Curated OER
How to Celebrate Kwanzaa on Your Campus
An article details everything you need to know about celebrating Kwanzaa at your school. An opening-day ceremony starts the seven-day holiday celebration followed a daily routine that includes a greeting, candle lighting, reciting an...
American Battlefield Trust
The Battle of Saltville
It may be hard to see through the fog of war, but primary sources describing what happened at the Battle of Saltville during the Civil War shed some light on what happened there. Using primary sources, including descriptions from...
Smithsonian Institution
World War I
How did World War I effect the United States' status as a world power? Pupils examine a website to learn many interesting facts about American involvement during World War I. They read passages and interact with artifacts in an online...
Curated OER
Critical Ways of Seeing The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in Context
Young scholars complete a unit of lessons examining the cultural context of the novel, 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.' They write a critique of the novel, compare/contrast two published critiques, and explore various websites.
Curated OER
Civics Test for Citizenship: History and Government (51-100)
Use this presentation to help English learners prepare for their upcoming citizenship test. It includes questions 51-100 from the History and Government section of the exam (questions 1-50 can be found in a different presentation, linked...
Digital Public Library of America
The Fifteenth Amendment
Fifteen primary sources provide a context for a study of the Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The packet captures the excitement for the changes promised by the amendment as well as the backlash against it.
Crafting Freedom
Creating Original Historical Fiction Using Henry "Box" Brown's Narrative and Runaway Slave Ads
Young historians discover the experiences of runaway slaves after reading the brief biography and narrative excerpt of Henry "Box" Brown, who escaped slavery by having himself shipped away in a crate and popularized his flight in a...
Crafting Freedom
The Self-Empowerment of Harriet Jacobs
After reading Harriet Jacobs' Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, one of the most famous slave narratives of all time, learners imagine what it would have been like to experience the small dimensions of her hiding space. They then...
History with Peters
A Clear Signal for Change: Multiple Interpretations and Nat Turner’s Rebellion
Was Nat Turner a hero or a violent criminal? Using primary sources and images that discuss the rebellion of enslaved people he led in antebellum Virginia, scholars consider the question. Then, they create memorials to Turner and...
Center for History Education
To What Extent Were Women's Contributions to World War II Industries Valued?
Women rose to the challenge when the nation's war effort called them—but were sent home when the GIs came back from World War II. Young historians consider whether the United States valued women's contributions during the war using a...
Curated OER
Rediscovering Forgotten Women Writers
Women's voices are becoming more prominent in the world of literature, but for centuries, this wasn't the case. Young historians research a woman whose writings are considered to be lost, out of print, or forgotten. They develop an oral...
National Park Service
Lesson 4: Escape
Some enslaved people decided to run for their liberation. Using lyrics of songs they sang, young historians look at these anthems of freedom. An assessment asks them to write the story of escape from the perspective of an enslaved person.
Stanford University
Annexation of Hawaii
Once an independent nation, Hawaii became part of the United States only after a business-sponsored coup of its queen. After examining newspapers from the 1890s, learners consider whether native Hawaiians wished to become Americans at...
Literacy Volunteers of Greater Hartford
Similes Activity using Jazz (featuring Duke Ellington)
Language learners get into the swing of things with a jazzy lesson about similes. They read an article about Duke Ellington, listen to samples of his music, and then try their hand at crafting similes to describe his improvisational and...
A Mighty Girl
Gladys West
Teens might find it hard to imagine life before GPS. Using global positioning systems, they can quickly locate the nearest gas station, fast food establishment, or the home of a new friend. Introduce them to Gladys West, the lady who...
Curated OER
Benjamin Franklin: Goods and Services in Colonial America
Fifth graders examine the impact of Benjamin Franklin's ideas on the goods and services available in Colonial America as well as analyze the importance of Franklin to modern society. While listening to "How Ben Franklin Stole the...
Curated OER
A Case Study: Slavery and Anti-Slavery in Philadelphia, PA, (17th-19th Centuries)
Eleventh graders work in teams of three. Each team visits a workstation to interpret, analyze, and apply information from documents for their final project. The final project is an exhibit at Independence National Historic Park
Curated OER
Do's and Don'ts of Teaching Black History
Middle schoolers complete activities for Black History month. In this Black history month lesson, students complete assignments their teacher chooses after they have examined the do's and don'ts of teaching the subject.
Curated OER
In the Courts
Students explore desegregation in the courts. In this civil rights lesson, students listen to their instructor present a lecture on Supreme Court cases Brown v. Board of Education and Plessy v. Ferguson. Students examine the cases and...
Curated OER
Inside The Harlem Renaissance
Students explore the Harlem Renaissance to discover where, when, and why it took place and who was associated with the experience. They decide what are the most informative facts, interesting people, and events in this lesson.
Curated OER
Navigating Through Capital History
Fourth graders research the history of Tallahassee using a Website and other materials to determine why the capital is where it is today. They organize the information on a timeline and investigate the "heart" of Florida.
Curated OER
Linking Kwanzaa to Technology and History
Seventh graders use the Internet to research the holiday of Kwanzaa. Using the information, they create a brochure to promote the holiday to others. They email the information to a friend to end the lesson.
Curated OER
Black Skin, White Justice: Race Matters in the Criminal Justice System
Students examine the effects of race in the criminal justice system. As a class, they brainstorm a list of instances when the offender has been an African American and he is not treated fairly in court based on his race. They analyze...
Curated OER
Famous Firsts Crossword
In this crossword puzzle worksheet, students read the 10 clues about famous firsts for Black history. Students use the words in the word bank to complete the puzzle.