Desperate Crossing: The untold Story of the Mayflower From: History Channel Grade Level: (MS), (HS), (College) Remote Ready: No Time: 3 hrs (see shorter clip recommended below) Length of Reading: None Link: None Desperate Crossing: The Untold Story of the Mayflower provides an overview of the Pilgrim's voyage and settlement. It uses historical re-enactors and commentary from historical experts to tell its story. At 3 hours long, the film has time to examine in depth the religious situation in England. I usually skip that part and start at the segment where the Pilgrims land ("Scouts on Land" at the 1 hr 29 min mark). < Back Next > More Information: Grade Level: (MS), (HS), (College): We put these in parentheses because there is no specified age group for the activity; however, we think it would be well suited for middle school, high school, and college students This Activity Involves: Movie: This activity involves a clip, film, or documentary. sailn1. "Plimouth Plantation." Flickr, 19 August 2025, https://www.flickr.com/photos/moondance38/7810295894/in/photolist-cUaNS3-cUaNNh-cUaNso-cUaNoS-cUaNj3-3qgNaz-3qgZtp-3qmrEj-3qmvnq-3qmja3-3qmhJb-3qgPYi-3qgS1g-Aecs1T-3qgVHV-z3Czdz-z3wtom-yogz2g-z3Csrt-7bc34B-4cGKgT-4cGHz6-cUaMYS-2d9te7e-8FbTKJ-8FbRG1-8F8D36-8F8CPZ-34TXrU-8F8DSH-8F8Cpz-8FbScA-8F8HEn-8F8DpZ-8FbNuu-2pDuBFE-8F8Fie-8FbUgb-8F8Hre-8F8Ekk-8FbPvs-8F8BZF-8FbU95-8F8GKD-8FbQzC-8F8BED-8FbQ8m-2oHczeC-8FbSqd-8F8Dg2/ .

Drawing the Color Line: How was the Idea of Race Constructed? From: A People's History of the United States, History is a Weapon, and Zinn Education Project Grade Level: (HS), (College) Remote Ready: With Modifications Time: 1 Class Period if reading is done for homework Length of Reading: Chapter Link: The Color Line Colonial elites created laws to keep poor white indentured servants, blacks, and Indians apart. Read about it in Chapter 2: "Drawing the Color Line" from A People's History of the United States. This chapter from Howard Zinn's book is made available for free online by History is a Weapon. The Color Line activity at Zinn Education Project goes with this chapter. Using a list of questions (see last page of download), students first predict laws that would keep these parties apart. Then they check their answers by reading the chapter mentioned in the previous paragraph. < 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. Group Work: This activity calls for working in pairs or groups or having a group discussion. Image: Blake, W. O. 1860. “Decks of a Slave Ship” in The History of Slavery and the Slave Trade, Ancient and Modern : the Forms of Slavery that Prevailed in Ancient Nations, Particularly in Greece and Rome : the African Slave Trade and the Political History of Slavery in the United States, Columbus.Ohio : H. Miller. Smithsonian Libraries, https://library.si.edu/image-gallery/68463. Accessed: 7.1.2020.

Inventing Black and White: Bacon's Rebellion From: Facing History and Ourselves Grade Level: HS, (College) Remote Ready: Yes! Time: 1-2 Class Periods Length of Reading: Page Link: Inventing Black and White Check out this short reading and questions surrounding race and Bacon's Rebellion. If you log-in, there's a link to a 1-hour documentary on the right side of the screen that you can pair with the reading. The film is called Race: The Power of an Illusion (Episode 2: "The Story We Tell"). < 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: Secondary Source: This activity utilizes secondary sources. Movie: This activity involves a clip, film, or documentary. Pyle, Howard, The Burning of Jamestown . Wikimedia Commons, 19 August 2025, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Howard_Pyle_-_The_Burning_of_Jamestown.jpg .

"Remember the Ladies" From: Gilder Lehrman Grade Level: (HS), (College) Remote Ready: With Modifications Time: 1 Class Period Length of Reading: Pages Link: "Contagious Liberty": Women in the Revolutionary Age Meets Common Core standards. Break your class into groups of 3. Ideally, you should have 8 groups though you can have more groups. Give EACH group ONE of the 8 provided primary sources (1-2 pages each). These docs are written by women. Each group seeks to answer the 2 essential questions and the questions unique to each document. Each student in the group is tasked with searching for a particular aspect of the document (the link will tell you more about these). Finally, the groups explain their docs to the class. Gilder Lehrman resources are free but you must log in. < 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: Primary Source: This activity utilizes primary sources. Group Work: This activity calls for working in pairs or groups or having a group discussion. Image: Copley, John Singleton. “Mrs. James Warren (Mercy Otis) oil on canvas.” Wikipedia, derived from Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 1763, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercy_Otis_Warren#/media/File:Mrs_James_Warren_(Mercy_Otis),_by_John_Singleton_Copley.jpg. Accessed: 7.16.2020.

Slave Narratives and Primary Sources on Rights of Freed Slaves From: Investigating US History Grade Level: HS, College Remote Ready: With Modifications Time: 1 Class Period Length of Reading: Pages Link: The Meaning of Emancipation in the Reconstruction Era To begin, students look at political cartoons. Then students look at WPA Slave narratives and answer questions. This requires a little bit of searching because the Library of Congress Links have moved and the recording is broken. But you can find the missing resources with a Google search so we think it's still worthwhile. Next students read 10 primary sources on the debate over the rights of newly freed slaves and answer 3 overarching questions. Finally, students write an editorial assessing Reconstruction. < Back Next > More Information: Grade Level: HS, College: This lesson is meant for high school and college students 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. Writing Exercise: This activity requires a writing assignment such as a discussion post, journal entry, or lengthy response to a prompt. Almost all of our activities require students to answer questions with short responses, but this icon refers to a slightly longer writing assignments. Image: Nast, Thomas. “Emancipation.” Library of Congress , King & Baird (engraver), S Bott (publisher), J.W. Umpehent (copyright claimant), 1865, https://lccn.loc.gov/2004665360. Accessed: 6.17.2020.

Interactive Constitution Game From: iCivics and National Endowment for the Humanities Grade Level: MS, HS, College Remote Ready: With Modifications Time: 1 class period or Less Length of Reading: Paragraphs Link: Race to Ratify Select which fictional person to interview and the line of questioning. Then read the answers regarding the ratification of the Constitution. Get idea tokens from interviewees and drag them to the Federalist or Anti-Federalist side of your tray. Apply those tokens to make arguments in pamphlets. You might have students create a written T-graph documenting the Federalist and Anti-Federalist arguments as they go; this way students will better remember what they've learned and will avoid clicking through the game without learning anything. The interviews get a bit tedious after several rounds of them. There are 2 playing modes, historical (which mirrors the actual ratification process) and free play. Check out the The Extension Pack for lecture slides and background materials. < Back Next > More Information: Grade Level: MS, HS, College: This lesson is meant for middle school, high school, and college students This Activity Involves: Game: When this icon is present, students play a game (video, board, puzzle, strategy, etc). MarySan. "Play Games have fun neon sign with game pad, bright signboard, light banner. Game logo neon, emblem. Vector illustration." Adobestock, 20 August 2025, https://stock.adobe.com/images/play-games-have-fun-neon-sign-with-game-pad-bright-signboard-light-banner-game-logo-neon-emblem-vector-illustration/442215355?prev_url=detail.

The Constitutional Convention of 1787, Lesson 3 From: EDSITEment! Grade Level: HS, (College) Remote Ready: With Modifications Time: Depends on which activity you choose, up to 5 short class periods Length of Reading: Pages Link: Lesson 3: Creating the Office of the Presidency This lesson is all about the power of the president or presidents (that's right! Some founders argued for multiple presidents). All 3 activities within this lesson use primary sources. The first activity focuses on the number of presidents there should be. The second addresses how the president will be elected. The third looks at the length of the term of the president. And the fourth examines presidential powers. Though long, this lesson is definitely worthwhile. So let's see if we can help break it down so you can pick the parts you like. Activity 1: Students read a set of primary sources about how delegates tended to agree an executive was necessary. They fill out a graphic organizer and discuss answers with the class. Then students read another set of primary sources on the number of executives there should be, answer questions, and discuss. Activity 2: Students read primary source sets in groups on the debate over how presidents should be elected. They answer questions and the class discusses. Activity 3: Primary source on the length of the president's term are addressed here. Students answer questions in groups and the class discusses. Activity 4: Students read primary source sets on the powers of the president. The teacher leads a discussion to fill out a chart < 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. 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 .

Hamilton the Musical From: Hamilton Grade Level: (MS), (HS), (College) Remote Ready: With Modifications Time: 1-3 Class Periods Length of Reading: None Link: None You can watch a recording of the complete Hamilton Musical if you have a subscription to Disney Plus. If you have a subscription to PBS, you might be able to watch "Hamilton's America" on Great Performances about the making of the musical. Or if you're short on time you can pull up a few songs from the musical on YouTube and work them into your lecture surrounding the Early Republic. You might listen to these songs in particular: "Cabinet Battle #1" about Hamilton's plan for a national bank "The Room Where It Happens" about the deal Hamilton, Jefferson, and Madison made to accept each other's plans. Hamilton's plan for the National Bank was traded for the US capitol being located in Washington D.C. "Cabinet Battle #2"* about whether the US should join France in their fight against England after the American Revolution. *Please note the words "God damn" are uttered. < Back Next > More Information: Grade Level: (MS), (HS), (College): We put these in parentheses because there is no specified age group for the activity; however, we think it would be well suited for middle school, high school, and college students This Activity Involves: Movie: This activity involves a clip, film, or documentary. Image: Listen. , ca. 1901. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2012648364/.

The Great Compromise From: Gilder-Lehrman Grade Level: MS, HS, College Remote Ready: With Modifications Time: 1 Class Period or Less Length of Reading: Pages Link: Analyzing the Great Compromise, 1787 Excerpts from the Virginia Plan, New Jersey Plan, and Articles of Confederation are presented (2-5 pages each, 11 total). Students answer the questions provided and fill out a graphic organizer. Students then design a compromise of their own, an advertisement, or a political cartoon. Gilder Lehrman resources are free but you must log in. < Back Next > More Information: Grade Level: MS, HS, College: This lesson is meant for middle school, high school, and college students This Activity Involves: Primary Source: This activity utilizes primary sources. AI generated Virginia vs New Jersey. Adobe Firefly, 19 August 2025.

Mexican American War: Role Play, Reading, Textbook Critique From : Zinn Education Project Grade Level: MS, HS Remote Ready: With minimal modifications Time: 2-3 class periods for all activities Length of Reading: Pages Link: US Mexico War: "We Take Nothing by Conquest, Thank God" Available in Spanish. 3 separate yet overlapping activities are detailed here. In the first, students read a bio and introduce themselves as someone involved in the Mexican American War. In the second activity, students read a 9 page article on the War from Howard Zinn and journal about it. Finally, students read a half-page textbook description of the Mexican American War, answer questions, and discuss. Each student is assigned one of 21 actual historical people from the Mexican American War. Students read their paragraph bio, slap on a name tag and engage in a meet and greet as their assigned person, asking provided questions and writing down answers. Students read 9 pages (provided) from Howard Zinn's "We Take Nothing by Conquest, Thank God" (and/or other suggested media). Students then write a "talk-back" journal. They pick out several sections from the reading that they found interesting, important, confusing, or peculiar. Then they detail their reactions. The class discusses what they've written as well as student questions and provided questions. Textbook critique: Students read a half page section on the Mexican American War from a textbook, answer questions, and discuss. < Back Next > More Information: Grade Level: MS, HS: This lesson is meant for middle school and high school students 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. Writing Exercise: This activity requires a writing assignment such as a discussion post, journal entry, or lengthy response to a prompt. Almost all of our activities require students to answer questions with short responses, but this icon refers to a slightly longer writing assignments. A depiction of two panels from The Great Wall of Los Angeles , a mural by Judy Baca. Source: JudyBaca.com

Be Washington From: George Washington's Mount Vernon Grade Level: MS, HS, (College) Remote Ready: Yes! Time: 1 Class Period Length of Reading: None Link: Be Washington Choose to be George Washington in 1 of 4 interactive scenarios: The Battle of Second Trenton, The Newburgh Conspiracy, The Genet Affair, or The Whiskey Rebellion. In each scenario, players assess the situation, listen to advice, and make decisions. Each scenario takes about 20 minutes. You can elect to play "Host" style where the teacher controls the game and students vote on which decisions to make. Or you can let students play individually in single player mode. Because the game does not give much background, teachers should consider the supplentary materials. Click on the question mark at the beginning to find teacher materials, background info, primary sources, and lesson plans for each scenario. The game has beautiful graphics, though the acting leaves something to be desired. < Back Next > More Information: Grade Level: MS, HS, (College): This lesson is meant for middle school and high school students; however, we think it would be well suited for college too This Activity Involves: Game: When this icon is present, students play a game (video, board, puzzle, strategy, etc). Leutze, Emanuel. Washington Crossing the Delaware . Wikimedia Commons, 19 August 2025, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Washington_Crossing_the_Delaware_by_Emanuel_Leutze,_MMA-NYC,_1851.jpg .

What Did Lincoln Think About Slavery From: Zinn Education Project Grade Level: HS, (College) Remote Ready: With Modifications Time: 1 Class Period Length of Reading: Pages Link: A War to Free the Slaves? Students read excerpts from Lincoln's first inaugural address, the original proposed 13th Amendment (which preserved slavery), and the Emancipation Proclamation. Students answer written and discussion questions to address how Lincoln's intention to keep or do away with slavery changed. < 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. Image: Magee, J. L.. “Emancipation. And by virtue of the power and for the purpose aforesaid, I do order and declare that all persons held as slaves, within designated states and parts of States are, and henceforeward [sic] shall be free!” Library of Congress. https://www.loc.gov/item/scsm000450/. Accessed 6.10.2010.