What can we learn about early American views of the frontier by looking at artwork depicting the West? This five-lesson teacher guide explores numerous aspects of the nation's expansion westward.
Plantation agriculture, and slave labor, united the British colonies in the West Indies and the southern part of the eastern seaboard. In this video, Kim discusses the sugar islands of the Caribbean and how their reliance on enslaved Africans for labor defined plantation society throughout the British colonies.
These activities will have student look at the history of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, its contributions to American history, and accomplishments of selected West Point graduates. Proposed by George Washington in 1783 and created 20 years later, West Point became an important American institution before the Civil War.
After the Civil War, westward expansion continued to increase, as migrants moved to the west in search of economic opportunities. In this video, Kim discusses the social and cultural effects of increased migration to the west, including expansion's impact on native people and the environment.
In this activity, students will examine the original and final drafts of the Constitution and evaluate the significance of the selection of the words "We the People."
The We the People Teacher Resource Guide was created by D.C. Public School teachers. It contains lesson plans, suggestions for activities that may be done with students, and general resources that will inspire you to create your own activities and projects. You will also find materials such as worksheets and cartoon that you may copy and use with students.
The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution are known as our Bill of Rights, which serve as a guarantee for our freedoms. But these amendments almost didn’t happen. Join a group of middle schoolers on a tour of Washington, D.C. as they learn about the Constitution and what it means to be “We the People.” The “We the People” videos are produced in collaboration with the U.S. Capitol Historical Society.
Once a vision for the United States of America, crafted by our founding fathers, the Declaration of Independence is preserved as living proof of our history at the National Archives and Records Administration. Join a group of middle schoolers on a tour of Washington, D.C. as they learn about this document and others and what it means to be “We the People.” The “We the People” videos are produced in collaboration with the U.S. Capitol Historical Society.
This resource is a Google Arts & Culture interactive presentation about the printing of the United States Constitution.
The president of the United States serves as the chief executive and commander of the armed forces, all defined in Article II of the Constitution as the executive branch. Join a group of middle schoolers on a tour of Washington, D.C. as they learn about the Constitution and what it means to be "We the People." The "We the People" videos are produced in collaboration with the U.S. Capitol Historical Society.
Of the three branches of our government, many believe that the most important is the one directly elected by "We the People": the legislative branch, represented by the two houses of the U.S. Congress at the Capitol building. Join a group of middle schoolers on a tour of Washington, D.C. as they learn about the Constitution and what it means to be "We the People." The "We the People" videos are produced in collaboration with the U.S. Capitol Historical Society.
Aging and dying stars generate extremely hot temperatures, hot enough to create entirely new elements. Created by Big History Project.
David Christian explains how the Big Bang theory developed by looking at the evidence that supports it. Created by Big History Project.
We hear David Christian’s explanation of Big History's 13.8-billion-year timeline and multidisciplinary approach. Created by Big History Project.
What combination of experience, strategy, and personal characteristics enabled Washington to succeed as a military leader? In this unit, students will read the Continental Congress's resolutions granting powers to General Washington; analyze some of Washington's wartime orders, dispatches, and correspondence in terms of his mission and the characteristics of a good general.
This lesson will use a close reading of the Declaration of Independence to explore the American colonists’ reasons for separating from Great Britain. By the conclusion of the lesson, student will understand the role of the Declaration in encouraging support for American Independence, and in laying the groundwork for a new system of government and individual rights.
Travel back in time to the early days of Earth; explore its surface and atmosphere over the ages. Created by Big History Project.
This lesson plan addresses the ways people learn about events from the past and discusses how historical accounts are influenced by the perspective of the person giving the account. To understand that history is made up of many people's stories of the past, students interview family members about the same event and compare the ifferent versions, construct a personal history timeline and connect it to larger historical events, and synthesize eyewitness testimony from different sources to create their own "official" account.
In this curriculum unit, students will learn about the origins of four major types of British surnames. They will consult lists to discover the meanings of specific names and later demonstrate their knowledge of surnames through various group activities. They will then compare the origins of British to certain types of non-British surnames. In a final activity, the students will research the origins and meanings of their own family names.
The Gilder Lehrman Institute has collaborated with the producers of the exciting new Broadway play What the Constitution Means to Me by playwright and two-time Obie Award–winning actor Heidi Schreck, showing at the Helen Hayes Theater, to reveal how the US Constitution came to be, how it has evolved, and how it affects our lives every day. Explore the links on this page.