Curated OER
People Behind the Parks
Explore U.S. geography with your class by viewing a documentary. Show a portion of the Ken Burns documentary "The National Parks," and identify the individuals responsible for keeping the parks in order. Elementary and middle schoolers...
State Bar of Texas
White v. Regester
One vote doesn't really matter, right? Class members investigate the concept of voter rights and restrictions using the 1973 Supreme Court case White v. Regester. They view a short video and work in pairs to analyze how people create...
Curated OER
The Progressives and Direct Democracy
Students analyze the Progressive Movement. In this Bill of Rights activity, students listen to their instructor lecture on the Progressive Movement and direct democracy. Students respond to discussion questions connected to the...
Curated OER
Jacksonian Democracy
Students determine how technological advancements have formed history. In this Jacksonian democracy lesson, students research innovations of the era and then compare them to the technological innovations of today. Students also debate...
Curated OER
Tiananmen Square
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,...
Curated OER
TV ATTACK ADS AND THE VOTER
Students read about the history of negative political advertisements in U.S. elections. In this politics lesson, students view several ads for opposing candidates and analyze and discuss the content. Students write scripts for candidates...
Curated OER
Building a Nation
Eighth graders identify the main ideas of the U.S. Declaration of Independence. They read and discuss text, read and summarize a section of the Declaration of Independence in small groups, and write a paper on why the colonists felt it...
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Development of Democracy
Eighth graders examine the road to the American Revolution. In this Boston Massacre lesson, 8th graders investigate the testimony of Captain Thomas Preston. Students write their own verdicts based on his testimony.
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Manners and Mores of Washington's America
Students explore the social policies of early America. In this etiquette lesson, students read George Washington's "110 Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation." Students identify expectations for their own...
Anti-Defamation League
Harriet Tubman on the $20 Bill: The Power of Symbols
How important are symbols and symbolic gestures in society? Middle schoolers have an opportunity to analyze the importance of symbols on American currency with a lesson plan that investigates the controversies surrounding redesigning the...
Teaching for Change
A Documents-Based Lesson on the Voting Rights Act
How did the Voting Rights Act affect the daily lives of American citizens? A document-based lesson developed by the Student Non-Violent Coordinating committee (SNCC) presents a case study of the impact of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 on...
Museum of Tolerance
Can It Happen in America?: Taking Social Action
Class members investigate the Jim Crow Laws, Executive Order 9066, the Chinese Exclusion Act, and the Indian Removal Act to gather information about not only the challenges encountered by diverse groups of Americans, but their...
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: Why Are Cartoonists Vital to Democracy?
For this current events worksheet, students analyze a political cartoon about the role of political cartoonists in democracies and respond to 3 talking point questions.
Curated OER
Photographs of the 369th Infantry and African Americans during World War I
Students engage in a discussion regarding images of war we see, how quickly do we see them, and how they affect us? They view and analyze war photographs taken during World War I.
Curated OER
The Origins of American Government
Students create an advertising campaign to persuade the Founding Fathers to adopt a particular political philosophy. Working in groups, they conduct research about a certain political philosophy. Students create a pitch to be made to...
Curated OER
From the Rise of the Absolute Monarchy to Democracy on the American Frontier
Learners use a teacher-made museum guide with questions that allow them to analyze and compare the patron art of seventeenth-century France with portraits of later periods at the Joslyn Art Museum. Students also read The Little Prince...
Curated OER
Democracy, A Basic Element In Our Society
Learners investigate the concept of freedom with the context of the First Amendment. They research and take notes looking for the connections between democracy and freedom. They complete a writing assessment that includes naming all of...
Curated OER
Checks and Balances: Japanese-American Incarceration
Students examine the three branches of the Federal Government and their decision to place Japanese-Americans in camps during World War II. They analyze debates made by leaders during this time period.
Curated OER
Fine Tuning a Nation: Using Cartoons
Students examine political cartoons to gain an understanding of the political issues that George Washington faced. In this historical perspectives lesson plan, students analyze political cartoons about the National Bank, the title...
Curated OER
Ethics in American Government
Engage 12th graders in a series of activities focused on public trust and ethics in US Government. They view a series of videos, hold a class debate, and compose a short essay. Note: Suggested videos are listed but are not available...
Bill of Rights Institute
The Declaration of Independence
Take classes on an in-depth tour of the Declaration of Independence. An informative resource effectively scaffolds learning by providing warm-up and wrap-up activities. It also includes a variety of handouts for individuals to complete,...
Curated OER
Get Out the Vote!
Middle schoolers discuss importance of voting within a democracy, and investigate reasons why people vote, and why they don't. Students then conduct survey, make hypotheses about voter motivation, and develop materials to promote voting...
Curated OER
The Glorious Revolution, the American Revolution, and the French Revolution
Students relate the Glorious Revolution, the American Revolution, and the French Revolution through web based research and scenarios.
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Black History Month
Students work in cooperative pairs to research information and give oral presentations about African American men and women who have made significant contributions to U.S. history.