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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Historical Agency in History Book Sets (HBS)

For Teachers 5th - 12th Standards
Study historical events by combining the study of historical fiction and non-fiction. Learners read about true past events in historical fiction novels and then research non-fiction accounts of the same events. What are some differences...
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Lesson Plan
Briscoe Center for American History

Applying the SOAPS Method of Analyzing Historical Documents

For Teachers 4th - 7th Standards
Young historians use the SOAPS (Speaker, Occasion, Audience, Purpose, Subject) method of questioning to determine the historical value of primary source documents. The third in a series of five lessons that model for learners how...
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Lesson Plan
1
1
Museum of the Moving Image

Political Ads in Historical Context

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Campaign ads target both timely issues and general themes. Presidential campaign ads from 1952 and 1988 provide class members an opportunity to compare how the topics ads choose to address can dramatically influence election outcomes.
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Interactive
Annenberg Foundation

Analyzing Artifacts

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
If only a mask could talk! Using the interactive tool along with historical thinking skills, pupils uncover the meaning behind the various materials the resource presents. History becomes more relevant as the artifacts tell their stories...
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Lesson Plan
Center for Civic Education

Historical Analysis of Constitutional Amendments

For Teachers 11th - 12th Standards
Each of the 27 Amendments to the U.S. Constitution were adopted within specific economic, political, social or cultural, and international contexts. As part of their Constitution Day/Week studies, seniors investigate these factors for...
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Interactive
1
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The New York Times

Inaugural Words: 1789 to the Present

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
One of the reasons presidential inaugural speeches are so inspiring is the way word choice reflects the historical context of the time. An interactive timeline invites learners to click on their president of choice and view the most...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Well-behaved Women [and Men] Seldom Make History

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students examine historical context. In this historical perspectives lesson plan, students read and discuss instructor-selected picture book biographies. Students then complete graphic organizers based on the challenges the main...
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Lesson Plan
Stanford University

Beyond Vietnam

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
On April 4, 1967 Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his speech "Beyond Vietnam." The controversy that followed is the focus of a three-lesson unit that asks class members to consider the political and social implications of King's stance. 
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Lesson Plan
Center for Civic Education

Martin Luther King Jr. and the Power of Words

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
It is easy to forget the power that written or spoken word can have in effecting change. Using quotations from such inspirational leaders as Maya Angelou, Mahatma Gandhi, and Martin Luther King Jr., encourage your class members to...
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Lesson Plan
National Park Service

The Power of Remembrance

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
On every July 4th, we watch fireworks and celebrate our independence, but how is the history of the American Revolution preserved? Four social studies lesson guide learners through different memorials, commemorative objects, and restored...
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Interactive
DocsTeach

Alfred Sinker and the Writ of Habeas Corpus in 1861

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Scholars learn how the judicial system treated under-age Civil War soldiers using historical analysis. The resource uses court documents to help historians understand why Habeas Corpus was used in the case of Alfred Sinker and why he was...
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Interactive
DocsTeach

U.S. Policy and the Holocaust Refugee Crisis

For Teachers 10th - 12th
How did the United States respond to the Holocaust refugee crisis during World War II? The activity focuses on the United States' foreign policies and the arguments for and against offering assistance. Scholars analyze historical...
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Lesson Plan
National Park Service

Discover the Mary Ann Shadd Cary House

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Mary Ann Shadd Cary was an extraordinary woman, no matter the time period. Academics research the life and achievements of Mrs. Cary, who was born a free African American in 1823. The lesson plan uses primary sources, worksheets, written...
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Lesson Plan
2
2
National Endowment for the Humanities

Using Historic Digital Newspapers for National History Day

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Your learners will take a trip through history as they peruse through historic digitalized newspapers, reading real articles from such historical periods in the United States as the Temperance movement and passage of the Thirteenth...
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Lesson Plan
National Park Service

The Selma to Montgomery Voting Rights March: Shaking the Conscience of the Nation

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Travel back in time to examine how tragic events can spur positive change. Scholars explore the impact of the Selma Voting Rights March, including the tragic loss of life and the later signing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Academics...
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Lesson Plan
National Woman's History Museum

Fannie Lou Hamer and Social Activism

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Not all heroes wear capes. An impactful lesson focuses on the life and activism of Fannie Lou Hamer during the civil rights movement. Scholars read her speeches and other material, participate in group discussion, and complete a jigsaw...
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Unit Plan
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Scholastic

The Flight of Amelia Earhart Teaching Guide

For Teachers 3rd - 8th Standards
Amelia Earhart's accomplishments and strength of character extend beyond her status as one of the first female aviators in America. Elementary and middle schoolers learn about Earhart's early life and the historical context surrounding...
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Activity
D-Day Normandy 1944

D-Day Normandy 1944

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
No study of World War II would be complete without an in-depth examination of the events of June 6, 1944. Pascal Vuong's D-Day Normandy:1944, is the perfect vehicle to convey the sheer magnitude of the events that have been called the...
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Activity
PBS

Before We Travel, We Research

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Context is key when it comes to historical research. Prior to field research, class members learn as much as they can about the site they are going to visit. Groups investigate and prepare presentations about the history of the site, the...
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Lesson Plan
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Center for Civic Education

The Power of Nonviolence: Music Can Change the World

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Here is a fantastic activity through which class members discover how music has the ability to influence others in a meaningful way. After reviewing selected pieces and modern-day protest songs, learners will research other songs that...
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Lesson Plan
1
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National Endowment for the Humanities

Language Analysis Based on Stave 1

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Class members meet the original scrooge, the Dickens character whose name has become synonymous with a cold-hearted, tight-fisted, miser. Using the provided worksheet, readers closely examine context clues to determine the meanings of...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Document Analysis Sheet

For Students 6th - 8th
Sometimes all kids need is a little guided practice and then they can be on their way. They can use an analysis instructional activity to help them analyze a primary or secondary source document. They answer several questions describing...
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Lesson Plan
Center for History Education

Blockbusting: Social and Economic Change through Real Estate

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
"Redlining," "Blockbusting," and "White Flight" may not be terms familiar to young historians. Here's a lesson that introduces middle schoolers to these terms and the actions associated with them. Class members examine a series of...
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PPT
Curated OER

Old Toys

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
It's funny how things change over time. Show your class how different and similar toys from the past were to the toys of today. Each slide contains an image, name, and description of a toy typical of those used in the 1800's and early...

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