Identify, within both primary and secondary sources, the author, audience, format, and purpose of significant historical documents.
Examples of primary and secondary sources may be found on various websites such as the site for
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| Name |
Description |
| Knowing Our Rights | Using their understanding of the Bill of Rights, students will work with various scenarios, newspaper headlines, and other forms of information to identify and apply specific amendments in the Bill of Rights, what rights were violated (if any), and how it applies to current events today. Students will understand how the amendments apply and protect civil liberties and rights in current times. |
| Preserving Rights | Using the Bill of Rights, students will delve into the specific language and interpretation of each amendment to gain a deeper understanding of their intended scope and limitations, as well as connect the infringed rights of the colonists to the Amendment created to protect those rights. Using the primary source (Bill of Rights), students will analyze and interpret the amendment in their own words using a graphic organizer. |
| Creating a New Government (Lesson 3 of 3) | In this lesson, students will develop their own amendment to the U.S. Constitution to increase the rights of citizens. This is part of a 3 lesson mini-unit integrating social studies and civics. |
| Views of the American Revolution: Patriot or Loyalist? | In this lesson, students will compare the views or perspectives of Patriots and Loyalists during the period of the American Revolution. Students will examine and analyze primary quotes and excerpts in order to decipher differing ideas and perspectives. |
| The Quest for Independence: Patriots vs. Loyalists | Students will explore excerpts of primary quotes to analyze the arguments between the Patriots and the Loyalists during the American Revolution. |
| The 1838 Florida Constitution | This PowerPoint slideshow is designed to support teachers in delivering direct instruction on the origins and content of Florida's 1838 state constitution. The accompanying guided notes can be completed by students during instruction. |
| The Road Ahead: Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address | This lesson will be taught at the end of the Civil War unit prior to Lincoln’s assassination. Through multiple readings of Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address, students will analyze his words as they relate to what has taken place over the last four years and what he sees as the nation’s future, that is, Reconstruction. |
| Four Score and Seven Years Ago... | In this lesson, students will use primary sources to learn about the constitutional principles included in Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. Then, they will form their own proposal in response to Lincoln's goal of achieving equality. |
| John Jay and The Federalist Papers | Students will become familiar with the first Chief Justice, John Jay, and his contributions to the foundation of the American government, as well as his contribiutions to The Federalist Papers. |
| The Boston Massacre: Primary Source Comparison and Analysis | In this lesson plan, students will compare and contrast ("spot the difference") between Paul Revere’s famous “Bloody Massacre” engraving and the original print from his friend and colleague and answer a series of critical thinking/discussion questions. They will then read written accounts of the event and draw conclusions about key areas of creative license taken. Finally, students will create their own interpretation of the Boston Massacre: either a rewriting of the event using modern language (tell a friend what happened!) or a drawing of their own. |
| Do you know the difference? U.S Constitution vs. FL Constitutions of 1838 and 1868 | In this lesson, students will be able to evaluate and explain how the Fl Constitution of 1838 was amended in 1868 to conform to the US Constitution in terms of citizenship, equal protection, and male suffrage.
Students will also evaluate the impact of the Reconstruction Era amendments. |
| Mayflower Compact to the U.S. Constitution | In this lesson plan, students will take a Gallery Walk with a partner to identify how four colonial-era founding documents: the Mayflower Compact, Common Sense, Declaration of Independence, and the U.S. Constitution, have influenced the ideals and principles of our U.S. government and impact our daily lives. Students will trace the foundational principles from each primary source and answer questions on a Graphic Organizer. Each group will present their analysis to the class with an oral or digital presentation. |
| Who was Right?! The Federalist vs. Anti-Federalist | In this lesson, students will recognize the views of the Federalists and Anti-Federalists on adding the Bill of Rights to the U.S. Constitution. Students will evaluate primary source excerpts from the Federalist and Anti-Federalist papers and explain which perspective each provides. |
| The 14th Amendment | In this lesson plan, students will read and analyze the 14th Amendment of the Constitution, along with background information on Frederick Douglass. |
| Patriots and Loyalists: What Did They Believe? | In this lesson plan, students will analyze several primary sources representing the views of Loyalists and Patriots and will compare these groups' arguments for or against independence. |
| Primary Sources of the Civil War | In this lesson, students will read and analyze 3 source documents: the Declaration of Independence, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the Gettysburg Address. Students will first read the documents independently and annotate them. Students will then work cooperatively to compare and contrast the Emancipation Proclamation and the Gettysburg Address and look for the influence of the Declaration of Independence on both. |
| Comparing Constitutions | In this lesson plan, students will learn about the 1838 and 1868 versions of Florida’s state constitution. Students will work in groups to learn about the contents of the documents and the historical context in which they were written and adopted. The teacher will lead a discussion and comparison of the two constitutions as students complete written notes. |
| Bill of Rights and Two Regimes: Witness to War | In this lesson, students examine and apply the rights and principles found in the United States Bill of Rights to the past, present, and future using primary and secondary sources. This resource helps support Florida’s State K-12 Holocaust Education Mandate. |
| Ice Cream at Mount Vernon | In this short lesson plan, students will explore and analyze a variety of interactive sources (texts and visuals) to answer the compelling question: Why was ice cream an exclusive treat at Mount Vernon long ago?
The lesson is presented as a module for students to navigate through on computers. Text resources, assessments, answer keys, and rubrics for students and teachers are attached. |
| Thank You, Mr. Lincoln! | This web resource from the Civil War Trust will engage students through an analysis of primary source documents as they work to discuss the meaning and significance of the Emancipation Proclamation. |
| Why Do We Remember Revere? Paul Revere's Ride in History and Literature | Virtually all students, at one point or another in their schooling, are exposed to Longfellow's ballad, "Paul Revere's Ride". How accurate is it? Is it responsible for Revere's ride achieving such iconic status? In this lesson from EDSITEment!, a project of the National Endowment for the Humanities, students will think about the answers to these and other questions as they read primary and secondhand accounts of events during the American Revolution. |
| The Salem Witch Trials Decoded: Understanding the Trials | In this web resource from EDSITEment!, a project of the National Endowment for the Humanities, students will explore the characteristics of the Puritan community of Salem, Massachusetts, learn about the Salem Witchcraft Trials, and try to understand how and why this event occurred. |
| Close Reading Exemplar: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass | The goal of this two to three day exemplar is to give students the opportunity to explore the point of view of a man who survived slavery. By reading and rereading the passage closely, combined with classroom discussion about it, students will explore the various beliefs and points of view Douglass experienced as he became increasingly aware of the unfairness of his life. Students will need to consider the emotional context of words and how diction (word choice) affects an author's message. When combined with writing about the passage and teacher feedback, students will form a deeper understanding of how slavery affected those involved. |
