesson, students discuss the context in which Jefferson wrote the document and...
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A President's Home and the President's House
Young scholars examine the differences between the White House and Monticello. In small groups, they complete a virtual tour, complete a graphic organizer, take notes during the tour, and identify activities taking place at the White House.
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American History Through Architectural Masterpieces: Monticello
Students examine the life of Thomas Jefferson, explore great American landmark Monticello, discover relationships between climate, geographical factors, and time as to what kind of architecture was used, conduct research online, write a...
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Journal Writing
Students investigate the life of Martha Wayles Jefferson. In this American history lesson, students examine excerpts of the journals kept by Thomas Jefferson's wife. Students infer what life at Monticello may have been like. Students...
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Jefferson Administration
Students research the major domestic issues that were present during the administration of Thomas Jefferson including the acquisition of the Louisiana Territory, Lewis and Clark's expedition, and his foreign policy. They investigate...
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Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Limited Government
Students write a letter to King George III from the point of view of Thomas Jefferson. They defend constitutional democracy and explain the differences between limited and unlimited government.
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Runaway Ad - Using Primary Documents
Students examine a runaway slave advertisement. In this American history lesson plan, students investigate a missing slave advertisement run by Thomas Jefferson in 1769. Students make inferences based on the advertisement.
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Slavery by the Numbers
Students examine the role of slavery in the United States. In this American history instructional activity, students watch segments of the video "Slavery and the Making of America." Students conduct further research pertaining to Thomas...