Curated OER
Voice of History
Way before the digital age radio was the medium of popular culture. After listening to excerpts from radio programs (easily available on the Internet), participants return to the radio age by creating a two-minute sketch based on a...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
History of Immigration From the 1850s to the Present
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...
Stanford University
Mexicans in the United States in the 1920s
Students explore what life was like for Mexicans and Mexican-Americans in the 1920s. In this American history lesson plan, students watch videos and refer to multiple documents to draw conclusions as to what life was like for Mexican...
National Endowment for the Humanities
NAACP’s Anti-Lynching Campaign in the 1920s
Students investigate the anti-lynching campaign of the NAACP in the 1920's. In this human rights instructional activity, students prepare for and participate in a simulated debate of the Dyer Anti-Lynching Bill that was presented to...
NPR
Suffrage Lesson Plan
Has life changed for American women in the last century, or are there common themes between the lives of 21st century women and the struggle of suffragettes from the 1910s? Explore the ways media reflects the position of women in the...
Curated OER
Looking Back to Move Forward
Students investigate, through interviews, personal reflection and research, the impact on the past, present and future of 20th century historic events in the United States.
Agriculture in the Classroom
Growing a Nation (1950-1969): Prosperity & Challenges: The Story of American Agriculture
A wonderful activity on the development and impact of mechanized farming! History or agriculture classes learn the historical background of the United States' food production by creating a pamphlet with information on the cause and...
Stanford University
Scopes Trial
Students review information about religious movements in the United States. In this Butler Act instructional activity, students view a video and read in their textbook about the Butler Act. Students review documents about the Scopes...
Curated OER
"Breadline": The Great Depression Causes, Consequences and Recovery
Young scholars compare prices of popular items of late 1920s to cost of those items presently, determine which companies are best in which to invest, analyze causes and consequences of stock market crash of 1929, and evaluate...
Curated OER
The Great Gatsby: Primary Sources from the Roaring Twenties
Students research the Roaring Twenties. In this 1920's America lesson, students analyze primary sources to develop an understanding of lifestyles and values of the era as they read F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby.
Curated OER
Women in Two Countries: Japan and America
Students explore the role of women in Japan and the United States during World War Two. They focus on women and the family and women and the workplace and the changes within each. Students create an informational brochure of women...
Agriculture in the Classroom
Growing a Nation (1930-1949): From Defeat to Victory, Lesson 2
Using primary source materials including radio broadcasts, films, and interview transcripts, history high schoolers gain a better understanding of the Dust Bowl, relief efforts for farmers, and the nation's agricultural past. It includes...
Alabama Department of Archives and History
A Worse Death: War or Flu?
In a lesson that integrates history and mathematics, class members create graphs that compare military death statistics from World War I with those that resulted from the influenza pandemic of 1918.
Curated OER
What Caused the Great Depression?
Analyze the many causes of major political, economic, and social developments during the 1920s and 1930s, with emphasis on the Great Depression. Read photographs from the 1920's and the 1930's, then write a brief explanation of what you...
Syracuse University
Harlem Renaissance
The music and literature of the Harlem Renaissance defined American culture, including its poetry. Using a poem from the period, individuals explore its musical qualities and how it is reflective of the period. Then, they use what they...
National Endowment for the Humanities
NAACP's Anti-Lynching Campaign in the 1930s
Students examine the anti-lynching campaign sponsored by the NAACP in the 1930's. For this social justice lesson, students study the history of the anti-lynching campaign and determine why it was not successful. Students conduct research...
Curated OER
The Great Migration
What a terrific lesson! Have your class learn about immigration using this resource. Fourth graders discuss the Great Migration in Ohio through art, writing, and discussion. Afterward, they create a presentation in which they tell their...
Curated OER
Jews in America at the Time of Growth and Change: Forging New Frontiers
Tenth graders examine the role of Jewish Americans in the 1900s. They examing the changes in industry and inventions. They also identify how Jewish Americans changed society and religious organization.
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Cells for Sale - Convict Leasing in Alabama
The benefits and drawbacks of convict leasing following the Civil War are the focus of a instructional activity that asks groups to examine primary source materials to gain an understanding of the program before individuals decide...
Curated OER
Lesson 6: Crowded Skies
This is a treasure-trove of multimedia resources to help your scholars analyze transportation methods. They discuss different forms of movement, utilizing several infographics to spur conversation deeper and get visual learners engaged....
Curated OER
American Music Styles - Lesson 1
Students describe some of the distinguishing characteristics of rock, folk, blues, and country music. They identify two main musical roots of today's American popular music.