Annenberg Foundation
Migrant Struggle
The American Dream is a goal that many pursue, but is it truly attainable for all people? An in-depth lesson explores the plight of migrants in twentieth-century America. The resource includes a video and author biographies and...
Curated OER
Confederation Comparison
Students compare and contrast American and Canadian plans for government. In this government instructional activity, students analyze the text and impact of the Articles of Confederation and the Confederation of Canada....
Curated OER
Lesson 2: "To Elect Good Men": Woodrow Wilson and Latin America
Students analyze Woodrow Wilson's foreign policy. In this foreign policy lesson, students examine how the Wilson administration responded to civil unrest in Latin America.
Curated OER
Japanese American Internment
Learners examine Japanese internment camps of World War II. In this World War II lesson, students participate in a simulation of Japanese internment camps in the United States. Learners determine the constitutional rights that were...
Curated OER
The Road to Democracy
Eleventh graders examine the road to the American Revolution. In this American Revolution lesson, 11th graders read Thomas Paine's works and identify the issues that the colonists had with the British government.
Curated OER
The Embodied Presidency
Eighth graders discover details about Thomas Jefferson's life. In this early American history lesson, 8th graders view a PowerPoint presentation that outlines some aspects of Jefferson's life. Students research the life of slaves at...
Curated OER
Discovering the Oregon Trail
Learners explore U.S. history by researching the Oregon Trail. In this American exploration lesson, students read the story On the Shore of the River and define the exact path early settlers took to find the state of Oregon. Learners...
Curated OER
The War of 1812
Seventh graders investigate the War of 1812. In this early American history activity, 7th graders read a handout about the war, watch video clips, and complete written exercises that complement the reading and video clips.
Curated OER
Geography: Intro to Canada
Students investigate the geography of Canada by analyzing a map of the country. For this North American geography lesson, students identify the 13 provinces of Canada and their locations by examining a Canadian map. Students...
Curated OER
Loyalists and Loyalism in the American Revolution
Students engage in activities to understand how ideologies were constructed before and during the Revolutionary War. How and why were some "reluctant revolutionaries" turned into whig patriots willing to fight against the British empire,...
Curated OER
Fragment on the Constitution and Union (1861). The Purpose of the American Union
Eleventh graders examine how President Lincoln formulated the principles of the Declaration of Independence as the goal of the American Union. In this American Government activity, 11th graders read and analyze primary sources...
Curated OER
Editorial Cartoon Lesson Plan
Students consider the role of editorial cartoons on American politics. In this editorial cartoons instructional activity, students discover the history of the cartoons in America, analyze some cartoons, and then draw their own cartoons...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Slavery and the American Founding: The "Inconsistency Not to Be Excused"
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...
Curated OER
Healthcare Reform Lessons
Lesson plans about healthcare reform can help students get a better sense of the issues, and people involved.
Curated OER
West Virginia State Museum Lesson Plan
Students explore historic West Virginia. In this US history lesson, students examine primary sources and political cartoons that depict the issues of statehood for West Virginia and the role that those played in the Civil War. This...
Curated OER
American Indian Tribal Sovereignty
Seventh graders examine the relationship among the governments of the sovereign American Indian Nations in Utah, the State of Utah, and the U.S. They list the objectives of the Office of Indian Affairs and examine their purpose.
Curated OER
The Western Migration Lesson Plan
Students examine the western migration in the United States in the early 19th century and identify the factors that caused the migration as well as how government adapted to meet the needs of an expanding country.
Curated OER
An Encounter of Former Foes
Students examine a timeline on the internet showing the relationship between the American Government and the Nez Perce in the 19th Century. After looking at the timeline and included map, students answer questions.
Curated OER
Witch Hunt or Red Menace? Anticommunism in Postwar America, 1945-1954
Learners investigate the goals and methods of the House Un-American Activities Committee and offer an opinion regarding whether their investigation of Hollywood was justifiable.
Federal Reserve Bank
U.S. Income Inequality: It's Not So Bad
What is the difference between a flat tax, progressive tax, tax deduction and transfer payments? Pupils examine the ability-to-pay principle of taxation through discussion, problem solving, and a variety of worksheets on topics from US...
Center for Civic Education
What Does Returning to Fundamental Principles Mean?
Looking for materials for your Constitution Day and Citizenship Day lessons? Then check out this packet of activities that not only gets your class members thinking critically about the fundamental principles at the heart of American...
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Alabama's 1901 Constitution: What Was at Stake?
Who should be able to vote? As part of a study of the 1901 Alabama Constitution, class members examine primary source document that reveal the reasons the authors gave to support their positions on this question and their assumptions in...
National Endowment for the Humanities
How to Win a World War
High schoolers are have begun to learn the art of diplomacy with each other, but do they understand how diplomacy works at a global level? The second in a series of four lessons, guides scholars in evaluating primary sources....
Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation
Tea Overboard
While less well known than the event in Boston, the Yorktown Tea Party was equally decisive in turning community sentiment against Great Britain. To gain an understanding of why the colonists objected to the Tea Act, young historians...