Lesson Plan
Curated OER

About Abraham Lincoln

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders complete a unit of lessons on the life of Abraham Lincoln. They read and analyze a poem, create a timeline, write an essay, research The Gettysburg Address and The Emancipation Proclamation, explore websites, and interview...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Portraits of Power: American Presidents

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders explore the presidency of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.  In this US History instructional activity, 9th graders examine the life of Abraham Lincoln.  students write an essay describing the presidency and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Texas History

For Teachers 6th - 10th
Young scholars explore the history of Texas. Through researching factual books and folktales, students share their information about Texas. They discuss the Trail of Tears, Davy Crockett, the flags of Texas, and Sam Houston. Young...
Worksheet
Curated OER

ELLIS ISLAND: THE EARLY DAYS

For Students 6th - 7th
In this reading comprehension worksheet about the history of Ellis Island, students are given a 7-paragraph essay to read and 5 follow-up multiple-choice questions to answer.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Election of 1860

For Teachers 7th - 11th
Students determine how the presidential election of 1860 led to the American Civil War. In this election of 1860 lesson, students discover details regarding the election and hold their own mock debate and election. Students also write an...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The World of Constitutions: Better Understanding the U.S. Constitution

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers examine the purpose of constitutions. In this government systems lesson, students analyze the sections of the U.S. Constitution. High schoolers then compare the U.S. Constitution to the constitutions of other countries....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The South Wins Gettysburg!

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars explore American Civil War, hypothesize that the Union Army was defeated at Gettysburg by Lee's army, and write an essay describing how different North America would be today if the South had won the Civil War.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Canadian Studies Exercise

For Teachers 6th
In this Canadian history worksheet, 6th graders review many aspects of Canadian studies. Students complete 10 fill in the blank questions, 5 essay questions and 10 true/false questions.
Interactive
Curated OER

The Declaration of Independence (1776)

For Students 8th - 12th
For this online interactive history worksheet, students respond to 10 short answer and essay questions about the Declaration of Independence.
Interactive
Curated OER

J. Robert Oppenheimer

For Students 8th - 12th
In this online interactive history worksheet, students respond to 10 short answer and essay questions about the accomplishments of J. Robert Oppenheimer. Students may check some of their answers on the interactive worksheet.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Whitewashing History

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students revisit issues of civil rights in the U.S. They use the recent national discussion of retiring Senator Strom Thurmond's 1948 Dixiecrat Presidential campaign as a starting point.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Natural Resources

For Teachers K - 12th
Students explore Iowa geography and topographic maps. In this geography and topographic maps lesson, student investigate maps, newspapers, Iowa flora and fauna. Students gain an understanding of how different landforms can be identified...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Conservation at a Crossroads Lesson 1: What Is Conservation and Why Does It Matter?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars explore the concept of conservation. In this conservation lesson, students read articles and primary documents about the Conservation Movement in the United States and compare the movement to today's environmental...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Race to Learn

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students explore the history of education and race in the United States. By researching Supreme Court cases dealing with race and education, students examine the ways in which these cases have reflected changing social and cultural norms.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

African-Americans and the New Deal's Civilian Conservation Corps

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students discover the responsibilities of the Civilian Conservation Corps. For this New Deal lesson, students analyze the impact that the inclusion of African Americans in the Civilian Conservation Corps made on race relations in the...
Interactive
Curated OER

Civil Disobedience

For Students 7th - 12th
In this online interactive literature learning exercise, students respond to 10 short answer and essay questions about Henry David Thoreau's Civil Disobedience. Students may check some of their answers on the interactive learning...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hamilton and Burr : Compare and Contrast

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Who were Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton? High schoolers examine the character traits of these historical figures and watch the video, The Duel. Hamilton vs. Burr: An Event that Changed History (available from PBS), to gain...
Lesson Plan
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Student Achievement Partners

Laura Hillenbrand's "Unbroken" and Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston and James D. Houston's "Farewell to Manzanar"

For Teachers 7th - 9th Standards
Passages from Unbroken and Farewell to Manzanar provide the context for a study of the historical themes of experiencing war, resilience during war, and understanding the lasting trauma of war. Appendices include extension...
Lesson Plan
Harry S. Truman Library & Museum

Marshall Plan: Convince the American People

For Teachers 11th - 12th Standards
This is an excellent resource for US history classes, especially AP history. After learning some background on the Marshall Plan, the class, divided into two groups, researches opposing positions on this aid program. Groups read and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Anne Frank: One of Hundreds of Thousands

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students conduct research to put Anne Frank's diary into historical context. They use maps, timelines, essays and websites to examine the early victories of the German army, paying special attention to the Netherlands and experiences of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Art, Commentary and Evidence: Analysis of "The White Man's Burden"

For Teachers 9th - 12th
A cross-curricular instructional activity combines poetry and history for your middle and high schoolers. The class critically examines Kipling's poem, "White Man's Burden" as historical evidence of the Imperialist ideology popular...
Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

“Twelve Years a Slave”: Analyzing Slave Narratives

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Readers of Solomon Northup's brutally frank slave narrative Twelve Years a Slave examine passages that support the argument that slavery "undermined and corrupted" the institution of marriage. Background information is...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Mayflower Compact

For Teachers 12th
Twelfth graders discover the ideas of our government by reading the Mayflower Compact.  For this U.S. Government lesson, 12th graders identify the main ideas of the Mayflower Compact, how it came to be and who was affected the most...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Taking a Stand with Rosa Parks

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students discuss African-American history from slavery to the civil rights movement. They discuss individual people who shpaed history by reading their biographies and researching the age in which they lived. Studnets comprehend the...