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The Emancipation Proclamation
Students explore the historical importance of the Emancipation Proclamation. In this United States History instructional activity, students use the internet to research the specific events that were centered around the Emancipation...
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Abraham Lincoln and Reconstruction
Students study Presidential Reconstruction during the Civil War years. They examine the role of the Executive Branch of government, especially in wartime. They investigate the complex issues of how Congress took on the role of...
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Plan Grocery List & Field Trip To Store
Student write a list of groceries to purchase at the store given a certain amount of money. They check to make sure they have not spent more money than what they have. Then the students get with a partner and compare their two...
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Washington's Newburgh Address
Students write a persuasive essay that compares George Washington to someone overcoming an obstacle. In this American History lesson plan, students study Washington's Newburgh Address and the character traits of the president. They write...
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U.S. Constitution - Selecting the President
Learners study how the electoral college works to select a U.S. President. In this history lesson, students examine the U.S. Elector College methods then answer questions and write an essay that relate to the state where they live.
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Faces of the Past: Boys in the Civil War
Learners investigate the role of boys during the American Civil War. In this Civil War Research lesson, students study the contributions of young Union and Confederate men to the war effort. Learners also make classroom presentations...
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Caribbean Cooking
Students complete a unit that explores the cultures of the Caribbean, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba through cooking. They follow step-by-step directions of a variety of recipes, create a Caribbean scrapbook or cookbook,...
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The Real Monopoly: America's Racial Wealth Divide
Students explore America's racial wealth divide. In this Teaching Tolerance lesson plan, students play a "rigger" version of the game Monopoly and reflect on the game and economic injustice in the United States.
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Winter at Valley Forge
Students assess the events leading up to the American Revolution. In this United States History lesson, students read "Crossing the Delaware: George Washington Fights in the Battle of Trenton," then discuss the highlights in the story....
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Town Development
Students evaluate how the impact of building of towns affected slavery. In this United States History lesson, students work in small groups to construct a map, then they participate in a role-playing activity.
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Community Building
Students explore the issues of urban and suburban sprawl. They work in small groups to create their own planned communities.
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Abe Lincoln's Log Cabin
Students study Abe Lincoln and make a log cabin out of pretzel sticks and chocolate frosting.
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Africa Unite!
Students work in pairs to research assigned African countries. They compile their research to label a continent map of Africa, present their research to the class and design a game of trivia using their findings.
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Across Five Aprils-Civil War Virtual Field Trips
Eighth graders explore the Civil War by reading Irene Hunt's novel, Across Five Aprils. They take virtual field trips to these battle sites and answer questions that guides them in their study of the Civil War.
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Uninsured in America
Students explore the issue of being uninsured in America. In this social issues lesson, students review data about uninsured Americans. Students create and conduct surveys related to the social issue of being uninsured.
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First Things First: Using the Newspaper to Teach the Freedoms of the First Amendment
Students use the newspaper as a tool to make connections about what the five freedoms guarantee in the First Amendment. For this first amendment lesson plan, students analyze events in the newspaper to form conclusions about the freedoms...
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The Civil War as Photographed by Mathew Brady
Students gain historical background on the Civil War era from textbooks, encyclopedias, or supplemental material. Assign at least two photographs for each student to analyze using the Photograph Analysis Worksheet which is imbedded in...
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The Civil War: A Nation Divided
Students examine the clash between the North and the South. In this Civil War lesson plan, students watch segments of the Discovery video "The Civil War: A Nation Divided". Students conduct further research pertaining to the economies...
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U.S. Constitution Roll Call
First graders simulate the signing of the constitution. In this American history lesson plan, 1st graders take on the roll of newspaper reporters during 1787. Students must pretend to interview signers of the constitution and create a...
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Legislation: Passing a Bill in the Senate
Students debate a bill. In this Senate lesson plan, students investigate the steps of the House of Representatives when amending a bill that has passed. Students role-play law-making.
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So, So Surreal Self-Portraits
Students take virtual trip back in time to 1924 when a Dada manifesto sparked the Surrealist movement in Europe and the United States. They explore about the history of Surrealism and visit online galleries of notable artists of the past...
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The Three Branches of Government
Middle schoolers complete a unit on the three branches of government. They compare/contrast the three branches of government, write a letter or e-mail to an executive in the Federal Government, and develop outlines for historical...
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Politics and Leadership
Students research a historic leader and analyze how a philosopher's writings influenced the ruler in an essay. In this philosophy of government lesson plan, students view a video and participate in a class discussion on how great...
J. Paul Getty Trust
Expressing Emotions through Art Lesson 4—Everybody Celebrates
Students create a celebratory hat after viewing images of artwork depicting people celebrating an event. In this artistic perception lesson plan, students discover why people celebrate their accomplishments and how to express feelings...