United States History

Turning the century

Students will create a museum display illustrating life during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Format: lesson plan (grade 9–12 Social Studies)

By Lisa Stamey.

Picturing America at the turn of the twentieth century

Students link together the literature and the history of the United States at the turn of the twentieth century. Questions guide students as they study visual documents. Students also read the teacher's choice of two widely anthologized short stories and an excerpt from a best-selling novel of the period. Two exercises will raise student awareness of the impact that visual images have on their lives: one that is based on internet advertising and a second that results in a student-produced scrapbook.

Format: lesson plan (grade 9–12 English Language Arts and Social Studies)

By Scott Culclasure.

Cotton mills from differing perspectives: Critically analyzing primary documents

In this lesson, students will read two primary source documents: a 1909 pamphlet exposing the use of child labor in the cotton mills of North Carolina, and a weekly newsletter published by the mill companies. Students will also listen to oral history excerpts from mill workers to gain a third perspective. In a critical analysis, students will identify the audiences for both documents, speculate on the motivations of their authors, and examine the historical importance of each document.

Format: lesson plan

By Dayna Durbin Gleaves.

Resources on the web

Carnegie libraries: The future made bright

Using maps, images, and web texts, students explore the philanthropy of Andrew Carnegie and the impact of the libraries he endowed. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 5 and 8–12 Information Skills and Social Studies)

Provided by: Teaching With Historic Places: National Park Service