Lesson Plans
Pulling Down the Statue
Students analyze, then compare and contrast primary source images to investigate the historical removal of a monument. Next students read articles to to investigate contemporary events related to statue removals, then write an op-ed article that links their study of the past to the present situation.
The Art of Tribute
What can you learn about people by analyzing statues created to memorialize them? Who is worthy of a monument? Students consider these questions and more as they analyze primary sources. After, students research and evaluate the building of historical statues and monuments in the United States. Students then either create a drawing or small prototype of…
Monumental Men
George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt made significant contributions to the United States. Through the lens of both primary and secondary sources, students learn about the characters and contributions of these presidents and determine for themselves the qualities and accomplishments that make someone, including themselves, worthy of a lasting tribute. The lesson…
Welcome to Congress
Students are introduced to Congress through primary source analysis and discover how a member of Congress is part of two communities- their home community that they serve, and the community of Congress. Ideas for further connection, such as finding and writing a letter to their congressional representative, can be found in the Teacher’s Guide.
Community Helpers
The importance of community helpers is a building block of civics understanding. Students investigate who community helpers are and how they have changed over time through primary source analysis, then match historical and contemporary images of community helpers. After, have students draw a picture of themselves as community helpers and/or a community helper in their community…
Rosa Parks: A Proud Daughter
Students develop literacy skills as they analyze a greeting card to investigate families and the emotions they express and get introduced to civic activist and change maker Rosa Parks. The teacher’s guide includes ideas for making connections to historical inquiry through further investigations of greeting cards in the Library’s Rosa Parks Papers collection and applying…
Ancient Rome’s Veterans with Disabilities: Roman Accounts and U.S. Veteran Comparisons
Students compare how two societies separated by centuries think about and act toward veterans who live with a disability.
The Magna Carta: Due Process from King John to the 14th Amendment and Beyond
Students trace both the origins and results of the Magna Carta in the context of the U.S. Constitution and the 14th Amendment, then consider a contemporary case related to law enforcement robots.
Who Should Care for America’s Veterans?
Students investigate the U.S. government’s role in the care of returning soldiers throughout history, then craft a proposal to the Veterans Affairs Department outlining how returning veterans today should be cared for that addresses medical care (both physical and mental health), job training/search, education, and housing.
The Fight for Women’s Rights
Students investigate the grievances listed in the Declaration of Sentiments presented at the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848, then research contemporary women in the news to assess the current state of women’s rights.