Lesson Plans


	The Huexotzinco Codex Students analyze a set of pictograph documents created by native peoples of Puebla, Mexico in 1531. Students take on the role of historians, study the documents, and create a scenario to explain what these documents were for, who created them, and why. Grade Level: 6-8 Explore »
	Drake’s West Indian Voyage 1588-1589 Students investigate a series of maps depicting a voyage by Sir Francis Drake which involved attacks on Spanish settlements around the Atlantic. Students look closely at the details of each of these depictions and draw conclusions about the individual events as well as the entire voyage. Grade Level: 6-8 Explore »
	The Evolution of the Book: Introducing Students to Visual Analysis Students develop visual literacy skills by analyzing the images from John White Alexander's mural in the Thomas Jefferson building. Grade Level: 4-8 Explore »
	The Constitution: Drafting a More Perfect Union This lesson focuses on the drafting of the United States Constitution in 1787 in Philadelphia. George Washington's annotated copy of an early draft of the Constitution lets students analyze changes to the draft and explore the evolution of the final document. Grade Level: 9-12 Explore »
	Waldseemüller’s Map: World 1507 The 1507 World Map by Martin Waldseemüller is one of the world’s most important maps. Students investigate this map by looking closely at the details of each section of the map and then draw conclusions on the revelation of this new and unusual world to the people of 1507. Grade Level: 6-8 Explore »
	The Bill of Rights: Debating the Amendments Students examine a copy of twelve possible amendments to the United States Constitution from 1789, and debate and vote on which of these amendments they would ratify to produce a Bill of Rights. Grade Level: 6-12 Explore »
	Thomas Jefferson’s Library: Making the Case for a National Library Students examine a letter written by Thomas Jefferson and identify techniques he used to persuade Congress to purchase his personal library in 1815. Students consider a selection of those books and write their own persuasive letters urging the books’ purchase. Grade Level: 8-12 Explore »
	Political Cartoons: Finding Point of View Analyzing political cartoons can provide a glimpse into key moments of U.S. political history. In this activity, students closely examine political cartoons about the Stamp Act and explore the point of view of their creators. Grade Level: 9-12 Explore »
	The Minerva Mosaic of the Library of Congress: Taking a Closer Look Students take a close look at the historic Minerva mosaic from the Great Hall of the Library of Congress and discover what it can tell them about the Library’s mission. They perform a basic primary source analysis and discuss the mosaic’s symbolism. Grade Level: 4-8 Explore »
	The Declaration of Independence: From Rough Draft to Proclamation Students analyze Thomas Jefferson's “original Rough draught” of the Declaration of Independence, compare its text to that of the final document adopted by Congress, and discuss the significance of wording differences. Grade Level: 6-12 Explore »

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