US Mint
The Growth of a Nation
Young historians explore the identity of the early United States in this four-part lesson series. Working in groups of three, students research the political, economic, and cultural atmosphere of each member of the...
New York State Education Department
US History and Government Examination: June 2011
Those who lived during the Great Depression could clearly draw a line between the roaring 1920s and the desolation of the following decade. Class members examine these two periods and compare them using an essay question prompt and...
Smithsonian Institution
Art to Zoo: Life in the Promised Land: African-American Migrants in Northern Cities, 1916-1940
This is a fantastic resource designed for learners to envision what it was like for the three million African-Americans who migrated to urban industrial centers of the northern United States between 1910 and 1940. After reading a...
New York State Education Department
US History and Government Examination: August 2015
Are your learners feeling a bit jittery about an upcoming American history standardized test? Take a look at a state standardized test to give them additional practice and ease their nerves. Extra practice includes a scaffolded...
New York State Education Department
US History and Government Examination: June 2015
How much do classmates know about US history and government? Take advantage of a standardized test to assess individuals' knowledge. Scholars practice multiple choice and essay questions to help them prepare for state tests.
New York State Education Department
US History and Government Examination: January 2015
Gauge pupils' knowledge of US history and government by using a standardized test. Scholars use a previous exam to practice their test-taking skills. The resource contains essay questions, multiple choice questions, and primary source...
New York State Education Department
US History and Government Examination: January 2016
Looking for an exam that uses primary sources to test young historians' analytical muscles? Check out a standardized test that asks learners to answer multiple-choice and essay questions to demonstrate their understanding of American...
West Virginia Department of Education
Declarations and the Quest for Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness
Understanding how John Brown got his inspiration from the Declaration of Independence helps learners further understand both West Virginia and United States history. The resource, a standalone, uses worksheets, discussion, and essay...
Center for History Education
To What Extent Were Women's Contributions to World War II Industries Valued?
Women rose to the challenge when the nation's war effort called them—but were sent home when the GIs came back from World War II. Young historians consider whether the United States valued women's contributions during the war using a...
Digital Public Library of America
Teaching Guide: Exploring To Kill a Mockingbird
Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, considered by many to be a seminal piece of American literature, contains many complex literary themes that carry through United States history. Use a series of discussion questions and classroom...
Curated OER
America's Wars, 1898-1945
Students examine the wars the United States was involved in between 1898 and 1945. In groups, they determine the causes and effects of each war and how each war changed the way the United States handled their foreign affairs. As a class,...
Heritage Foundation
Voting and the Constitution
How difficult was it for everyone to get voting rights? Understanding voting rights and the fight to get them for everyone in the United States can be tricky for some learners. However, they are clarified after engaging in the...
Mr. Nussbaum
THE Founding Father
Who is the founding father—George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, or Benjamin Franklin? Scholars decide which of three early Americans, should be crowned the founding father of America based on research. Then, they compose a persuasive...
New York State Education Department
US History and Government Examination: June 2017
Ready for a test that uses primary sources as a tool to assess comprehension? Learners answer multiple choice, essay, and short answer questions to demonstrate their understanding of American history.
Curated OER
Intermediate Level Lesson Plan THEMATIC ESSAY
Students identify three reasons why conflict arose in the Western United States during the late 1800s. Using specific examples, discuss how the United States government attempted to resolve these conflicts. Evaluate whether these...
Curated OER
Looking at Human Struggle Through The Language Arts Curriculum: The Faces of Slavery
Sixth graders examine the use of slavery in the United States. Using a map, they draw the route of the Tecora and Amistad voyages. Individually, they write an essay describing their opinions on whether the Africans on the ships should be...
Curated OER
Spanish Influence in the U.S.
Eighth graders research the role of the first Spanish conquistadors who explored the now United States. Using the internet, they gather information on different explorers and write a paper about why he is important in American history. ...
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Conflict in Alabama in the 1830s: Native Americans, Settlers, and Government
To better understand the Indian Removal Act of 1830, class members examine primary source documents including letters written by Alabama governors and the Cherokee chiefs. The lesson is part of a unit on the expansion of the United...
swmcdn
AP US History Test Review
Every major concept, key term, and definition that an AP US history student should know for a test prep session and the big exam is right here in this comprehensive, well-organized study guide.
Curated OER
Can History Be Rewritten?
Can history be rewritten? Or, more precisely, is history documented accurately? High school juniors and seniors compare primary source material with secondary sources. For example, they compare President Roosevelt's December 29, 1940...
National WWII Museum
Rationing by the Numbers: Quantitative Data as Evidence
What was it like to live on wartime rations in the United States during World War II? Young historians find out by exploring how those on the home front bought food thanks to the ration system. Other data includes statistics on car sales...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Women in the Military
Scholars analyze the role of women in the military in United States history. Using group research, debate, and diary entries, they explore various military activity in America. To complete the lesson, young historians write an essay...
New York State Education Department
US History and Government Examination: June 2012
The reform movements—such as abolition, the push for women's suffrage, and the labor movement—shaped modern America. A document analysis activity and essay prompt help learners consider why. Other items in the high-level exam include an...
New York State Education Department
US History and Government Examination: June 2013
How successful has American foreign policy been in the past? Pupils consider the question as part of a state examination in American history. Other prompts include a document analysis and essay of important civil rights cases decided by...