Curated OER
Eli Whitney's Patent for the Cotton Gin
High schoolers review the U.S. patent laws by researching Eli Whitney's petition for a renewal on his cotton gin patent. They examine documents to assess the impact of the cotton gin, role-play the patent hearing and discuss the effects...
Curated OER
Cotton Production and Milling
Young scholars examine cotton production and milling. They compete in a hand-ginning contest to realize how difficult it was to separate the seeds from the fibers of cotton. They discuss why Eli Whitney's cotton gin was an important...
Curated OER
The Inventions and Effects of the Industrial Revolution
Students understand that the Industrial Revolution began in England, spreading to the rest of Western Europe and the United States and with it came an increased demand for raw materials from the Americans, Asia, and Africa.
Curated OER
Impact of Technology
Students asses the effect of technology on the status and role of individuals, and analyze the postive and negative impact of moderiation on cultural and physical enviroments. Pupils brainstorm examples of postive and negative...
Curated OER
Changes and the Individual
Students evaluate the social effects of inventions and other developments on the lives of ordinary individuals. They create a profile of an individual who might have lived at that time and whose life would have been affected by those...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Women's Lives Before the Civil War
Women's lifestyles before the Civil War made a huge impact as a point of causation. Give middle schoolers the opportunity to view firsthand the lives of women before the Civil War. They analyze primary source documents, view photographs,...
Curated OER
From Slave to Entrepreneur: The Life and Times of William Ellison
Eighth graders interpret historical evidence presented in primary and secondary resources. In this South Carolina history lesson, 8th graders examine sources that require them to examine the life of William Ellison, a black slave owner.
Curated OER
Kensington Mansion: Plantation, Sharecroppers, Tenants
Eleventh graders investigate the significance of the Kensington Mansion. For this South Carolina history lesson, 11th graders take field trips to the mansion and research primary and secondary sources about plantations, sharecropping,...
Curated OER
Reforms of the Mid-1800's
Seventh graders complete a unit of lessons on the reform movements of the mid-1800's in the U.S. They participate in an Internet scavenger hunt, analyze primary source documents, and develop and perform a simulation of a mid-19th century...
Curated OER
Looking At Science And Technology From a Human Rights Perspective
Students answer discussion questions and analyze technological innovations, scientific discoveries, and environmental crises from a human rights perspective. They research and report back to the class about a related topic.
Curated OER
Investing in Early America Game: Early Industrial, Transportation, and Communications Revolution
Students review pages in the text to find out what was happening in each of the areas. They use the "Investment Opportunities Game Sheet" to record their investments, assume an investor identity, which influence how they choose to invest...
Curated OER
Slavery, Manumission, and Freedom: Free Blacks in Charleston before the Civil War
Students explore the concept of slavery and manumission through a variety of activities. In this civil rights lesson plan, students gather information from primary sources, then analyze the politics and historical context of the time....
Curated OER
Technology in the Early 1800s
Fifth graders, in groups, select ten photos about work and technology in the early 1800's from the Smithsonian Internet site for analysis. They discuss the photos and write a short description of day in the life of a worker.