6-8 Middle School Lessons Playlist
83 items
The Colonial World Stations
Lesson - 1 Activities
Lesson
1 Activities
How did the English colonies develop unique identities compared with the colonies of other nations?
Reasons for Settlement
Lesson - 1 Activities
Lesson
1 Activities
What factors influenced the establishment of different types of colonies in North America?
Colonial Charters
Lesson - 1 Activities
Lesson
1 Activities
Identify the factors that influence the establishment of different types of colonies.
Major Industries of the 13 Colonies
Lesson - 1 Activities
Lesson
1 Activities
How did climate and available resources affect the development of the 13 Colonies?
Mercantilism and the Colonial World
Lesson - 2 Activities
Lesson
2 Activities
Discover how mercantilism influenced the development of colonies in North America.
Origins of Slavery, Resistance to Slavery
Lesson - 2 Activities
Lesson
2 Activities
How did enslaved people and free Blacks shape the cultural, social, and political landscape of the colonies?
Self-Governance in the British Colonies
Lesson - 2 Activities
Lesson
2 Activities
How did self-government lead to the development of unique colonies in America?
Salutary Neglect
Lesson
Lesson
What practices and institutions did colonists create to govern themselves?
Timeline and Place
Lesson - 2 Activities
Lesson
2 Activities
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
Lesson - 2 Activities
Lesson
2 Activities
How did various cultures interact with each other in the colonial world?
Unit 1: Thesis Deconstructed DBQ – Mini-Lesson
Lesson - 3 Activities
Lesson
3 Activities
In what ways did different groups, such as religious communities, traders, and settlers in the American colonies establish and practice self-government?
Rising Tensions
Lesson - 1 Activities
Lesson
1 Activities
What were the main causes of tension between Great Britain and the colonies?
Views of British Rule before the Revolution
Lesson - 3 Activities
Lesson
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
Lesson - 2 Activities
Lesson
2 Activities
How were civic virtues demonstrated and Founding principles upheld in the Revolutionary era?
Battles of the Revolution
Lesson - 3 Activities
Lesson
3 Activities
What were the key events and turning points of the American Revolution?
Revolutionary War Story Map
Lesson
Lesson
What were the key events and turning points of the American Revolution?
Effectiveness of the Articles of Confederation
Lesson
Lesson
What challenges did the new nation face after gaining independence?
What’s in the Articles of Confederation?
Lesson - 1 Activities
Lesson
1 Activities
How did the Articles of Confederation address the challenges the new nation faced?
Unit 2: Grouping Sources and Thesis Deconstructed DBQ – Mini-Lesson
Lesson - 3 Activities
Lesson
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
Lesson - 2 Activities
Lesson
2 Activities
Analyze the relationship between the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution by looking at key phrases from each document.
The Articles of Confederation
Lesson
Lesson
Explore the purpose, structure, and flaws of the Articles of Confederation.
Homework Help: Articles of Confederation Viewing Guide
Lesson
Lesson
What were the primary problems faced by the United States under the Articles of Confederation?
Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists
Lesson - 2 Activities
Lesson
2 Activities
Explore the disagreements between the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists.
Federalism and the National Bank
Lesson - 1 Activities
Lesson
1 Activities
How did the division of power for the United States shape early American history?
Sorting Views of the Federalists and Anti-Federalists
Lesson - 2 Activities
Lesson
2 Activities
What were the key arguments for and against ratification of the Constitution, and how were the debates shaped by constitutional principles?
Federalism Infographic Exploration
Lesson
Lesson
How does the principle of federalism balance power between the national and state governments?
Representative Government Video Viewing Guide
Lesson
Lesson
How did principles shape the republican framework of the new constitutional government?
Unit 3: “VIEW”ing Documents Deconstructed DBQ – Mini-Lesson
Lesson - 3 Activities
Lesson
3 Activities
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
Lesson
Lesson
Students will analyze the Bill of Rights amendments and categorize those into thematic groups.
Limiting Government Through the Bill of Rights
Lesson - 1 Activities
Lesson
1 Activities
How is the government’s power is limited by the Bill of Rights?
Learning to Read Supreme Court Decisions
Lesson - 2 Activities
Lesson
2 Activities
How can understanding the principles of the Constitution help citizens participate effectively in a democratic society?
The Constitutional System of Government
Lesson - 3 Activities
Lesson
3 Activities
How do the three branches of government interact to create a system of checks and balances?
Healthy Tension through Checks and Balances
Lesson - 2 Activities
Lesson
2 Activities
Explore case studies of branches asserting their constitutional authority to check one another.
Outward Civic Life: Civic Groups
Lesson - 2 Activities
Lesson
2 Activities
How can understanding the principles of the Constitution help citizens participate effectively in a democratic society?
What Makes a Good Citizen?
Lesson - 1 Activities
Lesson
1 Activities
What are the rights and responsibilities of citizens in a democratic society?
Unit 4 Civic and Constitutional Life Deconstructed DBQ
Lesson - 3 Activities
Lesson
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
Lesson - 2 Activities
Lesson
2 Activities
Explore two of Washington's famous speeches and its impact on the country.
Washington and the Whiskey Rebellion
Lesson - 1 Activities
Lesson
1 Activities
How did George Washington's leadership and decisions shape the early republic?
The Causes and the Effects of the Election of 1800
Lesson - 1 Activities
Lesson
1 Activities
How did the emergence of political parties influence the development of American democracy?
Party Lines: The Rise of Federalists and Democratic-Republicans
Lesson - 2 Activities
Lesson
2 Activities
How did the emergence of political parties influence the development of American democracy?
Decisions in the Early Republic
Lesson
Lesson
How did the Constitution influence decisions in the Early Republic?
Early American Conflicts
Lesson - 2 Activities
Lesson
2 Activities
Describe the attempts to remain neutral and explain the conflicts of the early republic.
Unit 5: Early Republic Deconstructed DBQ
Lesson - 4 Activities
Lesson
4 Activities
Help students provide historical context for primary source documents in a deconstructed DBQ.
Interactive Suffrage Timeline Lesson Plan
Lesson - 1 Activities
Lesson
1 Activities
How did democratic participation expand in the United States?
Social Movements of the Nineteenth Century
Lesson - 1 Activities
Lesson
1 Activities
How did reform movements in the early nineteenth century address the social and economic challenges of the era?
Industrial Growth and Immigration
Lesson - 1 Activities
Lesson
1 Activities
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
Lesson - 1 Activities
Lesson
1 Activities
How did reform movements in the early nineteenth century address the social and economic challenges of the era?
Technology Cause and Effects
Lesson - 1 Activities
Lesson
1 Activities
How did Americans and democratic institutions respond to the rapid economic changes of the early 19th century?
The Presidency of Andrew Jackson
Lesson - 3 Activities
Lesson
3 Activities
How did Andrew Jackson's presidency reshape American politics?
Unit 6: America in Transition Deconstructed DBQ
Lesson - 3 Activities
Lesson
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
Lesson - 5 Activities
Lesson
5 Activities
How has geography influenced economic development, population trends, and historical events in the U.S.?
Infrastructure in the Era of Expansion
Lesson - 1 Activities
Lesson
1 Activities
How did economic factors drive westward expansion and create new opportunities and challenges?
Land Acquisition and Westward Movement
Lesson - 1 Activities
Lesson
1 Activities
How did the acquisition of new territories impact the nation's growth and development?
Voices From Western Expansion
Lesson - 2 Activities
Lesson
2 Activities
What can we learn from the stories of individuals traveling westward to find new opportunities?
Migration West
Lesson - 1 Activities
Lesson
1 Activities
What drove immigration westward and what challenges and opportunities did those who undertake it experience?
Trail of Tears Stations
Lesson - 1 Activities
Lesson
1 Activities
How did U.S. expansion affect Native American communities?
Is the Constitution Pro or Anti-Slavery?
Lesson - 1 Activities
Lesson
1 Activities
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
Lesson - 1 Activities
Lesson
1 Activities
How did the expansion of slavery into new territories intensify sectional tensions?
Abolition Views Sorting
Lesson - 1 Activities
Lesson
1 Activities
What did Americans think about slavery in the nineteenth century?
How Enslaved People Resisted Slavery
Lesson - 2 Activities
Lesson
2 Activities
How did enslaved people resist slavery in their daily lives?
Unit 7: American Expansion Deconstructed DBQ
Lesson - 3 Activities
Lesson
3 Activities
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
Lesson - 4 Activities
Lesson
4 Activities
What were the underlying causes of the Civil War and how did slavery divide the nation?
Secession and the Start of the Civil War
Lesson - 2 Activities
Lesson
2 Activities
Why did some individuals chose to join the secession movement?
Views of Slavery Leading Up to the Civil War
Lesson - 2 Activities
Lesson
2 Activities
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
Lesson
Lesson
Explain the major turning points and events of the Civil War.
Battles of the Civil War Lesson Plan
Lesson - 2 Activities
Lesson
2 Activities
What were the major turning points and events of the Civil War?
Domestic and International Views of the Civil War
Lesson - 2 Activities
Lesson
2 Activities
What were the different views of people from other countries about the Civil War?
Respect at Appomattox
Lesson - 1 Activities
Lesson
1 Activities
How did the Civil War come to an end at Appomattox?
Voices from the Civil War
Lesson - 2 Activities
Lesson
2 Activities
Explore the stories of Northerners and Southerners during the Civil War and their views of the conflict.
Lincoln and Prudence
Lesson - 2 Activities
Lesson
2 Activities
How did Lincoln show prudence in constitutional decisions during the Civil War?
Civil War Battles Research Project
Lesson - 1 Activities
Lesson
1 Activities
Use the skills of research and historical analysis to investigate a Civil War battle.
Unit 8: Civil War Deconstructed DBQ
Lesson - 3 Activities
Lesson
3 Activities
Use historical analysis skills to answer a document based question.
Different Models of Reconstruction
Lesson
Lesson
How successful was Reconstruction in addressing the challenges of rebuilding the nation and ensuring equal rights for African Americans?
The Story of Reconstruction
Lesson - 2 Activities
Lesson
2 Activities
How did federal and state government actions differ during reconstruction?
Assessing President Andrew Johnson’s First Annual Message, 1865
Lesson - 2 Activities
Lesson
2 Activities
What were President Andrew Johnson's goals for Reconstruction?
Comparing Art to Reality
Lesson - 1 Activities
Lesson
1 Activities
Explain how Reconstruction impacted the lives and experiences of African Americans
Experiences of African Americans During Reconstruction
Lesson - 2 Activities
Lesson
2 Activities
What were the experiences of African Americans during Reconstruction?
Reconstruction and Resistance: Black Codes and the Ku Klux Klan
Lesson - 2 Activities
Lesson
2 Activities
How did Reconstruction impact the lives of formerly enslaved people and their families?
Oral Histories of Formerly Enslaved Individuals
Lesson - 1 Activities
Lesson
1 Activities
Explore the personal stories of formerly enslaved individuals and their experiences after the Civil War.
The End of Reconstruction
Lesson - 1 Activities
Lesson
1 Activities
Identify and explain the factors leading to the end of Reconstruction and describe the legacy of Reconstruction on the nation
Reconstruction Point-Counterpoint
Lesson
Lesson
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
Lesson - 3 Activities
Lesson
3 Activities
What was the legacy of Reconstruction for the nation?
Unit 9: Reconstruction Deconstructed DBQ
Lesson - 3 Activities
Lesson
3 Activities
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.