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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.