John Brown, Then and Now

Young historians act as detectives in order to examine the characteristics of controversial abolitionist John Brown in the 1850s, working to identify his ultimate mission regarding slavery and the larger impact he had on the Civil War.

"Love it or leave it." "You're either for us or against us." Rhetoric and it's polarizing effects are the focus of a lesson that uses John Brown's attack on Harper's Ferry as an exemplar. Groups examine primary source documents,...

Eleventh graders identify some of the ways that the raid at Harper's Ferry influenced the Civil War. They articulate the different ways that people though about John Brown in the 1800's and how his persona may or may not have changed...

Especially appropriate for classroom use on Veteran's Day or Remembrance Day, this poetry activity asks learners to read Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae's famous poem "In Flanders Fields." After reading, class members answer comprehension...

The American Civil War was a complex test of a relatively young democracy in the mid-nineteenth century. Discuss the events and factors that led to the Civil War with a thorough slideshow presentation.

From the passage of the Fugitive Slave Law and construction of a transcontinental railroad to the conflicts that arose as a result of the Kansas-Nebraska Act and the Dred Scott decision, this video will take your young historians through...

Pretty much everyone has heard the phrase life is unfair. A theory by John Rawls, a famous political theorist, as to why this occurs in government and society presents itself. Pupils watch his theory through primary resource photographs...

Pupils explore the life of John Brown to fight slavery. In this Civil War lesson plan, students listen to a lecture regarding Brown's work to free slaves through rebellion. Pupils conduct further research in order to write historical poems.

Throughout the 20th Century, the world has become a healthier place. By examining the public-health issues and diseases doctors faced during the 1900's, students will compare and contrast life from today vs. life in the 1900's. Their...

Private John G. Burnett was one of the American soldiers involved in the forced removal of the Cherokee from their lands in the south to Oklahoma. His account of this experience, “A Soldier Recalls the Trail of Tears” provides the text...