US House of Representatives
House History Comes Alive
How reliable is oral history? The resource uses the oral history website to help academics understand the pros and cons of using recollections to teach others. Scholars complete a worksheet, draft a letter to a representative, and...
Library of Congress
George Washington: First in War, First in Peace, and First in the Hearts of His Countrymen
Does the lens of history portray George Washington as a good leader? A three-lesson unit looks at Washington's early military career as the commander of the Virginia Regiment, his role in the fight for independence from England, and his...
Curated OER
Myth and Truth: The First Thanksgiving
Encourage learners to think critically about common myths regarding the Wampanoag Indians in Colonial America. They discover that behind every myth are many possible explanations—and that learning more about American history helps them...
Curated OER
About Life: The Photographs of Dorothea Lange Going to the Promised Land
To better understand the migrant experience during the Great Depression, pupils analyze two primary resources: photographs by Dorothea Lange and a U.S. Map that shows the Dust Bowl. They compare and contrast Lange's images to Steinbeck's...
Edible Schoolyard
Pan de los Muertos
Accompany instruction and the celebration of El Dia de los Muertos with a loaf of Pan de los Muertos. Here, scholars measure ingredients precisely to create tasty bread, write a remembrance for someone who has passed away, and take part...
Channel Islands Film
Arlington Springs Man: Lesson Plan 1
Learning to craft quality questions is a skill that can be taught. Class members use the Question Formulation Technique to learn how to create and refine both closed-ended and open-ended questions. They then view West of the West's...
Beverly Hills High School
French Revolution
What led up to the French Revolution? Middle and high schoolers explore the factors that contributed to the storming of the Bastille on July 14th, 1789, as well as the events following that fateful day, with a presentation on the French...
Boston University
Scramble for Africa
In this fantastic simulation, your young historians take on the roles of imperialistic European countries in the nineteenth century and then "scramble" to carve up the continent of Africa! This is a very hands-on activity that will help...
Perfection Learning
In The Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson - Activity Book
Moving to a new country isn't easy, as Shirley Temple Wong learns in In The Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson by Bette Bao Lord. A series of language arts activities carry readers through the novel, addressing the story's themes,...
Stanford University
Arabian Peninsula
How do cultural differences affect our view of history? The assessment geared towards high school historians, focuses on the credibility of primary sources. Young academics analyze a text and complete short answer questions to determine...
Curated OER
Settlers: Creating Family Trees & Historical Plays
Young scholars conduct research about the founding families of their communities. They compile historical contexts for the era and develop a family tree and historical skit with their findings.
Curated OER
A House Divided: Photography in the Civil War
Students study Civil War photography and write captions for each picture based on context. In this Civil War photography instructional activity, students match photographs with their original captions. Students read included short...
Curated OER
Editorial Cartoons: A Historical Example of Immigration Debates
Eleventh graders analyze political cartoons. In this American History instructional activity, 11th graders research the Chinese Exclusion Act and the current arguments about immigration to the United States. Students create a graphic...
Curated OER
Turmoils of The 1960's and 70's.
Students engage in the study of the social problems associated with the 1960's and 1970's. They explain how the government made attempts to solve the problem and evaluate the success. This is done through the writing of an essay using...
Curated OER
Settlers: Creating Family Trees & Historical Plays
Students discuss who the founding members of their community were. In this community family tree lesson, students learn how to read a family tree and discuss information about the founding families of their community.
Facing History and Ourselves
Emmett Till: Confronting the Murder
The 1955 murder of Emmett Till is often regarded as the catalyst for the Civil Rights Movement of the 20th century. Learn more about the brutal crime—and, as many believe, the miscarriage of justice—that began a national conversation...
Curated OER
At Play
Ninth graders evaluate works of Robert Harris. They apply historical methodology to interpret and understand time, continuity, and change at an age appropriate level. They demonstrate awareness of the effect of context.
Curated OER
Natives of Indiana
Fourth graders participate in discussions about the Native Peoples who inhabited what is now Indiana. For this Native American lesson, 4th graders discuss the social and cultural structures of these Native Americans. They locate the...
Curated OER
Editorial Cartoon Lesson Plan
Students consider the role of editorial cartoons on American politics. In this editorial cartoons lesson plan, students discover the history of the cartoons in America, analyze some cartoons, and then draw their own cartoons that make...
Curated OER
Virtual Realities of War
Learners outline the major events, mat??riel, and setting of a war or conflict. They develop a computer game narrative that draws on these historically accurate details.
Curated OER
Gatsby and the American Twenties Newspaper
Students research 1920's US History. In this historical literature lesson, students use the novel The Great Gatsby as a tool to examine the era. They work in individually to create newspaper articles based on different historical and...
Curated OER
Ancient Hebrews
Sixth graders analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social structures of the early civilizations of the Ancient Hebrews, and write an essay.
Curated OER
Beowulf: Songs of Ancient Heroes
Introduce your class to epic heroes with these activities for Beowulf. After watching a video clip, taking notes on heroes, and tracking characteristics of heroism throughout Beowulf, class members retell an episode of Beowulf using a...
Curated OER
The Noble Savage - The Social Contract Rights and Freedoms of Modern Humanity
Learners, in groups, research various philosophers and the historical context of their work. They discuss the necessity and interaction of laws, regulations and human freedoms and consider the importance of the Canadian government to its...