Curated OER
A Nation's Voice
Students research the Constitution and the War Powers Act in order to determine what the powers of the government are in times of conflict. They answer a series of questions then write a legal brief either supporting or condemning the...
Curated OER
Still Suspicious?
Students read and analyze The New York Times news article "An Assessment Jars a Foreign Policy Debate About Iran." They answer comprehension questions, evaluate both sides of the debate, and write a one page report on the article.
Curated OER
Presidents
Fifth graders choose a particular president to research. They define the task of the project, brainstorm questions, list and evaluate possible sources to answer their questions.
Curated OER
Alexander Hamilton and the Roots of Federalism
Explore the origin of political parties in the United States. Learners work in groups to read and analyze copies of the "Report on Manufactures" written by Alexander Hamilton. Then, they complete a worksheet comparing the Federalists to...
Theodore Roosevelt Association
Interpreting the Past; Assessing Its Impact on the Present
Even though the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt ended over 100 years ago, we can still learn something from his stances and policies that is applicable today. Class members first look over a list of prevalent political issues from the...
Curated OER
Social Studies: Don't Ask, Don't Tell
Students review the U.S. military's policy concerning gay and lesbian soldiers. They research the "don't ask, don't tell, don't pursue" approach and determine its meaning. Students interview military personnel and present their findings...
Curated OER
Arthur Young and the President
High schoolers work with NASS data by converting it into prose. For this historical agriculture information lesson, students read about how George Washington communicated information about crop yields, livestock, and land values. They...
Curated OER
Hoover Responds to Unemployment
Learners examine the responses of Herbert Hoover to the challenges of the Great Depression. In this Great Depression lesson, students discuss how Hoover tried to improve the unemployment in the U.S. at the onset of the depression and...
Curated OER
President Abraham Lincoln Alphabetical Order Worksheet
In this online interactive Abraham Lincoln worksheet, students examine 10 Lincoln-related words and names and then write them in alphabetical order on the lines provided. This worksheet may also be printed for classroom use.
Curated OER
State of the "States"
Students consider indicators that mark a country's progress, examine how last year's State of the Union address has affected U.S. foreign policy, research issues deemed important in that speech, and create report cards assessing the...
Curated OER
Lesson III: Crisis, Pearl Harbor, Internment
The third in a series of lessons introduced by “A Fence Away From Freedom,” uses the Smithsonian website, “A More Perfect Union: Japanese Americans and the U.S. Constitution” and focuses on the section of the presentation devoted to the...
Curated OER
President Abraham Lincoln Word Jumble
In this online interactive Abraham Lincoln worksheet, students examine 20 Lincoln-related words in a word bank. Students use the word bank to unscramble 20 sets of letters to match the terms in the word bank. This worksheet may also be...
Curated OER
Journalism: Underage Drinking
Young scholars research underage drinking and read a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association about the issue. They interview experts on substance abuse and liquor store owners about their policies. Students publish...
Curated OER
Resolving Kennedy's Legacy
Eleventh graders investigate the medical condition that plagued John F. Kennedy throughout his life. In this US History lesson, 11th graders read and analyze uncovered documents in relation to Kennedy. Students write a report on John...
Curated OER
The Decision to Go to War
Learners examine President Bush's decision to go to war with Iraq. They work together to discuss a topic related to this given to them by their teacher. They answer questions to complete the lesson.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Lesson 2: The United States, France, and the Problem of Neutrality, 1796–1801
While the French Revolution could be considered inspired by the American Revolution, it created thorny problems for the new United States. Should the United States get involved and be drawn into a European drama? Was the US strong...
Curated OER
How did Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson affect the Civil Rights Movement?
High schoolers research Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson then utilize their findings to determine what each of the three Presidents contributed to the Civil Rights Movement. For this U.S. History lesson, students work in small groups to...
Curated OER
The Constitution: Drafting a More Perfect Union
Learners analyze the U.S. Constitution. In this U.S. History lesson, students explore the purpose of the Constitution, as well as who was involved in its creation.
Smithsonian Institution
Cuban Missile Crisis
The United States—specifically John F. Kennedy—played a large role during the Cuban Missile Crisis. A history resource poses questions that encourage critical thinking as well as in-depth analysis of images from the time period.
Curated OER
The Atomic Bomb Dilemma
Students examine consequences of using atomic bomb in light of resulting peace, distinguish between fact and opinion and analyze sources to recognize bias and points of view, and assume role of reporter, critic, cabinet member, or...
Curated OER
Why the US Fought and Lost the Vietnam War
Students examine the role of the United States in the Vietnam War. In this Vietnam War lesson, students research primary and secondary sources to find out why the United States was involved in the war and why it was unsuccessful in the war.
Curated OER
Nov. 2, 1976 | Carter Defeats Ford in Presidential Election
After reading about the presidential race in 1976, learners think critically about presidential legacy. They read all of the provided background information, related New York Times articles, and then respond to a writing prompt via blog...
Federal Reserve Bank
Dealing with the Great Depression
As part of their study of the Great Depression, young economists examine statistical data to determine the effectiveness of FDR's New Deal recovery programs.
Curated OER
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...