NPR
Chinese American Women Lesson Plan
The National Women's History Museum provides a plan designed to accompany their online CyberExhibit, Chinese American Women; a History of Resilience and Resistance. After examining a series of primary and secondary source documents,...
Facing History and Ourselves
Decision-Making: Introduction to the Unit
Make your classroom a supportive and communicative place to be before beginning a unit on the Holocaust. Working together as a class, learners reflect on their previous experiences of classroom discussions before establishing a...
University of California
The Civil War: Emancipation
Investigate and analyze Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation using primary and secondary sources. The sixth installment of an eight-part series analyzes the meaning of Lincoln's document in relation to its impact on the Civil War.
US Holocaust Museum
Nazi Olympics: Berlin 1936
The Olympics are about more than sports—at times, the games are also a place of racism and prejudice! Pupils investigate the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Germany. They analyze the meaning behind the materials included in the United States...
Stanford University
Iraq Resolution
The 9/11 attacks propelled the United States into a period of low-grade war that has existed from that day all the way to current times. By looking at documents from the decision to send troops to Iraq in 2006, scholars connect the...
Curated OER
Women's Lives in American Paintings
Students analyze paintings to determine characteristics of women and attitudes toward them in different time periods. They create a portrait of a woman and discuss their views of women through their own artwork.
Curated OER
Sodbusters!
Students study American settlers, how and where they lived by observing images. They investigate how the settlers used sod to build houses that were adaptable to the plains environment. They compare living in a sod homes with their home.
Canadian Civil Liberties Education Trust
Seeking Refuge: Then and Now
Participants examine refugee law and policies and read several case studies to prepare for a discussion of this hot-button issue. The packet includes a wide range of materials representing a variety perspectives.
Channel Islands Film
Santa Cruz Island - Writing for Information
After re-viewing a documentary segment on the restoration of Santa Cruz Island,, individuals craft an essay in which they compare the views of the various stake holders featured in the video and identify the point of view they find the...
PBS
Family History: Those with Lofty Ideals
Would you stand up for your beliefs, no matter the cost? Scholars investigate their own families to uncover examples of how and when someone stood up for their ideals. Using video clips, interviews, and eulogies, they come to understand...
North Carolina Consortium for Middle East Studies
Missing Pieces of the Puzzle: African Americans in Revolutionary Times
What's missing from most studies of the American Revolutionary War is information about the role African Americans played in the conflict. To correct this oversight, middle schoolers research groups like the Black Loyalists and Black...
University of California
Impact of the California Missions on Native Americans
While the Spanish claimed to bring civilization to California indigenous peoples, in reality, they also brought violence and forced assimilation to European values. Primary sources, such as the reports of Catholic priests and Europeans...
Curated OER
White House Havoc
The president of the United States must be able to keep a cool head in moments of crisis to lead his or nation out of the darkness. A history instructional activity encourages learners to study the ways various presidents have handled...
Curated OER
American Symbols and Figures
Students examine a variety of symbols important in American culture. They investigate the history of the Great Seal of the United States and the painting "The Spirit of 1776". They create an original seal and identify important monuments.
Curated OER
An Empire in the Balance
Eleventh graders investigate the role of New York state during the American Revolution. In small groups, they research a particular region within colonial America, analyze primary source documents, complete Document Analysis Sheets, and...
Curated OER
Coil Pots
Children learn by doing. Here, they discuss cultural uses of containers, coil and slab techniques, functional aesthetics, and the principles of art and design. The entire process for making a coil pot is fully described here to make the...
Curated OER
Meet Hannah the Weaver
Students analyze primary and secondary sources to explore slavery and emancipation, and write letter or diary entry from point of view of slave Hannah Harris or plantation owner Robert Carter. Students then dramatize their creative...
Curated OER
Shari'ah: An Islamic Law Simulation
Consider the role that shari'ah played in the development of Muslim civilization during the Abbasid caliphate. Learners become acquainted with both the religious and scholarly basis of Islamic law to help them understand the differences...
Curated OER
Die Weisse Rose: German History
Students conduct research on a German anti-Nazi group named "Die Weisse Rose", the White Rose, that eventually lost their lives for their resistance to Nazi rule. They view films, access the Internet, prepare responsive narratives to the...
Curated OER
US Immigration Policy: What Should We Do?
Students evaluate immigration policies. In this global issues activity, students analyze the long-term goals of divergent immigration policies as they role play the deliberation process.
Curated OER
Lessons in Looking: Imperialism Cartoons
Using a Smartboard, learners break apart symbolism found in a political cartoon published in 1902. They work to analyze the cartoon in terms of US Imperialism occurring in the late 1890s. All necessary materials are included in this well...
Curated OER
Decoding US Foreign Policy: The Iran-Contra Affair
This is a really good instructional activity. Learners explore US Foreign Policy, the Reagan Administration, and the Iran-Contra Affair through various documents and readers theater. Worksheets, script, and web links are all included....
Curated OER
"In Defense of My Race and Country": African-American Soldiers on Why They Are Fighting
Why would an African-American slave fight in the Civil War? Read and analyze primary source documents to understand the ex-slave perspective on fighting in the Union Army. Everything to complete this activity is included.
Curated OER
Colonial New York Slave Codes: Pedro's Walk
Look critically at the slave laws instated in Colonial New York. Your class examines primary source documents, slave laws, a narrative account from a slave's perspective, and Slave Codes. They write diary or journal entries in response...