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Lesson Plan
University of Southern California

Coming to America After the War

For Teachers 10th - 12th Standards
As part of their exploration of the American dream, class members examine primary source materials to compare immigrant experiences of those arriving early in our country's history to those arriving in the US after World War II. To...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Jazz in America Lesson Plan 7

For Teachers 9th - 12th
The student will explore free jazz, fusion, and contemporary jazz. They will listen to avant garde, fusion, and pop recordings. In addition, they participate in a class discussion regarding jazz's contribution to and reflection of...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Jazz in America

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders explore Jazz in America. They examine greats in Jazz, such as Duke Ellington. They are also to discuss the cultural implications of the music itself.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

African Americans Seen Through the Eyes of the Newsreel Cameraman

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders become familiar with the role of African Americans during WWII.  In this WWII lesson, 5th graders watch a newsreel and discuss its use as a primary source.  Students answer questions about the newsreel.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Neighborhood Expedition

For Teachers K
Students plan and conduct an expedition through their neighborhood based on the techniques used by the Harriman Expedition to Alaska in 1899. They research the Harriman expedition on the internet and then create a route and collection...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rationalizing Race in US History

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students consider the classification of people. In this race studies lesson, students examine the concept of race as it relates to U.S. history and trends. Students research racial discrimination and prejudice in order to support their...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Freedom to Fight

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students study the African American troop experiences in the Civil War. In this American history lesson, students examine primary and secondary sources regarding the experiences and contributions of African American soldiers who served...
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Lesson Plan
PBS

Historical Perspectives: Coming Home from War

For Teachers 7th - 12th
What do the homecoming experiences of soldiers who fought in WWII, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan reveal about the politics and culture of the US during the time period of each war? Young historians view The Way We Get By, which tells...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Case Study: Manzanar

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders investigate Japanese-American internment. In this World War II lesson, 11th graders conduct research from the Manzanar National Historic Sites and then write essays based on their findings.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Active Viewing: Eyes on the Prize "Awakenings"

For Teachers 11th
Dive deeper into the Montgomery Bus Boycott with this multi-stage lesson, centered on the essential question: Why did the boycott last so long? Historians investigate the Jim Crow south through a video clip (not included), then analyze...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Immigrants and the U.S. Constitution

For Teachers All
This activity will help students learn more about current immigrant experience, nvestigate U.S. immigration and labor laws, consider the meaning of citizenship, gain knowledge about the economics of poverty, practice research skills and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"Jazz is About Freedom": Billie Holiday's Anti-lynching Song Strange Fruit

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Working in small teams, learners analyze a variety of primary source materials related to lynching (news articles, letters written to or written by prominent Americans, pamphlets, broadsides, etc.) in order to assess the effectiveness of...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

African-American Civil War Soldiers Lesson Plan

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students interpret historical evidence presented in primary resources. In this Civil War lesson, students examine the service of African Americans in the Civil War and consider their plight to secure the rights and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Wild Swans

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students, watching the movie, "Wild Swans," explore a writer's journey of discovery about her mother, grandmother, and herself. They also study the Chinese culture and history of the last 50 years.
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Website
PBS

Pbs: Jazz: A Film by Ken Burns

For Students 9th - 10th
The companion website for a documentary film about jazz is home to a storehouse of resources and unique features about the historical, cultural, and artistic significance of jazz. With a timeline of key events in the history of jazz,...
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Professional Doc
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: Ken Burns in the Classroom: Collection

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Ken Burns and his collaborators have been creating historical documentary films for more than forty years. Known for a signature style that brings primary source documents, images, and archival video footage to life on screen, these...
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Unit Plan
Department of Defense

Do Dea: Art Appreciation: Unit 7: Photography

For Students 9th - 10th
In this seventh and final unit of a course on Art Appreciation, students learn about photography and significant photographers. This is followed by a discussion of television and film. Students will learn terminology used, technical...
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Website
PBS

Pbs: American Experience: Freedom Riders

For Students 9th - 10th
PBS collects and summarizes the stories of the freedom riders, who, in 1961, challenged segregation in the American South. Includes video clips from the documentary, interactive timeline of key locations and events, biographical...
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Lesson Plan
PBS

Pbs Teachers: The Great War (World War I Lesson Plans)

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Eight lesson plans for exploring aspects of World War I, also known as the Great War, with instructions for introducing middle-school learners to the causes of the conflict; to the great symbol of the war's stalemate--the trenches; to...