Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media
George Washington: General, President, Slave Owner
Times change; behaviors that were once considered acceptable can be seen in a very different light. Middle schoolers revisit the legacy of George Washington in a three-day lesson plan that uses primary sources to reveal Washington as a...
DocsTeach
Lincoln's 1863 Thanksgiving Proclamation
While most Americans connect the celebration of Thanksgiving to a colonial celebration of pilgrims and Native Americans, the national holiday was actually the product of a war-time measure by Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War....
Smithsonian Institution
Lexington and Concord: Historical Interpretation
Learners view and analyze three different images related to the Battle of Lexington and Concord. They also answer a variety of questions in a graphic organizer to help keep the information straight.
Constitutional Rights Foundation
How the First State Constitutions Helped Build the U.S. Constitution
Did you know that the United States Constitution was adopted after many state constitutions were already in place? Young scholars examine facts about the influence of states through an informative and interesting resource. Groups then...
Curated OER
Learning from the Past: A New Approach
Young scholars research nonprofit organizations. As they research, they learn how those living in the colonial period formed community organizations to provide for the common good of their society. Each pupil chooses one organization to...
Curated OER
Carnavals and Colonialization
Ninth graders compare and contrast different Carnavals throughout Latin America. In this Latin American lesson plan, 9th graders study the geography and colonial history of Latin America.
Curated OER
Stamp Act: Virtual Representation vs. Actual Representation
Eleventh graders research and discuss the different points of view of colonists in terms of taxation, as well as how these viewpoints helped lead to the revolution.
National Endowment for the Humanities
The President Under the Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation sounds like one big, fancy title to middle schoolers. Here, scaffolded steps help to ease novices into understanding this all-important American document. Discussion questions, lesson activities, and ideas...
Curated OER
Crispus Attucks and the Boston Massacre
Students interpret historical evidence presented in primary and secondary resources. In this Boston Massacre lesson, students listen to a lecture regarding the massacre and Crispus Attucks. Students respond to discussion...
Curated OER
Barter Day
Fifth graders research bartering. For this bartering lesson, 5th graders investigate bartering as a way to trade for goods and services. Students experience bartering first hand while playing a game.
Curated OER
Crossword: First Settlements
In this elementary social studies worksheet, students complete a crossword puzzle with 14 words related to settling the first U.S. colonies.
Curated OER
A Colony is Born : Lesson 2 - Sez Who?
Second graders increase their baseline knowledge of primary and secondary sources and the likenesses and differences of them with regard to a selected historical event.
Curated OER
Questions on Benjamin Franklin’s Cartoon
For this primary source analysis worksheet, students examine Benjamin Franklin's "Join or Die" political cartoon and then respond to 8 short answer questions based on their analysis of it.
Curated OER
Children and Slavery Document Search
Students review the causes of slavery, the Middle Passage, triangular trade and the spread of slavery throughout colonies. They work in small groups and search documents in order to find the answers to a question and document packet.
Curated OER
The History of Thanksgiving Day
Young scholars discover details about the original Thanksgiving celebration. For this Thanksgiving lesson, students read an article about the topic and respond to questions about it. Young scholars then plan a Thanksgiving celebration.
Curated OER
Jamestown
Fifth graders research the Jamestown settlement and examine life in the colonies from 1607-1610. They explore websites, develop a timeline, select two settlers to research, and write three letters written from the point of view of their...
Curated OER
The Powhatan Indians' English Boy
Sixth graders write a historical fiction narrative. In this interdisciplinary lesson, 6th graders read the historical fiction Henry Spelman: The Powhatan Indians' English Boy. Students write a piece from the point of view of the main...
Curated OER
Conflict On The Plains
Eighth graders investigate the culture and lifestyles of the Lakota Sioux and the Northern Cheyenne tribes. They use a variety of resources for research. They create questions based on information to be used during classroom discussion...
Curated OER
A Dream and an Idea: Searching for a Roadmap to Create a Country
Learners listen in on American historical events. In this colonial America lesson, students participate in an activity that requires them to watch video segments that feature Revolutionary War battles and the Constitutional Convention....
Curated OER
American History Overview: February
Third graders examine and discuss the first permanent settlement in the New World at Jamestown, Virginia. They write responses to an excerpt from George Percy's journal, and trace the Middle Passage across the Atlantic Ocean for slave...
Curated OER
Taking Up Arms and the Challenge of Slavery in the Revolutionary Era
Learners examine a series of documents which discuss the contradiction in the Americans' rhetoric about slavery. They act as members of designated Committees of Correspondence in the five different colonies, communicating their...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Magna Carta: Cornerstone of the U.S. Constitution
High schoolers use the Internet to read a brief description of Magna Carta (link provided). They "walk through" the document with the teacher, identifying four major themes. Students read and discuss "The Rhetoric of Rights: Americans...
Curated OER
The declaration of Independence and Your Rights
Students discuss the Declaration of Independence and the violation of those rights in colonial times. They compare it with the Declaration of
Sentiments and why women felt their rights were being violated. They write their own personal...
Curated OER
The Declaration of Independence and Your Own Rights
Students read and discuss the Declaration of Independence and the Declaration of Sentiments. They discuss how the rights of the colonists and women were being violated. Students write about their own personal rights and how their rights...