The lesson gives background to the WWI Battle of the Somme between the British and German armies through a powerpoint.  It then asks students to analyze three primary source documents from both sides of the battle to act as evidence in answering an historical question: Who won the first day (of the battle)?  Student then write a short argument based on their understanding of the texts.

This resource is a great formative assessment to check students ability to source and place events in context.  Using a piece from a 1612 newspaper and a list of four facts from the time period, it asks students to consider why the reliability of the newspaper account may be in question.

The Reading Like a Historian curriculum turns students into historical investigators. The Lunchroom Fight lesson from the introduction will help students recognize skills of historical inquiry they already practice everyday, such as reconciling conflicting claims and evaluating the reliability of narrative accounts. Students will be asked to record details while considering point of view and offering support from the scenario to defend their observations.

This lesson gives background to the rise of the National-Socialist German Workers' Party Party (Nazi Party) and in particular to their annexation of Austria through a powerpoint.  It then asks students to analyze three primary source documents to act as evidence in answering an historical question: How did the Nazi party convince 99% of Germans to vote in favor of the annexation of Austria?  Student then write a short argument based on their understanding of the texts and visuals.

Stanford History Education Group's lesson on Puritans provides students with a background lecture on the Puritans (one of the group's who settled the 13 British colonies).  It then asks students, through reading two primary sources from the Puritans, to assess their motivations for settling in the Americas based on the historical question: Were the Puritans selfish or selfless (in their motivation)? This lesson asks students to engage in historical empathy and understand the purpose behind historical actions as historians would.

From the site:  Thanks to the Disney film, most students know the legend of Pocahontas. But is the story told in the 1995 movie accurate? In this lesson, students use evidence to explore whether Pocahontas actually saved John Smith's life and practice the ability to source, corroborate, and contextualize historical documents.Please note that there are two versions of the lesson plan available. The shorter version is designed for younger students.

The Gilded Age unit brings awareness to the turbulant changes that characterized the end of the nineteenth century. Students investigate the rise and fall of the Populist movement, the textbook's account of the Battle of Little Bighorn, the lead-up to the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, and the historic labor clashes surrounding Homestead, Haymarket, and Pullman. Three lessons--Populism and the Election of 1896, the Homestead Strike, and the Pullman Strike--help students develop the skill of close reading as they carefully go rthough documents and interpret the author's rhetorical choices.