Topic: U.S. History

Lesson Plan

Let facts be submitted to a candid world: Categorizing the List of Grievances

Most readers are familiar with the excerpt from the Declaration of Independence above. However, fewer people are familiar with what’s known as the List of Grievances. It’s the third part...
Lesson Plan

The Good, Bad, and Ugly: Comparisons and Contrasts of the Native American culture after the Lewis and Clark expedition

Students will compare and contrast Native American culture and demonstrate how it was affected by the land being obtained in the Louisiana Purchase by the American government.
Lesson Plan

The Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom DBQ

Students will explore primary sources to gain a full understanding of the context, content, and lasting impact of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom. Students will evaluate primary source documents...
Lesson Plan

Enslavement and the Enslaved at Monticello

In this lesson, lives of enslaved people living at Monticello will be explored, analyzed, and documented by students. Enslaved people such as Sally Hemings and her family, along with other...
Lesson Plan

Jefferson and Expansion: Scaffolding Student Understanding of Cause and Effect

This lesson focuses on the following prompt: “Analyze the causes of and the resulting issues from the Louisiana Purchase. Concentrate your answer between the years 1790-1820.” The lesson will allow...
Lesson Plan

The Election of 1800: Revolutionary Stability

This lesson is a combination of a few different approaches: students will study primary writings of Jefferson and Adams, examine a range of online documents and images in a DBQ...
Lesson Plan

Unalienable Rights – Who Says?

How would different people (from different times) interpret an excerpt from the Declaration of Independence?
Lesson Plan

Founding Daughter: Commemorating the Life & Leadership of Martha Jefferson Randolph

After researching the life of Martha Jefferson Randolph, students will formulate questions, interpret primary sources and construct evidence to support an argument. Students will be able to answer essential questions,...
Lesson Plan

Lewis and Clark: Explorers or Conquerors?

When Jefferson purchased the Louisiana territory from France, he commissioned Lewis and Clark to explore the new territory. What was the purpose behind this mission? Were they sent as explorers...
Lesson Plan

Unconventional Enemies: Should the United States negotiate with terrorists?

This lesson plan helps students make connections between Thomas Jefferson’s handling of the Barbary Pirates and contemporary presidential actions toward unconventional enemies of the United States, including Jimmy Carter’s Iran...