Ninth graders explore the presidency of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.  In this US History activity, 9th graders examine the life of Abraham Lincoln.  students write an essay describing the presidency and the people's...

Was Thomas Jefferson a hypocrite? That is the question facing class members as they examine excerpts from documents that relate to Jefferson's beliefs about slaves and slavery.

What were the virtues and values that helped form America? Pupils watch and discuss a video, read biographies of early Americans, chart the differences between early American religious movements, write journals and letters, draw, and...

Students examine how Jefferson dealt with equality. For this lesson on the Declaration of Independence, students use primary sources to analyze what the phrase, "All men are created equal" meant. They will compare what they think...

Eighth graders research the events that lead to the US Civil War. They use the Jigsaw technique to report the findings of their research.

What's missing from most studies of the American Revolutionary War is information about the role African Americans played in the conflict. To correct this oversight, middle schoolers research groups like the Black Loyalists and ...

How did those faces get on that mountain, and why did they choose those particular presidents? Learn about Mount Rushmore's construction and the history behind the men represented on the mountainside with a short reading passage and set...

Each one of our quarters is embellished with a famous face or image representing the state it came from. This activity uses South Dakota's state quarter to get kids thinking about monetary value, what the president of the United States...

Young history sleuths examine an inventory of the belongings of a Virginia colonist and use deductive reasoning to determine what the document reveals about colonial life. They then use a Venn diagram to compare the inventory with a...

A unit by Core Knowledge begins with information about early United States presidents. Pupils then explore social reformers such as Sojourner Truth and Frederick Douglas, abolitionism, women's rights, and more. Participants listen and...

This activity focuses on how students can learn basic blues percussion patterns by considering the polyrhythms of African drumming and investigating how and why such drums were banned during slavery. Students will listen to several blues...

Fourth graders examine slavery and Reconstruction in Virginia. For this Virginians during Reconstruction lesson, 4th graders research primary sources for the story of William Jasper and other slaves. Students hypothesize how rights...

Fourth graders develop an understanding of the lives of slaves and their quest for freedom. They develop an understanding of the people who fought against slavery and the efforts that were made by them to create a better life for all...

As part of a study of civil disobedience, class members read excerpts from the writings of activists who were willing to break the law to protest unjust laws.

Students will reflect upon the use of music to teach lessons throughout history. The focus of the study is based upon early American History. The tie of music and the abolition of slavery makes for interesting inquiry for learners.

Middle schoolers research the ways slavery shaped social and economic life in the South after 1800, the different economic, cultural, and social characteristics of slavery after 1800, and how the Atlantic slave trade finally ended.

Third graders explore two different websites about the Underground Railroad. They make a graphic organizer to categorize the reasons a person might have for and against helping slaves escape on the Underground Railroad. They incorporate...

Students work in groups reading online last s and testaments of slaveowners. They complete worksheets and then participate in a whole class discussion about what happens to slaves after their owners die.

Eleventh graders listen to a song and read the lyrics and discuss what patriotism means to them. After viewing pictures of important patriots throughout history, they describe their contribution to society. They write in their journals...

Students discuss the line "all men are created equal" in a time of slavery. They discover how equaliy and liberty changed over time in America. Role-playing different scenerios, they analyze the experiences of real-people coming to...

Students 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...

Celebrate Black History Month getting to know more about Lewis Latimer. Here, scholars read about his life and success, then apply their new-found knowledge by responding to questions about the text with short answers. 

In this Freethinkers Day activity, students complete activities such as reading a passage, phrase matching, fill in the blanks, correct words, multiple choice, spelling, sequencing, scrambled sentences, writing questions, survey, and...

Students discuss the Atlantic slave trade and the facts about the St. John revolt.  In this investigative lesson students write a personal account of a person involved in the revolt.