Curated OER
Chuuk Introduction (Middle School)
Students pretend they are visiting a relative in the Chuuk nation of Micronesia. Using their knowledge of the 4th of July, they compare and contrast the holiday to the Chuuk's independence day. They create travelogues that outline...
Curated OER
A Dynamic Duo
Students engage in the research of history that surrounded the actions of the federal government during the years from 1907-1937. The focus of the lesson is upon the regulations imposed on business during the time and how it effected the...
Curated OER
Childhood Lost: Child Labor in the United States, 1830-1930
Working in groups, middle and high schoolers describe and discuss photographs depicting working conditions experienced by child laborers in the 19th century. They then write a persuasive paragraph supporting an amendment to regulate the...
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum
Analyzing the Inaugural Address
Get high school historians to step outside their own shoes by responding to JFK's inaugural address from the perspective of a civil rights activist, a soviet diplomat, or a Cuban exile. After a class discussion about the address,...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
If Men Were Angels: Teaching the Constitution With the Federalist Papers
Much like the methods of group work, the writers of the Federalist Papers worked together to advocate for their viewpoints against the anti-federalists. The resource enables learners to break into small groups and conduct research before...
Curated OER
Corporate Governance
Examine the role of the Securities Exchange Commission. Upper graders watch a short Bill Moyers video, analyze a political cartoon, complete a graphic organizer on the SEC, and develop SEC reform strategies to rebuild investor confidence.
Curated OER
Ka'ianaa'ahu'ulu: A Leader of Hawai'i
Students evaluate leadership traits in 18th century Hawai'i and modern times. In this leadership skills lesson plan, students identify leadership traits and read the story of Ka’iana. Students monitor the leadership activities of a...
Curated OER
Determining Author's Point of View: The Sneeches
Determine the author's point of view in a text. Young readers read Dr. Seuss' The Sneeches and identify the author's purpose in the story. They identify persuasive techniques in writing, asking and answering questions to better...
PBS
Baseball: The Tenth Inning
Bring the historical relevance of baseball into the classroom, as pupils discover the lessons learned from the breaking of baseball's color barrier by Jackie Robinson. Learners view video and analyze Robinson’s character, as well as his...
Tolerance
A Time for Justice
The Academy Award-winning documentary A Time for Justice launches a unit that examines America's civil rights movement. Class members examine key events and participants in the movement and consider how the civil rights movement...
PBS
Making Change: Revolutionary Tactics of the Civil Rights Movement
The film American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs introduces viewers to the differing philosophies of and strategies employed by 1960s civil rights leaders such as Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. and the debate over...
PBS
Baseball: The Tenth Inning - Bases Divided
Baseball is a relatively high-interest topic through which social studies classes can explore racial prejudice in the US. Video clips provide much of the background information that groups record on their handout and then share with the...
Curated OER
Stage a Debate: A Primer for Teachers (Lincoln-Douglas Debate Format)
For a comprehensive overview of debate styles and formats, look at this resource. It details the Lincoln-Douglas debate format (one-to-one debate with specific, timed rounds of points, cross-examination, and rebuttals). You can also find...
Stanford University
Observing Human Rights Day
How much intervention is appropriate for America to take in cases of human rights violations? Class members ponder a question that has lingered since the birth of America with a series of primary sources that reflect the degree to which...
Curated OER
What's in That Cake?
Cooperative groups research trip logs from deep-sea expeditions and explore characteristics of deepwater habitats. Using a cake as the ocean floor, they work together to decorate it as a model of such habitats. They also prepare a...
Curated OER
Pioneer America: Legendary Westerners - Can One Person Really Make a Difference?
Fourth graders research famous Americans from the Westward Movement and complete an interview. In this Westward Movement instructional activity, 4th graders work in pairs to research someone who was important during this time period....
Curated OER
Immigrating to America
Students study the American immigration experience. In this Ellis Island lesson plan, students research primary documents from the immigration station, take a tour of the station, and then prepare and perform dramatic presentations based...
Curated OER
Four Enlightenment Thinkers
Students examine lives, philosophies, and political beliefs of four Enlightenment Thinkers: Baron de Montesquieu, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Thomas Hobbes, and John Locke. Students then work with partner to write short speech from...
Curated OER
Using Primary Sources: Letters from the Presidents
Students find out about the minds and thoughts of presidents through reading their actual letters. They explore the personal lives of presidents. They answer questions about a primary source. They write essays.
Curated OER
Picturing First Families
Young scholars complete a variety of activities as they study Washington, D.C., the Presidency, and George Washington. They take a virtual trip to Washington, D.C., and visit the National Portrait Gallery, the White House, and the...
Curated OER
Importance of American Flag in American Literature
Betsy Ross - fact and myth. As an introduction to American Literature, class members become detectives and search web sites to find information about the flag, prominent places it has been displayed (on the moon, at ground zero, in...
Curated OER
Lewis and Clark and the Native Americans
Students practice using maps and identifying landmarks on the Lewis and Clark expedition. They research Lewis and Clark's relationship with the Native Americans and report their findings to the class. They identify the impact of the...
Curated OER
Gullah Activities
Students study the Gullah culture by watching a video about Gullah, Gullah Island. They discuss the customs and crafts of the people such as basket weaving, food preparation, pottery, and quilt making. While working in centers, they make...
Curated OER
State Quarter Game
Investigate the 50 State Quarter's Program. Learners view and discuss the images on the Indiana state quarter, develop a list of questions about the states, conduct research to answer the questions, and play a game using the questions...