Annenberg Foundation
Gothic Undercurrents
Terror, mystery, excitement. American writers of the 19th century, including Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville, and Emily Dickinson, used these elements to create morally ambiguous tales that challenged the prevailing belief in...
Curated OER
Nellie Bly's Newspaper Club: Introducing the Art of Writing
Students use video and the Internet to research the life of Nellie Bly, a famous female reporter from the 19th century. They research a writer and present their information to the class in the style of a news reporter.
Curated OER
Gender Roles in the Mid-Nineteenth CenturyWhat Fiction Tells Us
Learners examine 19th century gender roles. In this gender roles lesson plan, students read "The Daughter-in-Law" and discuss their impressions of etiquette and gender roles in the 19th century. Learners write etiquette guides that...
Curated OER
Back To Africa
Learners analyze the massive immigration after 1850 and how new social patterns, conflicts, and ideas of national unity developed amid growing cultural diversity, and how the Progressive movement influenced different groups in American...
Curated OER
Transportation and African-American Migration
Students explore the means of transportation available in the 19th century and its role as both facilitator and enabler of the westward expansion. They create a project board illustrating their findings.
PBS
Civil War: Face Jug
Learners examine African American art. In this African American history lesson, students research face jugs created by African American freedmen after they watch a video about the artifact and its significance. Learners then create...
Curated OER
Songs of the Times: American Concerns in 19th Century Campaigns
Students examine campaign songs from the 1840, 1848, and 1860 elections to explore the campaign strategies of 19th century political parties.
Curated OER
Looking at the Old South: Music and Culture
Learners use different styles of music to research society, history and culture in the American South. They, in groups, research an assigned piece of music and make a presentation to the class. They keep a daily journal as well.
Curated OER
Twain: An American Humorist
Students examine American humor and character through analysis of works by Mark Twain. In this cross curricular lesson, students develop a definition of American humor and determine how and why some consider Twain the 'first truly...
Curated OER
Family Life in the 1830s
Students compare and contrast family life today with family life in the 1830s. They conduct research on Old Sturbridge Village, read primary source documents, and develop a list of generalizations comparing/contrasting families of the...
Curated OER
Kaffee - und Teegesellschaften: German Foods
Introduce your Language students to the culture and 19th century German custom of serving coffee and cake at small parties. They read old cookbooks, sort recipes, prepare foods, compare old German recipes to recipes from home and convert...
Curated OER
Condon National Bank
Use maps, readings, and photographs to analyze the historic, cultural, and social conditions surrounding the activities of the Dalton brothers and their gang. Learners identify how the residents of Coffeyville defended themselves against...
Curated OER
Heart (and Arm) of Darkness
Learners read and translate a 19th-century American ghost tale into a Japanese hanging scroll in this exciting lesson for middle-level Language Art classes. The lesson can be completed in four or five days.
Curated OER
America's Mighty Rivers
Young scholars examine the cultural importance of America's rivers. Using the Mississippi and Hudson Rivers, they examine a story that takes place on each river. They are introduced to the concepts of preservation and stewardship.
Curated OER
The Legacy of Currier & Ives
Students read the work of a 19th-century American author. The use
representative lithographs from the Currier & Ives collection at the Springfield Museum
of Fine Arts (available online at http://www.springfieldmuseums.org) to...
Curated OER
Immigration Vocabulary
Eighth graders review immigration vocabulary. In this immigration lesson, 8th graders review vocabulary words using a SMART Board file and then take a quiz on the vocabulary words related to 19th century American immigration.
Constitutional Rights Foundation
History of Immigration From the 1850s to the Present
The Statue of Liberty may embrace the huddled masses of the world, but has American society always joined in? After young historians read a passage about the history of American immigration in the 19th and 20th centuries, focusing on...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Ellis Island—The “Golden Door” to America
Are you one of the 100 million Americans whose ancestors passed through the doors of Ellis Island? Learn about the historic entry point for immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries with an informative reading passage. After...
Curated OER
African American Homesteaders
Students analyze the reasons African-Americans settled in the area to be known as Nebraska. Using primary source documents, they read about the challenges they faced and compare their growth and distribution of African-Americas in the...
Curated OER
Immigration to America
Students examine reasons for immigration to the United States in the 19th century. They role play as immigrants asked to write accounts of their immigrant experiences.
Curated OER
Claiming Common Ground? The Civil War and the Preservation of Claiming Common Ground? The Civil War and the Preservation of George Washington's Mount Vernon
Students explore how people viewed George Washington in the 19th Century. In this U.S. History lesson, students create a timeline of events during the Civil War, including government and court decisions. Following this activity,...
Curated OER
Urbanization As Seen Through Late 19c - Early 20c Architecture
Incorporating the cultures, architecture, and ethnic populations of several American cities (namely Chicago and New York), this presentation displays vivid photographs of buildings and people in 19th - 20th century urban America. The...
Curated OER
History of the Americas: Causes of the Civil War
In this American Civil War worksheet, students respond to 36 short answer questions that require them to define people and events that were significant during the war.
Curated OER
The Treaty Trail: U.S. Indian Treaty Councils in the Northwest
Young scholars create a timeline with the major events of the 19th and 20th century dealing with Native Americans. They examine artifacts and discuss how they reflect culture. They also identify trade routes the Native Americans used.