Students revisit issues of civil rights in the U.S. They use the recent national discussion of retiring Senator Strom Thurmond's 1948 Dixiecrat Presidential campaign as a starting point.

This activity enables teachers to use blues music to explore the history of African Americans in the 20th century. By studying the content of blues songs, young scholars can learn about the experiences and struggles of the working-class...

Students examine pieces of sheet music and identify context, purpose, and perspective with regard to the political, social, and economic conditions existing at that time. They create a cover illustrating a topic of the Progressive Era.

Students analyze the American Bill of Rights, compare it to the English Bill of Rights and note the differences in an essay. They access websites imbedded in this plan to do their research, then present their findings to the class.

Students examine the Just War theory, examine a specific example of what is commonly considered to have been a Just War, develop their own moral viewpoints on war, and relate their beliefs to current international situations.

Eighth graders examine basic elements of the Homestead Act, describe gender make-up of the West before and after the Homestead Act, connect the Homestead Act with women's suffrage, and create a modern day business propaganda pamphlet.

Students study Presidential Reconstruction during the Civil War years. They examine the role of the Executive Branch of government, especially in wartime. They investigate the complex issues of how Congress took on the role of...

Eleventh graders research different documents pertaining to the reconstruction era. They present their findings to the class in structured presentations and unstructured discussions. Students compare and contrast their findings about...

History comes alive for students as they develop an immigrant persona and "become" immigrants who make the journey from Europe to the United States. Once on American soil, they experience the immigration process as they participate in a...

Students examine both the Preamble of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. They work in small groups to connect the two documents and analyze how the documents are important to their lives today. They create a poster that visually...

Students explore key concepts/facts in 20th Century history, develop interview questions, and produce master list of questions that can be used in project. Students then interview grandparent, great-grandparent, or other elder about...

Students cite the importance of the steam engine, cotton gin and steel making process. They describe conditions in cities due to increased industrialization. They explain how the living and working conditions led to the development of...

Students examine the concept of nuclear waste storage. For this interdisciplinary lesson, students research Yucca Mountain in order to compare and contrast opposing views regarding the nuclear waste site there. Students compose a letter...

Students inquire about life for pioneer children. In this pioneer period lesson, students analyze photographs of children, make information foldables, and create a covered wagon that was typical of the ones of the past. Students will...

Students investigate the Iditarod. In this last great race lesson, students explore and research the Iditarod race which takes place in Alaska.  Students explore a variety of websites and images to gather background information. A...

Seventh graders examine the implications of the Kansas-Nebraska Act. In this slavery lesson, 7th graders examine a map of 1820 America and discuss the balance of power implied by the map. Students then read Stephen Douglas's speech on...

Fifth graders explore American history by viewing videos on the Internet. For this Japanese internment lesson, 5th graders discuss the politics that took place between America and Japan during WWII and why it was necessary to incarcerate...

Sixth graders investigate John Brown's fight to end slavery. In this slavery lesson, 6th graders read Harpers Ferry, The Story of John Brown's Raid and then research his life as well as the life of slave Osbourne Perry Anderson. Students...

Fourth graders explore U.S. Geography by completing a worksheet. In this west coast geography lesson, 4th graders discuss the Santa Fe and Oregon-California trails and the people who traveled them in the 1800's. Students define...

Students divide into research groups, and are each assigned a research topic. They access an award-winning Ancient Egypt site, which is an interactive book about the history and culture of the Ancient Egyptian civilization.

Students research separate elements of the theory of Plate Tectonics, then share that information with each other, drawing conclusions from the culminated information.

Young scholars research the Salem Witchcraft Trials and conduct a mock trial.

Students role play the position of a scientist to gather information on Meriwether Lewis' death. They discover what he did after the famous expedition and how centuries affect the study of a body. They share their information with the...

Historical poetry is lyrical in form and rich with content. After examining the differences between the Northern and Southern states before and during the U.S. Civil War, learners complete a Venn diagram and create an illustration of the...