In this activity, students examine photographs from an Alaskan Native Tribe who converted to the Anglican faith; they look for evidence of cultural assimilation and provide an opinion as to whether or not this type of cultural assimilation is beneficial or harmful to the tribe.

Prerequisite: Students need to have studied the Dawes Act of 1887 and the breaking up of reservations. In this activity, students analyze primary resources to determine how the federal government tried to assimilate Native Americans. Online activity. Focus: Compare and contrast.

This case study explores how indian boarding schools impacted thousands of Native youths and allows students to examine the effects of assimilation. Designed for High School, but easily adaptable for upper elementary or middle school. Full lesson plan included.

Solve and create American history and civics challenges to explore Library of Congress primary sources—and look closer.
Eagle Eye Citizen is a freely available resource designed to help middle and high school students think critically about civic participation, Congress, and American history using primary sources from the Library of Congress.

Students will use primary source materials to investigate significant historical events during the American Civil War.

This resource is a Private i History Detectives unit from iCivics, consisting of three lessons. Description: Everyone deserves to be treated equally. But how can people make sure that happens? In this inquiry-based unit, students will explain how Amendments to the Constitution attempted to address slavery’s wrongs. They will learn how the courts are used to challenge unfair laws and research how individuals and groups fought for civil rights throughout the 1800s.

This link provides an activity that enables students to make connections between photographs and primary documents. Students look for for cause-and-effect relationships, identify the roles of government policy and technological improvements in the settlement of the West, and explain their impact on Native Americans.