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Lesson Plan
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media

Early English Settlements History Detectives

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Young historians play the role of history detectives as they investigate some primary source texts and images related to the early colonization of America, The Jamestown Settlement, and the Mayflower Compact. 
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Lesson Plan
PBS

Alexander Hamilton: Lawyer, Writer, and Founding Father

For Teachers 3rd - 7th Standards
Scholars analyze the impact Alexander Hamilton had on the creation of the United States. Primary documents and video clips give learners a glimpse into the life of one of America's Founding Fathers, arming them with enough information to...
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Unit Plan
Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation

Colonial Tobacco Economy

For Teachers 4th - 8th Standards
Tobacco as money? Middle schoolers investigate how eighteenth-century Virginia farmers used tobacco as a cash crop to buy tools, livestock, and household goods. They also examine the connection between tobacco production and the slave...
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Lesson Plan
National Woman's History Museum

Tea with Penelope: A 2-Point Perspective of the Edenton Tea Party

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
A brief introduction to Penelope Barker sets the stage for a discussion about political cartoons and the persuasive technique used to create them. A graphic organizer aids scholars in the analysis of a piece of work using a 2-point...
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Lesson Plan
Center for History Education

Colonial Tea Parties

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
Most people know of the Boston Tea Party, but it was only one of similar protests throughout the colonies. Using a case study from Maryland, learners explore primary sources, including images and newspaper accounts of similar tea...
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Lesson Plan
Center for History Education

Who Burned the Peggy Stewart?

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
Not all Patriots were on the same page against the British before the Revolutionary War. While some wanted to use peaceful means, such as debate and petition, others used violence, such as burning ships carrying British tea. Using...
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Lesson Plan
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National Endowment for the Humanities

Starting a Government from Scratch

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Young historians have an opportunity to experience the challenges of starting a new government. After watching a short video about the Articles of Confederation, class members generate a "to-do list" of actions that a new government...
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Lesson Plan
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Curated OER

Abigail as Letter Writer

For Teachers 11th - Higher Ed Standards
The fourth instructional activity in the series of 16 asks researchers to analyze an exchange of letters between John and Abigail Adams for what they each valued in letter writing.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Revolutionary War: The Battle For Freedom

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders examine the events leading up to the Revolutionary War with a focus on the Boston Tea Party. Using the internet, they discover why the tea was dropped into the harbor by the colonists and research the Intolerable Acts. ...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Tiananmen Square

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students identify and explain the Tiananmen Square incident of June 1989. Studentsl compare what it is to be an American Citizen (Democracy) vs. Chinese Citizen (Communism). Students identify and define various vocabulary terms,...
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Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

"An Expression of the American Mind": Understanding the Declaration of Independence

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students research the structure of the Declaration: introduction, main political/philosophical ideas, grievances and assertion of sovereignty. They analyze the ideological/political origins of the ideas in the Declaration. Students...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Portraits of History

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders research the Post-Revolution to Pre-Civil War era by investigating the life and contributions of a notable person. They create silhouettes which are framed with timeline. Also, they add the research information to the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Interchangeable Parts Revolutionize Clock-making

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students consider assembly line production. In this instructional activity on Industrialization, students explore rifle manufacturing then create a workshop in the classroom to assemble clocks. They determine the pros and cons of...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Child Labor in the Carolinas

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders explore child labor and how children were exploited and used in the work place. In this Industrial Revolution lesson, 5th graders research child labor by reading, looking at photographs and drawing conclusions then sharing...
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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
Curated OER

Role Playing in North America: Mid 1600s-Mid 1700s

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders apply their knowledge of North American history from the mid 1600's through the mid 1700's to a role-playing scenario. In small groups they plan, write, and perform a dramatic skit of a group that was affected by events in...
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Interactive
Curated OER

The First Years of the Union (1797-1809)

For Students 7th - 12th
In this online interactive history instructional activity, learners respond to 11 short answer and essay questions about the United States between 1797 and 1809. Students may check some of their answers on the interactive instructional...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Freedom Trail News

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Learners take a virtual "Freedom Trail" tour to gather information and materials for a "newspaper" on the political situation in Boston in 1775. They describe historical places, people, and events connected to the beginning of the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Declaration of Independence

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders explain the meaning of the Declaration of Independence. They view a political cartoon of the period, then do a writing assignment for homework. They write about how they would feel if the British were calling them traitors.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Letters from the Japanese American Internment

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students make deductions about life in an internment camp by reading and comparing letters written to Clara Breed. Along the way, they consider the advantages of looking at a historical event from the multiple points of view of...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Old Folks Will Bless You and the Girls Kiss You

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders reflect on the Revolutionary War.  In this Colonial America history lesson, 4th graders discuss various battles of the war, specifically the Battle of Cowpens.  Students begin by watching a video chronicling that...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Dream and an Idea: Searching for a Roadmap to Create a Country

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Learners listen in on American historical events. In this colonial America lesson, students participate in an activity that requires them to watch video segments that feature Revolutionary War battles and the Constitutional Convention....
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Analyzing Political Cartoons

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders identify a political cartoon and analyze a pre-Revolutionary War political cartoon. In this political cartoon activity, 7th graders discuss cartoons and the historical beginnings of American politics using a PowerPoint...
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Lesson Plan
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media

What Brought Settlers to the Midwest?

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
Drawn by promises of fertile land, thousands of settlers poured West because of the Homestead Act of 1862. By examining images of the ads that drew them westward, learners consider the motivations for movement. They also consider how the...

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