In this lesson, students will investigate and debate the legacy of Benedict Ranold, building reasoning and critical thinking skills and an understanding of the complexity of historical events and historical memory.

In this lesson, students will investigate and debate the legacy of John Brown, building reasoning and critical thinking skills and an understanding of the complexity of historical events and historical memory.

In this series of three lessons, the students examine transportation and its impact on our nation (and vice versa) since the United States declared its independence in 1776. Lesson 1 focuses on improvements in transportation during the 19th century, particularly the development of a national rail system, to show how invention, innovation and infrastructure encouraged western expansion and economic growth. Lesson 2 moves on to the 20th century focusing on the development of auto transport and aviation. The impact on communities and world trade, for both good and bad, is examined. Lesson 3 calls upon the students to create a class time line of transportation milestones; the time line will help the students more clearly understand the factors, especially the economic incentives, that have played a key role in what has been called the 'Transportation Revolution.'

Students will simulate the experiences of an immigrant's passage to and arrival in America during the turn of the century, relating these experiences to Emma Lazarus's poem The New Colossus. Students will also explore the process to become a naturalized citizen and learn about the
different ethnic groups immigrating to America.

On March 23, 1849, Henry Brown began one of the most dramatic escapes from slavery in Americanhistory. In this lesson plan, students will learn about the institution of slavery by examining the life and experiences of Henry “Box” Brown, focusing on his innovative escape when mailing himself from a slave state to a free state. Through participation in activities such as class discussion, reading excerpts of The Narrative of the Life of Henry Box Brown, Written by Himself, and the creation of their own art and dramatic presentation based on Henry’s life and experiences, students will learn about the complexities of slavery and freedom in the 1800s.

In this lesson, students will understand the difference between primary and secondary sources. They will also be able to explain the importance and limitations of using primary sources for historical research.

This inquiry prompts students to investigate the factors, conditions, and conflicts related to westward expansion in the United States before the Civil War. In the inquiry, students wrestle with various economic, geographic, and social ideas as they consider the value of the push westward.

Throughout this inquiry students investigate the complex interconnected roles of individuals and groups as well as the economic, social, and geographical forces that contributed to the American Revolution. Students consider issues concerning historical determinism as they move toward an evidence-based argument as to whether or not the war was avoidable.

In this lesson, students will identify and interpret primary and secondary source documents to increase understanding of events and life in United States history to 1877. Students will learn about the problems that were created by the lack of a common currency under the Articles of Confederation and draw conclusions about weaknesses formed by other facets of government under the Articles of Confederation. By the end of this lesson, students will be able to demonstrate knowledge of the challenges faced by the new nation by identifying the weaknesses of the government established by the Articles of Confederation.

In this lesson, students read excerpts of narratives and use a Venn diagram to take notes and compare and contrast the narratives.

This inquiry examines the emergence of the women's suffrage movement in the 19th century as an effort to expand women's political and economic rights, and it extends that investigation into the present.

In this lesson, students explore the various options for ending the war with Japan by simulating a meeting of President Truman’s advisory committee.  Students will also evaluate Truman’s decision to drop two atomic bombs on Japan. This activity is adapted from a lesson by the Constitutional Rights Foundation (http://www.crf‐usa.org/bill‐of‐rights‐in‐action/bria‐15‐3‐b‐choices‐truman‐hirohito‐and‐the‐atomic‐bomb.html.)

In this activity students will examine how attitudes towards slavery and the Civil War changed between 1860 and 1865. What began in the minds of President Lincoln and most northerners as a war to preserve the union changed, over the course of the war, into a war to free the slaves. This transformation occurred in large part because of the actions of enslaved and free African Americans themselves. Students will create a historical marker, based on historical evidence, that addresses the question: "What was the Civil War fought over?"

In this lesson, students analyze primary and secondary source documents to make claims regarding slave life at Mount Vernon. As an optional extension, they can create a biography about one of the individuals identified.

In this lesson, students participate in a kinesthetic activity in which they review various quotes by and regarding Abraham Lincoln, discussing the various ideas and attitudes exhibited by America’s sixteenth president.  Students will then read Walt Whitman’s “Oh Captain!  My Captain” and create their own poem based on Abraham Lincoln.

In this lesson, students will learn that enslaved people resisted their captivity constantly. Because they were living under the domination of their masters, slaves knew that direct, outright, overt resistance"”such as talking back, hitting their master or running away"“"“could result in being whipped, sold away from their families and friends, or even killed.

This lesson plan explores the contributions of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) during World War II, and their aviation legacy.

In this lesson, students identify and analyze folktales. They learn the characteristics of folktales and use them to evaluate existing tales and to create original tales of their own. Students apply the writing process to strengthen writing skills and to develop creativity.

In this lesson, students examine primary sources from Wilson Library’s online exhibit, “Sour Stomachs and Galloping Headaches,” to form new understandings and theories about the common ailments and epidemics our ancestors faced, as well as the medical “cures” they used to treat their illnesses. Students will analyze and evaluate the various primary sources in the exhibit via a Historical Scene Investigation (“HSI”) activity, which leads students through an investigative process of similar to what crime scene investigators do when they examine evidence from a crime scene and formulate theories about what happened. In this HIS, students will first examine the evidence by filling out case reports that ask them to evaluate the primary resources from the website. Then, they will attempt to diagnose different patient illnesses and prescribe different cures to treat these patients based on what they uncovered in their case reports.