John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum
Military Advisers in Vietnam: 1963
How did the beginning of the Vietnam War factor into the Cold War with the Soviet Union? As part of a study of American involvement in Vietnam, class members read a letter address to President Kennedy and his response in which he...
Center for History Education
Understanding the Great Migration
What would make someone leave home and travel thousands of miles to find another one? Young historians look at letters, demographic data, and artwork to answer the question for the Great Migration, or the movement of thousands of African...
Richmond Community Schools
Map Skills
Young geographers will need to use a variety of map skills to complete the tasks required on this worksheet. Examples of activities include using references to label a map of Mexico, identify Canadian territories and European countries,...
American Battlefield Trust
Pre-1860: Disunion
Using personas ranging from freed African Americans to wealthy plantation owners, young historians consider various points of view around the events in the days leading up to the Civil War including major milestones such as the Dred...
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Birmingham: The Magic City
Why is Birmingham known as the magic city? A comprehensive lesson plan provides hands-on activities, group discussion, and writing exercises to teach young historians about the importance of the city of Birmingham. Scholars learn the...
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Change of View: George C. Wallace
Who exactly was George C. Wallace? A great lesson plan provides young historians with a hands-on activity, direct instruction, and discussion to learn about Wallace, why he was an important figure, and why he changed his mind about...
American Battlefield Trust
Southern Secession and Abraham Lincoln’s Presidential Election
President Abraham Lincoln: a true humanitarian or a savvy politician? The lesson focuses on Abraham Lincoln's presidency and the secession of the southern states. Academics interpret how Lincoln's presidential platform promoting African...
Curated OER
Stone Tools of Texas Indians
Provide background information regarding the use of stone tools from the paleoindian through the late prehistoric periods. Learners can read this informational passage to gain insight on how and why we study these amazing artifacts from...
K12 Reader
Import/Export
The reading passage here uses the example of the American colonies to introduce imports and exports. After reading the text, class members respond to five questions, which require pupils to find facts in the text and form opinions about...
New York State Education Department
Global History and Geography Examination: January 2012
Familiarize future test takers with the format of standardized tests. The assessment covers world history topics, such as the French Revolution and South American civilizations. It also covers world geography. The test, designed for high...
American Battlefield Trust
The Gathering Storm: The Coming of the Civil War
Slavery or states' rights: What really started the American Civil War? A lesson geared towards middle schoolers explores the causes of the Civil War. Scholars view an interactive of the Gathering Storm exhibit online and complete a...
Smithsonian Institution
Who Am I?: A History Mystery
Who Am I? Scholars go online to gather clues and evidence to uncover just who was involved in the American Civil War. They use hands-on Internet activities to come to an understanding of the roles soldiers and civilians played in the...
Smithsonian Institution
Spirits Across the Ocean: Yoruban and Dahomean Cultures in the Caribbean Brought by the Slave Trade
Much of Latin American music owes its origins to the slave trade. Peoples from the Yoruban and Dahomean cultures brought with them the distinctive rhythms, time signatures, and eighth note patterns that now characterize Caribbean music....
American Institute of Physics
Dr. Gates and the Nature of the Universe
What do Russian nesting dolls have to do with physics? They make a great demonstration tool for explaining Dr. Sylvester James Gates, Jr.'s string theory to young scientists. A two-part lesson first introduces learners to Dr. Gates' life...
Curated OER
The Brief American Pageant: The Ordeal of Reconstruction
With a map on the military reconstruction in the post-Civil War South, and an interesting graphic comparing the size of Alaska to the continental United States, this presentation could be a good (albeit short) supplement to a class...
Curated OER
Video Boxes
Students create a video box about a Central American country. In this world history lesson, student research Central America and pick a country they want to investigate. They work in groups to create a video box that shows images about...
Curated OER
Tango Bingo
Learners research tango music and dancing and research where it comes from. In this tango lesson plan, students research Argentina and South America while learning about the tango and making posters of it.
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media
Reward: Valuable Slaves
To gain insight into the American institution of slavery and how African Americans were viewed during this time, groups examine run-away slave ads and slave auction broadsides. Teams use the provided worksheet to record their impressions...
Curated OER
Civil War and Reconstruction
Introduce your class to some of the most important events and people of the Civil War. This American history PowerPoint includes information about the most important battles and gets into the period of Reconstruction after the war ended....
Curated OER
Building the State (1781-1797)
In this online interactive history worksheet, students respond to 50 multiple choice questions about the early American nation between the years of 1781 and 1797. Students may submit their answers to be scored.
Curated OER
Return South Migration Lesson Plan
Students read the narrative "Return South Migration" and research online about the reasons many southerners returned to the south following the Civil Rights Movement. They write a letter to a friend about their decision whether or not to...
Memorial Hall Museum
Problems and Events Leading Up To the Attack of 1704
Groups read primary and secondary sources detailing the ambush at Bloody Brook on September 18, 1675 and the attack on The Falls in May of 1676. After examining the results of each attack, groups reflect on the language used in the...
Curated OER
The Civil War 1850–1865
For this online interactive history worksheet, students respond to 10 short answer questions about the American Civil War. Students may check some of their answers on the interactive worksheet.
Curated OER
An Interview with South Carolina Revolutionary Heroes
Students create mock interviews with revolutionary heroes. In this U.S. history lesson, students select a U.S. revolutionary war hero or British general, research their biographical information and the battles they participated in,...