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Unit Plan
Federal Reserve Bank

It's Your Paycheck

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Beyond reading and arithmetic, one of the most important skills for graduating seniors to have is fiscal literacy and responsibility. Start them on the right financial track with nine lessons that focus on a variety of important personal...
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Lesson Plan
American Institute of Physics

Eunice Foote: Scientist and Suffragette

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
The greenhouse effect and climate change are hot topics in today's news. Young scientists may be surprised to learn that the concept is not a new one. In fact, Eunice Newton Foote, scientist, inventor, and suffragette, discovered the...
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Lesson Plan
American Institute of Physics

Historical Detective: Edward Alexander Bouchet and the Washington-Du Bois Debate over African-American Education

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Young scientists meet Edward Alexander Bouchet who, in 1876, was the first African American to receive a PhD in Physics. This two-part lesson first looks at the debate between Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois about the type of...
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Unit Plan
Vaquera Films

Wonder Women - The Untold Story of American Superheroines: High School Curriculum Guide

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
A 41-page curriculum guide tells the story of the untold stories of American Superheroines! Divided into three modules, the guide is designed to be used before, during, and after viewing the 2012 documentary Wonder Women! The Untold...
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Lesson Plan
2
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Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Vaccine Safety

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Enter the debate on vaccines. Small groups research topics related to vaccine safety in the last lesson in a unit of five. In the process of the research, team members learn how to determine the validity and credibility of a website. The...
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Activity
Constitutional Rights Foundation

The Troubled Elections of 1796 and 1800

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Congress does more than create new laws. Political scientists delve into the elections of 1796 and 1800 to understand how political parties, the Electoral College, and personal agendas affected the election process. The resource also...
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Worksheet
Constitutional Rights Foundation

Putin's Illiberal Democracy

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Is Russia really a democracy? High school scholars explore Russian democracy under the leadership of President Putin. The resource provides opportunity for group discussion, writing, and research to understand Russia's political history,...
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Unit Plan
1
1
New York City Department of Education

Grade 11 Literacy in Social Studies: Research Paper

For Teachers 11th Standards
The lesson guides young academics through the steps in producing a 10-page research paper on any topic in American history. Historians begin by formulating a thesis and gathering resources, then move on to creating an outline, and end...
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Lesson Plan
1
1
National Endowment for the Humanities

Lesson 4 James Madison: Internal Improvements Balancing Act—Federal/State and Executive/Legislative

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Who has the power? The founding fathers asked the same question when the United States was formed. Learners explore issues that arose during Madison’s presidency that raised constitutional questions. Through discovery, discussion, and...
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Lesson Plan
Library of Congress

Thomas Jefferson's Library: Making the Case for a National Library

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
The United States Library of Congress, the largest library in the world. But such was not always the case. The library was destroyed during the War of 1812. In a persuasive letter to Samuel H. Smith, Thomas Jefferson offered to sell his...
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Activity
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iCivics

Drafting Board: Community Service

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Should schools impose community service graduation requirements? In the final lesson of the Drafting Board series, learners solidify their practice of crafting an argument supported by sound reason and evidence.
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Activity
iCivics

Drafting Board: Electoral College

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Should the president of the United States be voted by the Electoral College or the popular vote? Your young historians will consider the pros and cons of the Electoral College, and make an argument using reasons and evidence provided in...
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Activity
iCivics

Drafting Board: Kids and Credit

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Should kids under the age of 18 be given access to credit cards? Learners identify pros and cons of using credit, develop claims based on evidence, and finally argue reasons for or against credit for minors.
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Activity
iCivics

Drafting Board: Military Intervention

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Should countries use their militaries to stop humanitarian crises in other countries? Learners make claims, organize their reasoning, and provide evidence for their arguments with this rich resource.
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Activity
iCivics

Drafting Board: Interest Groups

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Does the influence of interest groups harm a political system? Your class members will analyze the role of interest groups in American politics, as well as consider the effect of perspective, bias, loyalty, and the First Amendment.
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Lesson Plan
1
1
American Library Association

Creating 21st Century Superheroes

For Teachers 11th - 12th Standards
Create 21st century learners by utilizing technology and library databases. Scholars explore the concept of comic books as literature and create a superhero who could uniquely solve a 21st century global issue. Databases such as SIRS are...
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Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

Lesson 2: Religion and the Argument for American Independence

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Young scholars examine how religion affected arguments justifying American independence. They read and analyze primary source documents, and write an essay analyzing how Americans used religious arguments to justify revolution against a...
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Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

Lesson 1: The First Great Awakening

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
High schoolers examine the First Great Awakening and how it affected religious belief in colonial America. They read and analyze primary source documents, explore various websites, and write a five-paragraph essay examining the beliefs...
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Lesson Plan
3
3
Curated OER

Centers of the Storm: The Lyceum and the Circle at the University of Mississippi

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Greek Revival architecture and the Civil Rights Movement? Sure! Examine how the Lyceum and Circle, two historic buildings located on the campus of the University of Mississippi, relate to integration and the 1962 riot on the university...
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Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

Slavery and the American Founding: The "Inconsistency Not to Be Excused"

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
High schoolers examine slavery in the revolutionary and colonial eras of the United States. In this slavery lesson, students investigate the presence of slavery in early America, the language of the Constitution, and the intent of the...
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Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

Lesson 3: Religion and the Fight for American Independence

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Pupils explore the role religion played in the American Revolutionary War. Using primary documents and writing exercises, high schoolers understand how religion was used in support of the war efforts and how specific religious groups...
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Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

Lesson 2: The Debate in Congress on the Sedition Act

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Pupils research and discuss the provisions in the Constitution that supported the arguments for and against the Sedition Act. They articulate objections to and arguments in favor of the Sedition Act.
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Unit Plan
Georgia Department of Education

Ga Virtual Learning: The Writing Center: Thesis Statements [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This is a five-page PDF handout on how to write strong thesis statements for argumentative essays with examples.
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Handout
Boise State University

Paradigm Online Writing Assistant

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This online writing assistance offers help in the writing process, grammar and mechanics, usage, and four different types of essays, as well as help on deciding what and how to document.