Historical Documents Teacher Resources

Almost more of a lesson than a worksheet, this particular resource has learners examine different types of historical documents. There is a historical docment embedded in the worksheet that learners study, and they also bring in...

Nine historical documents, an interactive online notebook, and a fantastic opportunity for historical inquiry await your pupils in this 5-day lesson plan. Class members identify and discuss various causes for the Spanish-American War...

Learners research the importance and meaning of honoring historic documents and policy statements on coins. They consult available texts and bookmarked Internet sites and share their findings with the class. They create a poster that...

Students discover how the Declaration of Independence transformed from a draft to a treasured historical document. In this Declaration of Independence lesson, students discuss the context in which Jefferson wrote the document and analyze...

In this historical documents worksheet, learners read the list that Lewis and Clark brought on their expedition across North America. Students then answer the 5 questions.

Young historians use the SOAPS (Speaker, Occasion, Audience, Purpose, Subject) method of questioning to determine the historical value of primary source documents. The third in a series of five lessons that model for learners how...

Set to music from the time, this clip shows actual footage taken prior to and during WWI. From the funeral procession for Franz Ferdinand, to the mobilization of troops, this video is sure to give your class an idea of life in 1914-1919....

New ReviewA piece of the past helps shape the future. Learn what historical documents reveal about the past using an engaging activity.  Academics participate in a role-playing scenario, view the voting record of the Constitutional Convention,...

New ReviewGet inside the mind of General Eisenhower regarding the D-Day invasion. An interesting activity uses historical documents to highlight the differences between Eisenhower's public stance on D-Day and his private opinions. Scholars analyze...

New ReviewScholars weigh in on FDR's New Deal policies in an in-depth activity. The resource uses historical documents to explore whether the New Deal polices were reformatory or revolutionary. Learners review documents, rate them using a scale,...

New ReviewHow did the United States respond to the Holocaust refugee crisis during World War II? The activity focuses on the United States' foreign policies and the arguments for and against offering assistance. Scholars analyze historical...

New ReviewYoung historians delve into the origin of federal social programs to understand the impact of the New Deal. An informative activity explores some of the New Deal programs, such as the Civilian Conservation Corp, using historical...

New ReviewTravel back in time to understand the effects of FDR's New Deal on the Supreme Court. Academics analyze historical documents to understand FDR's attempts to pack the Supreme Court and the opposition he faced. The activity includes a...

New ReviewDelve into the past to understand the opposition to the Manhattan Project. An interesting activity is designed to be completed in pairs, groups, or individually. Scholars analyze historical documents, complete an online worksheet, and...

Sometimes all kids need is a little guided practice and then they can be on their way. They can use an analysis worksheet to help them analyze a primary or secondary source document. They answer several questions describing the type of...

Can history be rewritten? Or, more precisely, is history documented accurately? High school juniors and seniors compare primary source material with secondary sources. For example, they compare President Roosevelt's December 29, 1940...

Class members investigate The Indian Removal Act of 1830, U.S. Theft of Mexican Territory Timeline, and President Abraham Lincoln’s letter to Horace Greeley, 1862, and then conduct a mock trial of each of these documents to determine...

Young scholars evaluate historical documents in order to determine their value and effectiveness for research.  In this world literature lesson students give a presentation and compose an essay to share their findings with their peers.

Working in a team, students discuss, analyze, and interpret a document associated with the Civil Rights Movement. Though the necessary documents are linked below, a teacher could use this activity with any historical document, as the...

Students investigate historical documents. In this primary source analysis lesson, students investigate photographs from the Library of Congress and draw conclusions about the people pictured in them.

Eleventh graders compare and contrast the two photographs.

With resource links, a detailed procedure, embedded primary source documents, and a Readers Theater script, you're ready to teach! Re-enact historical events in order to boost historical perspective, discern main ideas, and draw...

Think about the Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence with your budding historians. They analyze the importance of historical documents by examining several famous documents, and then they complete activities that check...

Narrow down your questions about author perspective, historical context, and veracity of claims in a document with the help of a historical reading chart. Learners track the basics of the document along with advanced evaluation skills...