Curated OER
Project Based Technology in Second Grade
The many activities in this resource serve to introduce second graders to the Macintosh computer and to various programs and their creative product options. They make sideshows using KidPix, practice using email with the Journey South...
Curated OER
The Atomic Bomb Dilemma
Students examine consequences of using atomic bomb in light of resulting peace, distinguish between fact and opinion and analyze sources to recognize bias and points of view, and assume role of reporter, critic, cabinet member, or...
Curated OER
Flag Day
In this national day holiday worksheet, students fill in 3 boxes with important information about Flag Day. Students include the year 1777, traditions and the events that happened in August 1949.
Smithsonian Institution
Cold War
The Cold War was not necessarily always cold in temperature, but the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union sure was frigid! Scholars read various passages, view exhibition graphics, and observe an artifact from the...
The Formation of the Western Alliance, 1948–1949
Silence is golden—even when debating post World War II foreign policy. Using a silent debate format, young historians deliberate whether the United States should have kept a foothold in West Germany after World War II. A series of videos...
New York Historical Society
The Vietnam War: 1945-1975
Do pupils know that the Vietnam War spanned a period of 30 years? A war that long is bound to leave devastating effects. Help young historians develop a comprehensive understanding of the war through multiple units on the subject that...
Curated OER
Abraham Lincoln and the U.S. Constitution
Students investigate President Abraham Lincoln's use of the U.S. Constitution and its importance to the Civil War. In this US history lesson, students read text about President Lincoln and the US Constitution. Students examine the...
University of California
The Cold War (America)
The Cold War—with its roots in World War II—impacts the world today. Using an extensive curriculum, scholars consider its impact through primary sources, including speeches and propaganda, as well as other skills-enhancing activities. An...
Stanford University
Public Housing
The Fair Deal was meant to give Americans after World War II a basic standard of living. Those in public housing often found that promise fell short. Learners consider whether the effort was successful by evaluating images, testimonies,...
Curated OER
Telegram from Senator Joseph McCarthy to President Harry S. Truman
Young scholars research Senator Joseph McCarthy's February 9, 1950 speech, given at Wheeling, West Virginia, in which he claimed more than 200 State Department employees were members of the Communist Party.
Curated OER
WWII and the Atomic Bomb
Students examine three points about the use of the atomic bomb by the US during World War II. They take a position on each point and defend it orally.
Curated OER
Primary Documents: The President and African Americans
Learners examine the efforts of the federal government to address discrimination in the U.S. before and after WWII. They read and discuss two executive orders, complete a worksheet, and answer discussion questions.
Curated OER
Memorandum of a Conference with President Eisenhower after Sputnik
Students use the National Archives to research how the United States and the Soviet Union south to maintain its supremacy after World War II.
Curated OER
World War II
High schoolers examine the events of World War II that led to the dropping of the atomic bomb on Japan. Creating a decision making tree, they weigh the positives and negatives of the decision to use the bomb. They participate in a...
Curated OER
The Lost Art of Letter Writing
Students discover the art of writing letters. In this writing lesson, students read letters written by President Harry Truman and then write a series of their own letters that would give insight into the times in which they live.
Curated OER
How did Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson affect the Civil Rights Movement?
Students research Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson then utilize their findings to determine what each of the three Presidents contributed to the Civil Rights Movement. In this U.S. History lesson, students work in small groups to create...
Curated OER
Presidential Briefing
In this comparative government instructional activity, students follow the steps provided to form a National Security Council and then brief the President on long-term goals for the nation. Students prepare written briefs with charts and...
Curated OER
The Cold War Era (1945 - 1991)
Provide learners with an excellent resource focused on the Cold War Era. Starting in 1945 and going all the way to 1991, the Cold War Era included major historical events, such as the Berlin Wall, Warsaw Pact, the Korean War, and the...
PBS
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
What rights are guaranteed to students? Do they align with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was approved by the United Nations in 1948? Middle and high schoolers present persuasive arguments about the rights they believe...
Curated OER
Famous Missourians Challenge
For this multiple choice worksheet, students read descriptive sentences and choose the names of the persons being described. Students answer 10 multiple choice questions.
Center for Civic Education
To Amend or Not to Amend, That's Been the Question...Many Times
Looking for some ideas for how to celebrate September 17, Constitution Day? Check out a packet that focuses on the factors that are considered in the amendment process. Class members examine the amendment process and the types of...
Center for Civic Education
Historical Analysis of Constitutional Amendments
Each of the 27 Amendments to the U.S. Constitution were adopted within specific economic, political, social or cultural, and international contexts. As part of their Constitution Day/Week studies, seniors investigate these factors for...
National Endowment for the Humanities
The New Order for "Greater East Asia"
Sometimes the New Order becomes synonymous with its implications for European countries, but what about its consequences for East Asia? The final instructional activity in a four-part series teaches scholars about World War II. High...
Center for Civic Education
Constitution Day Rap
Engage your class while learning about the US Constitution with this fun primary grade social studies lesson. After viewing a picture of the US Constitution, young learners piece together a US flag using stars and stripes with facts...