How and When Did People Originally Come to the Americas? From: James W. Loewen's Book Teaching What Really Happened, Chapter 6 Grade Level: (HS), (College) Remote Ready: With Modifications Time: 1-2 Class Periods Length of Reading: Pages Link: None There were no humans in the Americas up until about 16,000ish years ago (although estimates vary widely). When and how humans migrated to North America, depends upon who you ask. In his book, Loewen recommends the following. Put students in groups of 2-3. Have each group conduct internet research on a particular field of study and how experts in that field explain the migration of people to North America. Then have students put their findings into their own words and present. Those fields of study interested in the migration, according to Loewen, are: History (including oral history and ethnohistory) Cultural Anthropology (the study of human societies and cultures) Physical Anthropology (the study of physiological and biological characteristics and how they developed) Archaeology (the study of prehistory and history via the excavation and study of artifacts and remains) Glottochronology (the study of languages and how they change) Epidemiology (medical discipline studying diseases) Human Genetics (chromosomes, traits, and that jazz) Botany (the study of plants. How did cotton and Sweet potatoes come to the Americas?) < 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: Research: This activity requires that students do research. Group Work: This activity calls for working in pairs or groups or having a group discussion. Image: AlexCaelus, Early human migration, footsteps across continents, the great journey of our ancestors , File # 746284108, AI Generated, 5/23/25, Adobe Stock - stock.adobe.com .

George Washington's Manners From: Gilder Lehrman Grade Level: MS, HS, College Remote Ready: With Modifications Time: 1 Class Period or Less Length of Reading: Paragraph Link: George Washington's Rules of Civility Here's a short, easy, fun activity. Read the list of manners George Washington copied down as a young man. Act them out. Which manners are still relevant? Discuss them as a class. 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. Group Work: This activity calls for working in pairs or groups or having a group discussion. Stuart, Gilbert. George Washington. The Met, 22 August 2025, https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/16584 .

Twelve Years a Slave (Paragraphs and Census Records) From : DocsTeach Grade Level: (MS), HS, (College) Remote Ready: Yes! Time: 2-3 Class Periods Length of Reading : Paragraphs Link: Twelve Years a Slave Students read several short sections from Twelve Years a Slave (just a paragraph or two each) along with corroborating documents (sections from 3 different census records are featured). They answer questions online and have the option to write 3 paragraphs online answering overarching questions. Students enter their teacher's email address with their written responses, and their answers show up via a link in your inbox. While this is remote ready (and we love it). We would recommend paraphrasing the questions into your LMS so that they are easier to access and grade. OR The full written version of Twelve Years a Slave is available for free online from Documenting the American South (University of North Carolina Chapel Hill). It's 110 pages printed. OR Watch the film. Unfortunately, we don't have a free link. It is rated R so it's not suitable for all audiences and others will need a permission slip. < Back Next > More Information: Grade Level: (MS), HS, (College): This lesson is intended for High School students; however, we think it would be great for Middle School and college students too This Activity Involves: Primary Source: This activity utilizes primary sources. 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: Population Schedule for Saratoga Springs, Saratoga County, New York; 1840; Population Schedules for the 1840 Census, 1840 - 1840; Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29; National Archives Building, Washington, DC. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/census-saratoga-springs , May 23, 2025]

Native American Policy From: Gilder Lehrman Grade Level: MS, HS Remote Ready: With modifications Time: 1-2 class periods Length of Reading: Pages Link: Native American Policy Jigsaw with 6 primary sources documents on Native American assimilation and Indian removal. Each document is 1 page long printed. Students write summaries of docs and/or answer questions. Comparison worksheet provided. < 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. Keppler, Joseph Ferdinand, Artist. Our Indian policy - a house of cards / J. Keppler. N.Y.: Published by Keppler & Schwarzmann. Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, .

Lewis and Clark's Treatment of Native Americans From: Digital Inquiry Group Grade Level: (MS), (HS), (College) Remote Ready: With modifications Time: 1-2 class periods Length of Reading: Pages Link: Lewis and Clark SAC Students read docs (5 docs, each 1 page or less) and fill out graphic organizer. "Students are [then] assigned to teams to locate evidence [within the docs] to support or refute the claim that Lewis and Clark were respectful to Native Americans." And they discuss their conclusions in groups of 4 with 2 people refuting and 2 people supporting. In the last 10 minutes of the debate all 4 group members work to build a consensus. Includes background info and slides for brief lecture. < 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: Primary Source: This activity utilizes primary sources. Group Work: This activity calls for working in pairs or groups or having a group discussion. Image: “Captain Lewis shooting an Indian.” Library of Congress,Philadelphia: Printed for Mattheew Carey, 1810, https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2001699660/. Accessed: 8.15.2020.

Slavery From: SPLC Learning for Justice Grade Level: MS, HS, (College) Remote Ready: With Modifications Time: Depends Upon Lesson Length of Reading: Pages Link: Teaching Hard History After clicking on the link above, scroll to the "We the People" artwork and the "The American Revolution and the Constitution (1763-1787)" Heading. And then choose the Summary Objective that most interest you. Also see "Summary Objective 7" below the "Slavery in the Early Republic (1787-1808)" heading and brick flag artwork. You will be linked to a short list of wonderful online resources and their descriptions. < 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: Primary Source: This activity utilizes primary sources. Secondary Source: This activity utilizes secondary sources. Movie: This activity involves a clip, film, or documentary. Image: Ilkay, Captivity , File #129222009, Photo, Adobe Stock, 5/23/25, stock.adobe.com .

An Early History of Slavery (African and Indigenous) From: SPLC Learning for Justice Grade Level: MS, HS, (College) Remote Ready : With Modifications Time: Depends Upon Lesson Length of Reading: Pages Link: Teaching Hard History Framework This site features short, curated lists of wonderful online resources and their descriptions, organized by topic. Follow the link, and scroll to the ship artwork and the "Pre-Colonial and Colonial Era (to 1763)" Heading. And then choose the Summary Objective that most interests you. < 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: Movie: This activity involves a clip, film, or documentary. Secondary Source: This activity utilizes secondary sources. Primary Source: This activity utilizes primary sources. Image: Ilkay, Captivity , File #129222009, Photo, Adobe Stock, 5/23/25, stock.adobe.com .

Analyze a 1775 Newspaper From: History Matters Grade Level: (MS), (HS), (College) Remote Ready: With Modifications Time: 1 Class Period Length of Reading: Paragraphs Link: Analyze a Colonial Newspaper Read this 1775 newspaper article about a protest in Rhode Island during the Revolution where patriots burned British tea. What makes this resource so special is the link to five short 1-5 minute audio clips from a Smithsonian historian who is analyzing the same article. < 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: Primary Source: This activity utilizes primary sources. The New York Gazette or the Weekly Post-Boy. New York: Printed by J. Parker and W. Weyman, September 13, 1756. The Robert Charles Lawrence Fergusson Collection. https://www.americanrevolutioninstitute.org/discover-the-collections/newspapers/ .

Examining Passenger Lists; Virginia vs New England From: Digital Inquiry Group Grade Level: (MS), (HS), (College) Remote Ready: With Modifications Time: 1 Class Period or Less Length of Reading: Paragraphs Link: Examining Passenger Lists Have students compare a list of passengers headed to Virginia with another list of people headed to New England. They fill out a graphic organizer and answer a couple of questions in pairs or groups. < 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: Primary Source: This activity utilizes primary sources. Group Work: This activity calls for working in pairs or groups or having a group discussion. Image: Vinckeboons, Joan. Map of Atlantic Coast of North America from the Chesapeake Bay to Florida. [?, 1639] Map. https://www.loc.gov/item/2003623403/.

Slave Voyages From: Slavevoyages.org Grade Level: MS, HS, College Remote Ready: With Modifications Time: Depends upon which lesson(s) you choose Length of Reading: Paragraphs Link: slavevoyages.org Slavevoyages.org has amazing resources, including databases on the Trans-Atlantic and Intra-America slave trades, maps, images, and lesson plans. Watch the Slave Ship in 3D Video , a 4 1/2 minute film, which shows a digital recreation of a slave ship voyage. Then either: Try Researching the Transatlantic Slave Trade , a database scavenger hunt from slavevoyages.org. It acquaints your students both with the slave trade and database searching skills. OR Check out Slave Voyages Lesson Plans . Each lesson plan has an abstract you can read before downloading it. OR Check out these slave trade maps on slavevoyages.org and have students answer these questions from Cheryll Cody, featured on the AHA website . More Info, Reviews, Bookmark it to Your Profile < 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. Movie: This activity involves a clip, film, or documentary. Map Activity: This activity asks students to examine map(s) (interactive or standard). Image: Unknown, Slave Barracoon, Sierra Leone, 1840s, Drawing, Slavevoyages.org , 5/23/25, https://www.slavevoyages.org/resources/images/category/Places/34/detail .

Was Andrew Jackson a Hero or a Villain? From: Parlay Universe Grade Level: (HS), (College) Remote Ready: With minimal modifications Time: 1 class period or more Length of Reading: Pages Link: Heroes or Villians in U.S. History: Andrew Jackson Students check out two short articles and two videos. These articles are 4+ and 2 printed pages respectively. Skip the article in step 2; it's the same as in step 1. The videos are 15 min and 10 min long respectively. Then students answer questions about whether he was a hero or villain. Finally, they respond to 2 of their classmates comments. < 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: Movie: This activity involves a clip, film, or documentary. Primary Source: This activity utilizes primary sources. Secondary Source: This activity utilizes secondary sources. Andrew Jackson . Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, .

Guns, Germs, and Steel. Episode 2: "Conquest" From: National Geographic Grade Level: (MS), (HS), (College) Remote Ready: Maybe Time: 63 min Length of Reading: None Link: None Learn why Pizarro and his Spanish Conquistadors conquered the Inca, instead of the other way around. If your school (likely a community college or college) subscribes to the Films on Demand database, you and your students might be able to watch this online for free. < 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: Domingo, A group of Spanish conquistadors in steel armor stand amidst a misty jungle, shields and swords ready for battle. The dense forest emphasizes the danger and mystery of their journey , File #1114977343, AI Generated, Adobe Stock, 5/23/25, stock.adobe.com .