Primary Source Activities

--Student-led -- Primary source stations -- Common Core-based -- Ready to print and use -- Who wants to spend more than one lesson teaching the Articles of Confederation? This one-day lesson can be used to give a concise explanation of the Articles of Confederation. Through the use of primary sources, students will come to understand what the Articles were, and some of the reasons why they were replaced with the Constitution. The lesson contains primary source materials edited for students gr

--Student-led -- Primary source stations -- Common Core-based -- Ready to print and use -- In this station activity students will use primary sources, maps and charts, and a video to learn about four topics at four student-directed learning stations: Station 1: More cotton - Students watch a video to learn how the cotton gin caused cotton to become the preeminent crop in the antebellum South Station 2: More slaves - Students use charts and maps to evaluate how the number and value of slaves r

How to make the Nullification Crisis and the charter of the Bank of the United States interesting? Have students play the role of Jackson. This interactive lesson plan introduces students to the events, and asks students to role play what they would do as president. This interactive lecture and student role play covers Andrew Jackson's actions in the Nullification Crisis and the renewal of the charter of the Second Bank of the United States. Students learn about each of these events thr

--Student-led -- Primary source stations -- Common Core-based -- Ready to print and use -- This lesson uses primary source-based student learning centers to teacher students about Chinese immigration to California, and Chinese exclusion. A complete lesson features a lesson plan, class reading, student worksheets, a summary activity and primary source documents for the following student learning centers: Station A: Reasons for leaving China and the journey to California Station B: How Chinese i

--Student-led -- Primary source stations -- Common Core-based -- Ready to print and use -- This student-led learning activity asks students to compile knowledge of the people that settled the West during the Manifest Destiny period, through close reading of concise primary source texts. This primary source station activity covers six groups of settlers to the American West during the 19th century: - Californios - Pioneer Women - 49ers - Mountain Men / Fur Trappers - Mormons - Chinese Immigra

--Student-led -- Primary source stations -- Common Core-based -- Ready to print and use -- This student-led station activity teaches students about Sherman's March and the concept of Total War through the use of primary source documents. Students participate in three stations. Before station 1, students read about the appointment of Ulysses Grant, and the concept of Total War. A reading is provided to introduce students to this change in leadership and strategy that occurred as the Civil War n

--Student-led -- Primary source stations -- Common Core-based -- Ready to print and use -- This St. Patrick's Day, teach students about the history of the Irish in America using this challenging and engaging history and creative writing lesson. This primary source station activity offers students a complete view of the Irish Potato Famine and Irish Immigration to America, seen through letters, editorials, newspaper articles, political cartoons, poems, songs, paintings, lithographs, and photogr

In a structured academic controversy, students are assigned a position to research, and support through argument with peers. Each side refers to the same text to support their side of the argument. After arguing their sides, both groups then discuss to reach a consensus on what really happened. This structured academic controversy lesson presents students with primary source documents (edited for middle school) on the Boston Massacre. Students use these as evidence to argue that either the radi

This lesson plan introduces students to liberal, conservative and moderate ideologies. It is formatted in a politically neutral and respectful language, and worded simply for middle school students. The complete lesson plan includes the lesson plan, survey, political spectrum and discussion prompt. This lesson is a good introduction to teaching the conflicting philosophies of Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson, in an introduction to civics course, or simply to prompt thoughtful discussion.