K12 Reader
Different Perspectives: The American Revolution
Prompt your young historians to hone in their reading comprehension skills by considering the fascinating perspective that Rudyard Kipling offers in his poem, "The American Rebellion", which provides an alternative perspective toward the...
PBS
Who Are Latinos?
What does it mean to be Latino? With an eye-opening lesson plan, pupils discover what it means to be Latino in the United States. They participate in classroom discussions, use graphic organizers, and watch a short video to help them...
PBS
Thomas Paine: Writer and Revolutionary
Is the pen really mightier than the sword? Scholars analyze the impact Thomas Paine's book Common Sense had on the American Revolution. Video clips and primary sources investigate the role Paine had on dissent in the colonies. They...
PBS
Booker T. Washington: Orator, Teacher, and Advisor
Imagine teaching yourself to read and write—do you think you could do it? Scholars analyze how Booker T. Washington went from a slave learning to read to a leading educator in the United States. Using video clips, speeches, and primary...
PBS
Alexander Graham Bell: Scientist, Inventor, and Teacher
Hello? Hello? Scholars investigate the impact Alexander Graham Bell's telephone had on the American landscape. Using drawings, video clips, and primary sources, the mind of the inventor comes to light as pupils dream of new inventions to...
Curated OER
We Are History: Family Stories
Young scholars examine their own family heritage and share family stories with the class. They differentiate between primary and secondary sources, and bring in and write about three artifacts from their family. They conduct an...
Curated OER
Lesson 11: Printed Materials (Ads and Broadsides) 1780-1820
Students use primary resources (gazettes, broadsides, advertisements) to consider life at the turn of the 18th century in Deerfield, Massachusetts. They infer observations about life in the nascent United States.
Curated OER
Funding "Great" Schools For All in America
Students use research skills and primary sources to complete a equal educational opportunities scavenger hunt activity in pairs. They locate key facts, examples, and information about the inequities in U.S. schools and create projects...
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: The Constitutional Battleground
In this primary source analysis worksheet, students analyze political cartoons about the Supreme Court and Constitutional issues and respond to 5 talking point questions.
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: Censorship, Silencing an Anti-War Voice
In this primary source analysis worksheet, students analyze political cartoons with anti-war messages and respond to 5 talking point questions.
Curated OER
Mysterious Coin Discovery
Seventh graders examine mysterious coins. In this historical observations lesson, 7th graders use the provided chart to record information about the coins their instructor presents to them. Students discuss their work as archaeologists.
Curated OER
The Great Depression: A Study Guide Through Song
Students take a closer look at the political and social outlook during the Great Depression. In this Great Depression lesson plan, students analyze selected songs from the time period. Students use the provided lyric sheets and song...
Curated OER
Family Life During the Great Depression
Students practice the skill of photo analysis. In this Great Depression lesson, students analyze photographs from the era and write fictitious diary entries based on the images.
Curated OER
Do We See What We Know?
Eighth graders compare two visual works of art about John Brown. They read a text or listen to an interview, and identify information about him. They debate their opinions using evidence in written and visual texts. They research other...
Curated OER
Out of this World: Inquiry-Based Teaching
Connect classroom learning with real-life experiences by using photographs and data taken by the Mars Pathfinder.
Curated OER
New Picture Books to Complement Your Curriculum
These picture books are for primary learners and older students alike.
Curated OER
Creating Historians Part Two: The Grab Bag
You don't need to be a museum curator to bring artifacts into the classroom; part two of a series on approaching social studies as a group of historians.
Curated OER
Better Your Vocabulary Instruction
Use the magic squares activity to develop vocabulary and make reviewing target words fun!
Curated OER
Putting a Face on History with Photographs
Use the Library of Congress to draw your students into history through photographs.
Curated OER
Socratic Seminar on Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Letter From Birmingham Jail
Key in the struggle to gain the rights of democratic citizenship was the April 1963 arrest of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. for civil disobedience. To deepen their knowledge and understanding of events during the civil rights movement,...
Curated OER
Unit 1: Building Historical Background Knowledge: The Road to Revolution 1754–1776
What were the conditions that led to the American Revolution? What are the conditions that lead to revolution in other times and places? Class members examine primary source materials and use evidence drawn from these documents to craft...
Curated OER
Immigration History Firsthand
Students interpret historical evidence presented in primary and secondary resources. In this immigration instructional activity, students conduct research regarding Ellis Island and the American immigrant...
Curated OER
Working for the Common Good
Students discuss the concept of the common good. Using primary source documents, they read accounts from volunteers in the Dominican Republic and discuss how they work for the common good. They reflect on the topic in their journals to...
Curated OER
Ft. St. Louis: A Do-It-Yourself History
Seventh graders explore Fort St. Louis. In this Texas history lesson, 7th graders research Internet and print sources regarding the history of fort and the settlement. Students use their research findings to create illustrated books...