history

The Civil War affected all aspects of life during the mid-1800s. Students will read literature, informational texts, and primary source documents to learn how the war affected life based on the perspective of those who lived through it. 

This module asks students to perform a close reading of two important Humanities Texts: the Declaration of Independence (1776) and the Declaration of Sentiments (1848). For this reason, Skills Cluster 2: Reading Process will be repeated during the instructional process for this module. The...

In this Humanities module middle school students study the painting by Picasso, Guernica, as a primary text and read a few secondary sources about the historical events. Instruction focuses on building a vocabulary to talk about works of art and history, and it offers an opportunity to...

In this module, students will investigate the period in Colorado History in which Spanish explorers began to explore the area that became the state of Colorado. Students will examine the relationships between the explorers and the native populations. Students will explain the effects of Spanish...

We have talked about pride and how too much pride could be a "wonderful, terrible" thing. We have applied that to racial discrimination and injustice. After we analyze Dr. King's speech, investigate court rulings, and evaluate current issues, we will read and interpret the play A Raisin in...

This module sits inside a unit in which students study several primary and secondary sources relating to American Imperialism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. After engaging in this research, students will write an argumentation essay. 

During the mid 1800's, many slaves risked their lives to escape from their slave owners and achieve freedom. How could they do this without being caught? Who would help them along their way to freedom? The state of Pennsylvania provided key locations that made it easier for slaves to escape to...

Students explore the relationship between PA Native Americans and early European settlers 

This module sits inside a unit in which students study the 1920's and the changing society. Students will pull together knowledge about the 1920's from content studied in previous lessons and their readings of primary and secondary sources about the module topic to write an informative essay. 

In this module, students will conduct research, read, and learn how Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. impacted history and why he was considered a great American Leader. Then they will write an informative article with an opening paragraph, body paragraphs, and a concluding paragraph describing why...

After reading selected articles, students will write an argumentative essay stating what they believe to be the main cause of the Civil War, with their opinions substantiated by evidence gleaned from their readings. 

This module serves as a case study within Unit 1 in the high school Civics course and focuses on these essential questions: "How did the founding of the U.S. government reflect the founders’ beliefs about power and authority? Does our current government still reflect these same beliefs?" The...

After declaring its independence from Great Britain on July 4th, 1776 the young nation was forced to decide which type of government it would call its own. The Articles of Confederation represented the first constitutional agreement made between the 13 American states. However, after the...

This module is designed to be taught in 10th grade ELA at the beginning of the school year. Students will read, "The Children of Willesden Lane," the historical account of piano prodigy Lisa Jura's escape from Vienna and her life in London during World War II. Students will analyze how the...

This module is meant to accompany a unit on the French Revolution and assumes that students have a background knowledge of the basic timeline of events leading up to, during, and after the Revolution. They will analyze the significance of the role of women in the French Revolution and could...

Throughout the “Cold War”, the Iron Curtain symbolized the ideological conflict and physical boundary dividing Europe. Winston Churchill's "Sinews of Peace" address on March 5, 1946, at Westminster College, helped popularize the term “iron curtain” across the world. This module is intended to...

On July 5, 1852, former slave and abolitionist Frederick Douglass delivered what was to become one of the most historic speeches of the 19th century at an Independence Day commemoration sponsored by the Rochester Ladies' Anti-Slavery Society in Rochester, NY.

In this module, students will...

This common analytic rubric assesses argumentative writing within the discipline of history, with a focus on document-based argumentation.

The rubric was developed for the New York City Department of Education Local Measures Project.

This common analytic rubric is for use with history/social studies tasks in the middle grades. It was developed for the New York City Department of Education Local Measures Project.

Students select a topic about the impact of war on combatants or another group affected by war.

Students conduct independent historical research on their chosen topic in addition to selecting and reading two to three poems centered on the British experience in World War I.

Students...