Lesson Plans
States of the Union
Students compare and contrast key words and themes from presidential State of the Union addresses and then consider what themes they think should be emphasized in the next State of the Union address.
Presenting Party Platforms
Students compare and contrast presidential party platforms and consider how the presentation of information can affect the electorate.
Election Day
Students explore, compare, and contrast historical and contemporary reflections about elections in America.
Illustrating America
Students explore the stories we tell when illustrating America through primary source analysis, reflection, and creation.
Women’s Rights: Seneca Falls & Beyond
Students investigate a key event in the history of women's rights and the importance of commemorating the struggle for equal rights, then consider possible contributions to help ensure a future with greater equality.
Community Service: Washington Chapter
Students analyze primary source photographs and newspaper articles to explore the importance of community service then and now.
The Brownies’ Book: I Am an American Citizen
Students analyze an issue of the Brownies' Book to investigate its historical significance and explore how the theme of American citizenship was presented to children back then and could be represented to youth of today.
Chinese Citizenship in Hawaii
Students analyze early 19th-century arguments against citizenship for Chinese immigrants to Hawaii and one journalist's rebuttal to that "defense", then investigate arguments for and against an immigrant group in America today and compare the historical and contemporary debates.
Shrinking Glaciers
Students analyze historical and contemporary maps to calculate glacier loss on Mount Rainier over time, then explore ideas for slowing glacier loss.
Bonus Veterans
Students analyze primary sources to learn about the Bonus Army and to consider the question, How does informing ourselves about the past guide us in the future?