Curated OER
Just an Environment or a Just Environment?
This instructional activity explores the multiple causes of racial segregation and environmental racism, and helps students understand the perpetuation of institutional racism in the post-Civil Rights era. Students will perform a mock...
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Teaching With Documents Lesson Plan: Sioux Treaty of 1868
Students study the Sioux and their lives in the Black Hills before 1868. They engage in a wide variety of cross-curricular activities which give them a good understanding of the Sioux culture.
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Thomas Jefferson and the Declaration of Independence
Students examine readings and symbols to learn about the War of Independence and Thomas Jefferson. In this War of Independence lesson, students explore the role of Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration for Independence. Students answer...
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Policies that Relate to American Indians
Eleventh graders demonstrate an understanding of the impact of the western settlement patterns on American Indians. They analyze the growth and division of the United States from 1820 through 1877 and examine the non-Indian concept of...
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The Russian Years: Back in the USSR
Students examine communist Russia. In this lesson on changes in politics, students work in small groups to compare and contrast soviet communist era citizen rights to those of the US. They participate in discussion of a film and create a...
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Activity on United States Moon Landing: Apollo 11
Students use the World Wide Web to access additional information needed to complete a set of questions. They demonstrate an understanding of latitude and longitude by interpreting a lunar map.
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Marching For Freedom
Students appreciate the sacrifices that people from across the country made to ensure that all citizens could exercise their constitutional right to vote. They access excellent websites and documents imbedded in this plan to guide their...
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Explore the Motivations of Kurdish Nationalists
Students watch a video showing the viewpoint of Kurdish Nationalists. They take notes during the video on why the Kurds want their own country. They role play a meeting between the Kurds and Iraq's National Assembly.
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Reconstruction of Iraq: A Lesson of Historical Precedents
Students view a video clip about the reconstruction efforts in Iraq. They work together to compare and contrast the reconstruction plans after the Spanish-American War and World War II. They compare those results to the situation in Iraq.
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50th Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education
Students examine a poster of Brown v. Board of Education and discuss what the important details are. They read the story behind the poster and court case. They role play different sections of the case such as the court case or Linda...
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declaration of Independence
Tenth graders research the Declaration of Independence and its impact. They assemble puzzle pieces of the declaration and create their own declaration of independence including grievances and resolution.
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Geometry of Democracy
Students explore the architecture of New England by identifying geometric shapes. In this architectural activity, students examine photographs of classic building architecture and use a transparency to trace geometric shapes they...
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Cuban Missile Crisis: Teaching Activities
Learners create a timeline of the important events of John F. Kennedy's presidency. They construct a timeline of the major events of the Cuban Missile Crisis. They compare the Missile Crisis events with their presentation in the movie...
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The Federalist Papers
Students identify the Articles of Confederation and explain why it failed. They explain the argument over the need for a bill of rights in the Constitution and James Madison's role in securing its adoption by first Congress. Finally,...
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Bill of Rights -- Americans with Disabilities Act
Middle schoolers focus on the First and Ninth Amendments of the Bill of Rights. Before visiting a museum, they examine the Americans with Disabilities Act. During the visit, they work together with a museum member to watch a video and...
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Anti-Slavery and Reform-Related Sources
Fifth graders use primary sources to explore events witnessed by ordinary people. In this primary documents lesson, 5th graders answer critical thinking questions based on their documents. Students recognize the difference between...
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Canada Eh? Pre/Post Tests on Canada Using GPS
Middle schoolers participate in a GPS activity and answer questions about Canada. In this Canada activity, students identify location by using a GPS Unit and latitude and longitude. Middle schoolers find an Inuksuk (station) and a...
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Connection to the Past
Students learn basic interviewing and biography writing skills. They first identify a senior citizen in their community who remembers the Great Depression.
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Debating Iraq
Students analyze the main themes of President Bush's UN Speech and discussion of the NewsHour report on the Iraq Debate. In this debate lesson plan, students answer pre-listening questions and view a transcript of the speech. In groups...
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Opposing Views on the Vietnam War
High schoolers consider opinions regarding the Vietnam War. In this Vietnam lesson, students compare Nixon and Johnson's policies about the war. High schoolers also research the anti-war movements as well as the sentiments of the those...
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Transcontinental Railroad
Eleventh graders explain the development of the American West following the Civil War. They also explore the Homestead Act of 1862 and the Pacific Railway Act of 1862. They also participate in a simulation about the American West.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Lesson 2: The Debate in Congress on the Sedition Act
Pupils research and discuss the provisions in the Constitution that supported the arguments for and against the Sedition Act. They articulate objections to and arguments in favor of the Sedition Act.
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The Rules of Engagement: The Geneva Convention
Students view a video clip about the Geneva Convention. They identify the rules of the Convention and why they were put into place. They examine the conditions of prisoner of war camps from other countries as well.
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Out With the Old, in With the New
Students engage in a lesson that is concerned with the concept of the Soviet Union and compared to the new Democratic Russia. They conduct research using a variety of resources. The information is used in order to create a class project.