Center for History Education
Democratic Ideas of the 1776 Maryland Constitution
1776 was a year of political upheaval in the American colonies. Academics examine the Maryland Constitution to understand the desire to break with Great Britain. Young historians learn about Maryland's efforts to extend rights to its...
Center for History Education
Who Fired the Shot Heard Round the World?
Take a closer look. Young academics become detectives in an engaging lesson on the American Revolution. Scholars work in groups to analyze documents to uncover whether the American colonists or British soldiers fired the first shot at...
Museum of the American Revolution
Dissecting the Declaration
Delve into the past to understand the issues that led to the Declaration of Independence. Academics read excerpts from the Declaration of Independence and take a virtual tour of the American Revolution Museum. The resource explains how...
Curated OER
East Timor: The World's Newest Country
This isn't just a hand-out or a reading passage; it's more like a mini book on the history, colonization, independence, and culture of the South East Asian country of Timor. There are extensive readings and discussion questions for...
Curated OER
An Untold Triumph
High schoolers examine and analyze the history and experience of Filipinos in Hawaii and California. They identify the contributions of Filipino Americans to the US war effort in World War II, and analyze the many causes that led to...
Curated OER
A Colony is Born : Lessons 7 - 10 What's My Line?
Fifth graders research their assigned regions, complete regional guide and prepare presentations about the New World colonists. They refer to "Everyday LIfe: Colonial Times" as well as searching marked internet sites.
Curated OER
A Colony is Born : Lesson 11 - Group Presentations and Summatives
Fifth graders give presentations on colonial research. The others take notes on the presentations. They play a card game which helps them review content. They take a summative assessment and present their research notebooks.
Curated OER
Jackie Steals Home
Students read articles relating to Jackie Robinson's breaking of the racial barrier in professional baseball. This leads to a deeper exploration of racism in the United States. They use a variety of worksheets imbedded in this plan to...
Curated OER
Women's Rights and Reform
Learners evaluate primary source documents. They assess the development of women's rights in the United States. They identify other rights beside suffrage that were important to famous women reformers.
Curated OER
Philanthropic Movements in the United States to 1900: 1765 to the Declaration of Independence
Middle schoolers watch and discuss the Johnny Tremain video. They discuss the actions of citizens during the American Revolution and describe these actions as patriotic and/or philanthropic.
Curated OER
Thirteen Original Colonies
An outstanding lesson on the Thirteen Original Colonies, and the settling of Pennsylvania by William Penn is here for your learners. Valuable discussion takes place regarding how the colonies were settled, and some excellent handouts are...
Curated OER
Myth-Conceptions
Young scholars examine the myths and misconceptions surrounding early European colonists in the New World. They analyze images, artwork, and media relating to the early colonists and discuss their accuracy.
Curated OER
Colonial Living: A Look at the Arts, Crafts, History, and Literature of Early Americans
Sixth graders examine the different aspects of life in Colonial America. At home, they make traditional colonial recipes to share with the class. In groups, they read a book about the purpose and act of quilting and create their own...
Curated OER
Divided We Fall
Students examine the Bill of Rights. In this U.S. Constitution lesson, students write essays for perform plays that feature the importance of the first ten amendments. Students imagine the United States without 1 of the amendments that...
Curated OER
Westward the Course of Empire Goes: American Imperialism in the Pacific Ocean during the Nineteenth Century
Eleventh graders research the acquisition of colonial outposts throughout the Pacific Ocean by the United States during the late-nineteenth century. They present their findings to the class and propose which countries or territories the...
Curated OER
Causes of the American Revolution
Challenge your fifth graders with this lesson. They read about the American Revolution, discuss key terms, and engage in a variety of activities. First, they create a timeline, then they answer an online quiz, and finish by making a...
Curated OER
Loyalists and Loyalism in the American Revolution
Students engage in activities to understand how ideologies were constructed before and during the Revolutionary War. How and why were some "reluctant revolutionaries" turned into whig patriots willing to fight against the British empire,...
Curated OER
Everything was up to date in 1628
Learners view a video of Colonial House, a reality series where people lived according to the standards of European immigrants to the U.S. in 1628. In this colonial history lesson, students research changes in geographic areas over time...
Curated OER
Welcome to 1776
Fifth graders visit each center that is set up in the classroom. They participate in each activity and answer the questions at each center in writing with 90% accuracy. Student centers are colonial food, coloinal closet, colonial...
Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary
Benjamin Franklin and the Long Struggle for Independence
Students explore U.S. history by reading biographical material in class. In this Benjamin Franklin lesson, students identify the life of Franklin and the events that led him to become one of America's first heroes. Students complete an...
Curated OER
Too Large to be a Lunatic Asylum: South Carolina’s Mental Health
Eighth graders examine the history of South Carolina's mental institutions. In this South Carolina history lesson, 8th graders discover details about asylums built in the state in the 1800's. Students analyze primary sources about mental...
Curated OER
A More Perfect Union
Fourth graders complete a unit of lessons on the development of the U.S. government. They examine the main ideas of the Declaration of Independence, develop a class translation of the preamble to the Constitution, create a flow chart,...
Curated OER
Kensington Mansion: Plantation, Sharecroppers, Tenants
Eleventh graders investigate the significance of the Kensington Mansion. In this South Carolina history lesson, 11th graders take field trips to the mansion and research primary and secondary sources about plantations, sharecropping, and...
Curated OER
Colonial Homes
Young scholars tour colonial homes in Connecticut and compare their features. In this colonial homes lesson, students create a diorama after returning from a field trip to homes. Young scholars use their observations and...