Curated OER
Ninteenth Century Women: Struggle and Triumph
Young scholars examine the role of women in US society during the 19th century and how this role evolved and changed in time. They then write a persuasive letter that domonstrates their comprehensin of the subject.
Curated OER
Changes in the New Nation
Students explore how technology has slowly changed the world, starting in the 18th Century. In this United States History lesson, students work in teams to complete numerous activities that compare and contrast life before and after...
Stanford University
Great Plains Homesteaders
"Westward, ho!" may have been their cry in spite of the hardships. Using a series of photographs by Solomon D. Butcher of those who ventured west, class members consider what life was like in the 1800s for those who embarked on the...
Curated OER
African Americans and the Move West
Middle schoolers examine the phases of westward migration in the United States during the 19th century focusing on the incentives that led many African Americans to make the move.
Curated OER
American Literature - The American Dream: Past, Present, and Future
Students are introduced to the ideas of the American Dream at the turn of the century. They present their ideas on the American Dream at the turn of the century through a person characterized in Edgar Lee Masters' Spoon River Anthology.
Curated OER
Turn of the Century Immigration
Students explore the immigration wave that hit the United States in 19th century. In this immigration lesson, students examine primary and secondary sources to determine what the immigration experience was like for new citizens. Students...
Curated OER
Westward Expansion
Students locate California and New York on a map and explore available means of travel in the 19th century. Students explore the role of trade in pioneer America and simulate various barter transactions.
Curated OER
Bill Robinson: Mr. Bojangles
Mr. Bojangles was born just after slavery was abolished and became one of the most beloved entertainers of his time. Explore key vocabulary, the life of an African-American entertainer, and the impact of the Harlem Renaissance on...
Curated OER
Sondheim: Voice of Cultural Change
High schoolers explore Stephen Sondheim's contributions to musical theatre in the context of the dramatic cultural shift that occurred in American life in the late 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s.
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.
National Endowment for the Humanities
The 1828 Campaign of Andrew Jackson: Changes in Voting Participation
Students give examples to indicate how voting participation changed in the first half of the 19th century, and make connections between changes in voting participation and the results of the election of 1828.
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...
Center for History and New Media
A Look at Virginians During Reconstruction, 1865-1877
The transition between rebellion to reunification was not smooth after the Civil War. Young historians compare primary and secondary source documents in a study of the Reconstruction era in Virginia, noting the rights that were not...
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
Germans and Irish in Augusta and Franklin Counties
Students examine 19th century newspapers, a last and testament, and census manuscripts to analyze the Irish and German immigrant communities in the 1850s and 1860s. They write a letter from the perspective of an Irish or German immigrant.
Curated OER
Music of Slavery and Oppression in the Mid-1800's
Students examine 19th century life for African-Americans. In this slavery lesson, students analyze the lyrics of slave songs and present their findings to their classmates.
Curated OER
The American Dream
Students define the American dream. In this primary research lesson plan, students search the Library of Congress digital collections for primary sources regarding the ideal of the American dream. Students create presentation to...
Curated OER
The Importance of Religion in Political Life in the 19th Century: Abraham Lincoln's Experience
Eleventh graders explore the importance of religion in community building in frontier America. They analyze the importance of religion in political life in the 19th century.
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.
Curated OER
The Industrial Revolution
Contrasting between the "Haves" and the "Have-Nots" of 18th-19th century Europe, this presentation explores the social and technological implications of the Industrial Revolution. Inventions, social trends, and scientific breakthroughs...
Curated OER
A Look Through My Antonia's Eyes
Thoroughly delve into My Antonia by Willa Cather with a plethora of activities. Engage scholars with videos and web sites in this week-long unit that explains the historical context and creates pioneers in the field of research. An...
Curated OER
Civil War Music - Irish Folk Songs
Students determine what it was like to serve as an Irish-American in the American Civil War. In this Irish folk song lesson, students use the provided worksheets to analyze selected Irish folk songs and make inferences about war...
Curated OER
Free Land
Students investigate the impact of the passage of the Homestead Act. In this Westward Expansion lesson, students visit selected websites to examine the lives of Americans who settled the American frontier.
Curated OER
Social Darwinism and American Laissez-faire Capitalism
Students investigate Social Darwinism. In this government systems instructional activity, students listen to their instructor present a lecture on the details of Social Darwinism and American laissez-faire capitalism. Students respond to...