This cluster includes the following access points.
Vetted resources educators can use to teach the concepts and skills in this topic.
| Name |
Description |
| What are Crime Victims' Rights?: | Students will explain the rights that victims of a crime have; contrast the differences between restitution and victims’ compensation boards; and view a Florida Bureau of Victim Compensation brochure before breaking into a small group to discuss feelings and reactions. |
| Bill of Rights, Amendments 5-10: | Students will analyze amendments 5-10 and complete a graphic organizer. Then students will match real world examples with the correct amendment. Finally, students will paraphrase amendments 5-10 in their own words. |
| Understanding The Executive Branch: | Students will review Article II and Amendments 12, 20, 22, 23, and 25 of the United States Constitution to understand the structure, function, and process of the Executive Branch. |
| Segregation and Integration: Plessy v. Ferguson and Brown v. Board of Education (3 of 3): |
- A guided practice will be used to teach the end of segregation in the United States. The guided practice requires students to interact with primary text from the Supreme Court opinion of Brown v. Board of Education.
- This lesson will be used to demonstrate the end of segregation in the United States and draw a direct comparison between the Supreme Court cases of Plessy v. Ferguson and Brown v. Board of Education.
|
| Segregation and Integration: Plessy v. Ferguson and Brown v. Board of Education (2 of 3): | Students will be placed into small groups to view, analyze, and discuss primary source photos. The photos incorporated will display Jim Crow Laws, segregation, and early forms of protest during the Civil Rights movement. Each photo will require students to provide a brief description and answer questions based off of the primary source images. After the lesson, students will complete a guided practice incorporating primary source text taken from Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. This is lesson 2 of 3 in a mini-unit integrating civics and U.S. History. |
| Copy Cat Revere Primary Source Lesson: | This is a handout containing study/analysis of a 1770 letter from Henry Pelham to Paul Revere. We will look at his accusations in the letter and then study the two artists' artwork of the Boston Massacre. There is a series of guiding questions to engage students in the analysis, impact, and ramifications of this storyline. |
| Bill of Rights: Amendments 1-4: | Students will analyze amendments 1-4 and complete a graphic organizer. Then students will match real world examples with the correct amendment. Finally, students will paraphrase amendments 1-4 in their own words. |
| American Citizens and American Art: | In this lesson, students will research and describe the connection between American artists, art, and civic and political participation. |
| Impeachment: the Basics: | In this lesson plan, students will learn basic information about impeachment as it is established in the U.S. Constitution. Students learn what impeachment is, why it is included in the Constitution, who is subject to impeachment, why someone may be impeached, who has been impeached, and how impeachment works. Students will complete a graphic organizer, create a timeline, and complete an assessment quiz. |
| Bill of Rights: | In this lesson, students will read and analyze the Bill of Rights. |
| Thomas Jefferson, John Locke, and the Declaration of Independence: | This lesson will be used to introduce or review the Declaration of Independence, a founding document of America. This lesson will familiarize students with one of the Founders, Thomas Jefferson, and his influence on the American government by incorporating ideas from the European Enlightenment era. |
| The Enlightenment and The Declaration of Independence : | Students will compare and contrast Enlightenment philosophers John Locke and Thomas Hobbes to Thomas Jefferson and the Declaration of Independence. |
| The Federalist Papers and the Constitution : | In this lesson, students will be able to explain the 3 main subjects of The Federalist Papers and Alexander Hamilton's role in writing them. |
| The Three Branches of Government and James Madison : | Students will become familiar with James Madison's influence on the creation of a three-branch government system in the United States. |
| James Madison, the Three Branches of Government, and Checks and Balances : | Students will learn about James Madison and his contributions to American government. Students will review the three branches of government and simulate the system of checks and balances. |
| Propaganda: Types, Uses, Effectiveness: | Students will be able to identify and describe different types of propaganda, their uses, and effectiveness based on historical uses of propaganda in the United States. |
| Frankling Roosevelt Fireside Chats - Social Security : | In this lesson, students will become familiar with Franklin D. Roosevelt and his use of the radio to communicate with the American people one of the New Deal programs, Social Security. |
| Franklin D. Roosevelt's Fireside Chat: On Drought and Farming Conditions : | In this lesson, students will become familiar with Franklin D. Roosevelt and his use of the radio to calm and reassure citizens during the Great Depression. Students will focus on the fireside chat addressing drought conditions and policies to aid farming. |
| Interest Groups Help End Segregation in U.S. Armed Forces: | Students will explore methods used by civil rights groups to influence government steps to dismantle segregation in the United States Armed Forces leading up to Executive Order 9981. |
| The Truman Decision : | In this lesson plan, students will have the opportunity to analyze the use of atomic weapons on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II. Students will look at the executive branch, the role of the U.S. president as “Commander in Chief” of the military during war, and the U.S. President who made the call to utilize this weapon during WWII. Students will analyze the pros and cons of using the atomic weapon. Students will also look at the aftermath of the use of the atomic bombs.
|
| Franklin Roosevelt Fireside Chat - Banking Crisis : | In this lesson, students will become familiar with Franklin D. Roosevelt and his use of the radio to calm and reassure citizens during the Great Depression. Students will focus on the first chat addressing the banking crisis. |
| The Judicial Branch Tic Tac Toe: | In this lesson plan, students will have the opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of the establishment of the judicial branch, the responsibilities of the court system, and key landmark cases that have impacted the United States. This lesson should be taught after students have had the chance to explore basics about the structures, functions, and processes of the judicial branch as described in Article III of the U.S. Constitution.
|
| Types of Propaganda: WWI: | In this lesson plan, students will use the types of propaganda to help analyze WWI propaganda. Students will learn about the different types of propaganda and then apply those techniques to famous WWI propaganda posters. |
| It's the Principle of the Thing: Analysis of Ideals and Principles in the Founding Documents: | In this lesson plan, students will interact with principles and ideals taken from the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the U.S. Constitution and will make connections between them. Students will then try to group the ideas with the correct documents. In the end, they will reflect in writing about the ideological shifts they see from one Founding document to another. |
| Judicial Branch: | In this lesson, students will use the U.S. Constitution Article III, and primary sources, Federalist Papers and Anti-Federalist Papers, to analyze the structures, functions and processes of the judicial branch. |
| Social Issues in America: Individual Rights vs. Common Good: | In this lesson, students will use case studies to evaluate issues that cause the government to balance protecting individual rights with protecting the common good.
|
| Executive Order 9981 - Ending Segregation in our Nation's Armed Services: | Using primary source documents and a Jigsaw technique students will explore the process resulting in President Truman's Executive Order 9981 ending segregation in our armed services. Teachers will guide students through an understanding of presidential “executive order” authority, history of African American military service in the U.S. and help students trace the evolution of thinking as our nation moved toward equality for all. |
| Magna Carta: Influences on our Constitution: | Students will extend their understanding about individual rights in the U.S. by examining how the English attempted to protect individuals from unrestrained monarchial power. By examining the Magna Carta and the U.S. Constitution, students will analyze primary sources so they may better understand how rights for individuals were incorporated into the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights.
|
| Magna Carta - A Great Charter For Great Ideas: | By examining the Magna Carta and the U.S. Constitution, students will analyze primary sources so they may better comprehend the origins and evolution of checks on executive power. The emergence of a parliamentary or deliberative body to counteract unlimited use of power by a head of state/government was a major development in history, and, eventually, an important outlet for the peoples' voice.
|
| How to Impeach the President : | In this lesson, students will learn about the impeachment process in the United States with a PowerPoint Presentation that provides detailed information and historical examples. |
| From Oral History to Published Narrative: Preserving our Families' Stories: | Students will review interview notes and historical research to write first draft narratives about individuals they previously interviewed in this integrated lesson. This lesson is Part 3 in a series of 5 parts designed to help students communicate with members of an older generation. |
| Civic Engagement and Social Institutions: Action and Reaction: | In this lesson plan, students analyze the impact of civic engagement as a means of preserving or reforming institutions. This analysis will take place through identifying means and methods to promote social change using historical examples of citizens achieving or preventing political and social change through civic engagement. |
| The Power of the Veto: | In this lesson, students will analyze the U.S. Constitution and other primary sources to evaluate the power and impact of the presidential veto. Students will demonstrate their knowledge of checks and balances by answering a higher-level short-answer question about the power of the veto. |
| Civic Engagement and Social Change : | In this lesson plan, students will explore the impact of civic engagement as a means of preserving or reforming institutions. Students will look at how citizens can use various methods to promote social change. Students will also examine historical examples of citizens achieving social change through civic engagement, specifically focusing on iconic changes in society through the use of fashion. |
| Political Communication: Creating a Campaign: | In this lesson plan, students will identify and evaluate the influence and effects of various forms of media and the internet on political communication. Students will read scenarios and develop campaign strategies for each scenario that reflect the information provided. |
| Individual Rights v Public Good: | In this lesson plan, students will participate in a silent debate over individual interests versus the public good using facts from historical U.S. Supreme Court cases. |
| Restrictions of Rights: Does Government have the Power?: | In this lesson plan, students will review a Supreme Court case, identify the rights restricted and, try to determine a ruling for the case before reviewing the historical outcomes. The cases relate to historical events that have resulted in the government limiting or attempting to limit the rights/freedoms of the people of the United States. Students will then compare their decisions with the findings of the Supreme Court. As they review the cases, they will build an understanding of government-imposed restrictions on citizen’s rights and why they may happen. |
| Presidential Campaign Commericals: | In this lesson, students will receive some direct instruction on persuasion and political ads. Students will then analyze various presidential campaign advertisements to examine their emotional appeal to voters. |
| Presidential Campaigns: The Psychology of Advertising, Slogans, and Logos: | In this lesson, students will learn about the psychology of advertising and emotional appeal. Students will then analyze various presidential campaign slogans and logos to identify their emotional appeal to voters. |
| Changing Media: Political Communication: | In this lesson, students will rotate through stations to analyze the effects of different media on political communication in America. Each station will analyze a different time period and form of media: newspapers, radio, television, and the internet. |
| Symbolic Gateways in Clay: | Inspired by monumental artworks from around the world and across time, students will combine a variety of clay hand-building techniques including modeling, slab-construction, incising, and relief for this open-ended creative problem. Students will symbolize meaningful experiences from their lives or dreams for their future. This lesson is appropriate for Middle or High School students and can be modified for students with exceptional needs.
|
| Zora Neale Hurston and the WPA in Florida: Zora Neale Hurston, the WPA and the Cross City Turpentine Camp: | In 1939, Hurston went to Cross City in Dixie County, Florida, to interview workers of the Aycock and Lindsay turpentine camp. Turpentine camps were isolated and known for their terrible working conditions and abuses. It was unusual for a writer to be allowed in to gather information. Hurston's essay, entitled "," is one of the few firsthand accounts written about the lives of the turpentine workers.
In this lesson, students will examine the essay, "" as a primary source document using the document analysis worksheet from the National Archives. |
| Analyzing Political Cartoons: | The decisions students make about social and political issues are often influenced by what they hear, see, and read in the news. For this reason, it is important for them to learn about the techniques used to convey political messages and attitudes. In this lesson, high school students learn to evaluate political cartoons for their meaning, message, and persuasiveness. Students will learn about the techniques cartoonists frequently use, and, for the summative project, will analyze one political cartoon, and design a presentation on how the cartoon signifies the time period, the techniques used, and the overall message that the cartoonist was trying to convey. |
| The New Room: Place as a Primary Source: | In this lesson plan, student will analyze as primary sources the objects and furnishings in George Washington's "New Room" at his Mount Vernon estate. Take a virtual tour of the New Room at
Students will attempt to answer the question: "What message did George and Martha Washington want to convey to their guests in the New Room?" |
| Japanese American Internment: Evaluating Primary Sources: | This web resource from the Library of Congress supports student use of primary sources to understand the Japanese American experience of internment during World War II. The resource includes graphic organizers for students to use online or through printed copies, and primary source photos and interviews along with procedures for teaching the lesson. |
| Picturing WWII: Americans at War: | This lesson focuses on helping students analyze propaganda posters from WWII to understand how Americans daily lives were impacted at home and abroad. Students will analyze the images and phrases used in the posters, the intended audience, and purpose for each poster. Through analysis of the posters, students will be introduced to some of the challenges America faced by going to war. For the end of lesson assessment, students will create a digital presentation explaining how Americans daily lives were impacted by WWII. |
| After Reconstruction: Problems of African Americans in the South: | In this lesson, students use the collection's Timeline of African American History, 1852-1925 to identify problems and issues facing African Americans immediately after Reconstruction. Working in small groups on assigned issues, students search the collection for documents that describe the problem and consider opposing points of view, and suggest a remedy for the problem. Students then present the results of their research in a simulated African American Congress, modeled on a congress documented in the collection's special presentation, Progress of a People. |
| Salem Witch Trials: | This web resource from Discovery Education helps students analyze the significance of the Salem Witch Trials of the late 1600s through a study of several primary and secondary source materials. While synthesizing the information from these documents with details present in Arthur Miller's commentary on a 20th-century phenomenon, the hunting of communists as if they were witches, students will recognize the lasting impact of the hysteria. After reading Miller's The Crucible, students will modernize a key scene according to rubric guidelines provided on the site. |
| The Cuban Missile Crisis: | In this lesson, students will determine to what extent the Cuban Missile Crisis changed the Cold War as they analyze primary and secondary documents, including letters and telegrams from President Kennedy First Secretary Khrushchev, regarding events that brought the United States and the Soviet Union to the brink of nuclear war. |
| Close Reading Exemplar: I am an American Day Address: | This unit from Student Achievement Partner web resources has been developed to guide students and instructors in a close reading of Learned Hand's "I am an American Day Address". The activities and actions described below follow a carefully developed set of steps that assist students in increasing their familiarity and understanding of Hand's speech through a series of text-dependent tasks and questions that ultimately develop college and career ready skills. This unit is recommended as an activity for a "Great Conversation" Module and can be taught in two days of study and reflection on the part of students and their teachers. A third day or more could be added if the time is needed or extension activities are desired. |
| Reading Like a Historian: Guatemala: | In this lesson, students analyze primary and secondary source documents in an effort to answer the central historical question: How and why did the U.S. fight the Cold War in Guatemala? The teacher begins by explaining how covert actions were part of the Cold War. Students read 2 brief accounts of the CIA takeover from recent textbooks. Students answer questions in pairs. Class discussion: Why does each textbook include details the other leaves out? Students then read a declassified CIA document-an assassination list with names deleted-and discuss: how does this document challenge the textbook accounts? A final class discussion attempts to place this incident in the larger context of what students have learned about the Cold War. |
| Reading Like a Historian: Gulf of Tonkin Resolution: | In this lesson, students analyze primary source documents in an effort to answer the central historical question: Was the U.S. planning to go war with North Vietnam before the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution? The teacher begins by showing a map of Vietnam (PowerPoint) and giving students extensive background information-and a timeline-about U.S. involvement in the conflict. Students then review 4 documents: 1) the text of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, 2) a memo from McGeorge Bundy to LBJ, 3) a telegram from State Secretary Rusk to the Vietnamese embassy, and 4) the transcript of a phone conversation between Bundy and LBJ. Students answer extensive guiding questions for all documents and write a paragraph-length response to the central question, corroborating all that they have learned. A final class discussion evaluates the evidence. |
| Reading Like a Historian: Women in the 1950s: | In this lesson, students analyze primary and secondary source documents in an effort to answer the central historical question: Is the image of the "happy 1950s housewife" accurate? The teacher first introduces the time period and some of its features: the baby boom, the GI Bill, suburbia, Leave it to Beaver. The teacher then shows images of the "happy housewife" from 50s-era publications. In groups, students analyze 2 documents: a Harper's magazine article on suburbia and a passage from Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique. They complete a graphic organizer that includes a hypothesis: does the stereotype seem true? Students then do the same with 2 more documents: secondary source analyses by Joanne Meyerowitz and Alice Kessler-Harris. The class completes the graphic organizer and shares final hypotheses in a group discussion: Should we believe the stereotype? How about the experience of minority women? |
| Reading Like a Historian: Anti-Vietnam War Movement: | In this lesson, students analyze primary source documents in an effort to answer the central historical question: Why did many Americans oppose the Vietnam War? First, students view 2 anti-war images and a timeline of anti-war events. They fill out a graphic organizer and formulate a hypothesis that answers the central question; discussion follows. Students then read 2 documents: a speech by Martin Luther King, Jr. and John Kerry's testimony before Congress. For both, they complete questions on a graphic organizer. Final class discussion: Why did anti-war sentiment grow? Did only college kinds participate? How do you think supporters of the war might have responded? |
| Reading Like a Historian: Civil Rights Act: | In this lesson, students analyze primary source documents in an effort to answer the central historical question: Was JFK a strong supporter of Civil Rights? First, the teacher streams a video clip from Discovery Education on JFK and civil rights. Students form a hypothesis and discuss whether JFK was "strong" on civil rights based on this. Students then read a 1963 JFK speech supporting the Civil Rights Act; as a class, they answer sourcing, close reading and context questions and revisit their hypothesis. Students then read John Lewis's controversial original draft of the speech he delivered at the March on Washington. They answer guiding questions which corroborate both documents and attempt to reach a conclusion. If there is time, the teacher may bookend the lesson with another clip which shows how LBJ signed the eventual law into action. |
| Reading Like a Historian: Great Society: | In this lesson, students analyze primary and secondary source documents in an effort to answer the central historical question: Was the Great Society successful? Students first read LBJ's "Great Society" speech and answer sourcing, close reading and context questions about it before discussing as a class. The teacher then hands out a list of Great Society programs and asks: Which have you heard of? Which do you think were successful? Students then watch a film clip about the Great Society, streamed via Discovery Education. This is followed up with 2 secondary sources: a "Pro" perspective from historian Joseph Califano and a "Con" perspective from Thomas Sowell. They fill out a graphic organizer in groups and discuss: Which historian is more convincing? What kind of evidence does each use to make his case? How do these arguments still play out today? |
| Reading Like a Historian: Montgomery Bus Boycott: | In this lesson, students analyze primary source documents in an effort to answer the central historical question: Why did the Montgomery Bus Boycott succeed? The teacher first introduces the boycott and Rosa Parks by streaming a film clip from historicalthinkingmatters.org. Students then break into 3 groups and look at a textbook account of the boycott and a timeline, making a "claim" as to why the boycott succeeded and sharing it with the whole class. The groups then corroborate with 2 more documents-a letter by Jo Ann Robinson and a memo by Bayard Rustin-and make another claim. Finally, 2 more documents-a letter by Virginia Durr and a speech by Martin Luther King, Jr.-are added to the mix, and students formulate and share a final claim. In a final class discussion, students reflect on how their claims did/did not change as they encountered more evidence. |
| Reading Like a Historian: Truman and MacArthur: | In this lesson, students analyze primary source documents in an effort to answer the central historical question: How did Americans respond to President Truman's decision to fire General MacArthur? The teacher begins by explaining how MacArthur wanted to invade China to resolve the Korean War stalemate in 1951 and why Truman fired him for insubordination. Students are asked to make a prediction: what do you think the reaction was to the firing of this popular general? Students then analyze 3 documents: 1) a memo to Truman tabulating the letters he received after the firing (pro vs. con), 2) a letter by AMVETS supporting the firing, and 3) a very critical letter from a woman in Texas. For the last 2, students answer questions on a graphic organizer in groups. A whole group discussion follows and a quick debriefing on the impacts of the war's conclusion are presented. |
| Reading Like a Historian: Korean War: | In this lesson, students analyze secondary source documents in an effort to answer the central historical question: Who started the Korean War? The teacher begins by first explaining that textbooks can be biased sources and then uses a brief PowerPoint to show the geography of Korea and why/when war began there. Students then form pairs and read 2 accounts of the war: one from a South Korean textbook and another from a North Korean book. For both, students not only summarize and answer questions, but they must identify which source is which (North or South Korea?) and use textual details to prove it. In a class discussion, students share their answers. If time remains, the class may corroborate these sources with their own class textbook. |
| Reading Like a Historian: Cuban Missile Crisis: | In this lesson, students analyze primary source documents in an effort to answer the central historical question: Why did the Russians pull their missiles out of Cuba? The teacher begins by recapping the Cold War and the presence of missiles in Cuba and streams a video clip from Discovery Education about the Crisis and the negotiations that ended it. *Please see note in reviewer public remark below about this video. Students then analyze, in pairs, 3 documents: 1) a letter from Chairman Khrushchev to President Kennedy, 2) a letter from Kennedy to Khrushchev, and 3) a cable from Soviet ambassador Dobrynin to his foreign ministry. For each, they answer guiding questions. A final class discussion addresses the documents: What kind of a deal was struck? Why was it secret? Does the class textbook mention it? |
| Reading Like a Historian: Cold War: | In this lesson, students analyze primary source documents in an effort to answer the central historical question: Who was primarily responsible for the Cold War: the United States or the Soviet Union? The teacher begins with a timeline and brief PowerPoint to set up early Cold War chronology. Students then receive 2 documents-Churchill's "Iron Curtain" speech and the "Truman Doctrine" speech-answer guiding questions and formulating an initial (probably pro-American) hypothesis. They then corroborate this with another 2 documents-a telegram by Soviet ambassador Novikov and a critical speech by Henry Wallace-and formulate another (perhaps more sympathetic to the Soviet position) hypothesis. Students share answers and discuss as a class: which hypothesis is more believable? What further evidence would you like to see? |
| Reading Like a Historian: Atomic Bomb: | In this lesson, students analyze primary source documents in an effort to answer the central historical question: How should we remember the dropping of the atomic bomb? First, students are told that they will choose an appropriate photo to accompany a U.N. website commemorating the dropping of the bomb. Students are then introduced to 2 narratives about WWII: "Hiroshima as Victimization" (the Japanese point of view) vs. "Hiroshima as Triumph" (the American point of view). The class is then divided into 2 halves, each of which looks at a variety of source documents-anecdotes, letters, and data-through its side's point of view only. Students then form groups of 4 to choose which image should be used in the "website." Each group shares its image and explains why they chose it. In a final discussion, the class talks about whether the bomb should have been dropped and whether they can second-guess a decision like Truman's. |
| Reading Like a Historian: Japanese Internment: | In this lesson, students analyze primary source documents in an effort to answer the central historical question: Why were Japanese-Americans interned during World War II? The teacher first distributes a timeline, which the class reviews together. Students then view a government-made newsreel from 1942 explaining the rationale for internment. This is followed by 4 more documents, including the "Munson Report," an excerpt from the Supreme Court's decision in U.S. v Korematsu, and the 1983 report of the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians. For each, students answer guiding questions and formulate a hypothesis: according to the document, why was internment necessary? A final class discussion has students determine which document(s) best explain what occurred. |
| Reading Like a Historian: Zoot Suit Riots: | In this lesson, students analyze primary source documents in an effort to answer the central historical question: What caused the Zoot Suit Riots? The teacher first provides background information on the incident and then the class looks at their textbook account and answers brief questions. Students then form pairs and analyze 2 documents: 1) a Los Angeles Daily News account of the riots and 2) a letter from the Committee for the Defense of Mexican American Youth, addressed to U.S. Vice President Wallace. For both, students answer guiding questions on a graphic organizer. A final class discussion contextualizes and corroborates the documents: Is one more reliable? What caused the riots? |
| Reading Like a Historian: New Deal SAC: | In this lesson, designed to follow a more general study of the New Deal, students analyze primary and secondary source documents and engage in a Structured Academic Controversy in an effort to answer the central historical question: Was the New Deal a success or a failure? Students receive 7 documents, including a "fireside chat" by FDR, an oral interview, a speech by a WPA representative, unemployment statistics, and song lyrics by the Carter Family. Students then divide into groups of 4 and into pairs within each group to analyze the documents using a graphic organizer. Each pair presents the argument to the other that the New Deal was either (Pair A) successful or (Pair B) a failure. Only at the end can students abandon their previous positions, reach consensus in writing as a group, and defend that view in a final class discussion. |
| Reading Like a Historian: Social Security: | In this lesson, students analyze primary and secondary source documents in an effort to answer the central historical question: Which historical account of Social Security is more accurate? Students begin by responding to a prompt: should out-of-work Americans receive government assistance? The teacher then streams a video on the New Deal and its critics, including Huey Long, followed by discussion. Students then look at the summarized views of 2 historians, Carl Degler and Barton Bernstein. In pairs, students summarize and discuss. They then read 3 primary source documents: 1) a 1935 speech by FDR, 2) the testimony of NAACP spokesman Charles Houston before Congress, and 3) a letter to Mrs. Roosevelt by an anonymous critic of Social Security. For each, students answer guiding questions. In a final class discussion, students corroborate the documents and use them to side with the views of 1 historian-Degler or Bernstein-over the other. |
| Reading Like a Historian: Mexican Labor in the 1920s: | In this lesson, students analyze primary source documents in an effort to answer the central historical question: What was life like for Mexicans and Mexican-Americans in the 1920s? Students look at 3 documents: 1) an oral interview of a Mexican immigrant, 2) a traditional Mexican corrido ballad, and 3) a 2003 article from Journal of Social History that contains data on lynching. For each, students complete questions on a graphic organizer in groups. Class discussion: do you trust these documents? What other information would you like to see? |
| Reading Like a Historian: Scopes Trial: | In this lesson, students analyze primary source documents in an effort to answer the central historical question: Why did people care about the Butler Act? Students first read an excerpt from a 1914 textbook, A Civic Biology, and answer brief questions. The teacher then gives a mini-lecture on the rise of religious fundamentalism in the 1920s and streams a video clip on the Scopes Trial. Students fill out a graphic organizer during/after they watch and then they analyze 4 documents: 1) a letter to the editor of the Nashville Tennessean, 2) a speech from one of John Scopes' defense attorneys, 3) a magazine article written by a fundamentalist preacher, and 4) a New York Times article commenting on the media circus. For each, they answer guiding questions. A final class discussion contextualizes the documents: how did the context of the 1920s make this more than a simple debate over evolution? |
| Reading Like a Historian: Palmer Raids: | In this lesson, students analyze primary source documents in an effort to answer the central historical question: What caused the Palmer Raids? The lesson begins by asking students what communism/socialism means to them. Students share answers in pairs. The teacher then provides background information on the Red Scare and follows up by streaming a film clip from Discovery Education. Students then analyze 2 documents-"The Case Against the Reds" by A. Mitchell Palmer and a deportation statement by Emma Goldman-and answer guiding questions for each. A final class discussion corroborates the documents: why did the nation allow the Palmer Raids to take place? |
| Reading Like a Historian: Marcus Garvey: | In this lesson, students analyze primary source documents in an effort to answer the central historical question: Why was Marcus Garvey a controversial figure? Students first read their textbook's passage on Garvey and discuss; the teacher then distributes a timeline to extend students' background knowledge. The teacher may also (optional) stream some video clips on Garvey "In His Own Words," about 5 minutes total. Students then analyze 4 documents: 1) an excerpt from the Autobiography of Malcolm X, 2) a letter from NAACP members and others to the Attorney General complaining of Garvey, 3) a memo by J. Edgar Hoover, and 4) Garvey's own Autobiography. For all, students answer extensive guiding questions and engage in Socratic discussion with the teacher: why was Garvey so popular and controversial? Students then answer the question in writing using all the documents as evidence. |
| Reading Like a Historian: Prohibition: | In this lesson, students analyze primary source documents in an effort to answer the central historical question: Why was the 18th Amendment adopted? Students first read the text of the amendment and answer brief guiding questions. Then, the teacher streams a video clip from Discovery Education about the temperance movement. Students then analyze, in small groups, 4 documents: 1) a statement by the National Temperance Council, 2) a New York Times article, 3) a propaganda poster, "Alcohol and Degeneracy," and 4) another such poster, "Children in Misery." For each, they answer detailed guiding questions. A final class discussion evaluates the strategies of temperance advocates: are their arguments convincing? |
| Reading Like a Historian: Chicago Race Riots of 1919: | In this lesson, students analyze primary and secondary source documents in an effort to answer the central historical question: What caused the Chicago race riots of 1919? The teacher begins with a mini-lecture on the Great Migration and then streams the video trailer for a documentary film called Up South. Students then read 2 secondary source accounts of the riots: 1 from a generic textbook and another from John H. Franklin's From Slavery to Freedom. Students analyze with a graphic organizer and discuss: which account is more believable and why? They then do the same for 3 primary sources, drawn from contemporary newspapers and magazines. A final class discussion attempts to identify the real cause of the riots and places them in a larger context of racial violence at the time. |
| Reading Like a Historian: Sedition in WWI: | In this lesson, students analyze primary source documents in an effort to answer the central historical question: Were critics of the First World War anti-American? Students begin by free-writing: what is patriotism? Is it unpatriotic to criticize one's government? Students receive 2 documents: a speech by Eugene Debs and a pamphlet by Charles Schenck. For both, they answer detailed questions on a graphic organizer. After discussing, students then look at the text of the 1917 Sedition Act and answer guiding questions. Finally, the class looks at Oliver Wendell Holmes' Supreme Court decision ruling against Schenck and discuss: Did he break the law? Do you agree with the decision? For homework, students answer the central question in writing with evidence from the documents. |
| Reading Like a Historian: U.S. Entry into WWI: | In this lesson, designed to follow a more general lesson on the causes and warring parties of WWI, students analyze primary source documents in an effort to answer the central historical question: Why did the U.S. enter World War I? The teacher begins with a mini-lesson on Woodrow Wilson. Students then read 2 Wilson documents: 1) a 1914 speech urging American neutrality and 2) Wilson's 1917 speech on the U.S. entry into the war. Students then read their class textbook's explanation for the end of U.S. neutrality, followed by an excerpt from Howard Zinn's People's History of the United States. For all documents, students answer guiding questions which stress contextualization and close reading. A final class discussion evaluates Zinn's views and compares them to the other sources. |
| Reading Like a Historian: Anti-Suffragists: | In this lesson, students analyze primary source documents in an effort to answer the central historical question: Why did people, including women, oppose women's suffrage? It is recommended (but not essential) that the teacher begin by screening some of the HBO film Iron Jawed Angels to start a discussion about the motives of anti-suffragists. In groups, students then analyze 3 documents: 1) an excerpt from Molly Seawell's anti-suffragist book, 2) an anti-suffrage newspaper article, and 3) a speech by Tennessee Congressman John Moon. For each, students answer questions on a graphic organizer. In a final class discussion, students discuss the validity of anti-suffragists' motives, relate them to the film, and discuss what other sources they might want to read for further corroboration and contextualization. |
| Reading Like a Historian: Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois: | In this lesson, students analyze primary source documents in an effort to answer the central historical question: Who was a stronger advocate for African-Americans, Booker T. Washington or W.E.B. DuBois? The teacher first uses a mini-lecture and a streaming video clip from Discovery Education to explain late 19th-century race relations in the South. Students then analyze an excerpt from Washington's "Atlanta Compromise" speech as the teacher models-extensively-sourcing, contextualization, corroboration, and close reading techniques, answering questions on a graphic organizer. Students then do the same, on their own, with a selection from DuBois' Souls of Black Folk. A final class discussion evaluates the 2 men: who was more right in his approach, given the historical context? |
| Reading Like a Historian: King Philip's War of 1675: | This lesson challenges students to answer the central historical question: What caused King Philip's War of 1675? After warming up with some historical background information, students are presented with 2 primary source documents: a 1675 document ostensibly representing King Philip's "perspective" (but actually written by a colonist) and a post-war query as to the war's causes instigated by the English government. Students then answer questions (sourcing, contextualization, close reading) to analyze the passages and work in pairs to answer a final corroboration question on the war's ultimate cause. |
| Reading Like a Historian: Slavery in the Constitution: | In this lesson, students analyze a variety of primary and secondary sources in an effort to answer the central historical question: Why did the Founding Fathers keep slavery in the Constitution? Students first read Thomas Jefferson's original (deleted) anti-slavery grievance from the Declaration of Independence. Students are then given brief statements from 4 different Founders (Benjamin Franklin among them). These are followed by paragraph-length analyses from 3 historians who comment from a historical distance on the Founders' unwillingness or inability to eliminate slavery. The lesson ends with a "debrief" class discussion. |
| Reading Like a Historian: Stamp Act: | In this lesson, students study the origins of the American Revolution and the colonial protests against the Stamp Act in an effort to answer the central historical question: Why were colonists upset about the Stamp Act? Students will read three primary source documents:
- a short piece form the Boston-Gazette urging protest,
- a letter from an English newspaper expressing bafflement over the protests, and
- a letter from tax collector John Hughes complaining of his ill-treatment and blaming it on the Presbyterians.
Following the teacher's model, students answer sourcing and contextualization questions for the first two documents and do the last on their own. Discussion questions which corroborate all three documents conclude the lesson. |
| Reading Like a Historian: Albert Parsons SAC: | In this lesson, students analyze primary source documents and engage in a Structured Academic Controversy in an effort to answer the central historical question: Was [Haymarket Riot defendant] Albert Parsons a dangerous man? First, the teacher uses a timeline to introduce Haymarket and the 8 men put on trial in its aftermath. Students are then given 6 documents-several by Parsons himself, but also a newspaper account of the trial, trial testimony, and a 2006 secondary source-and answer guiding questions. Students then divide into groups of 4 and into pairs within each group. Each pair presents the argument to the other that Parson was/was not "dangerous"; only at the end can students abandon their previous positions, reach consensus in writing as a group, and defend that view in a final class discussion. |
| Reading Like a Historian: Battle of Lexington: | In this lesson, students will study the first outbreak of violence in the American Revolution in an effort to answer the central historical question: What happened at the Battle of Lexington? Through sourcing and contextualization questions students will study a textbook passage on the battle, two primary source documents (one from a British soldier and one from a group of minutemen), and two paintings of the battle. As a final assessment, students will rewrite the textbook's account, taking into account the new perspectives they have learned. |
| Reading Like a Historian: Chinese Immigration and Exclusion: | In this lesson, students analyze primary source documents in an effort to answer the central historical question: What factors contributed to the Chinese Exclusion Act? After a mini-lecture on the Transcontinental Railroad, students read a timeline and formulate hypotheses as to why Chinese were legally excluded from mainstream society in 1882. They then answer guiding questions on 4 documents: 1) an anti-Chinese play, 2) a Thomas Nast cartoon, 3) an anti-Chinese speech, and 4) the autobiography of a Chinese immigrant. For homework, students write a 1-page answer to the central question using evidence from the documents. |
| Reading Like a Historian: Declaration of Independence : | In this lesson, students study primary and secondary sources in an effort to answer the central historical question: Why did the Founders write the Declaration of Independence? Students will examine contrasting views by two historians. Then they will read the preamble of the Declaration (2 versions of varying reading complexity are provided) and rewrite it in their own words. Students will also examine a simplified list of the grievances against King George specified in the Declaration. Finally, students and teacher attempt to answer the central question and determine which featured historian has the better argument. |
| Reading Like a Historian: Emancipation Proclamation: | In this lesson, students analyze primary source documents in an effort to answer the central historical question: Did Lincoln free the slaves or did the slaves free themselves? The teacher may use background information (provided) to set up the topic. Students then examine 2 documents: 1) Lincoln's text of the Proclamation itself and 2) an 1881 recollection by Frederick Douglass on a meeting with Lincoln. For each, students answer worksheet questions in pairs and then fill out a graphic organizer to reach a conclusion. A final class discussion ends the lesson. |
| Reading Like a Historian: Evaluating Sources : | In this lesson, students inhabit the roles of historians as they try to judge the accuracy and trustworthiness of one primary source over another. Students are divided into groups of 3 and given 6 historical questions-for each, 2 sources/accounts are listed and students explain which they find more trustworthy, and why. (Example: a high school history textbook vs. a contemporary newspaper account.) In a class discussion, students explain their answers, and the teacher has the opportunity to explain that true historical understanding is intertextual, depending on corroboration of sources. |
| Reading Like a Historian: Examining Passenger Lists: | This lesson requires students to look at 2 passenger manifests of English colonists headed to the New World: one to the Chesapeake and the other to New England. From the passengers' names, ages, and occupations, students must infer information about the "average" colonist who settled each region. |
| Reading Like a Historian: Explosion of the Maine : | In this lesson, students analyze primary sources in an effort to answer the central historical question: What sank the Maine? The teacher introduces the concept of media sensationalism and shows a painting of the Maine's destruction and a propaganda song blaming the Spanish. Students then receive opposing newspaper accounts from Hearst's New York Herald and the New York Times; for each, they fill out a graphic organizer and/or guiding questions. A class discussion explores how the reporting of news influences readers' opinions. For homework, students explain--using textual evidence--which account they find more believable. |
| Reading Like a Historian: Federalists & Anti-Federalists: | In this lesson, students analyze two primary sources in an effort to answer the central historical question: What type of government did Federalists and Anti-Federalists prefer? The lesson begins with a mini-lesson introducing historical context for the Constitutional Convention, the Great Compromise over Representation, and the ratification process. Students then analyze, with the aid of a graphic organizer, two documents: one by an Anti-Federalist (Melancton Smith) and one by a Federalist (Alexander Hamilton). Students discuss as a class the two positions and their modern-day implications. |
| Reading Like a Historian: Great Awakening: | In this lesson, students study the Great Awakening and one of its most notable preachers, George Whitefield, in an effort to answer the central historical question: Why was George Whitefield so popular? After viewing an online film clip and a brief PowerPoint to establish context for the Great Awakening and some of its "superstar" preachers, students are presented with three primary sources regarding Whitefield:
- a long-after-the-fact anecdote by Benjamin Franklin,
- a contemporary (but undated) account by a born-again Whitefield follower Nathan Cole, and
- a hostile and dismissive letter by a rival preacher, Nathanael Henchman.
For each, students answer sourcing and contextualization questions and formulate a hypothesis as to Whitefield's popularity. A culminating class discussion addresses the central question. |
| Reading Like a Historian: Hamilton vs. Jefferson: | In this lesson, students analyze two primary source documents in an effort to answer the central historical question: What were the differences between [Alexander] Hamilton and [Thomas] Jefferson? Students first read a textbook summary/description (not included) of the Hamilton/Jefferson dynamic. Then, students are given a letter by each man—both addressed to George Washington and written on the same day—each of which addresses the ongoing feud with the other man. In pairs, students read the documents and answer sourcing, corroboration, contextualization, and close reading questions, including some intriguing ones which encourage students to "pick sides" in the rivalry. |
| Reading Like a Historian: Homestead Strike: | In this lesson, students analyze primary source documents in an effort to answer the central historical question: Why did the Homestead Strike turn violent? The teacher first recaps labor/industry relations of the era and introduces the Homestead Strike with a timeline. The teacher then models sourcing and close reading techniques with a document: Emma Goldman's 1931 autobiography. Students then do the same with an 1892 newspaper interview of Henry Frick, followed by corroboration guiding questions that pit the 2 authors against each other. In a final class discussion, students evaluate the validity of the sources and debate whether the historical "truth" about the strike is knowable. |
| Reading Like a Historian: Irish Immigration: | In this lesson, students analyze primary source documents in an effort to answer the central historical question: Were the Irish considered "white" in the 19th century? The teacher introduces the topic with background information on anti-Irish hostility. Students are then split into groups of 4 and given 2 political cartoons (one by Thomas Nast), a primary source except from a Know-Nothing newspaper, and a secondary source by historian David Roediger. For each, they answer guiding questions, and then, using all 4 documents, compare evidence that Irish were/were not considered "white." A final class discussion addresses the racially ambiguous status of the Irish. |
| Reading Like a Historian: Jacob Riis and Immigrants: | In this lesson, students analyze primary sources in an effort to answer the central historical question: What was life like in American cities during the Industrial Era? The teacher introduces progressive photojournalist Jacob Riis and projects 2 of his photos; discussion questions ask students if the pictures are trustworthy (posed) and what they might tell us about Riis's audience. Students then read excerpts from Riis's book How the Other Half Lives: ugly stereotypes of ethnic Italians, Chinese, and Jews. Students answer guiding questions on the documents, and a final class discussion explores what Riis's work really tells about American urban life at this time. |
| Reading Like a Historian: Japanese Segregation in San Francisco: | In this lesson, students analyze primary sources in an effort to answer the central historical question: Why did Teddy Roosevelt oppose the segregation of San Francisco's public schools? The teacher first informs students of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and the resultant attempted segregation of Japanese students. Students then read 4 source documents-letters and public speeches-in which President Roosevelt discusses his reasons for opposing the law, as well as a political cartoon addressing the issue. For each, students answer questions on a graphic organizer: Why do you think TR opposed the issue? What can you infer about the U.S. in 1906? Finally, the class goes over a timeline of relevant events, enabling the teacher to show how reading contextually lets students learn historical context from documents. Students then respond in writing, using all evidence to reach a conclusion of their own. |
| Reading Like a Historian: John Brown: | In this lesson, students analyze several primary source documents in an effort to answer the central historical question: Was John Brown a "misguided fanatic?" The teacher may use a PowerPoint and/or timeline (both are included) to set up the topic. Students then examine 2-3 documents (note: 3 are included, but the third is optional and guiding questions for it are not included): 1) Brown's last letter, written on the day of his death sentence, 2) an 1881 recollection by Frederick Douglass, and 3) a letter by Brown admirer L. Maria Child. Students answer sourcing and contextualization questions for each, and a final class discussion address Brown's fanaticism or lack of it. |
| Reading Like a Historian: Lewis and Clark SAC: | In this lesson, students analyze primary and secondary source documents, as well as engage in a Structured Academic Controversy, in an effort to answer the central historical question: Were Lewis and Clark respectful to the Native Americans they encountered on their journey? Detailed directions are provided for both teacher and students as to how to conduct a Structured Academic Controversy. All primary and secondary source documents (a letter from Thomas Jefferson, 4 excerpts from Clark's journals from 1805 and 1806, and a Time magazine article exploring the expedition from the Native American's point of view) are included with the lesson. |
| Reading Like a Historian: Louisiana Purchase: | In this lesson, students analyze 3 primary source documents (an editorial by Alexander Hamilton, and back-and-forth letters by Senators Rufus King and Timothy Pickering) in an effort to answer the central historical question: Why did Federalists oppose the Louisiana Purchase? The teacher models sourcing and contextualization to help students analyze the documents while the students fill in a graphic organizer. A final class discussion attempts to uncover the Federalist critics' real motivations—was their opposition practical or political? |
| Reading Like a Historian: Loyalists: | In this brief lesson, students study the writings of Loyalists during the American Revolution in an effort to answer the central historical question: Why did some colonists support England and oppose independence? After a brief teacher introduction establishing historical context, students will read read two primary source documents:
- a pamphlet by Charles Inglis, Anglican minister, explaining the many drawbacks to American independence, and
- an anonymous newspaper letter urging reconciliation with Britain.
While reading, students complete a graphic organizer that applies sourcing, contextualization, corroboration, and close reading to each passage. A final class discussion asks students to draw a conclusion as to whether the Loyalists or Patriots were more reasonable. |
| Reading Like a Historian: Lunchroom Fight : | In this unique introductory lesson, teachers use the example of a hypothetical "lunchroom fight" to introduce students to the approach and disciplines they will use in the Reading Like a Historian curriculum, sourcing and corroboration in particular. Students pretend to be a principal who must debrief many different witnesses - students, teachers, etc. - to the fight. In groups, students answer guiding questions: why might there be so many versions of the truth? What might make 1 witness more/less believable than another? In a group discussion, the teacher connects this type of analysis to the students' upcoming study of historical primary sources. |
| Reading Like a Historian: Manifest Destiny: | In this lesson, students analyze maps, art, and primary source documents in an effort to answer the central historical question: How did Americans justify westward expansion? To begin the lesson, students will examine a painting entitled "American Progress. "Students will compare 2 maps of the U.S.: a political map from 1872 and an electoral map from 1816. Next, students examine another 1816 map; the map is unusual in that it depicts the U.S. stretching to the Pacific—decades before this actually happened! Students will read 2 passages by John O'Sullivan, coiner of the phrase "Manifest Destiny," and answer guiding questions. A final class discussion reviews students' answers and touches on the subject of American Exceptionalism. |
| Reading Like a Historian: Mapping the New World: | This lesson plan requires students to compare/contrast two maps, one from 1636 and the other from 1651, of early colonial Virginia. Students will think about how and why maps change over time, including how maps might be affected by changing historical events. |
| Reading Like a Historian: Nat Turner: | In this lesson, students analyze 3 source documents in an effort to answer the central historical question: Was Nat Turner a hero or a madman? The lesson begins by first reading the class textbook's account of the Nat Turner massacre and then reading a timeline which includes Turner's capture and execution. The teacher them models the first document, an excerpt from Thomas Gray's Confessions of Nat Turner, by helping students answer sourcing, contextualization, corroboration, and close reading questions. Students then do the same with 2 more documents: a newspaper editorial contemptuous of Turner and an admiring 1843 speech by Henry Garnet to the National Negro Convention. Finally, students use all 3 documents to write a response to the central question and discuss as a class: what kind of person was Nat Turner? |
| Reading Like a Historian: Philippine War Political Cartoons : | In this lesson, students analyze political cartoons in an effort to answer the central historical question: Why did the United States annex the Philippines after the Spanish-American War? The teacher first uses a timeline to review basic information about the war, then distributes Rudyard Kipling's poem "The White Man's Burden," which students analyze in pairs. Then, students are split into 6 groups and receive 2 different cartoons each: 1 from a pro-imperial magazine like Judge or Puck, and 1 from an anti-imperial magazine like Life or The World. Using a graphic organizer, students examine the cartoons and then present 1 of them to the class, explaining how the cartoonist makes his point. A final class discussion contextualizes the cartoons and the events of the late 1890s. |
| Reading Like a Historian: Pocahontas: | This lesson focuses around two different versions of John Smith's "rescue" by Pocahontas. Students compare and contrast the two versions and encounter the idea of subjectivity versus objectivity in primary source historical documents. Finally, they read the brief opinions of two historians who provide their perspectives on the incident. |
| Reading Like a Historian: Political Bosses: | In this lesson, students analyze primary sources in an effort to answer the central historical question: Were political bosses corrupt? The teacher begins by explaining progressives' complaints about political machines and graft and then shows a political cartoon criticizing Tammany Hall. Students then read and analyze 2 documents: 1) a book excerpt by muckraker Lincoln Steffens, and 2) a "talk" by political boss George Plunkitt. For each, they answer guiding questions on a graphic organizer (the teacher models this extensively with the first document in the lesson). For HW, students write a dialogue between the 2 writers in which Steffens tries to convince Plunkitt to practice honest government. |
| Reading Like a Historian: Populism and the Election of 1896: | In this lesson, students analyze primary sources in an effort to answer the central historical question: Why did the Populist Party attract millions of supporters? The teacher begins with a PowerPoint which reviews the struggles of farmers and the emergence of political populism. Students then read a speech by populist speaker Mary Elizabeth Lease and annotate it. They then answer guiding questions about William Jennings Bryan's "Cross of Gold" speech (excerpt). A final class discussion attempts to explain populism's appeal-then and now. |
| Reading Like a Historian: Progressive Social Reformers SAC: | In this lesson, students analyze primary sources and engage in a Structured Academic Controversy in an effort to answer the central historical question: What were the attitudes of Progressive social reformers toward immigrants? Students first read their textbook's passage on the Social Gospel and Settlement Houses. The teacher reviews the material, emphasizing main points, and then streams a brief film clip (link included) about women in the Progressive era. Students then divide into groups of 4 and into pairs within each group. Each pair presents the argument to the other that social reformers were either (Pair A) generous and helpful or (Pair B) condescending and judgmental. Only at the end can students abandon their previous positions, reach consensus in writing as a group, and defend that view in a final class discussion: how did social attitudes then differ from those of today? |
| Reading Like a Historian: Pullman Strike : | In this lesson, students analyze primary source documents in an effort to answer the central historical question: How did Chicago newspapers cover the Pullman strike? The teacher begins by placing the Pullman strike in the context of other labor strikes and using a PowerPoint to convey basic information. Students are then divided into 4 groups, and each is given a different set of articles-1 each from the Chicago Times and Chicago Tribune-and told to use close reading strategies to figure out which paper was biased against the strikers and which favored them. Finally, each group chooses a representative to present to the entire class how that group arrived at its conclusion. |
| Reading Like a Historian: Puritans : | This lesson utilizes 2 primary sources—John Winthrop's "City on a Hill" speech and John Cotton's "The Divine Right to Occupy the Land" speech—to challenge students with the fundamental question: Were the Puritans selfish or selfless? Students respond by answering questions, writing an informal extended response utilizing textual evidence from both speeches, and discussing the issue in class. |
| Reading Like a Historian: Radical Reconstruction: | In this lesson, students analyze primary source documents in an effort to answer the central historical question: Why was the Radical Republican plan for Reconstruction considered "radical?" The teacher first uses a PowerPoint to review the Civil War and introduce the challenges of Reconstruction. Students then analyze and answer guiding questions about 3 documents: a speech by Thaddeus Stevens, a Radical, and 2 speeches by President Andrew Johnson. A final class discussion evaluates the Radicals' plan and compares it to Johnson's approach: Which was more likely to unite the country? |
| Reading Like a Historian: Reconstruction SAC: | In this lesson, students analyze primary source documents and engage in a Structured Academic Controversy in an effort to answer the central historical question: Were African Americans free during Reconstruction? After an introduction/review of the time period, students answer detailed guiding questions on 4 text documents and a set of photos illustrating the post-Civil War freedoms and restrictions which blacks faced. Students then divide into groups of 4 and into pairs within each group. Each pair presents the argument to the other that blacks were/were not free; only at the end do students abandon their previous positions, reach consensus in writing as a group, and defend that view in a final class discussion. |
| Reading Like a Historian: Salem Witch Trials : | In this lesson, students investigate and answer the central historical question: What caused the Salem Witch Crisis of 1692? After brainstorming and learning some background context for the witch trials, pairs of students read and answer sourcing questions for 2 primary sources: a Cotten Mather speech and the testimony of Abigail Hobbs, a teenager accused of witchcraft. After they draw preliminary conclusions, students are then given 2 more documents—a chart and a map—which ground the witch trials in an economic and geographic context. Students ultimately draw on all 4 documents to explain the witch trials' cause in writing, and then share their conclusions with the class. |
| Reading Like a Historian: Sharecropping: | In this lesson, students analyze a primary source document in an effort to answer the central historical question: How accurate is the textbook's description of sharecropping? Students first view an 1898 photo of sharecroppers-most will probably assume the workers to be slaves. In pairs, students then read their textbook's description of sharecropping and compare it to an actual 1882 sharecropping contract. Guiding questions on the document and a final discussion allow the class to judge the accuracy of the textbook's depiction. |
| Reading Like a Historian: Shays' Rebellion : | In this lesson, students analyze a primary source in an effort to answer the central historical question: How did Americans react to Shays' Rebellion? Students read a textbook excerpt (included) about Shays' Rebellion and a letter from Thomas Jefferson speaking about Shays' rebels. Students answer questions that ask them to analyze the letter through sourcing, contextualization, close reading, and corroboration questions. A final class discussion corroborates the textbook passage and the Jefferson letter in an effort to challenge the popular account in which all Americans feared the rebellion. |
| Reading Like a Historian: Snapshot Autobiography : | In this unique 2-day lesson, students reflect on events from their own lives to understand how learning history depends on different perspectives and the reliability of source information. On Day 1, students write their version of their birth and discuss the limitation of their own perspective with a classmate. For homework, they then create an autobiographical "pamphlet" of key events and must interview another person to get their perspective on the event, corroborating the 2 versions and taking notes on the interview. On Day 2, students share their events and what they have learned, and the teacher explains how studying history depends on a similar corroboration-cross-checking-of evidence. |
| Reading Like a Historian: Soldiers in the Philippines: | In this lesson, students analyze primary sources in an effort to answer the central historical question: What accounted for American atrocities during the Philippine War? The teacher first uses a timeline to review basic information about the Philippine occupation and the 1902 Senate hearings regarding atrocities. Students then read numerous source documents from witness and participants in the war: the testimony of U.S. soldiers to the Senate, letters from soldiers to home, and a report from a Filipino soldier. Students use the sources and a graphic organizer to test 3 different hypotheses as to why soldiers were brutal. In a 1-page final response, students write about the hypothesis they find most convincing, using textual evidence. A final class discussion follows. |
| Reading Like a Historian: Spanish American War : | In this lesson, students analyze primary sources in an effort to answer the central historical question: Why did the U.S invade Cuba? The teacher streams a short film (link included) while students take notes as to possible reasons for the invasion. Students then read the following: 1) song lyrics of an anti-Spanish propaganda a song written after the Maine sinking, 2) a telegram sent by Fitzhugh Lee, U.S. Consul-General in Cuba, and 3) a Senate campaign speech from Albert Beveridge. For each, students complete a graphic organizer and guiding questions. A final class discussion goes back to the original class hypotheses and determines which ones are most supported by the evidence. |
| Reading Like a Historian: Texas Independence: | In this lesson, students analyze primary source documents in an effort to answer the central historical question: Why did Texans declare independence from Mexico in 1836? The teacher introduces the topic with a film clip (Note: requires registration to Discovery Education's website) and timeline and elicits student hypotheses. Students are then given 4 documents: 1) the Texas Declaration of Independence, 2) a letter by Tejano Rafael Manchola, 3) a speech by Mexican Juan Seguin, and 4) a pamphlet by abolitionist Benjamin Lundy. Students then analyze each using a graphic organizer; a final class discussion invites students to participate in the historical debate. |
| Reading Like a Historian: The 1898 North Carolina Election: | In this lesson, students analyze primary source documents in an effort to answer the central historical question: Why did the Democrats defeat the Fusion ticket in the 1898 North Carolina election? The teacher first recaps Southern politics and Populism, and then goes over a timeline. Students, in groups, analyze 3 documents-an account of a speech by Senator Ben Tillman, a proclamation by Governor Daniel Russell, and a race-baiting political cartoon-and answer guiding questions. A final class discussion attempts to explain why Democrats won in 1898. |
| Reading Like a Historian: The Battle of the Little Bighorn: | In this lesson, students analyze primary and secondary sources in an effort to answer the central historical question: Who was responsible for the Battle of the Little Bighorn? After a mini-lecture on the late 1800s Indian Wars, students read a textbook account of the battle, and then compare it to 2 documents: 1) a report by the War Secretary, and 2) an account by Kate Bighead, a Cheyenne Indian. Students answer guiding questions for all documents, followed by a class discussion. For homework, students write a new textbook account using primary source information. |
| Reading Like a Historian: Thomas Nast’s Political Cartoons: | In this lesson, students analyze the political cartoons of Thomas Nast in an effort to answer the central historical question: How did Northern attitudes toward freed African Americans change during Reconstruction? The teacher first shows students a contemporary political cartoon (not included) and explains how cartoons can teach us about the context of their time. Students then answer sourcing questions about Nast and analyze 2 of his cartoons: 1 from 1865 (in favor of black suffrage) and another from 1874 (dubious of the same). A final class discussion synthesizes students' opinions. |
Vetted resources students can use to learn the concepts and skills in this topic.
