iCivics
Wanted: A Just Right Government
What type of government did American colonists gain and seek after gaining their independence after the Revolutionary War? Here is lesson plan that will guide your young learners through the new nation's progression from the Articles of...
Rutgers University
How the Allies Won World War II: Island-hopping in the Central Pacific
Using primary source documents, young historians explore the strategies the US used to defeat Japan during WWII. They also learn about the American military experience, and innovations that changed the style of warfare. Young scholars...
Curated OER
Should Voting in the United States be Mandatory? Research Activity
Eighth graders research how many voters actually vote in the U.S. and nine other nations. They create a spreadsheet using this information and write a persuasive essay.
Curated OER
Lesson #3: Internet Map Activity
Students label assembly centers and relocation camps on a given map of the United States in order to create a better understanding of the relocation experience of Japanese-American citizens and the distance that families had to move and...
Curated OER
Exploring Franchise and Elections
Students examine the American election process. In this elections lesson, students use Internet sources to respond to 13 questions about election terminology.
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum
Analyzing the Inaugural Address
Get high school historians to step outside their own shoes by responding to JFK's inaugural address from the perspective of a civil rights activist, a soviet diplomat, or a Cuban exile. After a class discussion about the address,...
Center for Civic Education
The Power of Nonviolence: What Is Nonviolence? What Does It Cost?
Your young learners will delve into the language of primary source documents in order to identify the characteristics, benefits, and costs of nonviolence. The lesson plan includes a mix of activities, including an anticipatory activity,...
Curated OER
History & Civics Lesson for Grades 5-7
Students become aware of the culture, lifestyles and attitudes of Native American kids living on the Crow, Navajo and Nez Perce; reservations.
Curated OER
Who’s Got Rights? An Introduction to Human Rights and Human Rights Defenders
Learners explore human rights issues. For this social justice lesson, students examine human rights as they read segments of the "Universal Declaration of Human Rights," discuss photographs with human rights implications, and play a...
Curated OER
We the People: 270 out of 538
Students engage in a lesson plan that helps them better explain the quadrennial ritual surrounding the election of a president in the United States of America.
Curated OER
In the Struggle for Equality and Justice for All
Students focus on the struggle for minorities rights. They describe the civil rights movement of the late 1950's and the 1960's. They trace the roots of the movement in the second-class treatment accorded many black Americans and...
Curated OER
Integration of Education
Students explore the history of Civil Rights and how the struggle for Civil Rights and the Second Reconstruction, transformed society and politics in the United States in the 1950s. Then they identify why American Schools are integrated...
Curated OER
Case Study: Manzanar
Eleventh graders investigate Japanese-American internment. In this World War II instructional activity, 11th graders conduct research from the Manzanar National Historic Sites and then write essays based on their findings.
Curated OER
Civil Rights Movement Cut-and-Paste Timeline
Pupils put into order the sequence of events that brought about voting rights and equal rights for African Americans. The creative project can be made very crafty by having students cut out the timeline to be combined with others in a...
PBS
Baseball: The Tenth Inning
The intent of this resource is to explore Latin American accomplishments in baseball, recognizing the changes in demographics of players over the last century. Social studies classes begin with a discussion and brainstorm surrounding...
Curated OER
Federal Court Systems and Court Cases
Ninth graders investigate the basis for the Common Law Tradition. They examine the organization of the Federal Court System and students identify the various sources of the American Law.
Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary
Benjamin Franklin’s Community Contributions
Students research Benjamin Franklin's community contributions. In this social studies lesson plan, students create a collage showing things they can do to improve their communities.
Curated OER
The American Mosaic
Students discuss what it would be like to be new to a town. They are then asked questions related to the immigrants coming to America. Extensions of this lesson are available.
Curated OER
The Myth of Voluntary Internment
Young scholars review the Alien Enemies Act and Executive Order 9095. They explore both the financial and emotional ramifications of having a parent arrested or interned. They research what daily life was like in U.S. Internment camps...
Curated OER
Raids and Arrests of Enemy Aliens
Student read background summary information and debate how much control did the government require to keep the nation safe. They research how World War II restrictions on enemy lines were enforced and how it related to the U.S....
US Citizenship and Immigration Services
Thanksgiving 2—The Pilgrim Story and My Immigrant Story
The tradition of the First Thanksgiving is really a story of immigration. Connect the feelings and customs of the early Pilgrims to the experiences of the immigrants in your class with an introduction to the 13 colonies, the Mayflower,...
Curated OER
It's Your Right: A Civil Rights Brochure
Learners examine the US Constitution, Bill of Rights, and Supreme Court cases in order to broaden their understanding of the US Judicial System. They research a variety of textual and Internet resources to create a tri-fold brochure,...
Theodore Roosevelt Association
Interpreting the Past; Assessing Its Impact on the Present
Even though the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt ended over 100 years ago, we can still learn something from his stances and policies that is applicable today. Class members first look over a list of prevalent political issues from the...
Speak Truth to Power
John Lewis: Non-Violent Activism
After comparing and contrasting non-violent and violent social movements, your young historians will take a closer look at the work and influence of John Lewis on the civil rights movement. They will then choose a current social...