Students are required to analyze a portion of an 1860 map in order to understand the distribution of slaves in the southern United States prior to the Civil War.

Through a whole-class read-aloud of the historical fiction picture book (text provided), Friends for Freedom: The Story of Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass, and two historical articles, students will compare activists Susan B. Anthony, Frederick Douglass, and Utahn Emmeline B. Wells. Students will examine the statue that depicts the friendship of Anthony and Douglass and complete one of the following: a) a compare/contrast essay, b) a sketch of a statue to represent the friendship between Anthony and Wells, or c) a dialogue between Anthony, Douglass, and Wells. The purpose of this lesson is to not only learn about these advocates for change, but to develop the skills of civil and respectful dialogue, particularly with those with whom we may disagree.

In this explainer video, students learn about the abolition movement. They examine the development of the movement, its eventual success, and its legacy.

This primary source set includes documents and images from the life of Abraham Lincoln. A teacher guide is included to assist educators in utilizing the primary sources in their instruction.

This primary source set includes documents and images from the life of Alexander Hamilton. A teacher guide is included to assist educators in utilizing the primary sources in their instruction.

This primary source set includes documents and images from the lives of American authors in the 19th century. A teacher guide is included to assist educators in utilizing the primary sources in their instruction.

This detailed lesson plan (33 pages) allows students to critically examine how individuals shape history. They play a game, discuss, vote, interact, examine bias, and evaluate ideas of others.

Students investigate the question "what are American ideals" through a matching activity. Requires teacher prep to cut cards. Includes a full lesson, warm-up, game procedures, and assessment and reflection.

This is an activity that involves analyzing a map of the Louisiana Purchase. Guiding questions are offered.

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.

Baseball has been part of the culture of the United States since the earliest days of the nation, and the ways in which the game has changed through the centuries provide opportunities to explore changes in U.S. society. This primary source set includes documents and images. A teacher guide is included to assist educators in utilizing the primary sources in their instruction.

In this lesson, students will examine a copy of twelve possible amendments to the United States Constitution as originally sent to the states for their ratification in September of 1789. Students will debate and vote on which of these amendments they would ratify and compare their resulting “Bill of Rights” to the ten amendments ratified by ten states that have since been known by this name.

This lesson relates to the westward movement in the United States in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Students analyze the role that gunfighters played in the settlement of the West and distinguish between their factual and fictional accounts using American Life Histories: Manuscripts from the Federal Writers' Project, 1936-1940.

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.

Students analyze a picture of the Boston Tea Party. This can be used as an introduction to the American Revolution. Students observe details of the image and develop questions for discussion.

C3. Inquiry based lesson plan. Using supporting questions and formative performance assessments, students explore the impact of Uncle Tom's Cabin. Students analyze a summary of the plot of the book, find the main idea(s), look at connected videos, illustrations, and utilize graphic organizers to assess the power of words within this specific historical context.

This lesson plan addresses the Essential Question: How has lower Manhattan changed over time?

Prerequisite: Students need to know the function of each of the branches of government. In this activity, students examine documents from U.S. history to examples of specific "checks and balances."

Mission US is a role-playing game (RPG). In each mission you’ll step into the shoes of a young person during an important time period in US history. While your character and many of the characters in the game are fictional, they are based on the experiences of real people. (You will also encounter some actual historical figures and witness historical events in the game!) In this simularion, the year is 1866. You are Little Fox, a Northern Cheyenne boy. Can you help your tribe survive life on the Plains?