National Archives (UK)
The National Archives: 19th Century Prison Ships
Examine the primary sources provided by Great Britain's National Archives to discover the state of the prison system in late 18th century Great Britain, and the conditions on the prison ships used because of the prison system. Read court...
US National Archives
Docsteach: The Constitution at Work
In this activity students will analyze documents that span the course of American history to determine their connection to the U.S. Constitution. Students will then make connections between the documents they have examined and the big...
US National Archives
Docsteach: The Civil War as Photographed by Mathew Brady
Students will analyze a series of photographs taken by renowned photographer Mathew Brady to reflect on the lives of soldiers during the Civil War. The holdings of the National Archives include over 6,000 photographs taken by Brady and...
US National Archives
Docsteach: A Revolution, a Reaction and a Reform: National History Day
Students will analyze primary source documents related to the National History Day (NHD) theme for 2011-12: Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History, determine how the documents are connected to the theme, and evaluate the effectiveness...
US National Archives
Docsteach: Extending Suffrage to Women
In this activity, students will analyze documents pertaining to the women's suffrage movement as it intensified following passage of the 15th Amendment that guaranteed the right to vote for African American males. Documents were chosen...
US National Archives
Docsteach: Lewis & Clark's Expedition to the Complex West
This activity can be used as an introduction or for a closer study of the Lewis & Clark Expedition. Students will learn that the United States purchased the Louisiana Territory in 1803 and President Thomas Jefferson sent Lewis and...
US National Archives
Docsteach: From Dred Scott to Civil Rights Act of 1875: Eighteen Years of Change
In 1857, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the Dred Scott decision that African-Americans were not citizens of the United States. Yet within 18 years, Black Americans would not only have citizenship, but would be guaranteed the right to...
US National Archives
Docs Teach: President Reagan and the Cold War: Vision and Diplomacy
See how Ronald Reagan's rhetoric evolved from his speech calling the Soviet Union an "evil empire" to his signing of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty by examining photographs and documents.
Stanford University
Beyond the Bubble: Edison and the Kansas Housewife
[Free Registration/Login Required] Students read a letter from a Mrs. W.C. Lathrop to Thomas Edison thanking him for inventing her electric appliances and making her life easier. They are then presented with some contextual facts, and...
Stanford University
Beyond the Bubble: John Brown's Legacy
[Free Registration/Login Required] Students answer questions about a poster for a play written in 1936 that celebrates the abolitionist John Brown, who tried to start a slave revolt in Harpers Ferry, Virginia, in 1859.
Stanford University
Beyond the Bubble: Morale After Fredericksburg
[Free Registration/Login Required] Students examine a letter from Joseph F. Green, a soldier in the Union Army, to his friend Julia Reynolds on January 2, 1863. In it he describes low morale among Union soldiers after the Battle of...
Stanford University
Beyond the Bubble: Opposition to the Philippine American War
[Free Registration/Login Required] Assesses students' ability to use evidence to support a historical argument. Students are presented with two documents that provide different perspectives on the war in the Philippines. Students are...
Stanford University
Beyond the Bubble: Slave Quarters
[Free Registration/Login Required] Students examine a photograph of former slave quarters in Georgia and answer questions about the living conditions of slaves. They will also observe how the fact that the photograph was taken decades...
Stanford University
Beyond the Bubble: The First Thanksgiving
[Free Registration/Login Required] This history assessment measures students' ability to source a document, in this case a painting of the first Thanksgiving celebration. When historians interpret a document, they look at who wrote it...
Stanford University
Beyond the Bubble: Unions in Paterson, New Jersey
[Free Registration/Login Required] An excerpt from an interview with a textile factory worker named Marianna Costa. In the interview, Costa talks about working conditions at the Arrow Piece Dye Works in Paterson, New Jersey, prior to the...
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Colonial Williamsburg: Mathematics With a Mob Cap
This hands-on multidisciplinary activity, combines math and social studies. Students will discover how 18th Century fashion, and culture impacted Colonial Life.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Holt, Rinehart and Winston: Writer's Model: Historical Research Paper
This eleven-page research paper provides an example of a historical research project. Clicking on the "Writer's Guide" link in the upper right-hand corner of the page enables the user to get tips, directions, and explanations on the essay.
Duke University
Duke University Libraries: Finding Primary Sources
Finding primary sources can be difficult and confusing at times. This site provides a list of history databases, rare books and manuscripts, and research guides for those looking for primary resources such as diaries, letters,...
Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
Gilder Lehrman Institute: History Now: Enslaved African Americans and Expressions of Freedom
[Free Registration/Login Required] Students will examine African American slave spirituals, a painting, and a personal narrative to analyze the underlying messages of these materials.
Other
Education at Harp week.com: The Impeachment of Andrew Johnson Simulation Game
A simulation game of the impeachment trial of President Andrew Johnson in 1868, along with a wealth of material from articles and editorials published in Harper's Weekly at the time of the trial. The number of charges against him is...
Library of Congress
Loc: Immigration: Destroying the Native American Cultures
Detailed and extensive account of the plight of Native Americans during the westward growth of America. Includes maps, audio recordings, authentic letters, speeches,a great timeline, and much more.
Harry S. Truman Library and Museum
Truman Library & Museum: Incorporating Primary Sources in the Classroom
Students and teachers are given direction in how to work with the primary source materials of the Harry S Truman Presidential Library.
Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Source: Resources for Teaching American History: Primary Sources
A varied collection of primary resources from American history. They include portraits, banknotes, artifacts, newspaper items, paintings, and illustrations.
Scholastic
Scholastic History Mystery
Students will choose from a variety of concepts and can play a game to enhance their learning.