In this activity, students will explore a sampler (needlework) for historical evidence and determine if the creator was a historian.
Curating the Slave Quarters
This lesson plan encourages students to analyze and use evidence from diverse sources to act as curators and create an interpretation plan for the Greenhouse Slave Quarters at Mount Vernon.
The Rule of Law and Public Health: A Socratic Seminar
For this high school Socratic Seminar, students will be asked to examine various readings and videos on public health and the rule of law and then explore the question “What role does the law play in protecting our health?” Encourage students to be prepared, participate actively, use evidence, listen carefully, and ask thoughtful questions of their peers throughout the seminar. There are resources to explore several public health examples (e.g., clean water, coal dust, COVID-19) included in this seminar guide, so feel free to select one or more, and adapt to your needs.
Second Amendment
Students will be able to trace the historic development of the Second Amendment with help from the Common Interpretation in the Interactive Constitution and matters of debate essays, and use evidence from the readings to explore the modern interpretation of the Second Amendment.
Civic Friendship: ‘I Am Rooting Hard for You’
“You will be our President when you read this note. I wish you well. I wish your family well. Your success now is our country’s success. I am rooting hard for you.”
It doesn’t sound like a note that a politician would write to the man who had just defeated him in a hotly contested election for the highest office in the nation just a few months prior, yet these are the exact words penned by President George H.W. Bush to his successor, newly inaugurated President Bill Clinton, on January 20, 1993. Many of the tributes to the former president recounted the story of this note as evidence of the character of the man, of his grace and humility. In this eLesson, students will explore the importance of character traits like humility and respect in the individuals who hold public office and how commitment to the rule of law has sustained the executive branch throughout the country’s history.
Evidence: Do the Facts Hold Up?
This Common Core aligned lesson plan for middle and high school asks students to dig into an article to determine whether they can trust the information by verifying the evidence it presents.
Schriro v. Landrigan (2007)
Early Encounters Between Native Americans and Europeans
Students may come to recognize how the later period of continued exploration, settlement, and interaction was influenced by these early encounters from the St. Lawrence River to Georgia. Free registration for students and teachers required to access resource.
Deliberation Resource Bundle and Video
Deliberations allow teachers to help students cooperatively discuss contested political issues by carefully considering multiple perspectives and searching for consensus. Deliberations help students develop a deeper understanding of issues, engage in critical thinking, make decisions based on evidence and logic, respect others’ points of view, and identify multiple perspectives associated with the Deliberation topic.
Dickerson v. United States (2000)
Can a voluntary statement made during an interrogation be used as evidence if the statement was made in violation of Miranda warnings? This case summary shows how the Supreme Court answered that question in 2000.