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From forest to farm to urban forest

In this lesson from the Forest History Society in Durham, North Carolina, students examine what happens when the post-war urban development boom crowds out the forest. Students will examine the land use history of Duke Forest from 1930 on, and the variety... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 5–8 Science and Social Studies)

Provided by: Forest History Society

Fueling the fires of American industrialization

In this lesson from the Forest History Society in Durham, North Carolina, students examine the role wood played in the American Industrial Revolution. By calculating how much wood was consumed by U.S. railroads before and after the invention of wood preservatives,... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 5 and 8 Social Studies)

Provided by: Forest History Society

Future State: U.S. Department of State for Youth

This resource is designed to provide teachers and parents with educational resources for the inclusion of current events and world news in the classroom. (Learn more)

Format: website/lesson plan

Provided by: Department of State

The Gateway to 21st Century Skills

Quick and easy access to educational resources found on various federal, state, university, non-profit, and commercial Internet sites. (Learn more)

Format: website/lesson plan

Provided by: GEM Exchange

Geography matters in history

This lesson has students consider the ways in which historical events and processes have been affected by geography. For example, the Lewis and Clark expedition was affected by many geographical phenomena, such as rugged mountains and strong river currents.... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 5 and 7 Social Studies)

Provided by: Xpeditions

Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance and Abolition

Find over 200 primary source items, including speeches, letters, cartoons and graphics, interviews, and articles. Also explore Tangled Roots which is a shared history of African and Irish Americans and a lesson plan on the Amistad case. (Learn more)

Format: website/lesson plan

Provided by: Gilder Lehrman Center at Yale University

Giving voice to history

In this ARTSEDGE lesson, students explore a somber period in American history. During World War II the U.S. government ordered more than 120,000 Japanese Americans to detainment camps. Drawing upon research and analyzing a variety of sources, including... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 English Language Arts and Social Studies)

Provided by: ArtsEdge

Go west: Imagining the Oregon Trail

A 2,000-mile trek across a continent — with no idea what awaits you on the other side. Tell your students to put on their traveling shoes and prepare for the journey of their lives! In this lesson from EDSITEment, students compare imagined travel... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 5 Social Studies)

Provided by: EDSITEment

The Great Depression

Learn how to use the Library of Congress' primary source collections for the Great Depression. (Learn more)

Format: website/lesson plan

Provided by: Library of Congress

The Great Depression and the 1990s

Students frequently echo sentiments such as, “The government is too big,” or “The government should make welfare mothers pay for their own needs.” It seems that many citizens, high schoolers included, have begun to believe in reduced... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 11 Social Studies)

Provided by: Library of Congress

The great migration

In this ARTSEDGE lesson, students learn about the migration of African Americans to Harlem, beginning with the original migration of blacks to North America. Students explore paintings by Jacob Lawrence to understand the experience of blacks who migrated... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 4–5 Visual Arts Education and Social Studies)

Provided by: ArtsEdge

A Harlem Renaissance retrospective: Connecting art, music, dance, and poetry

The Harlem Renaissance was a vibrant time that was characterized by innovations in art, literature, music, poetry, and dance. In this ReadWriteThink lesson, students conduct Internet research, work with an interactive Venn diagram tool, and create a museum... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Harriet Beecher Stowe Center

Located in the home of Harriet Beecher Stowe, the Center's mission is to "preserve and interpret Harriet Beecher Stowe's Hartford home and the Center's historic collections, create a forum for vibrant discussion of her life and work, and inspire individuals... (Learn more)

Format: website/lesson plan

Provided by: The Harriet Beecher Stowe Center

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Find a searchable database of Longfellow’s poems and information on his works, his family, and his homes. In addition, educators will find lesson plans for kindergarten through 12th grade. (Learn more)

Format: website/lesson plan

Provided by: Maine Memory Net

Historic Jamestowne: Unearthing America's Birthplace

How did colonists at Jamestowne clean their ears? With a silver ear picker, of course! Find out more about archaeology, artifacts, and this history of Jamestowne at this site featuring special finds, interactive exercises, historic briefs, and lesson plans. (Learn more)

Format: website/lesson plan

Provided by: The Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities

Historical fiction: Using literature to learn about the Civil War

In this lesson, the teacher reads aloud a section of Connie Porter's Meet Addy, a book from The American Girls Collection® that tells the story of a young girl who escapes from slavery during... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 English Language Arts and Social Studies)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

History & Culture: National Park Service Cultural Resources

This organization's mission includes preserving, protecting, and sharing the history of the American landscape with the American people. Here you can find information on geography in the classroom and professional development opportunities. (Learn more)

Format: website/lesson plan

Provided by: U. S. Department of the Interior - National Park Service

History Matters - The U.S. Survey Course on the Web

A gateway to U.S. History Web resources. Teaching materials, first-person primary documents and discussions on teaching U.S. history. (Learn more)

Format: website/lesson plan

Provided by: George Mason University

How and why has the White House changed?

In this lesson, the second in the EDSITEment curriculum unit titled “From the White House of Yesterday to the White House of Today,” students explore how the "President's House" has evolved over time. After reviewing James Hoban's original design,... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan

Provided by: EDSITEment

How was the White House designed?

In this lesson, part of the EDSITEment curriculum unit titled “From the White House of Yesterday to the White House of Today,” students explore some of the issues involved in designing the “President's House.” They compare proposed... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan

Provided by: EDSITEment