Curated OER
Democracy Sense
Students define democracy and distinguish representative from direct or pure democracy. Then, with the focus on representative government, students will discuss and trace voting patterns in the United States.
Curated OER
Readers Theatre: Presenting Historical Events Through Theatre
Students examine historical events. In this instructional activity on the US Constitution, students engage in a theatrical exploration of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. They also engage in an extensive discussion, complete...
Curated OER
Reaganomics Debate
Learners examine the effectiveness of 'trickle down' economics. In this "Reaganomics" lesson, students use readings, analogies, discussion and debate to understand basic economic concepts. Learners will analyze the what they think are...
Curated OER
Market Structures and Competition
Learners explore the role of government in the economy market. In this economics instructional activity, students analyze the decision making and how it takes into consideration additional cost, benefits and public awareness of what they...
Curated OER
US Policy Toward Egypt: A Dialogue
Students examine U.S. foreign policy concerning the 2011 Egyptian uprising. In this current events lesson, students discuss the uprising in Egypt and examine news reports related to it. Students then discuss their feelings about the...
Curated OER
Sandra Day O'Connor
No unit on important women in history would be complete without a lesson on Sandra Day O'Connor. After reading background information about the first female Supreme Court justice, middle schoolers engage in several activities addressing...
Curated OER
Slave Auctions in South Carolina
Students examine primary sources in the form of auction records, create frequency charts, graphs and diagrams that they analyze to anwer questions followed by the writing of a paper that demonstrates their comprehension of the lesson.
Curated OER
Coal Mine Industrial Picture Analysis
Students observe coal mine pictures. In this US history instructional activity, students analyze the pictures realizing that history is shown in pictures and then write a newspaper article about life in a coal town using...
Curated OER
Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century Natural Dyes
Second graders explore the work of Americans when it came to coloring materials. In this interdisciplinary lesson, 2nd graders follow the provided steps to make natural goldenrod dye from scratch.
Curated OER
Interpreting & Verifying the News in an Era of Info Overload
Learners practice their critical thinking skills. In this media awareness lesson, students read articles about media overload and interpretation of media. Learners respond to discussion questions and discuss how they verify...
Curated OER
WikiLeaks: High-tech terrorists? Or Journalists?
Young scholars investigate the credibility of WikiLeaks. In this history lesson, students read three WikiLeak articles, then answer questions that relate to each article.
Curated OER
The Design of Fort McHenry: The Star Fort
What makes an effective fort, and why might a city feel that they need such a structure? Your young historians will explore the purpose and design for Fort McHenry, and build their own models of a fort based on the information they...
School Improvement in Maryland
Court Proceedings Civil Cases
What's the difference between civil and criminal law? How do the court proceedings differ in these two types of trials? How do the standards of proof differ? Why do these differences exist? As part of their examination of the...
Curated OER
The Importance of Inauguration Day
As Inauguration Day approaches, prepare your learners by researching the protocol of years past.
Teaching Tolerance
Why Local Elections Matter
Uncle Sam wants everyone to vote in local elections! Geared toward middle and high school scholars, the resource explores voter turnout and the importance of local elections. Academics participate in group discussion, complete...
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...