Digital Public Library of America
The Underground Railroad and the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850
Escaping Enslaved people attempting to escape didn't need a ticket to ride on the Underground Railroad. Here is a packet of primary sources that reveal the kind of courage and determination they did need to face the challenges to gain...
Digital Public Library of America
Voting Rights Act of 1965
Despite the passing of the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments, as well as the passing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the struggle to ensure fair voter registration and election procedures continues. Young historians...
Curated OER
Henry VII - How Did Henry VII Get Up In the Morning?
Examine the daily life of Henry VII. In this Henry VII lesson, learners answer questions about the life in Medieval times after looking at primary source documents which are translated into contemporary English.
Curated OER
Invetories Slave owner or not?
Primary source analysis is a great way to bring history to life. Learners examine a series of personal inventories taken from Southern white males who died during the Civil War era. They analyze the documents to determine the social and...
Curated OER
Who Fought for the Confederacy?
Did the Confederate Army really consist of southern volunteers? Using primary sources, historians examine the story behind the "Twenty Negro Law" and realities of conscription during the Civil War. A letter and a lithograph (included as...
Curated OER
How Were European Nations Capable of Dominating the African Continent?
Primary source documents provide a realistic context for pupils to explore. Included are 5 experts relating European ideals and methods for colonizing and controlling the African continent. Middle schoolers answer 4 critical-thinking...
K12 Reader
Finding Text Evidence: Frederick Douglass
After reading a very brief excerpt from Frederick Douglass' autobiography, learners cite textual evidence to support a main idea of the primary source about Douglass' humiliating experience with slavery. This is a brief exercise that...
Curated OER
SOAPS Primary Source "Think" Sheet
Planning on using primary source materials? Introduce your class members to SOAPS, a worksheet that models how to analyze and reflect on primary source materials. Readers name the document, identify the subject (S), the occasion (O),...
Curated OER
Little House in the Census: Almanzo and Laura Ingalls Wilder
How would you use census data from 1880-1900? Here are a set of ways you can incorporate the book Little House on the Prairie and US census data from that time period. Learners will research the validity or the book based on factual...
Curated OER
Lesson 2-Profiles in Courage: To Kill A Mockingbird and the Scottsboro Boys Trial
Review one of the most memorable cases in the history of the United States. After reading To Kill A Mockingbird, young scholars read and select court transcripts and other primary source material from the Scottsboro Boys Trial of 1933....
Curated OER
The Federalist Defense of Diversity: Extending the Sphere
How did early Americans ensure expansion while also securing the rights of citizens? Alexander Hamilton and James Madison, two of our early leaders, considered the problem of faction to be the "mortal disease" that created unstable...
Curated OER
Children of War
Take a closer look at the impact of war in this language arts and social studies lesson. Middle schoolers use primary sources to conduct research as they relate to the effects of war on children. They compare and contrast the effects of...
Curated OER
Immigration Debates in the Era of "Open Gates"
Young social historians examine immigration debates of the early 20th century through primary sources, such as political cartoons. They analyze the material, discuss their findings, and complete a critical thinking worksheet. All...
Curated OER
Who Fought for the Union?
Learners read New York Times articles, letters, and listen to songs written from a soldier's perspective during the Civil War in order to understand who was fighting in the Union Army. This is a great lesson, complete with weblinks,...
Curated OER
Colonial New York Slave Codes: Pedro's Walk
Look critically at the slave laws instated in Colonial New York. Your class examines primary source documents, slave laws, a narrative account from a slave's perspective, and Slave Codes. They write diary or journal entries in response...
Curated OER
What Were the Main Achievements of the Mayan Civilization?
Guided reading questions can keep kids focused. Here they read about Mayan Civilization and then answer 9 fill-in-the-blank questions. They must use evidence from their readings to support their answers. The worksheet includes 3...
Curated OER
The Mauryan Empire
Create a chart about the Maurayan Empire. Read the provided passage, make a chart, then analyze 3 excerpts. Questions need to be answered for each of the primary source excerpts. Making a reading chart is a good way to take notes!
Curated OER
The Declaration of Pillnitz (1791)
Primary source documents are wonderful because they provide a real context for historical events. Here is an expert from The Declaration of Pillnitz (1791) for your readers to examine. They consider the passage then use it to answer...
Curated OER
Seneca Falls Convention: Declaration of Sentiments
The Seneca Falls Convention was an amazing outlet for the female voice during the time of women's suffrage. Learners will read a short, but powerful excerpt from the Declaration of Sentiment, as spoken at the convention. They'll answer...
Curated OER
America: The Story of Us Episode 6: The Heartland
I love handouts that include reading passages and discussion questions.Here you will find two pages. Page one provides an informational reading passage and six discussion questions. Page two provides a three paragraph primary-source...
Humanities Texas
Primary Source Worksheet: George Washington, Farewell Address
Invite your young historians to consider how the first president of the United States envisioned the future of the new nation with this primary source analysis worksheet on George Washington's Farewell Address.
Humanities Texas
Primary Source Worksheet: General Washington, Letter Declaring Acceptance of the Command of the Armies of the United States
Discover what influenced president George Washington's decision in his early career to command the United States army by analyzing his formal acceptance with this primary source analysis worksheet.
Humanities Texas
Primary Source Worksheet: Frederick Douglass, “Expression of Gratitude for Freedom”
Here is a fantastic primary source analysis activity regarding Frederick Douglass' speech delivered at the unveiling of the Freedmen's Monument in 1876. The follow-up discussion questions and activities highlight Douglass' discussion of...
Humanities Texas
Primary Source Worksheet: Excerpt from Reagan's Farewell Address
Here's a worksheet designed to help learners develop their skill reading primary source documents. The questions, based on an excerpt from Ronald Reagan's Farewell Address, encourages close reading and analysis.
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