Lesson Plan The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere: Literature v. History Art, Government and Civics, Literature, World History 3, 4, 5 Click to download this three-lesson unit.
Spotlight on: Primary Source World War I poems: “In Flanders Fields” and “The Answer,” 1918 Literature, World History Ella Osborn’s 1918 diary provides insight into the experiences of an American nurse serving in France at the end of World War I. In addition to her notes about the men under her care and events in France, Osborn jotted down two...
Spotlight on: Primary Source John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address, 1961 Economics, Geography, Government and Civics, Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, World History On January 20, 1961, John F. Kennedy was sworn in as the thirty-fifth President of the United States. His short, fourteen-minute inaugural address is best remembered for a single line: "My fellow Americans: ask not what your country...
Spotlight on: Primary Source Phillis Wheatley’s poem on tyranny and slavery, 1772 Government and Civics, Literature, Religion and Philosophy Born in Africa, Phillis Wheatley was captured and sold into slavery as a child. She was purchased by John Wheatley of Boston in 1761. The Wheatleys soon recognized Phillis’s intelligence and taught her to read and write. She became...
Lesson Plan Letter from Christopher Columbus on Returning from His First Voyage to the Americas, 1493 Geography, World History 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 Click here to download this five-lesson unit.
Lesson Plan Differing Views of Pilgrims and American Indians in Seventeenth-Century New England Economics, Government and Civics 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Background Wampanoags Much of what is known about early Wampanoag history comes from archaeological evidence, the Wampanoag oral tradition (much of which has been lost), and documents created by seventeenth-century English colonists....
Lesson Plan Washington's Farewell Address 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 View a copy of Washington’s Farewell Address in the Gilder Lehrman Collection by clicking here . For a resource regarding the possibility of Washington staying on for a third term click here . Click here to download this five-lesson...
Lesson Plan Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" Speech Government and Civics 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 Unit Overview This unit is part of the Gilder Lehrman Institute’s Teaching Literacy through History resources, designed to align to the Common Core State Standards. These units were developed to enable students to understand,...
Spotlight on: Primary Source "America the Beautiful," 1893 In a brief essay that appeared ca. 1925, poet Katharine Lee Bates described her inspiration for writing "America the Beautiful," the poem that would evolve into one of the nation’s best-loved patriotic songs, during a trip to Pike’s...
Lesson Plan Revolutionary Propaganda: Persuasion and Colonial Support Government and Civics, Literature 9, 10, 11, 12, 13+ Background Many students misconstrue the American Revolution as a period of unanimous support for independence from Great Britain. However, colonists generally considered themselves loyal British citizens, asserting rightful...