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Curated OER

Teaching With Documents: U.S. Constitution Workshop

For Teachers 4th - 12th
What does it mean to be American? Explore the constitution and what it really means to be a citizen here. First, learners of all ages will investigate different primary source documents. Then, they establish each document's...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bill of Rights: Rights and Responsibilities

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students explore the meaning of freedom.  In this U.S. History lesson, students research the Declaration of Independence and how it relates to American freedom by completing activities and a mock trial.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Immigration Oral History

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students explore oral history and how it is important to historical record. They interview someone who is a U.S. immigrant and create an oral history project/paper based on this interview.
Lesson Plan
Anti-Defamation League

Analyzing Primary Source Documents to Understand U.S. Expansionism and 19th Century U.S.-Indian Relations

For Teachers 11th - 12th Standards
Historical events can be viewed from multiple perspectives. This simple truth is brought home in a lesson that examines primary source documents related to the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the Doctrine of Discovery and Manifest Destiny,...
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Curated OER

Nos Creemos Americanos: Braceros in History and Song

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Mexican folk songs offer an authentic look at WWII immigrant workers. This study of the U.S. Bracero Program sets historians up with context information so they can write their own corrido. The class reviews themes and formulas of...
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Smithsonian Institution

Borders with the World: Mexican-American War and U.S. Southern Borderlands

For Teachers 8th - 11th Standards
The Mexican-American War created social borders—not just physical ones. Scholars learn about the effects of the Mexican-American War on the people living in the borderlands using text excerpts, maps, and partnered activities. Academics...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Role of the Media

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students participate in class discussion to investigate how media affects the ideas of Americans (specifically in politics) and then research events in political history to analyze how the media may have influenced the government's...
Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

Worcester v. Georgia: Cherokee Sovereignty and Actions of the U.S. Government

For Teachers 8th - 9th
Young historians study the Supreme Court case "Worcester v. Georgia"  and note instances where the Justices defended the sovereign rights of the Cherokee. They also examine the actions of President Andrew Jackson and the...
Lesson Plan
PBS

Connecting Post-Civil War Mob Violence and the Capitol Hill Riot

For Teachers 11th - 12th Standards
Anti-democratic violence is not new in the United States. Learners watch videos and then compare and contrast the 1873 Colfax and the 1898 Wilmington massacres. They then watch a video about the Capitol Hill insurrection of 2021 and...
Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

Manifest Destiny: U.S. Territorial Expansion

For Teachers 8th
A close examination of John Gast's painting "American Progress" launches a study of the concept of Manifest Destiny used to justify United States' policy of westward expansion. Young historians read statements from persons with different...
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Curated OER

"Whispering Wires": Public Law vs. Individual Civil Liberties

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High school student love discussing controversial issues like those brought up in this fourth amendment case study. They examine the 1928 Olmstead vs. U.S. prohibition court case, applying the fourth amendment to determine whether...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Philadelphia and the Constitutional Convention "Heat Up"

For Teachers 8th - 11th
Students explore the Constitutional Convention of 1787. In this U.S. Constitution lesson, students role play the parts of delegates in a simulation of the convention.
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Curated OER

Using History to Teach Tolerance: A Ripple of Hope

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students investigate the prejudice and racism that has existed in the U.S. for centuries by attending a field trip.  In this equality lesson, students visit the Tolerance Museum and discuss the history of the U.S.  Students...
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Curated OER

Unit Plan Template

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Use this U.S. History unit plan as a template for creating your own! Simply download the resource and edit the text fields with your own customized unit plan. This is a great jumping-off step, especially for newer teachers. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

200 Years and Counting: How the U.S. Census Tracks Social Trends

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students examine the process of census taking in the United States. In this "200 Years and Counting" lesson, students examine the data collection process, look at an example of a census form, analyze data, and learn what the information...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Abraham Lincoln and the Five-Dollar Note

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
Students study Presidential history by researching Abraham Lincoln.  For this U.S. history lesson, students discuss the changes in the 5 dollar bill and create a timeline of Abraham Lincoln's life.  Students complete a puzzle...
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Curated OER

U.S. foreign policy in the early Republic

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students research various events during the War of 1812 and then create magazine articles with supporting illustrations, students are in control of their learning.
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Curated OER

The American Currency Exhibit

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Examine the historical structure, the purposes, and functions of the United States monetary system. Your class engages in a scavenger hunt to compare U.S. currency notes from specific eras throughout U.S. history. They work to identify...
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Education World

The African American Population in US History

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
How has the African American population changed over the years? Learners use charts, statistical data, and maps to see how populations in African American communities have changed since the 1860s. Activity modifications are included to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

U.S. Geography: The Northeast

For Teachers K - 5th
Students investigate U.S. Geography by creating a map in class. In this natural resource instructional activity, students create a map of the United States and research the Northeast based on their resources and recyclable...
Lesson Plan
Constitutional Rights Foundation

History of Immigration From the 1850s to the Present

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
The Statue of Liberty may embrace the huddled masses of the world, but has American society always joined in? After young historians read a passage about the history of American immigration in the 19th and 20th centuries, focusing on...
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Curated OER

U.S. History: Our Constitutional Amendments

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders conduct Internet research about Constitutional Amendments and present oral reports on their findings. Their reports also include visual representations depicting their chosen amendment's focal point. Students discuss the...
Lesson Plan
Anti-Defamation League

The Hate U Give

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas became a quick hit in the young adult literature genre before its adaptation in the 2018 film of the same name. Use a thorough lesson, discussion guide, and series of activities to discuss the social...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Black History Month

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students work in cooperative pairs to research information and give oral presentations about African American men and women who have made significant contributions to U.S. history.

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