Who decides someone is not a real person? Scholars investigate the Dred Scott v. Sandford court case which deals directly with slavery and citizenship. After viewing a short video clip, classmates work in pairs to assess and discuss the...

Students read and discuss Dred Scott v. Sandford Supreme Court case, describe in writing Constitutional principles and results of case, explain how Supreme Court decision may have helped further tensions between states, and answer...

Students study the trial of Dred Scott. They investigate the New York Times reporter and simulate writing about the trial for a newspaper. They identify the 5Ws from the play using a graphic organizer and present their findings to the...

How far in the past do the roots of Jim Crow and segregation extend? Young historians closely consider this question using detailed PowerPoint slides as a basis for discussion rather than lecture, culminating in an activity where class...

Eighth graders explore the Underground Railroad.  In this American History lesson, 8th graders create a song about the railroad.  Students analyze various symbols used during the Underground Railroad. 

An activity focused on tolerance encourages class members to consider how they might respond when they or someone else is the target of oppression and discrimination. After researching how some key figures responded to the...

The final lesson in a unit study of American slavery asks young historians to synthesize what they have learned about how slavery in America changed over time. Revisiting the many documents they have examined, they consider the economic,...

Fifth graders create multi-media newscasts based on their knowledge of Civil War battles of the ironclad ships.

Students examine the differences between the North and South during the pre-Civil War era. In this Civil War era lesson plan, students spent 7 days looking at things that were different between the Union and Confederate state before the...

For this American Civil War worksheet, students respond to 20 short answer, multiple choice, and true or false questions about the events that led to the outbreak of war.

Students read a narrative "The Domestic Slave Trade" and answer questions about states' slave trading. They read another narrative "Runaway Journey" and answer questions about runaway slaves. They discuss the impact of the slave trade on...

Students examine the transcripts of the 1858 Lincoln-Douglas debates and create a platform for each candidate in the 1858 Senate race. They utilize the candidates' arguments to explore the historical and political impact.

In 1857, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the Dred Scott decision that African-Americans were not citizens of the United States. Yet within 18 years, Black Americans would not only have citizenship, but would be guaranteed the right to...