Primary Source Lesson Plans
Lesson plans for students in grades 4-12 from the Library of Congress
     
   
     
     
 
Civics/Gov | Poetry/Lit | 1585-1763 | 1783-1815 | 1815-1860 | 1861-1877 | 1876-1900 | 1900-1929 | 1929-1945 | 1945-1968
 
     
     
  Using Primary Sources
Grade Lesson Title Grade Lesson Title
4-8 Artifact RoadShow 5-8 History Firsthand
 
     
     
  Civics & Government
Grade Lesson Title Grade Lesson Title
4-6 Voices for Votes: Suffrage Strategies 6-9 Indian Boarding Schools: Civilizing the Native Spirit
6-12 Created Equal? 6-12 In Congress Assembled
7-10 Sea Changes: A Study of a New England Industry 8-12 Great Depression & 1990s
8-12 George Washington 8-12 Explorations in American Environmental History
8-12 Reservation Controversies 9-12 Our Changing Voices
9-12 Conservation at a Crossroads 9-12 From Jim Crow to Linda Brown
9-12 Exploring Community Through Local History: Oral Stories, Landmarks & Traditions
10-12 Suffragists and Their Tactics 11-12 All History Is Local
11 The Constitution: Counter Revolution or National Salvation?
top of page
 
     
     
  Poetry & Literature
Grade Lesson Title Grade Lesson Title
4-8 Marco Paul's Travels on the Erie Canal 5-8 Visions in the Dust
6-8 The Civil War through a Child's Eye 6-8 Jacob Have I Loved
7-9 Enhancing a Poetry Unit with American Memory 7-10 Sea Changes: A Study of a New England Industry
7-12 To Kill a Mockingbird 8-12 Recreation Yesterday and Today
9-12 Twain's Hannibal 10-12 1900 America: Historical Voices, Poetic Visions
8-12 Figuring Somepin 'Bout the Great Depression 11-12 The Grapes of Wrath - Scrapbooks and Artifacts
11 Murder and Mayhem - The Great Gatsby: Facts behind the Fiction
top of page
 
     
     
  Colonization and Settlement, 1585-1763
Grade Lesson Title
4-8 Tinker, Tailor, Farmer, Sailor
top of page
 
     
     
  The New Nation, 1783-1815
Grade Lesson Title Grade Lesson Title
4-8 Journeys West 4-12 America Dreams 
6-12 In Congress Assembled 6-12 Created Equal? 
8-12 George Washington 11 The Constitution: Counter Revolution or National Salvation?
top of page
 
     
     
  National Expansion and Reform, 1815-1860
Grade Lesson Title Grade Lesson Title
4-6 Voices for Votes: Suffrage Strategies 4-8 Journeys West
4-8 Marco Paul's Travels on the Erie Canal: An Educational Voyage 4-12 America Dreams
7-12 Women: Struggle and Triumph  9-12 Women, Their Rights & Nothing Less
10-12 Suffragists and Their Tactics
top of page
 
     
     
  Civil War and Reconstruction, 1861-1877
Grade Lesson Title Grade Lesson Title
4-6 Voices for Votes: Suffrage Strategies 4-12 America Dreams 
5-8 Photojournalism 5-12 What Do You See?
6-8 The Civil War through a Child's Eye 6-12 Links to the Past
7-12 Mathew Brady Bunch 7-12 Women: Struggle and Triumph
8 New Deal: North Carolina 8-12 Tracking Down the Real Billy the Kid
9-12 Women, Their Rights & Nothing Less 9-12 America at the Centennial
9-12 After Reconstruction 10-11 Ladies, Contraband, and Spies: Women in the Civil War
10-12 Suffragists and Their Tactics
top of page
 
     
     
  Rise of Industrial America, 1876-1900
Grade Lesson Title Grade Lesson Title
4-6 Voices for Votes: Suffrage Strategies 4-12 America Dreams
5-8 Nature's Fury 5-12 Images of our People
5-12 What Do You See 6-8 Around the World in 1896
6-8 Down the Rabbit Hole 6-8 Turn-of-the-Century Child
6-9 Indian Boarding Schools: Civilizing the Native Spirit 6-12 Child Labor in America
6-12 Doing the Decades 6-12 Links to the Past
6-12 Who Really Built America? 7-12 Stand Up and Sing
7-12 Thank You, Mr.Edison 7-12 Women:Struggle and Triumph
8-10 United We Stand 8-12 Tracking Down the Real Billy the Kid
9-12 America at the Centennial 9-12 From Jim Crow to Linda Brown
11-12 Two Unreconciled Strivings 9-12 Our Changing Voices
9-12 Rounding the Bases 9-12 Women, Their Rights & Nothing Less
9-12 Linking the Past to the Present: The Legacy of French Canadian Immigrants in New England
10-12 1900 America: Historical Voices, Poetic Visions 10-12 Suffragists and Their Tactics
11 To Market, To Market
top of page
 
     
     
  Progressive Era to New Era, 1900-1929
Grade Lesson Title Grade Lesson Title
4-12 America Dreams 5-8 Nature's Fury
5-12 Images of Our People 6-8 Around the World in 1896
6-8 Down the Rabbit Hole 6-8 Living History Project
6-8 Mapping My Spot in History 6-8 Thank You, Mr.Edison
6-8 Turn-of-the-Century Child 6-9 Indian Boarding Schools: Civilizing the Native Spirit
4-8 Child Labor in America 4-8 Doing the Decades
6-12 Exploring Cultural Rituals 6-12 Port of Entry
6-12 Grandparent/Elder Project 6-12 German Immigrants: Their Contributions to the Upper Midwest
6-12 Who Really Built America? 7-12 Stand Up and Sing
7-12 Recreation Yesterday and Today 8-10 Sea Changes: A Study of a New England Industry
9-12 Linking the Past to the Present: The Legacy of French Canadian Immigrants in New England
9-12 Our Changing Voices 9-12 Rounding the Bases
9-12 From Jim Crow to Linda Brown 9-12 Women, Their Rights & Nothing Less
10-12 What Are We Fighting For? 10-12 1900 America: Historical Voices, Poetic Visions
10-12 Suffragists and Their Tactics 11 Immigration Through Oral History
11 When Work is Done 11 Murder and Mayhem-The Great Gatsby: Facts behind the Fiction
11 To Market, To Market 11-12 Two Unreconciled Strivings
top of page
 
     
     
  Great Depression/World War II, 1929-1945
Grade Lesson Title Grade Lesson Title
4-12 America Dreams 5-8 Nature's Fury
5-8 Nothing to Fear 5-8 Visions in the Dust
5-12 Images of Our People 6-12 Doing the Decades
7-9 Enhancing a Poetry Unit with American Memory 7-10 Sea Changes: A Study of a New England Industry
7-11 Great Depression & 1990s 7-12 Grandparent/Elder Project
7-12 To Kill a Mockingbird 7-12 Using Oral History
8 New Deal: North Carolina 8-12 Recreation Yesterday and Today
8-12 What is an American? 9-12 From Jim Crow to Linda Brown
9-12 Our Changing Voices 9-12 Rounding the Bases
9-12 Exploring Community Through Local History: Oral Stories, Landmarks & Traditions
10 Brother, Can You Spare a Dime 10-12 Figuring Somepin 'Bout the Great Depression
11 Immigration/Migration 11 When Work is Done
11-12 The Grapes of Wrath - Scrapbooks and Artifacts
top of page
 
     
     
  Postwar United States, 1945-1968
Grade Lesson Title Grade Lesson Title
4-8 America Dreams 4-8 Images of Our People
4-8 Sea Changes: A Study of a New England Industry 4-8 Great Depression & 1990s
4-8 When Work is Done 4-8 From Jim Crow to Linda Brown
4-8 Jackie Steals Home 4-8 Rounding the Bases
top of page
 
     
About Us Contact Us Stay Informed Help Best viewed with Spread Firefox Affiliate Button and Get IExplorer 8