Library of Congress
Child Labor in America
Students investigate child labor during the Great Depression. In this US policy lesson, students evaluate multiple layers of the social, economic, and political affects of policy during the Great Depression. Students will engage in 5...
Curated OER
Ka'ianaa'ahu'ulu: A Leader of Hawai'i
Learners evaluate leadership traits in 18th century Hawai'i and modern times. In this leadership skills lesson, students identify leadership traits and read the story of Ka’iana. Learners monitor the leadership activities of a partner...
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum
Analyzing the Inaugural Address
Get high school historians to step outside their own shoes by responding to JFK's inaugural address from the perspective of a civil rights activist, a soviet diplomat, or a Cuban exile. After a class discussion about the address,...
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Birmingham, Fall 1963
Can any good come from acts of evil? The 1963 bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, and the eventual outcomes of the tragedy, are the focus of a lesson that asks groups to examine primary source documents...
Curated OER
Integrated Lesson Plan
An ambitious and engaging lesson on the Westward Movement for your students to enjoy! Groups of learners rotate between learning tasks such as learning about the Chislom Trail, Lewis and Clark, and the Gold Rush. A WebQuest is also...
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum
Military Advisers in Vietnam: 1963
How did the beginning of the Vietnam War factor into the Cold War with the Soviet Union? As part of a study of American involvement in Vietnam, class members read a letter address to President Kennedy and his response in which...
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: Herblock at 100
In celebration of renowned cartoonist Herb Block's Library of Congress exhibition, this handout includes 2 of his famous political cartoons for scholars to analyze. Background information describes "Herblock's" career, and talking points...
Denver Art Museum
Tea Gathering Quick-Write
Japanese tea gatherings are the inspiration for a great lesson. Learners are provided with an image of a tea caddy made for thick tea and asked to describe what they notice and what that might mean. This leads into a larger lesson about...
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Yellow Journalism
What role did yellow journalism play in bringing the United States into war with Spain? As part of their study of the Spanish-American War, class groups examine newspapers of the times and other texts and then produce their own...
Curated OER
The Black Death and HIV/AIDS: Which is the Worse Plague?
Exploring the similarities and differences between the Black Death and HIV/AIDS, students write persuasive essays answering which is the "worse plague." This cross-curricular activity between Language Arts and Social Studies addresses...
Curated OER
Teaching With Documents Lesson Plan: "A Date Which Will Live in Infamy"
Your class examines F.D.R.'s speech for examples of repetition, alliteration, emotionally charged words, etc. They listen to the speech and interview a person who heard it delivered. They finish by writing an article about the experience.
Alabama Department of Archives and History
New Deal Programs in Alabama
New Deal programs are the focus of an activity that prompts middle and high schoolers to consider the end of the Great Depression. Groups examine primary source materials to gain an understanding of how these programs were...
University of Northern Iowa
Clothing
As part of an investigation of the folk traditions of their area, class members research the articles of clothing worn at earlier times, the fibers and materials, and the machinery used to produce these items. In addition, class...
Curated OER
Lesser Known Influences of the Pacific Northwest
Students engage in research about the development of the Pacific Northwest using specific individuals to emphasize different racial and gender influences in the 1800's. The research method that is used is inquiry based.
Curated OER
Lesson #3: Internet Map Activity
Young scholars label assembly centers and relocation camps on a given map of the United States in order to create a better understanding of the relocation experience of Japanese-American citizens and the distance that families had to...
Curated OER
Evaluation Essay
Students write an essay about previous studied lessons that is applied to the Japanese American experience. They have to role play being a Caucasian, or Nisei in California at a given time based on what they have studied. What would...
Curated OER
The Lewis and Clark Expedition
Learners discuss their prior knowledge of the Lewis and Clark expedition. Using the internet, they research the personal, political and economic influences that made an impact on the expedition. They also discover how the expedition...
Curated OER
Mississippi Delta Blues Moves: Second in a Series of Three with Barb Hoffman and Steve Hoskins, MGM
Students complete a graphic organizer reviewing Barb Hoffman's prior lesson," Slave Songs (1840-1876)" as well as listen to and discuss Delta Blues music samples. Students research one Delta Blues singer and write a "color coded"...
Curated OER
True Settlers of the Pacific Northwest: Who was there with Dr. John Mcloughlin?
Students discover who was present when the city of Vancouver was founded. Using the internet, they research the various cultures of the area and which were present at the Hudson Bay Company. They discuss each person's role in how the...
Curated OER
The Great Depression and the Arts
Students engage in a dialogue about the Depression, the impact of the New
Deal, the role of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the survival of Democracy, and the
resiliency of the American spirit.
Curated OER
The U.S. Recognition of the State of Israel
Pupils research the political aspects of the U.S. position in the Middle East, considering, for example, Truman's position in view of the 1948 presidential election. They examine a telegram sent by the Secretary of State, George C....
Curated OER
Personal Accounts of the Korean Civil War 1950-1953
Ninth graders evaluate primary source documents from the Korean Civil War to compare and contrast them to different countries. They identify the boundaries of the Korean Civil War and work in groups to investigate the story of a Korean...
Curated OER
Medical Research and Your Future
High schoolers are asked to investigate current and sometimes controversial medical research in order to address what medical breakthroughs potentially exist in their futures. They create small posters on sheets detailing their support...
Curated OER
Is It an Authentic Gutenberg Bible?
Sixth graders conduct Internet research to determine what makes Gutenberg Bible authentic, view Ransom Center's digitized version of Gutenberg Bible, and create Powerpoint presentation supporting research findings.