Curated OER
United States v. Thomas Cooper --
High schoolers compare the Alien and Sedition Act to the First Amendment. They read and analyze a primary document and write a synopsis. They brainstorm challenges to the Government or President of the US.
Curated OER
Study of States in the five U.S. Regions
Fourth graders identify the five regions and the states within them. They research a state from each of five regions, then they choose one of those states to do an extensive research report on following teacher guidelines. They work in...
Curated OER
Brother versus Brother: The Human Face of the Civil War
Students research a human aspect of the Civil War and prepare a written report, skit, project board, or computer slide-show about their findings. They focus on how the war affected families who had members on opposing sides of the conflict.
Curated OER
Bringing Historical Figures Alive
Students research a famous American from a specific era. In this American history instructional activity, students choose a famous person from a time period chosen by the teacher, write a short report, prepare a speech, plan a...
Curated OER
Journey to Gettysburg
Students use latitude and longitude to map the path of the Battle of Gettysburg.
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...
Theodore Roosevelt Association
Interpreting the Past; Assessing Its Impact on the Present
Even though the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt ended over 100 years ago, we can still learn something from his stances and policies that is applicable today. Class members first look over a list of prevalent political issues from the...
Curated OER
Jefferson vs. Franklin: Revolutionary Philosophers
Students examine the contributions of Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson to American Independence. In small groups, they conduct Internet research, read and discuss primary source documents, and complete a chart.
Scholastic
Abe Lincoln Remembers Lesson Plan
Discover the life of Abraham Lincoln with help from the story Abe Lincoln Remembers by Ann Turner. After listening carefully, scholars reflect on what they deem as Lincoln's most influential life event and how it relates...
Stanford University
Lesson Plan: Montgomery Bus Boycott
Most of us have heard of Rosa Parks, the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and Martin Luther King, Jr. But what about Claudette Colvin, Virginia Durr, Freedom Summer, or the Birmingham Children's Crusade? A five-lesson unit prompts class...
University of Kentucky
The Great Spider Debate
Poor, misunderstood spiders! They are feared, disrespected, and detested by many people, yet they do so many positive things. A great addition to any insect unit, learn about some of the more common spiders, while hopefully dispelling...
Curated OER
Sports Participation
Students research statistics about sports participation in references such as the Statistical Abstract of the United States. They make and analyze a list of the 10 sports that the highest number of Americans participated in on an amateur...
Curated OER
Immigration Policy: Past and Present
Students examine the history of the United States' immigration policy. They identify events in history that changed policies regarding immigrants. They discuss new possible legislation as well.
Curated OER
Alaska Purchase Debate
Students examine the benefits and the challenges Alaska has presented to the United States. They research what the government and the people of the United States considered at the time of the purchase of Alaska in order to debate the...
Curated OER
Balance of Power
Students examine the number of women in the United States Senate. After reading an article, they discover Hillary Clinton's possible bid for the presidential nomination for the Democratic party. In groups, they research the lives and...
Curated OER
Let's Go To Mexico
Young scholars are able to use the Internet to conduct research. They research Mexican culture and traditions. Students compare and contrast Mexican and U.S. food and clothing. They convert United States currency to Mexican pesos. ...
Curated OER
The Object Is Objectivity
Students search for and read articles about the initial United States strike on Afghanistan from non-U.S. news sources, then describe the journalists' perspectives and reflect on how difficult it might be to maintain an objective wartime...
Curated OER
Volcanic Activity in the U.S.
Students locate and map ten volcanoes in United States, create chart comparing volcanoes by last eruption, type of volcano, location, and interesting fact, and create Powerpoint slide show describing basic
information about volcanoes and...
Curated OER
Rome's Rise To Power: The Republic
Students investigate the government structure of ancient Rome. In this government systems lesson, students compare and contrast the government of ancient Rome with the government of the United States.
Curated OER
Where is the Trail? The Journey of Lewis and Clark
Students explore the trail followed by Lewis and Clark on their journey across the United States. In this United States History lesson, students complete several activities to establish the Lewis and Clark Expedition, including a class...
Curated OER
Family Ties
Students explore what life is like for immigrant women in the United States. In this immigration lesson, students study about immigration through reading and watching a video, then share their thoughts and ideas by participating in...
Curated OER
Trying Teens
Students explore the court cases and legal organizations that were instrumental in creating a system of juvenile justice in the United States, then present their findings in a composite timeline.
Curated OER
The Dirt on Worms!
Fourth graders make predictions, observe, collect and record data. They investigate several soil and worm websites. Finally, 4th graders write a letter to The President which defends earthworms by explaining their value to the United...
Curated OER
Freedoms We Enjoy
Students compare lifestyles of the United States to another foreign country. In this social studies lesson, students use the information they previously researched on the Internet and publish a PowerPoint presentation to illustrate their...