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6-8 Middle School Lessons Playlist

83 items

The Colonial World Stations
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How did the English colonies develop unique identities compared with the colonies of other nations? 
Reasons for Settlement
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What factors influenced the establishment of different types of colonies in North America? 
Colonial Charters
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Identify the factors that influence the establishment of different types of colonies.
Major Industries of the 13 Colonies
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1 Activities

How did climate and available resources affect the development of the 13 Colonies? 
Mercantilism and the Colonial World
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Discover how mercantilism influenced the development of colonies in North America.
Origins of Slavery, Resistance to Slavery
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How did enslaved people and free Blacks shape the cultural, social, and political landscape of the colonies?
Self-Governance in the British Colonies
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How did self-government lead to the development of unique colonies in America?
Salutary Neglect
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What practices and institutions did colonists create to govern themselves? 
Timeline and Place
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How did existing Native communities, European colonists, religious communities, and enslaved Africans shape the cultural, social, and political landscape of the colonies?
Cultural Exchanges in the Colonial World
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How did various cultures interact with each other in the colonial world?
Unit 1: Thesis Deconstructed DBQ – Mini-Lesson
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In what ways did different groups, such as religious communities, traders, and settlers in the American colonies establish and practice self-government?
Rising Tensions
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What were the main causes of tension between Great Britain and the colonies? 
Views of British Rule before the Revolution
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3 Activities

How did British and colonial perspectives on taxation, representation, and self-governance compare in the decades leading up to the American Revolution?
Founding Principles, Virtues, and the American Revolution
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How were civic virtues demonstrated and Founding principles upheld in the Revolutionary era?
Battles of the Revolution
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What were the key events and turning points of the American Revolution? 
Revolutionary War Story Map
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What were the key events and turning points of the American Revolution? 
Effectiveness of the Articles of Confederation
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What challenges did the new nation face after gaining independence? 
What’s in the Articles of Confederation?
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How did the Articles of Confederation address the challenges the new nation faced? 
Unit 2: Grouping Sources and Thesis Deconstructed DBQ – Mini-Lesson
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3 Activities

How did British and colonial perspectives on taxation, representation, and self-governance compare in the decades leading up to the American Revolution?
The Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution ​​Preamble
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Analyze the relationship between the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution by looking at key phrases from each document.
The Articles of Confederation
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Explore the purpose, structure, and flaws of the Articles of Confederation.
Homework Help: Articles of Confederation Viewing Guide
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What were the primary problems faced by the United States under the Articles of Confederation?
Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists
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Explore the disagreements between the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists.
Federalism and the National Bank
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How did the division of power for the United States shape early American history?
Sorting Views of the Federalists and Anti-Federalists
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What were the key arguments for and against ratification of the Constitution, and how were the debates shaped by constitutional principles?   
Federalism Infographic Exploration
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How does the principle of federalism balance power between the national and state governments? 
Representative Government Video Viewing Guide
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How did principles shape the republican framework of the new constitutional government?
Unit 3: “VIEW”ing Documents Deconstructed DBQ – Mini-Lesson
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What were the principles of the new Constitution and how did they shape the debate between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists during the ratification debate? 
Grouping Rights
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Students will analyze the Bill of Rights amendments and categorize those into thematic groups.
Limiting Government Through the Bill of Rights
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How is the government’s power is limited by the Bill of Rights?
Learning to Read Supreme Court Decisions
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2 Activities

How can understanding the principles of the Constitution help citizens participate effectively in a democratic society?
The Constitutional System of Government
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3 Activities

How do the three branches of government interact to create a system of checks and balances?
Healthy Tension through Checks and Balances
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Explore case studies of branches asserting their constitutional authority to check one another.
Outward Civic Life: Civic Groups
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How can understanding the principles of the Constitution help citizens participate effectively in a democratic society?
What Makes a Good Citizen?
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What are the rights and responsibilities of citizens in a democratic society?
Unit 4 Civic and Constitutional Life Deconstructed DBQ
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3 Activities

45 Min

How can understanding the principles of the Constitution help citizens participate effectively in a democratic society?
45 Min
Understanding Washington: His First Inaugural Address and Farewell Address
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Explore two of Washington's famous speeches and its impact on the country.
Washington and the Whiskey Rebellion
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How did George Washington's leadership and decisions shape the early republic?  
The Causes and the Effects of the Election of 1800
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How did the emergence of political parties influence the development of American democracy?
Party Lines: The Rise of Federalists and Democratic-Republicans
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How did the emergence of political parties influence the development of American democracy?
Decisions in the Early Republic
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How did the Constitution influence decisions in the Early Republic?
Early American Conflicts
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Describe the attempts to remain neutral and explain the conflicts of the early republic.
Unit 5: Early Republic Deconstructed DBQ
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4 Activities

Help students provide historical context for primary source documents in a deconstructed DBQ.
Interactive Suffrage Timeline Lesson Plan
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How did democratic participation expand in the United States?
Social Movements of the Nineteenth Century
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How did reform movements in the early nineteenth century address the social and economic challenges of the era?
Industrial Growth and Immigration
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How did industrialization and urbanization transform the economy, society, and culture of the United States in the nineteenth century?
Reform Movements of the Nineteenth Century
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How did reform movements in the early nineteenth century address the social and economic challenges of the era?
Technology Cause and Effects
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How did Americans and democratic institutions respond to the rapid economic changes of the early 19th century?
The Presidency of Andrew Jackson
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How did Andrew Jackson's presidency reshape American politics?
Unit 6: America in Transition Deconstructed DBQ
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3 Activities

How did Americans and democratic institutions respond to the rapid economic changes of the early nineteenth century?
Geography and History: A Map-Based Inquiry
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How has geography influenced economic development, population trends, and historical events in the U.S.?
Infrastructure in the Era of Expansion
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How did economic factors drive westward expansion and create new opportunities and challenges?
Land Acquisition and Westward Movement
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How did the acquisition of new territories impact the nation's growth and development?
Voices From Western Expansion
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What can we learn from the stories of individuals traveling westward to find new opportunities?
Migration West
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What drove immigration westward and what challenges and opportunities did those who undertake it experience?
Trail of Tears Stations
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How did U.S. expansion affect Native American communities?
Is the Constitution Pro or Anti-Slavery?
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How can primary source documents help us understand the perspective on slavery of the author's of the U.S. Constitution?
Development of Sectionalism and Rising Tensions
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How did the expansion of slavery into new territories intensify sectional tensions?  
Abolition Views Sorting
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What did Americans think about slavery in the nineteenth century?
How Enslaved People Resisted Slavery
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How did enslaved people resist slavery in their daily lives?
Unit 7: American Expansion Deconstructed DBQ
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How did the drive for territorial expansion shape the nation’s identity and create new challenges for the United States?
Underlying and Immediate Causes of the Civil War Timeline
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What were the underlying causes of the Civil War and how did slavery divide the nation?
Secession and the Start of the Civil War
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Why did some individuals chose to join the secession movement?
Views of Slavery Leading Up to the Civil War
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What were the range of views on slavery in the United States leading up to the Civil War?
Turning Points and Events of the Civil War Timeline
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Explain the major turning points and events of the Civil War.  
Battles of the Civil War Lesson Plan
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What were the major turning points and events of the Civil War? 
Domestic and International Views of the Civil War
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What were the different views of people from other countries about the Civil War?
Respect at Appomattox
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How did the Civil War come to an end at Appomattox?
Voices from the Civil War
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Explore the stories of Northerners and Southerners during the Civil War and their views of the conflict.
Lincoln and Prudence
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How did Lincoln show prudence in constitutional decisions during the Civil War?
Civil War Battles Research Project
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Use the skills of research and historical analysis to investigate a Civil War battle. 
Unit 8: Civil War Deconstructed DBQ
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Use historical analysis skills to answer a document based question.
Different Models of Reconstruction
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How successful was Reconstruction in addressing the challenges of rebuilding the nation and ensuring equal rights for African Americans?
The Story of Reconstruction
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How did federal and state government actions differ during reconstruction?
Assessing President Andrew Johnson’s First Annual Message, 1865
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What were President Andrew Johnson's goals for Reconstruction?
Comparing Art to Reality
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Explain how Reconstruction impacted the lives and experiences of African Americans
Experiences of African Americans During Reconstruction
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What were the experiences of African Americans during Reconstruction?
Reconstruction and Resistance: Black Codes and the Ku Klux Klan
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How did Reconstruction impact the lives of formerly enslaved people and their families?
Oral Histories of Formerly Enslaved Individuals
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Explore the personal stories of formerly enslaved individuals and their experiences after the Civil War.
The End of Reconstruction
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Identify and explain the factors leading to the end of Reconstruction and describe the legacy of Reconstruction on the nation
Reconstruction Point-Counterpoint
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To what extent did Reconstruction help African Americans? Did African Americans get trapped in a situation similar to slavery, or did they make any progress during this period? 
Legacy of Reconstruction
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What was the legacy of Reconstruction for the nation?
Unit 9: Reconstruction Deconstructed DBQ
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Analyze primary sources using the VIEW method, group them by historical themes, and use evidence and context to develop and support a clear thesis about a historical topic.