Lesson Plans
Natural Disasters: Nature’s Fury
Students analyze a variety of primary sources to examine Americans’ life changing experiences with nature during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, then research the Library of Congress online collections to broaden their understanding of how communities have dealt with disaster. Next, students connect their investigations to a literary work of historical fiction based…
Local History: Mapping My Spot
Through primary source analysis of different types of historical maps, students begin to see their homes as places of value in relation to the broader community portrayed on the panoramic map of their town. After, students document their town’s history for coming generations, placing themselves on a map of their creation and writing letters to…
Lessons for My Community
Students learn about a fable written by a past U.S. president, then write and illustrate their own fable that contains a lesson useful for their school or local community.
Shaping the Future by Preserving Our Heritage
Students explore historic and contemporary artifacts that tell the American story and inspire them to dream. After, students consider how preserving our heritage can help shape the nation’s future.
National Anti-Suffrage Association
Students analyze primary sources to investigate creator purpose and arguments against woman suffrage. After, students explore a current suffrage issue, such as felon voting rights or lowering the voting age to 16, and create an image to convince viewers to support or oppose the issue they investigated.
At School
Students compare and contrast school historical and contemporary classrooms and extended day care school programs and the value they provide to communities.
Why I Believe in Santa
Students build knowledge and understanding of claims, arguments, themes, and community spirit as they analyze an historical newspaper page. After, students write about the spirit of a special holiday, describing why it is meaningful to them and the community they celebrate it with.
Everybody’s Doing It!
Students consider point of view and creator purpose as they analyze an historical political cartoon, then create a political cartoon that relates to federal, state or local government today that keeps the title, “Everybody’s Doing It!”
For United America, YWCA
Students analyze a poster to investigate audience and creator purpose, then conduct research to learn more about the YWCA in order inform creation of a poster that conveys the advocacy organization’s mission and reaches out to women today.
Does the Camera Ever Lie?
Students do a close reading of an historical newspaper article to analyze the evidence presented as evidence of its argument. After, students search for contemporary examples of how cameras can lie and consider what that means for consumers of visual media.