How did photographers help convince Congress to pass child labor laws? We will explore some of Lewis Hine’s photographs that exposed child working conditions and advocated for child labor laws to protect children.
We will investigate the photographer who captured the photos to understand the sourcing of information as part of a historical inquiry.
In this episode, students will engage in careful observation to identify objects and note details (See), generate and test hypotheses based on evidence they have collected (Think), and reflect on their learning by applying it to related questions (Wonder). A key focus is to consider source information and identify aspects of a primary source that reveal a photographer’s point of view or purpose.

Video collection of Park rangers discussing the events of the Battles of Lexington and Concord. The unit includes student activities.

By studying young George Washington’s writings as a 16-year-old surveyor and writings from his first military trip five years later students will learn about his character and ambitions. The lesson will also help dispel some of the myths and misconceptions about Washington. Students will be introduced to a young man who is strong, brave and ready to make a name for himself.

Young George Washington Grades 4-6, has a 6 page lesson plan for the teachers and the following additional material: Additional Sources, Resource Pages 1-6, Images 1-5 and an answer key. The lesson uses Washington's own words, images and maps to show his character and ambitions and how he matures over time. The lesson highlights two of young Washington's adventures, his 1748 trip as a surveyor and his 1753 military trip to ask the French to leave the area.

The core of the Choices Program is their award-winning curriculum units that include student readings, lesson plans, and activities to accompany and complement the readings. Student readings and teacher resources are written by the Choices writing team and approved by scholars. Engaging student readings and lesson plans reflect up-to-date historiography and equip students to develop the skills necessary for critical historical thinking and document analysis. Currently, Choices offers units for U.S. History, World History, Current Issues, and Geography, as well as many electives. Curriculum units are available in print format and in Digital Editions. 

Congress is made up of a group of people who work together to improve the quality of lives of citizens throughout the nation. Long ago Congress decided that it was important to pass labor laws to protect children. Students will answer the question why child labor was a problem? They will explore this question by investigating a series of photographs of children working in fish factories long ago.
In addition,
In this episode, students will engage in careful observation to identify objects and note details (See), generate and test hypotheses based on evidence they have collected (Think), and reflect on their learning by applying it to related questions (Wonder).

Turn your classroom into an archaeological "dig" as students explore the processes and tools used by archaeologists and draw conclusions about a society based on what they discover.

In this mystery, students will look at primary and secondary sources from the four Native nations we have been studying: Haudenosaunee/Iroquois, Cherokee, Chickasaw, and Western Abenaki. They will match their five different strategy cards with the primary and secondary sources. After reading each source, students will determine which strategy that nation used to protect their land and sovereignty during the American Revolution. After each source, students will read a brief summary that will give more information about the strategies used. Student handouts will allow students to mark up the primary and secondary sources, pick a strategy and then explain their reasoning.
This lesson is part of a Unit that includes the following lessons:
Grade 3 Unit 2 History Mystery 1: WHAT IS NATIVE SOVEREIGNTY AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
Grade 3 Unit 2 History Mystery 2: WHAT CAN DIFFERENT MAPS TELL US ABOUT NATIVE SOVEREIGNTY AND NATIVE LAND?
Grade 3 Unit 2 History Mystery 3: WHAT STRATEGIES TO NATIVE NATIONS USE TO PROTECT THEIR SOVEREIGNTY DURING THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION (1)?
Grade 3 Unit 2 History Mystery 4: WHAT STRATEGIES TO NATIVE NATIONS USE TO PROTECT THEIR SOVEREIGNTY DURING THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION (2)?

: In this lesson, students will learn about how “freedom of speech” is applied in schools. Students will begin by brainstorming the meaning of “free speech” from prior lessons and then brainstorming about how they think speech might be limited in schools. Then students will learn about speech rights in school by completing a reading and watching a short video. For the activity, students will look at school-based scenarios and decide whether or not they think a school could limit student speech.’
This lesson is part of a Unit that includes the following lessons:
Grade 5 History Mystery 1: WHAT IS "FREE SPEECH" AND WHY DOES IT MATTER?
Grade 5 History Mystery 2: DOES "FREE SPEECH" MEAN I CAN SAY WHATEVER I WANT?
Grade 5 History Mystery 3:WHAT CAN I SAY IN SCHOOL?

In this mystery, students will learn about three due process champions through the History Mystery questions “Why and how do people fight for due process rights?” The mystery begins by helping students understand what it means to fight for rights and how a person might petition for their rights. Then the mystery takes students through three due process champion stories of John Peter Zenger, Fred Korematsu, and Clarence Gideon. Each story starts with an introduction reading and video. Then students work in groups to investigate a primary source or sources related to each story with the guidance of an investigation packet. Each story helps students answer the history mystery question.
This lesson is part of a Unit that includes the following lessons:
Grade 5 Unit 3 History Mystery 1: WHAT IS "DUE PROCESS" AND WHY DOES IT MATTER?
Grade 5 Unit 3 History Mystery 2: HOW AND WHY DO PEOPLE FIGHT FOR DUE PROCESS RIGHTS?
Grade 5 Unit 3 History Mystery 3: DO STUDENTS HAVE THE RIGHT TO PRIVACY IN SCHOOL?

In this mystery, students will learn about what due process rights young people have in and out of school. They will start by learning some background information and then specifically learn about the Reasonable Suspicion Standard for conducting student searches in schools. Students will then have two activities to practice applying the standard. The lesson will culminate with students analyzing real court cases and using their knowledge to apply the Reasonable Suspicion Standard.
This lesson is part of a Unit that includes the following lessons:
Grade 5 Unit 3 History Mystery 1: WHAT IS "DUE PROCESS" AND WHY DOES IT MATTER?
Grade 5 Unit 3 History Mystery 2: HOW AND WHY DO PEOPLE FIGHT FOR DUE PROCESS RIGHTS?
Grade 5 Unit 3 History Mystery 3: DO STUDENTS HAVE THE RIGHT TO PRIVACY IN SCHOOL?

This unit is one of the Gilder Lehrman Institute’s Teaching Literacy through History resources, designed to align with the Common Core State Standards. These units were developed to enable students to understand, summarize, and evaluate original materials of historical significance. Through a step-by-step process, students will acquire the skills to analyze, assess, and develop knowledgeable and well-reasoned viewpoints on primary and secondary sources.
After completing this lesson, students will understand how the Electoral College system was established and how it functions in determining who will be the President and Vice President of the United States. The students will demonstrate their understanding by responding in writing to questions that are designed to make them use textual evidence to support their answers.

Collection of Lesson plans related to George Washington’s life, his service to his country, and his legacy. Lesson plans can be searched by grade level and topic.

The students will:
• Discuss two points of view regarding the events of April 19, 1775.
• Explain the significance of the Battles of Lexington and Concord.
Language Objective/Outcomes

The students will:
• Use information gathered about the Battles of Lexington and Concord to write for a variety of purposes

In this lesson, students explore how Abraham Lincoln used the power of words in speeches, letters and other documents. In the Introductory Activity, students watch a segment from the PBS film Looking for Lincoln featuring Lincoln quotes and try to identify the origin of each quotation. In the first Learning Activity, students closely examine Lincoln’s use of words in the Gettysburg Address and learn that a short speech can be powerful. In the second Learning Activity, students discuss different reasons for writing letters and review some of Abraham Lincoln’s letters. In the Culminating Activity, students write their own speeches or letters and then present them to the class.

In this lesson, students will watch a video about Dr. King that emphasizes his commitment to nonviolence. They will then examine and analyze a 1956 flyer and a 1966 photograph that illustrate King’s approach to maintaining nonviolence. The lesson culminates with a comparison to other leaders who have been consistently nonviolent in spite of great personal risk.

Students read and listen to biographies. Students will conduct a research project on a biography of their choosing, make a timeline, write a report and use it to create a seven slide presentation in Google Slides about the Native American person of their choosing.

This lesson on the Bill of Rights is part of Gilder Lehrman’s series of Common Core-based units. These units were written to enable students to understand, summarize, and analyze original texts of historical significance. Students will demonstrate this knowledge by writing summaries of selections from the original document and, by the end of the unit, demonstrating their understanding through visual and oral presentations. Through this step-by-step process, students will acquire the skills to analyze any primary or secondary source material.
Lesson #1
Students will understand the rights and restrictions that are defined by the first five amendments of the Bill of Rights in the United States Constitution. They will demonstrate that understanding by restating those ideals in their own words.

Lesson #2
Students will understand the rights and restrictions that are defined by amendments 6–10 of the Bill of Rights in the United States Constitution. They will demonstrate that understanding by restating those ideals in their own words.

Lesson #3
Students will demonstrate their understanding of the Bill of Rights by drawing an illustration depicting one of the amendments and citing a direct quote from the amendment as a caption. This caption will serve as direct evidence for the accurate interpretation of the text. The students will then present their drawing in the form of a short oral presentation to the class. The teacher may allow students to substitute a computer-based drawing or graphics alternative to an actual hand-drawn illustration.

Emigration is when someone leaves their home country and moves to live in a different country. During the Great Hunger, many Irish people left Ireland for good. People emigrated for many reasons. Some left because there was not enough food, and others because their landlord had evicted them. Many landlords evicted their tenants to avoid paying for their care. Some of these landlords also paid to put the Irish living on their land on a boat headed for the United States, Australia, England or Canada.
Included in this Lesson Plan:
 Background historical information
 Background primary source documents and activities related to Irish emigration in the 19th century
 A Pack Your Suitcase worksheet which can be used individually or for a group
activity, and requires some math and discussion, and recording with a pencil
 A comparison of 19th century and modern US immigration
 A model citizenship test

This unit is part of Gilder Lehrman’s series of Common Core State Standards–based teaching resources. These units were developed to enable students to understand, summarize, and analyze original texts of historical significance. Through a step-by-step process, students will acquire the skills to analyze any primary or secondary source material.

Over the course of three lessons the students will analyze text from three documents defining American democracy: the Preamble to the United States Constitution, the Pledge of Allegiance, and the second section of the Declaration of Independence. Understanding these three texts is an essential part of understanding American ideology and citizenship. Students will closely analyze these sources and use textual evidence to draw their conclusions and present their understanding as directed in each lesson.

Recollection Wisconsin brings together digital cultural heritage resources from Wisconsin libraries, archives, museums and historical societies and shares them with the world in partnership with the Digital Public Library of America. The webpage provides different 4-8ideas for teaching about Wisconsin history.