history assignment pdf

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Free History Worksheets

Here you will find hundreds of free history worksheets designed by professional educators that can be adjusted for elementary, middle, or high school students.

These are nearly 500 student history worksheets in this package that cover all aspects of history, from Ancient Greece to World War One, World War Two, and the Cold War. The worksheets can be modified to accommodate K-12. Please feel free to share these on Pinterest or any other places where teachers’ resources are made available.  Included are full-color and black-and-white worksheets, word searches, quizzes, overviews, info graphs, diagrams, anagrams and activity sheets that provide everything you need to teach your class on any time period in history imaginable. Below are listed our currently available free student worksheets. More are to come.

• How Much Can One Individual Alter History? More and Less...
• Why Did Hitler Hate Jews? We Have Some Answers
• Reasons Against Dropping the Atomic Bomb
• Is Russia Communist Today? Find Out Here!
• Phonetic Alphabet: How Soldiers Communicated
• How Many Americans Died in WW2? Here Is A Breakdown

Steps for Writing a History Paper

Writing a history paper is a process.  Successful papers are not completed in a single moment of genius or inspiration, but are developed over a series of steps.  When you first read a paper prompt, you might feel overwhelmed or intimidated.  If you think of writing as a process and break it down into smaller steps, you will find that paper-writing is manageable, less daunting, and even enjoyable.  Writing a history paper is your opportunity to do the real work of historians, to roll up your sleeves and dig deep into the past.

What is a History paper?

History papers are driven by arguments.  In a history class, even if you are not writing a paper based on outside research, you are still writing a paper that requires some form of argument.  For example, suppose your professor has asked you to write a paper discussing the differences between colonial New England and colonial Virginia.  It might seem like this paper is straightforward and does not require an argument, that it is simply a matter of finding the “right answer.”  However, even here you need to construct a paper guided by a larger argument.  You might argue that the main differences between colonial New England and Virginia were grounded in contrasting visions of colonization.  Or you might argue that the differences resulted from accidents of geography or from extant alliances between regional Indian groups.  Or you might make an argument that draws on all of these factors.  Regardless, when you make these types of assertions, you are making an argument that requires historical evidence.  Any history paper you write will be driven by an argument demanding evidence from sources.

History writing assignments can vary widely–and you should always follow your professor’s specific instructions–but the following steps are designed to help no matter what kind of history paper you are writing.  Remember that the staff of the History Writing Center is here to assist you at any stage of the writing process.

• Sometimes professors distribute prompts with several sub-questions surrounding the main question they want you to write about.  The sub-questions are designed to help you think about the topic.  They offer ideas you might consider, but they are not, usually, the key question or questions you need to answer in your paper.  Make sure you distinguish the key questions from the sub-questions.  Otherwise, your paper may sound like a laundry list of short-answer essays rather than a cohesive argument. A helpful way to hone in on the key question is to look for action verbs, such as “analyze” or “investigate” or “formulate.”  Find such words in the paper prompt and circle them.  Then, carefully consider what you are being asked to do.  Write out the key question at the top of your draft and return to it often, using it to guide you in the writing process.  Also, be sure that you are responding to every part of the prompt.  Prompts will often have several questions you need to address in your paper.  If you do not cover all aspects, then you are not responding fully to the assignment.  For more information, visit our section, “Understanding Paper Prompts.”
• Before you even start researching or drafting, take a few minutes to consider what you already know about the topic.  Make a list of ideas or draw a cluster diagram, using circles and arrows to connect ideas–whatever method works for you.  At this point in the process, it is helpful to write down all of your ideas without stopping to judge or analyze each one in depth.  You want to think big and bring in everything you know or suspect about the topic.  After you have finished, read over what you have created.  Look for patterns or trends or questions that keep coming up.  Based on what you have brainstormed, what do you still need to learn about the topic?  Do you have a tentative argument or response to the paper prompt?  Use this information to guide you as you start your research and develop a thesis.
• Depending on the paper prompt, you may be required to do outside research or you may be using only the readings you have done in class.  Either way, start by rereading the relevant materials from class.  Find the parts from the textbook, from the primary source readings, and from your notes that relate to the prompt. If you need to do outside research, the UCLA library system offers plenty of resources.  You can begin by plugging key words into the online library catalog.  This process will likely involve some trial and error.  You will want to use search terms that are specific enough to address your topic without being so narrow that you get no results.  If your keywords are too general, you may receive thousands of results and feel overwhelmed.  To help you narrow your search, go back to the key questions in the essay prompt that you wrote down in Step 1.  Think about which terms would help you respond to the prompt.  Also, look at the language your professor used in the prompt.  You might be able to use some of those same words as search terms. Notice that the library website has different databases you can search depending on what type of material you need (such as scholarly articles, newspapers, books) and what subject and time period you are researching (such as eighteenth-century England or ancient Rome).  Searching the database most relevant to your topic will yield the best results.  Visit the library’s History Research Guide for tips on the research process and on using library resources.  You can also schedule an appointment with a librarian to talk specifically about your research project.  Or, make an appointment with staff at the History Writing Center for research help.  Visit our section about using electronic resources as well.
• By this point, you know what the prompt is asking, you have brainstormed possible responses, and you have done some research.  Now you need to step back, look at the material you have, and develop your argument.  Based on the reading and research you have done, how might you answer the question(s) in the prompt?  What arguments do your sources allow you to make?  Draft a thesis statement in which you clearly and succinctly make an argument that addresses the prompt. If you find writing a thesis daunting, remember that whatever you draft now is not set in stone.  Your thesis will change.  As you do more research, reread your sources, and write your paper, you will learn more about the topic and your argument.  For now, produce a “working thesis,” meaning, a thesis that represents your thinking up to this point.  Remember it will almost certainly change as you move through the writing process.  For more information, visit our section about thesis statements.  Once you have a thesis, you may find that you need to do more research targeted to your specific argument.  Revisit some of the tips from Step 3.
• Now that you have a working thesis, look back over your sources and identify which ones are most critical to you–the ones you will be grappling with most directly in order to make your argument.  Then, annotate them.  Annotating sources means writing a paragraph that summarizes the main idea of the source as well as shows how you will use the source in your paper.  Think about what the source does for you.  Does it provide evidence in support of your argument?  Does it offer a counterpoint that you can then refute, based on your research?  Does it provide critical historical background that you need in order to make a point?  For more information about annotating sources, visit our section on annotated bibliographies. While it might seem like this step creates more work for you by having to do more writing, it in fact serves two critical purposes: it helps you refine your working thesis by distilling exactly what your sources are saying, and it helps smooth your writing process.  Having dissected your sources and articulated your ideas about them, you can more easily draw upon them when constructing your paper.  Even if you do not have to do outside research and are limited to working with the readings you have done in class, annotating sources is still very useful.  Write down exactly how a particular section in the textbook or in a primary source reader will contribute to your paper.
• An outline is helpful in giving you a sense of the overall structure of your paper and how best to organize your ideas.  You need to decide how to arrange your argument in a way that will make the most sense to your reader.  Perhaps you decide that your argument is most clear when presented chronologically, or perhaps you find that it works best with a thematic approach.  There is no one right way to organize a history paper; it depends entirely on the prompt, on your sources, and on what you think would be most clear to someone reading it. An effective outline includes the following components: the research question from the prompt (that you wrote down in Step 1), your working thesis, the main idea of each body paragraph, and the evidence (from both primary and secondary sources) you will use to support each body paragraph.  Be as detailed as you can when putting together your outline.

If you have trouble getting started or are feeling overwhelmed, try free writing.  Free writing is a low-stakes writing exercise to help you get past the blank page.  Set a timer for five or ten minutes and write down everything you know about your paper: your argument, your sources, counterarguments, everything.  Do not edit or judge what you are writing as you write; just keep writing until the timer goes off.  You may be surprised to find out how much you knew about your topic.  Of course, this writing will not be polished, so do not be tempted to leave it as it is.  Remember that this draft is your first one, and you will be revising it.

A particularly helpful exercise for global-level revision is to make a reverse outline, which will help you look at your paper as a whole and strengthen the way you have organized and substantiated your argument.  Print out your draft and number each of the paragraphs.  Then, on a separate piece of paper, write down each paragraph number and, next to it, summarize in a phrase or a sentence the main idea of that paragraph.  As you produce this list, notice if any paragraphs attempt to make more than one point: mark those for revision.  Once you have compiled the list, read it over carefully.  Study the order in which you have sequenced your ideas.  Notice if there are ideas that seem out of order or repetitive.  Look for any gaps in your logic.  Does the argument flow and make sense?

When revising at the local level, check that you are using strong topic sentences and transitions, that you have adequately integrated and analyzed quotations, and that your paper is free from grammar and spelling errors that might distract the reader or even impede your ability to communicate your point.  One helpful exercise for revising on the local level is to read your paper out loud.  Hearing your paper will help you catch grammatical errors and awkward sentences.

Here is a checklist of questions to ask yourself while revising on both the global and local levels:

– Does my thesis clearly state my argument and its significance?

– Does the main argument in each body paragraph support my thesis?

– Do I have enough evidence within each body paragraph to make my point?

– Have I properly introduced, analyzed, and cited every quotation I use?

– Do my topic sentences effectively introduce the main point of each paragraph?

– Do I have transitions between paragraphs?

– Is my paper free of grammar and spelling errors?

• Congratulate yourself. You have written a history paper!

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Advanced Placement U.S. History Lessons

The Capture of the Hessians at Trenton December 26, 1776 by John Trumbull.

Wikimedia Commons

EDSITEment brings online humanities resources directly to the classroom through exemplary lesson plans and student activities. EDSITEment develops AP level lessons based on primary source documents that cover the most frequently taught topics and themes in American history. Many of these lessons were developed by teachers and scholars associated with the City University of New York and Ashland University.

Guiding Questions

What does it mean to form "a more perfect union"?

What makes American democracy unique?

What is the proper role of government in relation to the economy and civil liberties?

To what extent is the U.S. Constitution a living document?

To what extent have civil rights been established for all in the United States?

How have technology and innovation influenced culture, politics, and economics in U.S. history?

What role should the United States government and its citizens play in the world?

Magna Carta: Cornerstone of the U.S. Constitution —Magna Carta served to lay the foundation for the evolution of parliamentary government and subsequent declarations of rights in Great Britain and the United States. In attempting to establish checks on the king's powers, this document asserted the right of "due process" of law.  

Images of the New World —How did the English picture the native peoples of America during the early phases of colonization of North America? This lesson plan enables students to interact with written and visual accounts of this critical formative period at the end of the 16th century, when the English view of the New World was being formulated, with consequences that we are still seeing today.

Mission Nuestra Señora de la Concepción and the Spanish Mission in the New World —In this Picturing America lesson, students explore the historical origins and organization of Spanish missions in the New World and discover the varied purposes these communities of faith served. Focusing on the daily life of Mission Nuestra Señora de la Concepción, the lesson asks students to relate the people of this community and their daily activities to the art and architecture of the mission.

Colonizing the Bay —This lesson focuses on John Winthrop’s historic "Model of Christian Charity" sermon which is often referred to by its "City on a Hill" metaphor. Through a close reading of this admittedly difficult text, students will learn how it illuminates the beliefs, goals, and programs of the Puritans. The sermon sought to inspire and to motivate the Puritans by pointing out the distance they had to travel between an ideal community and their real-world situation.

Mapping Colonial New England: Looking at the Landscape of New England —The lesson focuses on two 17th century maps of the Massachusetts Bay Colony to trace how the Puritans took possession of the region, built towns, and established families on the land. Students learn how these New England settlers interacted with the Native Americans, and how to gain information about those relationships from primary sources such as maps.

William Penn’s Peaceable Kingdom —By juxtaposing the different promotional tracts of William Penn and David Pastorius, students understand the ethnic diversity of Pennsylvania along with the "pull” factors of migration in the 17th century English colonies.

Understanding the Salem Witch Trials —In 1691, a group of girls from Salem, Massachusetts accused an Indian slave named Tituba of witchcraft, igniting a hunt for witches that left 19 men and women hanged, one man pressed to death, and over 150 more people in prison awaiting a trial. In this lesson, students explore the characteristics of the Puritan community in Salem, learn about the Salem Witchcraft Trials, and try to understand how and why this event occurred.

Religion in 18th-Century America —This curriculum unit, through the use of primary documents, introduces students to the First Great Awakening, as well as to the ways in which religious-based arguments were used both in support of and against the American Revolution.

• Lesson 1: The First Great Awakening
• Lesson 2: Religion and the Argument for American Independence
• Lesson 3: Religion and the Fight for American Independence

C ommon Sense : The Rhetoric of Popular Democracy —This lesson looks at Tom Paine and at some of the ideas presented in Common Sense , such as national unity, natural rights, the illegitimacy of the monarchy and of hereditary aristocracy, and the necessity for independence and the revolutionary struggle.

"An Expression of the American Mind”: Understanding the Declaration of Independence —This lesson plan looks at the major ideas in the Declaration of Independence, their origins, the Americans’ key grievances against the King and Parliament, their assertion of sovereignty, and the Declaration’s process of revision. Upon completion of the lesson, students will be familiar with the document’s origins, and the influences that produced Jefferson’s "expression of the American mind.”

The American War for Independence —The decision of Britain's North American colonies to rebel against the Mother Country was an extremely risky one. In this unit, consisting of three lesson plans, students learn about the diplomatic and military aspects of the American War for Independence.

• Lesson 1: The War in the North, 1775–1778
• Lesson 2: The War in the South, 1778–1781
• Lesson 3: Ending the War, 1783

Choosing Sides: The Native Americans' Role in the American Revolution —Native American groups had to choose the loyalist or patriot cause—or somehow maintain a neutral stance during the Revolutionary War. Students analyze maps, treaties, congressional records, first-hand accounts, and correspondence to determine the different roles assumed by Native Americans in the American Revolution and understand why the various groups formed the alliances they did.

What Made George Washington a Good Military Leader? —What combination of experience, strategy, and personal characteristics enabled Washington to succeed as a military leader? In this unit, students read the Continental Congress's resolutions granting powers to General Washington, and analyze some of Washington's wartime orders, dispatches, and correspondence in terms of his mission and the characteristics of a good general.

• Lesson 1: What Made George Washington a Good Military Leader? What Are the Qualities of a Good Military Leader?
• Lesson 2: What Made George Washington a Good Military Leader? Powers and Problems
• Lesson 3: What Made George Washington a Good Military Leader? Leadership in Victory and Defeat
• Lesson 4: What Made George Washington a Good Military Leader? Leadership in Victory: One Last Measure of the Man

Slavery and the American Founding: The "Inconsistency not to be excused ” —This lesson focuses on the views of the founders as expressed in primary documents from their own time and in their own words. Students see that many of the major founders opposed slavery as contrary to the principles of the American Revolution. Students gain a better understanding of the views of many founders, even those who owned slaves – including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson – who looked forward to a time when slavery would no longer mar the American Republic.

Taking Up Arms and the Challenge of Slavery in the Revolutionary Era —Was the American Revolution inevitable? This lesson is designed to help students understand the transition to armed resistance and the contradiction in the Americans’ rhetoric about slavery through the examination of a series of documents.

Slavery in the Colonial North —This Closer Reading composed by Historic Hudson Valley in New York provides resources and an overview of how their historic site tells the story of the 23 enslaved Africans who were the only full-time, year round residents of the Manor, and whose forced labor was the backbone of the Philips’s international trading empire. Their "People Not Property" interactive documentary website offers multimedia resources and access to primary sources about Northern slavery. 

Democracy in America : Alexis de Tocqueville's Introduction —Tocqueville’s sojourn in America led to the writing of the reflection on equality and freedom known as Democracy in America . This great book remains arguably one of the two most important books on America political life, the Federalist Papers being the other one.

The Constitutional Convention of 1787 —The delegates at the 1787 Convention faced a challenge as arduous as those who worked throughout the 1780s to initiate reforms to the American political system. In this unit, students examine the roles that key American founders played in creating the Constitution, and the challenges they faced in the process.

• Lesson 1: The Road to the Constitutional Convention
• Lesson 2: The Question of Representation at the 1787 Convention
• Lesson 3: Creating the Office of the Presidency

The Federalist and Anti-federalist Debates on Diversity and the Extended Republic —In this unit, students will examine some of the most important arguments of those opposing or supporting the Constitution. They will learn why Anti-federalists believed that a large nation could not long preserve liberty and self-government and why Federalists such as James Madison believed that a large nation was vital to promote justice and the security of rights for all citizens, majority and minority alike.

• Lesson 1: Anti-federalist Arguments Against "A Complete Consolidation ”
• Lesson 2: The Federalist Defense of Diversity and "Extending the Sphere ”

Ratifying the Constitution —This lesson introduces students to the vigorous debates surrounding the ratification of the Constitution that took place in the state conventions.

The Creation of the Bill of Rights: "Retouching the Canvas " —This lesson will focus on the arguments either for or against the addition of a Bill of Rights between 1787 and 1789.

Washington and the Whiskey Rebellion —Students weigh the choices Washington faced in the nation’s first Constitutional crisis by following events through his private diary.

John Marshall, Marbury v. Madison and Judicial Review—How the Court Became Supreme —If James Madison was the "father" of the Constitution" John Marshall was the "father of the Supreme Court"—almost single-handedly clarifying its powers. This new lesson is designed to help students understand Marshall's brilliant strategy in issuing his decision on Marbury v. Madison , the significance of the concept of judicial review, and the language of this watershed case.

The First American Party System: Events, Issues, and Positions —Fear of factionalism and political parties was deeply rooted in Anglo-American political culture before the American Revolution. Leaders such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson hoped their new government, founded on the Constitution, would be motivated instead by a common intent, a unity. But political parties did form in the United States, with their beginnings in Washington's cabinet.

• Lesson 1: The First American Party System: U.S. Political Parties: The Principle of Legitimate Opposition
• Lesson 2: The First American Party System: A Documentary Timeline of Important Events (1787–1800)
• Lesson 3: The First American Party System: Federalists and Democratic-Republicans: The Platforms They Never Had

Certain Crimes Against the United States: The Sedition Act —As the end of the 18th century drew near, relations between the United States and France were deteriorating. In 1797 President Adams expressed his concern about the possibility of war with France and dissension at home caused by France and its supporters. At the same time, two opposing political parties were developing in the U.S., with Thomas Jefferson-led Democratic-Republicans tending to sympathize with France in foreign policy. Their loyalty was called into question by the Federalists. It was a dangerous time both for the security of the young Republic and the freedoms its citizens enjoyed.

• Lesson 1: From the President's Lips: The Concerns that Led to the Sedition (and Alien) Act
• Lesson 2: The Debate in Congress on the Sedition Act
• Lesson 3: George Washington on the Sedition Act
• Lesson 4: Thomas Jefferson on the Sedition Act
• Lesson 5: Consequences of the Sedition Act

James Madison: From Father of the Constitution to President —Even in its first 30 years of existence, the U.S. Constitution had to prove its durability and flexibility in a variety of disputes. More often than not, James Madison, the "Father of the Constitution," took part in the discussion.

• Lesson 1: James Madison: Madison Was There
• Lesson 2: James Madison: The Second National Bank—Powers Not Specified in the Constitution
• Lesson 3: James Madison: Raising an Army: Balancing the Power of the States and the Federal Government
• Lesson 4: James Madison: Internal Improvements Balancing Act: Federal/State, Executive/Legislative

The Monroe Doctrine: Origin and Early American Foreign Policy —Monroe brought a vision of an expanded America to his presidency—a vision that helped facilitate the formulation of what has become known as the Monroe Doctrine. In this unit, students review the Monroe Doctrine against a background of United States foreign relations in the early years of the republic.

• Lesson 1: The Monroe Doctrine: U.S. Foreign Affairs (circa 1782–1823) and James Monroe
• Lesson 2: The Monroe Doctrine: President Monroe and the Independence Movement in South America
• Lesson 3: The Monroe Doctrine: A Close Reading
• Lesson 4: The Monroe Doctrine: Whose Doctrine Was It?

The Election Is in the House: The Presidential Election of 1824 —The presidential election of 1824 represents a watershed in American politics. The collapse of the Federalist Party and the illness of the "official candidate" of the Democratic-Republicans led to a slate of candidates who were all Democratic-Republicans. This led to the end of the Congressional Caucus system for nominating candidates, and eventually, the development of a new two-party system in the United States. In this unit, students read an account of the election from the Journal of the House of Representatives, analyze archival campaign materials, and use an interactive online activity to develop a better understanding of the election of 1824 and its significance.

• Lesson 1: The Election Is in the House: The Denouement
• Lesson 2: The Election Is in the House: 1824: The Candidates and the Issues
• Lesson 3: The Election Is in the House: Was There a Corrupt Bargain?

The 1828 Campaign of Andrew Jackson and the Growth of Party Politics —Changes in voting qualifications and participation, the election of Andrew Jackson, and the formation of the Democratic Party—due largely to the organizational skills of Martin Van Buren—all contributed to making the election of 1828 and Jackson’s presidency a watershed in the evolution of the American political system. In this unit, students analyze changes in voter participation and regional power, and review archival campaign documents reflecting the dawn of politics as we know it during the critical years from 1824 to 1832.

• Lesson 1: The 1828 Campaign of Andrew Jackson: Expansion of the Voting Base
• Lesson 2: The 1828 Campaign of Andrew Jackson: Changes in Voting Participation
• Lesson 3: The 1828 Campaign of Andrew Jackson: Territorial Expansion and the Shift of Power
• Lesson 4: The 1828 Campaign of Andrew Jackson: Issues in the Election of 1828 (and Beyond)

The Campaign of 1840: William Henry Harrison and Tyler, Too —After the debacle of the one-party presidential campaign of 1824, a new two-party system began to emerge. Strong public reaction to perceived corruption in the vote in the House of Representatives, as well as the popularity of Andrew Jackson, allowed Martin Van Buren to organize a Democratic Party that resurrected a Jeffersonian philosophy of minimalism in the federal government. What issues were important to the presidential campaign of 1840? Why is the campaign of 1840 often cited as the first modern campaign?

• Lesson 1: The Campaign of 1840: The Whigs, the Democrats, and the Issues
• Lesson 2: The Campaign of 1840: The Candidates
• Lesson 3: The Campaign of 1840: The Campaign

Was There an Industrial Revolution? Americans at Work Before the Civil War —In this lesson, students explore the First Industrial Revolution in early nineteenth-century America. By reading and comparing first-hand accounts of the lives of workers before the Civil War, students prepare for a series of guided role-playing activities designed to help them make an informed judgment as to whether the changes that took place in manufacturing and distribution during this period are best described as a 'revolution' or as a steady evolution over time.

Was There an Industrial Revolution? New Workplace, New Technology, New Consumers —In this lesson, students explore the First Industrial Revolution in early nineteenth-century America. Through simulation activities and the examination of primary historical materials, students learn how changes in the workplace and less expensive goods led to the transformation of American life.

Life in the North and South 1847–1861: Before Brother Fought Brother —Curriculum Unit overview. More Americans lost their lives in the Civil War than in any other conflict. How did the United States arrive at a point at which the South seceded and some families were so fractured that brother fought brother?

• Lesson 1: Factory vs. Plantation in the North and South
• Lesson 2: People and Places in the North and South
• Lesson 3: A Debate Against Slavery
• Lesson 4: Life Before the Civil War
• Lesson 5: Women's Lives Before the Civil War

A House Dividing: The Growing Crisis of Sectionalism in Antebellum America —In this unit, students will trace the development of sectionalism in the United States as it was driven by the growing dependence upon, and defense of, black slavery in the southern states.

• Lesson 1: An Early Threat of Secession: The Missouri Compromise of 1820 and the Nullification Crisis
• Lesson 2: Slavery's Opponents and Defenders
• Lesson 3: The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854: Popular Sovereignty and the Political Polarization over Slavery
• Lesson 4: Abraham Lincoln, the 1860 Election, and the Future of the American Union and Slavery

From Courage to Freedom —In 1845 Frederick Douglass published what was to be the first of his three autobiographies: the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself .

• Lesson 1: From Courage to Freedom: The Reality behind the Song
• Lesson 2: From Courage to Freedom: Slavery's Dehumanizing Effects
• Lesson 3: From Courage to Freedom

What to the Slave is the Fourth of July? —A student activity. Frederick Douglass (1818–1895) was a former slave who became the greatest abolitionist orator of the antebellum period. During the Civil War he worked tirelessly for the emancipation of the four million enslaved African Americans.

The American Civil War: A "Terrible Swift Sword ” —This curriculum unit introduces students to important questions pertaining to the war: strengths and weaknesses of each side at the start of the conflict; the two turning points of the war-the concurrent battles of Gettysburg and Vicksburg—as well as the morality of the Union's use of "total war" tactics against the population of the South; Abraham Lincoln's wartime leadership.

• Lesson 1: On the Eve of War: North vs. South
• Lesson 2: The Battles of the Civil War
• Lesson 3: Abraham Lincoln and Wartime Politics

Abraham Lincoln on the American Union: "A Word Fitly Spoken ” —By examining Lincoln's three most famous speeches—the Gettysburg Address and the First and Second Inaugural Addresses—in addition to a little known fragment on the Constitution, union, and liberty, students trace what these documents say regarding the significance of union to the prospects for American self-government.

• Lesson 1: Fragment on the Constitution and Union (1861)—The Purpose of the American Union
• Lesson 2: The First Inaugural Address (1861)—Defending the American Union
• Lesson 3: The Gettysburg Address (1863)—Defining the American Union
• Lesson 4: The Second Inaugural Address (1865)—Restoring the American Union

The Emancipation Proclamation: Freedom's First Steps —Why was the Emancipation Proclamation important? While the Civil War began as a war to restore the Union, not to end slavery, by 1862 President Abraham Lincoln came to believe that he could save the Union only by broadening the goals of the war. students can explore the obstacles and alternatives we faced in making the journey toward "a more perfect Union."

The Red Badge of Courage : A New Kind of Courage —In The Red Badge of Courage , Stephen Crane presents war through the eyes —and thoughts —of one soldier. The narrative’s altered point of view and stylistic innovations enable a heightened sense of realism while setting the work apart from war stories written essentially as tributes or propaganda.

The Battle Over Reconstruction —This curriculum unit of three lessons examines the social, political and economic conditions of the southern states in the aftermath of the Civil War and shows how these factors helped to shape the Reconstruction debate as well as the subsequent history of American race relations.

• Lesson 1: The Battle Over Reconstruction: The Aftermath of War
• Lesson 2: The Battle Over Reconstruction: The Politics of Reconstruction
• Lesson 3: The Battle Over Reconstruction: The Aftermath of Reconstruction

The Industrial Age in America: Robber Barons or Captains of Industry?

The Industrial Age in America: Sweatshops, Steel Mills and Factories

The Birth of an American Empire —America emerges as a world power after the Spanish American War and asserting itself on the world scene.

• Lesson 1: The Question of an American Empire
• Lesson 2: The Spanish-American War
• Lesson 3: The Matter of the Philippines
• Lesson 4: Imperialism and the Open Door

United States Entry into World War I: A Documentary Chronology —In this curriculum unit, students reconsider the events leading to U.S. entry into World War I through the lens of archival documents.

• Lesson 1: United States Entry into World War I: Two Diametrically Opposed Views
• Lesson 2: United States Entry into World War I: Some Hypotheses About U.S. Entry
• Lesson 3: United States Entry into World War I: A Documentary Chronology of World War I

The United States and Europe: From Neutrality to War, 1921–1941 —Over the two decades between World War I and World War II, Americans pursued strategies aimed at preventing another war. In this four lesson unit, students use primary sources and an interactive map to examine the rise of antiwar sentiment and legislation in the United States and the main arguments used by both sides as to whether the United States should enter the war or remain neutral.

• Lesson 1: Postwar Disillusionment and the Quest for Peace, 1921–1929
• Lesson 2: Legislating Neutrality, 1934–1939
• Lesson 3: U.S. Neutrality and the War in Europe, 1939–1940
• Lesson 4: The Great Debate: Internationalists vs. Isolationists

African-American Soldiers in World War I: The 92nd and 93rd Divisions —Late in 1917, the War Department created two all-black infantry divisions. The 93rd Infantry Division received unanimous praise for its performance in combat, fighting as part of France’s 4th Army. In this lesson, students combine their research in a variety of sources, including firsthand accounts, to develop a hypothesis evaluating.

African-American Soldiers After World War I: Had Race Relations Changed? —In this lesson, students view archival photographs, combine their efforts to comb through a database of more than 2,000 archival newspaper accounts about race relations in the United States, and read newspaper articles written from different points of view about post-war riots in Chicago.

The Great War: Evaluating the Treaty of Versailles —Was the Treaty of Versailles, which formally concluded World War I, a legitimate attempt by the victorious powers to prevent further conflict, or did it place an unfair burden on Germany? This lesson helps students respond to the question in an informed manner. Activities involve primary sources, maps, and other supporting documents related to the peace process and its reception by the German public and German politicians.

The Debate in the United States over the League of Nations —American foreign policy continues to resonate with the issues surrounding the debate over U.S. entry into the League of Nations—collective security versus national sovereignty, idealism versus pragmatism, the responsibilities of powerful nations, and the use of force to accomplish idealistic goals, the idea of America. Understanding the debate over the League and the consequences of its ultimate failure provides insight into international affairs in the years since the end of the Great War and beyond. In this lesson, students read the words and listen to the voices of some central participants in the debate over the League of Nations.

• Lesson 1: The Debate in the United States over the League of Nations: League of Nations Basics
• Lesson 2: The Debate in the United States over the League of Nations: Disagreement Over the League
• Lesson 3: The Debate in the United States over the League of Nations: Five Camps: From Voices of Consent to Voices of Dissent

Woodrow Wilson and Foreign Policy —Curriculum Unit. The influence of President Woodrow Wilson on American foreign policy has been profound and lasting. Using a variety of primary sources, students analyze the origins of the ambitious foreign policy that came to be known as Wilsonianism and compare it with important alternative traditions in American foreign policy.

The Origins of "Wilsonianism ”

"To Elect Good Men”: Woodrow Wilson and Latin America

Wilson and American Entry into World War I

Fighting for Peace: The Fate of Wilson's Fourteen Points

Birth of a Nation, the NAACP, and the Balancing of Rights —In this lesson students learn how Birth of a Nation reflected and influenced racial attitudes, and they analyze and evaluate the efforts of the NAACP to prohibit showing of the film.  

NAACP's Anti-Lynching Campaigns: The Quest for Social Justice in the Interwar Years —Curriculum Unit Overview: During the years 1909 to 1939, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People sought passage of anti-lynching legislation. Although this proposed legislation failed to become law, much can be learned by examining the NAACP's anti-lynching campaign about how Americans in the interwar period understood the federal system, interpreted the Constitution, and responded to calls for social justice.

• Lesson 1: NAACP’s Anti-Lynching Campaign in the 1920s

FDR's Fireside Chats: The Power of Words —In this lesson which focuses on two of FDR's Fireside Chats, students gain a sense of the dramatic effect of FDR's voice on his audience, see the scope of what he was proposing in these initial speeches, and make an overall analysis of why the Fireside Chats were so successful.

The Social Security Act —This lesson engages students in the debate over the Social Security Act that engrossed the nation during the 1930s.

African-Americans and the New Deal’s Civilian Conservation Corps —The Civilian Conservation Corps, a New Deal recovery and relief program provided more than a quarter of a million young black men with jobs during the Depression. By examining primary source documents students analyze the impact of this program on race relations in America and assess the role played by the New Deal in changing them.

FDR and the Lend-Lease Act —This lesson shows students how broadly the Lend-Lease Act of March 1941 empowered the federal government—particularly the President—and asks students to investigate how FDR promoted the program in speeches and then in photographs.

Eleanor Roosevelt and the Rise of Social Reform in the 1930s —This lesson asks students to explore the various roles that Eleanor Roosevelt a key figure in several of the most important social reform movements of the twentieth century took on, among them: First Lady, political activist for civil rights, newspaper columnist and author, and representative to the United Nations.

Worth a Thousand Words: Depression-Era Photographs —Spend a day with a model American family and the photographer who molded our view of their lives.

Freedom by the Fireside: The Legacy of FDR's "Four Freedoms" Speech —One of the most famous political speeches on freedom in the twentieth century was delivered by Franklin Delano Roosevelt in his 1941 State of the Union message to Congress.This lesson examines some of the nuances and ambiguities inherent in the rhetorical use of "freedom." The objective is to encourage students to glimpse the broad range of hopes and aspirations that are expressed in the call of—and for—freedom.

Dust Bowl Days —Students will be introduced to this dramatic era in our nation's history through photographs, songs and interviews with people who lived through the Dust Bowl.

NAACP Lesson 2: NAACP's Anti-Lynching Campaign in the 1930s

From Neutrality to War: The United States and Europe, 1921–1941 —Curiculum unit overview. Over the two decades between World War I and World War II, Americans pursued strategies aimed at preventing another war. In this four lesson unit, students use primary sources and an interactive map to examine the rise of antiwar sentiment and legislation in the United States and the main arguments used by both sides as to whether the United States should enter the war or remain neutral.

The Road to Pearl Harbor: The United States and East Asia, 1915-1941 —Curiculum unit overview. Although most Americans were shocked by the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the outbreak of war between the two countries came as no surprise to most observers of international affairs. Using contemporary documents, students explore the rise of animosity between the United States and Japan from its origins in World War I and culminating two decades later in the Pearl Harbor attack.

• Lesson 1: The Growth of U.S.-Japanese Hostility, 1915–1932
• Lesson 2: America and the Sino-Japanese Conflict, 1933–1939
• Lesson 3: Japan's "Southern Advance” and the March toward War, 1940–1941
• Lesson 4: The Failure of Diplomacy, September-December 1941

"The Proper Application of Overwhelming Force”: The United States in World War II —After learning that the Japanese had attacked Pearl Harbor, thus ensuring that the United States would enter World War II, Prime Minister Winston Churchill breathed a sigh of relief. "Hitler's fate was sealed," he would later recall. "Mussolini's fate was sealed. As for the Japanese, they would be ground to powder. All the rest was merely the proper application of overwhelming force." In this unit, students examine the role that the United States played in bringing about this victory.

• Lesson 1: Turning the Tide in the Pacific, 1941–1943
• Lesson 2: Turning the Tide in Europe, 1942–1944
• Lesson 3: Victory in Europe, 1944–1945
• Lesson 4: Victory in the Pacific, 1943–1945

American Diplomacy in World War II —This four-lesson curriculum unit examine the nature of what Winston Churchill called the "Grand Alliance" between the United States, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union in opposition to the aggression of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan.

• Lesson 1: How "Grand” and "Allied” was the Grand Alliance?
• Lesson 2: How to Win a World War
• Lesson 3: Victory and the New Order in Europe
• Lesson 4: The New Order for "Greater East Asia”

On the Home Front —Learning about World War II American efforts helps students gain some perspective regarding the U.S. response to the conflict generated by the September 11th terrorist attacks.

Norman Rockwell, Freedom of Speech —Know It When You See It —This lesson plan highlights the importance of First Amendment rights by examining Norman Rockwell’s painting of The Four Freedoms. Students discover the First Amendment in action as they explore their own community and country through newspapers, art, and role playing.

The Origins of the Cold War, 1945–1949 —Since the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, Soviet leaders had been claiming that communism and capitalism could never peacefully coexist. Agreements regarding the postwar world were reached at Yalta and Potsdam, but the Soviets wasted no time in violating them. Harry Truman believed that the proper means of responding to an international bully was a credible threat of force.

• Lesson 1: Sources of Discord, 1945–1946
• Lesson 2: The Strategy of Containment, 1947–1948
• Lesson 3: The Formation of the Western Alliance, 1948–1949

Witch Hunt or Red Menace? Anticommunism in Postwar America, 1945–1954 —Americans emerged from World War II as the only major combatant to avoid having its homeland ravaged by war, the U.S. economy was clearly the strongest in the world, and, of course, the United States was the only country in the world to possess that awesome new weapon, the atomic bomb. However, over the next five years relations between the United States and the Soviet Union went from alliance to Cold War.

• Lesson 1: Soviet Espionage in America
• Lesson 2: The House Un-American Activities Committee
• Lesson 3: The Rise and Fall of Joseph McCarthy

Dramatizing History in Arthur Miller's The Crucible —By closely reading historical documents and attempting to interpret them, students consider how Arthur Miller interpreted the facts of the Salem witch trials and how he successfully dramatized them in his play, The Crucible. As they explore historical materials, such as the biographies of key players (the accused and the accusers) and transcripts of the Salem Witch trials themselves, students will be guided by aesthetic and dramatic concerns: In what ways do historical events lend themselves (or not) to dramatization? What makes a particular dramatization of history effective and memorable?

"Police Action”: The Korean War, 1950–1953 —In 1950, North Korean forces, armed mainly with Soviet weapons, invaded South Korea in an effort to reunite the peninsula under communist rule. This lesson will introduce students to the conflict by having them read the most important administration documents related to it.

"The Missiles of October”: The Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962 —Most historians agree that the world has never come closer to nuclear war than it did during a thirteen-day period in October 1962, after the revelation that the Soviet Union had stationed several medium-range ballistic missiles in Cuba. This lesson examines how this crisis developed, how the Kennedy administration chose to respond, and how the situation was ultimately resolved.

The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution and Escalation of the Vietnam War —In August 1964, a small military engagement off the coast of North Vietnam helped escalate the involvement of the United States in Vietnam; the Vietnam War would become the longest military engagement in American history.

Building Suburbia: Highways and Housing in Postwar America —The postwar United States experienced a dramatic economic boom—and a dramatic reorientation of American ideals of the home.

Competing Voices of the Civil Rights Movement —When most people think of the Civil Rights Movement in America, they think of Martin Luther King, Jr. Delivering his "I Have a Dream" speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in 1963. But "the Movement" achieved its greatest results due to the competing strategies and agendas of diverse individuals. This unit presents the views of several important black leaders who shaped the debate over how to achieve freedom and equality in our nation.

• Lesson 1: Martin Luther King, Jr. and Nonviolent Resistance
• Lesson 2: Black Separatism or the Beloved Community? Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr.

Profiles in Courage: To Kill A Mockingbird and the Scottsboro Boys Trial —Students study select court transcripts and other primary source material from the second Scottsboro Boys Trial of 1933, a continuation of the first trial in which two young white women wrongfully accused nine African-American youths of rape.

JFK, LBJ, and the Fight for Equal Opportunity in the 1960s —This lesson provides students with an opportunity to study and analyze the innovative legislative efforts of Presidents Kennedy and Johnson in the social and economic context of the 1960s.

The Kennedy Administration and the Civil Rights Movement —Students learn how civil rights activists, state and local officials in the South, and the Administration of President Kennedy come into conflict during the early 1960s.

Freedom Riders and the Popular Music of the Civil Rights Era —The American civil rights movement incorporated a variety of cultural elements in their pursuit of political and legal equality under law. This lesson will highlight the role of music as a major influence through the use of audio recordings, photographs, and primary documents.

Twelve Angry Men: Trial by Jury as a Right and as a Political Institution — Twelve Angry Men , originally written for television by Reginald Rose in 1954 and subsequently adapted for stage (1955), film (1957) and television again (1997), effectively conveys the central importance of the right to a jury trial afforded by Article III of the Constitution as well as Amendments V, VI, and XIV.

Building Suburbia: Highways and Housing in Postwar America

The Election of Barack Obama 44th President of the United States —In this lesson, students put Barack Obama’s election as the first African-American President of the United States in historical context by studying two of his speeches and reviewing some of the history of African-American voting rights.

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Historical Bias in Ancient Sources

The Scientific Revolution

Hittite Diplomacy & the Treaty of Kadesh

Phoenician Maritime Trade and Cultural Exchange

Mesopotamia: Innovations & Agriculture

Mesopotamia: Empires & Warfare

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A Gallery of North American Plains Indians

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20 Battles of the American Revolution

Early Christianity in 10 Maps

A Gallery of Mesopotamian Religion

A Gallery of Dogs Through the Ages

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Appreciating Social Change: U.S. history provides a lens through which students can examine significant social changes, such as the abolition of slavery ... History Worksheets & Free Printables History Worksheets and Printables. Take your students on a journey through time with our history worksheets! Whether your next unit explores ancient civilizations like the Vikings and ancient Egypt, the American Revolution, the civil rights movement, or anything in between, our collection of history worksheets has the activity for you. History Assignment PSYC 210 (pdf) History Assignment 1. In the case of Sally Clark when the statistics were used, they only used a one-sided statistic. They presented that the probability that both children were murdered by Sally was higher than the probability both babies died from SIDS. However, they did not use the statistics that the chance Sally murdered both babies were still low. assignment homework phd report resume review speech thesis