Lesson Plans
Below you will find full lesson plans designed by participants at our biennial Summer Institute for Teachers. Lessons have been organized according to the standard U.S. History Unit they fit into. Some lessons may span several chronological units and have been placed in mulitple units accordingly.
To view the entire lesson, follow the link in the lesson title.
Worlds Meeting, to 1763
Lesson Title | Author | Grade Level | Subject Area |
Long, Long Road to Harlem (first lesson) | Deb Stence and Judie Whittaker, 2006 | Middle and High School | American Studies and U.S. History |
Introducing Topics in American Literature Through Song | Michelle Hathorne, 2006 | High School | American Literature |
New Nation, 1750-1820s
Lesson Title | Author | Grade Level | Subject Area |
Patriotism and Protest | Irv Katz, Linda Kiefer & Joe Campiano, 2006 | Middle & High School | Civics, Government & U.S. History |
Introducing Topics in American Literature Through Song | Michelle Hathorne, 2006 | High School | American Literature |
Expansion and Reform, 1801-1861
Lesson Title | Author | Grade Level | Subject Area |
Patting Juba | Jennifer Michalsky, 2004 | Elementary | ESL |
Trail of Tears | Diane Anderson, 2006 | Middle School | Special Ed/American History, Language arts |
The Common Man's America (Not Jackson's) | Lisa Waligora, 2006 | High School | U.S. History and A.P. U.S. History |
Introducing Topics in American Literature Through Song | Michelle Hathorne, 2006 | High School | American Literature |
Civil War and Reconstruction, 1850-1877
Lesson Title | Author | Grade Level | Subject Area |
“Hard Crackers Come Again No More”: Army Life in the Civil War | Mat Freeman, 2004 | Elementary | U.S. History |
Beyond the Gold Rush | Tim Hahn, 2004 | Elementary | U.S. History |
Slave Code Songs | Barbara Bacon, 2004 | Middle School | American History |
The Origin of “Taps” | Maury Neville, 2004 | High School | A.P. & U.S. History |
Hopes and Expectations of African-Americans Post-Civil War and the Realities that Followed | Gina Sharpe, 2006 | Middle School | U.S. History and Language Arts |
Introducing Topics in American Literature Through Song | Michelle Hathorne, 2006 | High School | American Literature |
Development of the Industrial U.S., 1870-1900
Lesson Title | Author | Grade Level | Subject Area |
Historical Disasters | Linda Whanger, 2004 | High School | English, creative writing |
Settlement of the Western Frontier | Vanessa McGuire, 2004 | High School | U.S. History |
Political and Social Differences in the Gilded Age | Theone Sexuaer, 2004 | High School | Honors U.S. History |
The 1893 Chicago World’s Fair: A Window on America at the Turn of the Century |
Bob Tam, 2006 | Middle School | Humanities |
Introducing Topics in American Literature Through Song | Michelle Hathorne, 2006 | High School | American Literature |
Bridging the Gap Between Reconstruction and the Harlem Renaissance, 1890-1930 | Sandra Pekar, 2006 | Middle School | Language Arts |
Songs that Tell the Story of the Railroads | Steven Rapaport, 2006 | Middle School | U.S. History |
The Emergence of Modern America, 1890-1930
Title | Author | Grade Level | Subject Area |
America After World War I | Ted Gilcrest, 2004 | High School | Regular & A.P. History |
Putting a Face on the Organization of Labor | Ellen Linhart, 2004 | Middle School | Social Studies & Language Arts |
Conflicting Images of Migrant Labor | Jim Shannon, 2004 | High School | History, Language Arts, Social Studies |
African American Music of Identity of the Harlem Renaissance | Amy Arntsen, 2004 | High School | American History |
Understanding Legends in History using “Heebie Jeebies” by Louis Armstrong | Mark Brown, 2004 | High School | U.S. History |
America’s Rise to Global Power, c. 1890-1917 | Dave Martin, 2006 | High School | U.S. History |
Whose Fruits and Just Desserts: Who really deserves to enjoy and savor the greater share of the fruits of the working man’s labor |
Dawn Saari, 2006 | High School | U.S. History |
Long Long Road to Harlem | Deb Stence & Judie Whittaker, 2006 | Middle & High School | American Studies , U.S. History |
Patriotism and Protest | Irv Katz, Linda Kiefer & Joe Campiano, 2006 | Middle & High School | Civics, Government & U.S. History |
The Pursuit of Happiness: Labor History in Chicago | Lisa Roule, 2006 | High School | American Literature |
Coming to America | Lois Medevic, 2006 | Elementary | U.S. History and Language Arts |
Introducing Topics in American Literature Through Song | Michelle Hathorne, 2006 | High School | American Literature |
Bridging the Gap Between Reconstruction and the Harlem Renaissance, 1890-1930 | Sandra Pekar, 2006 | Middle School | Language Arts |
The Great Depression & World War II, 1929-1945
Title | Author | Grade Level | Subject Area |
Migrant Melodies: The Use of Narrative and Ballad in Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath | Vince Aleccia, 2004 | High School | English, Language Arts |
U.S. Entry into World War II and Changes in Dissention Attitudes | Martha Viator, 2004 | High School | A.P. U.S. History |
Isolationism vs. Internationalism/Interventionism before World War II | Jill Nysse, 2004 | High School | American History |
Introducing Topics in American Literature Through Song | Michelle Hathorne, 2006 | High School | American Literature |
Post War United States, 1945 to early 1970s
Title | Author | Grade Level | Subject Area |
“Summertime Blues” by Eddie Cochran | Louise Gray, 2004 | Elementary | Music |
Government Produced Climate of Fear: A Brave New World Prophecy? | Joanne Krett, 2004 | High School | English |
Bellbottoms, Hair, and other stuff |
David Overbey, 2006 | High School | American History |
Patriotism and Protest | Irv Katz, Linda Kiefer & Joe Campiano, 2006 | Middle & High School | Civics, Government & U.S. History |
From Gospel to Rap: African American Perspectives in Music | Megan Adams, 2006 | High School | World Literature and/or American literature |
Introducing Topics in American Literature Through Song | Michelle Hathorne, 2006 | High School | American Literature |
Evolution of Civil Rights, 1945-1970 | Tammy Jones, 2006 | High School | A.P. U.S. History |
Contemporary America, 1968-present
Title | Author | Grade Level | Subject Area |
Songs of Loss: Springsteen and 9/11 | Terra Bialy, 2004 | Middle School | Humanities |
The Evolving Image of American Womanhood: 1972 – 2002 As Presented In Song | Mark Albright, 2004 | High School | A.P. U.S. History |
"Trees Like Me Weren't Meant To Live If..." | Laura Sproul, 2004 | High School | Social Studies |
Freedom of Speech - Does this freedom apply to musicians? | Kelli Tarvyd, 2004 | High School | Government |
A Survey of the Women’s Liberation Movement, 1968-1982 |
Adam Cooper, 2006 | High School | U.S. History |
Bullets, Big Sticks, and The Bean Trees: The Effect of American Foreign Policy Past, Present, and Future |
David Crocker and Mary Walsten, 2006 | High School | English language arts, social studies (sociology) |
Contemporary Immigration Through Historical Senses | Mark Dillon, 2006 | High School | 9th Grade English/Advanced ESL |
From Gospel to Rap: African American Perspectives in Music | Megan Adams, 2006 | High School | World Literature and/or American literature |
Introducing Topics in American Literature Through Song | Michelle Hathorne, 2006 | High School | American Literature |
Life After the Assassination of Martin Luther King | Vonzele Reed, 2006 | High School | Social Studies |
Have you used one of these lesson in your classroom? If so, we'd love to hear from you! Contact us at amerimus@pitt.edu.