Who's a Salem Witch? From: Unknown Grade Level: MS, HS Remote Ready: No Time: 30 min or less Length of Reading: None Link: None The teacher hands out slips of paper (or goes around the room and whispers) indicating whether each individual student is a witch or not. Students won't know which of their classmates are witches, but they are tasked with guessing. They must develop a method for deciding if classmates are witches and, to the best of their abilities, form the largest group possible that does not consist of any witches. The biggest group wins, but if a witch is ultimately found in a group, that group will lose the game. The irony is, of course, that the teacher has not made anyone a witch. < Back Next > More Information: Grade Level: MS, HS: This lesson is meant for middle school and high school students This Activity Involves: Game: When this icon is present, students play a game (video, board, puzzle, strategy, etc). Witchcraft at Salem Village. Pioneers in the settlement of America: from Florida in 1510 to California in 1849 . Wikimedia Commons, 19 August 2025, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Witchcraft_at_Salem_Village.jpg .

Jackson Vetoes the National Bank From: Teaching American History Grade Level: HS, (College) Remote Ready: With Modifications Time: 3-4 class periods Length of Reading: Pages Link: Jackson Vetoes the National Bank This is a 4 day activity. Students debate whether Congress had the authority to create the Bank of the United States. They then read speeches from prominent folks on Jackson's veto of the Bank of the United States, summarize them, and share their summaries. Day 1: Students read Article II, Section 8 of the Constitution and answer questions about whether it gives Congress the authority to create a Bank of the US. Please note that the recommended link does not include this section. Try this link to Constitution Annotated instead. Day 2: Students are each given one of three speeches on the veto of the bank bill--Jackson's (7 pages printed), Henry Clay's (6 pages), or Daniel Webster's (2 pages). Be sure to look for the links to the excerpts of the speeches on the bottom of page 2; don't have students read the speeches in their entirety. Student writes a summary of their speech. Day 3: Students who read the same speech are grouped together. They read their summaries to each other, and groups vote on the best summaries. An alternative might be for students to be grouped with students who read the other speeches and read them to each other. Then 4th day activities would be shortened. Day 4: The best summaries are read to the entire class. Students then vote again on whether the Constitution gives Congress the authority to create a Bank of the United States. < Back Next > More Information: Grade Level: HS, (College): This lesson is meant for high school students; however we think it would be well suited for college students too This Activity Involves: Primary Source: This activity utilizes primary sources. Group Work: This activity calls for working in pairs or groups or having a group discussion. Imbert, Anthony, 1794 Or. The doctors puzzled or the desperate case of Mother U.S. Bank . New York: Published and for sale wholesale and retail by Anthony Imbert at his Caricature Store. Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, .

Virginia Colony From: Gilder Lehrman Grade Level: HS, (College) Remote Ready: With Modifications Time: 1 Class Period or Less Length of Reading: Pages Link: The Virginia Colony Students read 3 primary sources on the starving time, the Virginia Company's instructions to settlers, and the supplies the settlers were encouraged to bring (1-4 pages each). Students then answer 3 overarching questions about the colony. Gilder Lehrman resources are free but you must log in. < Back Next > More Information: Grade Level: (HS), College: This lesson is meant for college students; however, we think it would be excellent for high school students too This Activity Involves: Primary Source: This activity utilizes primary sources. Image: J. Omar Hansen, Jamestown rifleman firing , File #284983353, Photo, Adobe Stock, 5/23/25, stock.adobe.com .

Constitutional Creation From: National Archives Grade Level: (HS), (College) Remote Ready: Yes! Time: 1 Class Period or Less Length of Reading: Chapter Link: Constitution of the United States-A History How about assigning this article to give your students a little background on the making of the Constitution before tackling any of these assignments. < Back Next > More Information: Grade Level: (HS), (College): There is no specified age group for this activity; however, we think it would be well suited for high school and college students This Activity Involves: Secondary Source: This activity utilizes secondary sources. Image: Howard Chandler Christy, Signing of the Constitution, Oil on Canvas, Architect of the Capitol, 5/23/25, https://www.aoc.gov/explore-capitol-campus/art/signing-constitution .