Lesson Plans

The New England Fishing Industry: Sea Changes in a Community

Students analyze photographs, maps and interviews to understand the geographic and economic characteristics of the U.S. Northeast coast and the link between New England's economic and cultural past and the issues it faces for its future through researching industry issues, interviewing industry actors, and/or researching current legislation related to fishing and fisheries.

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Exploring Community Through Local History: Oral Stories, Landmarks and Traditions

After being introduced to the American Life Histories: Manuscripts from the Federal Writers' Project, 1936-1940 collection, students explore the local history and contemporary culture of their community through written and spoken stories; through landmarks such as buildings, parks, restaurants, or businesses; and celebration of cultural traditions.

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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.

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Immigration: Our Changing Voices

Students analyze primary sources to identify issues involved with the migration of a community or family and examine the traditional picture of immigration. After, students investigate their own family history and put it into the context of immigrant stories.

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Family Customs Past and Present: Exploring Cultural Rituals

Students analyze primary sources to investigate rituals and customs of various cultures, then interview family members to deepen their understanding of their own cultural celebrations.

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The American Dream

Students analyze, interpret, and conduct research with digitized primary source documents to define, present and defend their ideas about what the American Dream has been in different times. After, students consider their own American Dream – for themselves, their families and loved ones, their community, their nation and the world.

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African American Identity in the Gilded Age: Two Unreconciled Strivings

Students explore their personal identities, then analyze primary sources to examine the tension experienced by African Americans as they struggled to establish a vibrant and meaningful identity based on the promises of liberty and equality in the midst of a society that was ambivalent towards them and sought to impose an inferior definition upon them. After, students choose a subject from one primary source and bring this speaker into the present to talk with the class about his or her observation of today's world compared with his or her own.

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Teamwork, Community, Culture

Students analyze primary sources to launch an inquiry into teamwork, how community can happen in public spaces between friends, family, and neighbors and the common links between celebrations of culture that we all share.

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