Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Declaration of War Against Japan and Just War Theory

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine the attack on Pearl Harbor and how it changed the history of the United States. After watching a video from "The War", they discuss the characteristics of a "just war" and identify the laws in international warfare. ...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Social Activism in the United States

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders explore the goals of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s.  In this US History lesson, 7th graders read a newspaper article that reported a significant event during this era.  Students write a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Let Your Motto Be Resistance: African American Portraits: Grades 3-5

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Learners explore the contributions of African Americans of the 20th century. In this African American history lesson, students examine portraits of Muhammad Ali, Romare Bearden, Lorraine Hansberry, Judith Jamison, and Leontyne Price in...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The San Francisco Earthquake of 1906

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Learners study the history of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. They read a story, view photos of the disaster, and complete a comprehension worksheet.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

True Music

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders research a given decade in US History.  For this American History lesson, 11th graders interview a person who lived during the decade to gain a personal perspective on it.  Students rehearse and present their...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Poetry and Our National Anthem

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students express the meaning of the Star-Spangled Banner. In this American history lesson, students read through the national anthem and complete an activities from a list of choices. Some choices include: writing the anthem in your own...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Change in Early 20th Century America: Doing the Decades

For Teachers 10th - Higher Ed
Students investigate and develop relationships between selected themes and resources. In this Us history lesson, students interpret, analyze, and evaluate shifts in continuity throughout US history. Students will create  multimedia...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Baby Boom and the Culture of the 1950's

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Learners study the ripple effect of the baby boom generation on history and on their lives today. They discover how the rules and conformity of the 1950's set the stage for the rebellious, anti-establishment sixties. They study the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hard Times, Soft Sell

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners analyze art to determine themes for the Great Depression Era. In this Great Depression lesson plan, students identify themes for the era and research evidence for the themes to present to the class. Learners interview family...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A More Perfect Union: Women's Suffrage and the Constitution

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students reflect on the pros and cons of Women's Suffrage and it was viewed during the late 1800's.  In this history lesson, students will analyze documents on women's suffrage so that they can compare and contrast the rights of...
Lesson Plan
Anti-Defamation League

Soccer, Salaries and Sexism

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Call it soccer, call it football, but call it unfair! the US women's soccer team has called out the US Soccer Federation for unfair treatment in terms of salaries, support, and working conditions in a lawsuit filed in 2019. Young...
Lesson Plan
State Bar of Texas

Roe v. Wade

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
At what point does the right of privacy end and the government begin? Scholars research rights under the Ninth Amendment to the Constitution. Using the 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court case as a starting point, along with small group work...
Lesson Plan
State Bar of Texas

Plessy v. Ferguson

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Where did separate but equal originate and what does it mean? Scholars investigate the Supreme Court Case Plessy v. Ferguson. Using a short video clip, they analyze the impact the decision of legal segregation had on society in 1896....
Lesson Plan
State Bar of Texas

Gideon v. Wainwright

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
How does a trial begin without a lawyer for the defendant? The 1963 Supreme Court case Gideon v. Wainwright serves as the backdrop for the study of the rights of the accused. Scholars use a short video along with paired discussion and...
Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

The Preamble to the Constitution: A Close Reading Lesson

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
"We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union..." These familiar lines begin the Preamble to the Constitution, but do learners know what they mean? A close reading exercise takes a look at the language of the...
Lesson Plan
City University of New York

Woman's Suffrage and World War I

For Teachers 11th - 12th Standards
How did women use President Wilson's ideals and rhetoric in their bid for suffrage? To answer this essential question, class groups analyze primary written documents and visual images.
Lesson Plan
State Bar of Texas

Brown v. Board of Education

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
You walk each day over 20 blocks to school as a 9-year old because the color of your skin does not allow you to attend a school in your own neighborhood. Scholars use the 1954 Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education to investigate...
Lesson Plan
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National Endowment for the Humanities

Lesson 3: Britain, Napoleon, and the American Embargo, 1803–1808

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
While the French were once the allies of Americans, the Napoleonic Wars saw the United States almost drawn into a war with its one-time friend. Wars in Europe threatened to draw in the early republic. A primary source-based activity...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Japanese-American Relocation

For Teachers 11th
Consider the causes and effects that led to the internment and relocation of Japanese Americans during WWII. Learners read the story "Baseball Saved Us" and selected chapters from Farewell to Manzanar. Then, they view a slide-show, and...
Lesson Plan
National Constitution Center

Separation of Powers

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Learners explore how the Constitution provides for separation of power and limited government, as evidenced by the three branches of government. They participate in role-playing situations, group discussions, and complete worksheets to...
Lesson Plan
Stanford University

Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X: A Common Solution?

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
Much has been made of the differences between Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X. But was there any common ground between them? Class members reconsider what they think they know about these two civil rights leaders with...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

World War II Home Front

For Teachers 10th - 11th
Eleventh graders examine the political demands put on one of four groups living in America during WWII. Each class member is asked to research and write a paper describing the homefront experience for women, Hispanics, African-Americans,...
Lesson Plan
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National Endowment for the Humanities

Lesson 2: The United States, France, and the Problem of Neutrality, 1796–1801

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
While the French Revolution could be considered inspired by the American Revolution, it created thorny problems for the new United States. Should the United States get involved and be drawn into a European drama? Was the US strong...
Lesson Plan
Foreign Policy Research Institute

Examining an Important Battle in WWII

For Teachers 10th - 12th
In this military history assignment, research provides a foundation for a report on the United States' strategy for a specific battle during World War II. This resource does not include recommended sources of information or a rubric....

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