Curated OER
President Madison's 1812 War Message: Answers Lead to More Questions
High schoolers investigate President Madison's case for declaring war against Great Britain. Students assume the roles of newspaper reporters and cite key points in Madison's argument for declaring war, and hypothesize about primary...
Curated OER
President Madison's 1812 War Message: A Brief Overview
Students investigate President Madison's War Message. Students read the message and discuss any information they may have misunderstood. Students hypothesize about what kinds of documents might help them find answers to their questions.
Curated OER
United States Entry into World War I: Two Diametrically Opposed Views
Students analyze the events leading to U.S. entry into World War I. They read a speech by President Wilson and an opposition speech, list the reasons each gives for American entry into the war, and complete a Venn diagram.
Curated OER
United States Entry into World War I: A Documentary Chronology
Young scholars complete a unit of lessons on the events that led to U.S. involvement in WWI. They complete a Webquest, conduct research, complete a Venn diagram, read and discuss the reasons for entering the war, and create a slideshow.
Curated OER
1914-1918: The World at War
Thorough and engaging, this presentation details the causes and contexts of World War I on all fronts. It covers "the spark" that began it all, as well as the effect of technology on weaponry and the role of women on the home front and...
Pulitzer Center
The Crisis in the Ivory Coast
Through reading a variety of news articles and other informational texts, learners discover the political turmoil and intense ethnic and religious tensions that envelop the Ivory Coast today. Class members research the historical...
Center for History Education
Women's Rights in the American Century
Today, many young people find it hard to understand why it took over 150 years for women in the United States to get the right to vote—why there was even a need for the suffrage movement. As they read a series of primary source...
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...
Alabama Department of Archives and History
America in Space: German Voices from Huntsville, Alabama
Project Paperclip, the Redstone Arsenal, and the Huntsville Space Center are all featured in a resource that investigates the contributions of Dr. Werner von Brawn and other German scientists to the US space program....
Museum of Tolerance
The Pursuit of Democracy and Diversity: The Trial of Pro-Social Injustice in Historical Documents and Accounts
Class members investigate The Indian Removal Act of 1830, U.S. Theft of Mexican Territory Timeline, and President Abraham Lincoln’s letter to Horace Greeley, 1862, and then conduct a mock trial of each of these documents to determine...
Humanities Texas
Primary Source Worksheet: Abraham Lincoln, Draft of the Gettysburg Address
Young historians closely examine the words of Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address with this primary source analysis worksheet.
National First Ladies' Library
The Civil War Revisited
Students move beyond the generals and battles approach to the Civil War and explore, instead, the issues, ideals, and outcomes of the great conflict that left a president dead, a region destitute, and a nation in shambles.
National WWII Museum
Picturing the War in the Pacific Photos, Datelines and Captions
Young historians have the opportunity to see photos from the war in the Pacific and learn more about what each photo represents. Scholars use their knowledge of WWII to match dates and descriptions to real-life photos from the war. The...
Curated OER
World War II Home Front
Eleventh graders examine the political demands put on one of four groups living in America during WWII. Each class member is asked to research and write a paper describing the homefront experience for women, Hispanics, African-Americans,...
Scholastic
The Rise of Railroads: Illinois
Railways not only cross the US, but they are also intertwined with the history of America. Using a timeline format, individuals explore the connections between major events in American history—such as the Civil War—and the rise of the...
Curated OER
War Consumes Europe
How did the world react to Austria's declaration of war? This activity, guided by the McDougall Littell text, World History, has historians examining the beginnings of WWI through cause and effect analysis. Groups reference the text as...
Curated OER
The Great Migration: An Oral History
Students research the factors which contributed to the great migration and write a well organized research paper using multiple sources. They incorporate quotations into their paper, both direct and paraphrased, in accordance with MLA...
Curated OER
World War II
Offering a comprehensive overview of the beginning of World War II, this resource could be a useful addition to a unit on this topic. It could be used as a way to lead a discussion on the war, or as a review tool before a test. Either...
Curated OER
World War II - The Allied Response
Your class will benefit from this excellent presentation on World War II, and the Allied Response to Hitler's threat. The PowerPoint is packed with important information about battles, key figures in the war, and has an excellent...
Curated OER
World War II - The Holocaust
The Holocaust is the focus of this world history PowerPoint. Viewers are presented with important facts regarding the Holocaust, and the rise of Nazi Germany. They must answer questions such as: "Describe Nazi anti-Semitism in the...
Center for History Education
Blockbusting: Social and Economic Change through Real Estate
"Redlining," "Blockbusting," and "White Flight" may not be terms familiar to young historians. Here's a lesson plan that introduces middle schoolers to these terms and the actions associated with them. Class members examine a series of...
DocsTeach
Apollo-Soyuz: Space Age Detente
The Space Race saw the Soviet Union and the US go from competitors to partners. Scholars read a letter regarding the first docking of the US and Soviet space craft. Young historians also complete a written assignment and participate in...
K12 Reader
Character Analysis in the Red Badge of Courage
As part of a comprehension exercise, readers analyze the character of Henry Fielding and consider how his romantic view of himself, and of war, changes.
K12 Reader
Two Viewpoints of the Same Event: Lee Surrenders to Grant, 1865
How did Union General Ulysses S. Grant view the surrender of Confederate General Robert E. Lee in 1865, which effectively ended the United States Civil War? After reading an excerpt from Grant's autobiography, your young historians will...
