Student Achievement Partners
Laura Hillenbrand's "Unbroken" and Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston and James D. Houston's "Farewell to Manzanar"
Passages from Unbroken and Farewell to Manzanar provide the context for a study of the historical themes of experiencing war, resilience during war, and understanding the lasting trauma of war. Appendices include extension activities,...
Harry S. Truman Library & Museum
Marshall Plan: Convince the American People
This is an excellent resource for US history classes, especially AP history. After learning some background on the Marshall Plan, the class, divided into two groups, researches opposing positions on this aid program. Groups read and...
Curated OER
Anne Frank: One of Hundreds of Thousands
Middle schoolers conduct research to put Anne Frank's diary into historical context. They use maps, timelines, essays and websites to examine the early victories of the German army, paying special attention to the Netherlands and...
Curated OER
Art, Commentary and Evidence: Analysis of "The White Man's Burden"
A cross-curricular activity combines poetry and history for your middle and high schoolers. The class critically examines Kipling's poem, "White Man's Burden" as historical evidence of the Imperialist ideology popular during his time....
National Endowment for the Humanities
“Twelve Years a Slave”: Analyzing Slave Narratives
Readers of Solomon Northup's brutally frank slave narrative Twelve Years a Slave examine passages that support the argument that slavery "undermined and corrupted" the institution of marriage. Background information is provided by a...
Curated OER
The Mayflower Compact
Twelfth graders discover the ideas of our government by reading the Mayflower Compact. In this U.S. Government lesson, 12th graders identify the main ideas of the Mayflower Compact, how it came to be and who was affected the most by...
Curated OER
Taking a Stand with Rosa Parks
Students discuss African-American history from slavery to the civil rights movement. They discuss individual people who shpaed history by reading their biographies and researching the age in which they lived. Studnets comprehend the...
Curated OER
Hoosier Soldiers and the Emancipation Proclamation
Eighth graders examine the impact of Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation through the eyes of Indiana soldiers. In this American Civil War lesson plan, 8th graders read the proclamation and then students write essays that included letters...
Curated OER
Civil War
High schoolers consider what it was like for black regiments during the Civil War. In this American Civil War lesson plan, students view segments of "Glory," and "The Descendants of the 29th Regiment." High schoolers discuss the...
Curated OER
What Happened to John Wilkes Booth?
Students research the life of John Wilkes Booth. In this Lincoln assassination lesson, students read diary excerpts and newspaper articles about Booth's final hours and compose essays regarding their findings.
Curated OER
Tabloid Traditions
Students explore the role the supermarket tabloids play in the United States. They review United States history and explore how some events have been transformed into popular culture.
Curated OER
If I Could Have Been Somebody Else
Students research a specific person from American history who played a significant role and had an impact on future events and situations. They write a multi paragraph essay which includes three reasons explaining why they would have...
Curated OER
For the Record
Students read a New York Times article in order to examine the importance of cultural artifacts. They create essays from the point of view of one cultural artifact to demonstrate the knowledge they gained by doing research.
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Voting Rights for Alabama Women
What were the arguments put forth by those who opposed the 19th Amendment? For those in favor? Class members examine primary source materials that illustrate the intense debate in Alabama about women's suffrage.
Historical Thinking Matters
Rosa Parks: 5 Day Lesson
What led to the success of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and how might historians approach this question differently? This rich series of lessons includes a short introductory video clip, analysis of six primary source documents, and...
Curated OER
Introduction to Japanese Internment
Students discover details about Japanese Internment. For this World War II lesson, students analyze images and documents related to the movement of Japanese-Americans to West coast internment camps in the wake of the Pearl Harbor...
Curated OER
Lesson Plan on Social Studies Research
Fourth graders listen to nonfiction stories, read fact sheets about historical characters and events, and record facts in groups. They write a paper based on six facts from their research.
Curated OER
ECONOMIC SYSTEM
High schoolers identify two American industrialists within the United States during the second half of the 19th century. They use specific examples, compare and contrast how these two industrialists were successful in their market. ...
Curated OER
Roaring Twenties
Tenth graders reconstruct the typical elements in life during the Roaring Twenties in the United States including youth culture, mass entertainment, religion, and prohibition. They experience a related role play activity
Spark Notes
The Interwar Years (1919-1938): Study Questions
In this online interactive history worksheet, students respond to 10 short answer and essay questions about years between World Wars I and II.
Curated OER
The Countries of Slave Trade
Pupils create graphs, routes, and write an essay based on their research of the slave trade. In this slave trade lesson plan, students research the Middle Passage and how slave trade happened in the United States.
Curated OER
Explicit and Implicit Language - Interpreting the Meaning of the Fourteenth Amendment
Students write an essay analyzing the language of the Fourteenth Amendment to the US Constitution. In this US History lesson, students review the difference between implicit and explicit meanings. Students watch a video on the...
Curated OER
A New Deal for African Americans
Students consider how New Deal programs impacted African Americans. In this New Deal lesson, students collaborate to research Internet and print sources regarding selected New Deal programs and African Americans. Students write essays...
Curated OER
Introduction to the American Civil War
Eleventh graders participate in a drill activity in which they review the political, social and economic causes of the Civil War. Individually, they complete a Civil War pretest in which they test their misconceptions about the war. They...