Who fired the first shot at the Battle of Lexington? Was it the British or the Minutemen? To this day it is still hotly debated. In this mock trial activity it puts the minutemen on trial to determine if they shot first. Students will look at three primary sources from conflicting accounts to determine what happened at the Battle of Lexington and to determine if the minutemen are innocent of guilty. What you get in the lesson: Three conflicting primary source accounts of the Battle of Lexington, a guide in how to hold the mock trial, and worksheets that are set up to prepare your students for the mock trial. ORDER IN THE COURT!

This is a fun lesson about the Sons of Liberty, and the Liberty Pole. Like the liberty tree the colonists would make liberty poles with flags showing their unity against the British and make speeches under them. In this lesson students would make a liberty pole and then write a speech about the grievances they had against the British. Have your students give a speech under the liberty pole! This lesson comes with a lesson plan, a rubric for how to make a flag for the liberty pole and a rubric for the protest speech. It also comes with four different flag templates.

Want to have a fun time in class while learning. Try playing a trivia game about the Bill of Rights. This game covers all 10 Bill of Rights. You will love it!

Students will read 2 primary source documents where the Cherokee are debating their best chance for their survival. Some Cherokee in the Treaty Party argued that the Cherokee should move West to save their people and many other argued to try and stay on their home lands. The students will pick a side and defend their answer in an essay. This packet also comes with a guide on how to write a five paragraph essay and helpful writing tips for struggling students.

Have more fun learning! The Jefferson Trivia game is a blast! Have your class compete against each other. This game mainly covers Jefferson's Presidency, Lewis and Clark, The Louisiana Purchases and also a few fun facts about Thomas Jefferson. If you don't like a question you can edit this file to meet the needs of your class!

This American Civil War webquest assignment uses a website that was created to take students through the causes of the civil war, the advantages that both the North and the South had, and the technological advancement that the war had like the iron clad ships, the telegraph, railroads and more. The packet comes with 3 worksheets to help guide the students. There is even a short video on the webquest that the students will enjoy. This assignment will take about 60 minutes for students to complete. There is also an answer key that is included

Teach students about current events in many different ways. There are 16 different current event lessons allowing you to change up how you teach current events week after week. There are graphic organizers, persuasive writing assignments, summarizing articles, article analysis worksheets, rubrics, and a text feature assignment all based on current events. 1. Current Events Worksheet 2. Front Page Current Event Activity 3. Current Event Political Cartoon Worksheet 4. Current Events Group Work Activity 5. Developing the Front Page Worksheet 6. Political Cartoons: Current Event Worksheet 7. Current Event Text Features and Predictions Worksheet 8. Bias in the News Worksheet 9. Analyzing Political Cartoons Worksheet 10. Article Analysis Worksheet 11. Post-Book News Website Design Worksheet 12. 5 Different Current Events Graphic Organizers

The Salem Witch Trials packet contains the following items: A worksheet that explains how to identify a witch and how to get out of being accused of witchcraft. Includes answer key. A Historical Detective Log that has questions for students to answer as they examine the primary sources of the Salem Witch Craft Trials. There are 3 primary source documents that look at three different people tried in Salem of witchcraft that include their fates. There is a video link with questions to a modern day theory as to why people in Salem acted so weird at the time. There are 9 pages of resources in total.

Here is what is in the packet: Informational worksheet about the causes and effects of the Spanish Flu. 5 primary sources on the Spanish Flu. A Historical Detective Log that logs the evidence of the Spanish Flu from the primary sources with follow up questions. Final judgement worksheet. Answer Key.

This packet contains 12 pages of lessons and worksheets on immigration. Here is what is in the packet: 1. Worksheet on Ellis Island with short reading and questions. 2. Ellis Island questions before entry worksheet. 3. Worksheet that looks at the difference between the words: Emigrate,Immigrate and Migrate 4. Activity called Hall of Fame for Immigrants with rubric and template for project. 5. Famous American Immigrants: Albert Einstein short read with questions 6. Famous American Immigrants: Hakeem Olajuwan short read with questions 7. Famous American Immigrants: Arnold Schwarzenegger short read with questions 8. Famous American Immigrants: Michael J. Fox short read with questions 9. Famous American Immigrants: Gloria Estefan short read with questions

This is a packet that contains everything you need to hold a mock trial. The packet sets up the mock trial with a short story where the principal has edited the school news paper. Put the principal on trial and see what the jury decides. The packet will guide the prosecution team and the defense team through the trial setting up opening arguments, questioning and closing statements. This is a fun activity that the students will love.

This is a good size lot of Boston Massacre Material with many fun engaging lessons. Here is what is in the packet: 1. Boston Massacre: Primary Sources with Questions 2. Social Media Activities: Kicker, Insta-Fame and Youvid Account 3. Picture Analysis Worksheet 4. Newspaper primary source article with letter to the editor activity that includes rubric. 5. Crispus Attucks: article with questions and answer key

This essay activity looks at primary sources and quotes about the conditions at Valley Forge and George Washington's concerns about the Continental Army. Here is what is in the packet: 1. 2 primary sources about the conditions of the army. One is from George Washington and another is from a surgeon that is helping wounded soldiers. 2. There is a rubric for "How to write an essay" as well as a how to write an essay guide. 3. There is a document that gives struggling students helpful tips for writing and sentence starters. 4. There is a Valley Forge: Quotes from the past reading with questions to answer about the quotes. It includes an answer key.

This packet looks at the different technologies that shaped the American Civil War. Here is what is in the packet: 1. Ironclads, Submarines, and Balloon Technology worksheet with answer key 2. Gun and Bullet Technology worksheet with answer key 3. Railroads: Advantage The North worksheet with answer key 4. The Telegraph And Photography worksheet with answer key 5. Essay writing activity that is used with the 4 worksheets above on American Civil War Technology. It includes a how to write your essay guide, a Helpful Hints Writing Guide, and Rubric.

Students will debate the Shays Rebellion based on the following question: Were Shays and his men rebels or freedom fighters! In the packet students will analyze 3 primary sources from different perspectives and then split off into groups to prepare for their debate. There is a two page guide to help them prepare for the debate with a few probing questions as well. This product comes in both PDF and Microsoft Word so that it can be easily edited to meet your needs

This packet analyzes the Shays Rebellion through 3 primary sources where students will make judgments on the writings. Students will then determine whether or not Shays and his men were rebels or freedom fighters in an essay. Here is what is in the packet: 3 primary source documents on Shays Rebellion from different perspectives. A how to write your essay guide. A helpful writing tips guide for struggling writers. Essay writing doc with the essential question. This packet is in a Word doc that is editable as well as a PDF file.

Have fun learning or reviewing the Salem Witch Trial playing a fun trivia game. This game is in PowerPoint and can easily be edited if you want to change a question or two.

This packet comes with six different lessons that deal with school issues where the students rights may have been violated and students will choose whether or not the school administrator had the right to do what they did based on the Bill of Rights. There are followup questions to get the students to think beyond what they just read. The students will then write an argument in support of the administrator or the students. What you get in the packet: Each lesson comes with a short story of the scenario like a student being searched in school. It also comes with questions and instructions on how to write an essay if you choose to take the lesson further. Here are the titles of the six lessons: 1. Students Searched in School: 4th Amendment 2. Fight at School: No Trial! 5th Amendment 3. Students Organize to Protest School Problems and are Suspended: 1st Amendment 4. Principal Censors School Newspaper: 1st Amendment 5. Prayer at a School Football Game: 1st Amendment 6. Students Car is Searched at School: 4th Amendment

Students will attempt to solve the mystery as to whether or not Mary Surratt was involved in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Essential Question: Did Mary Surratt conspire with John Wilkes booth and other Confederate sympathizers to kill Abraham Lincoln? Here is what is in the packet: Lesson plan There are 9 different clues to include pictures, videos and primary source readings. Detective log with probing questions and a spot to write final judgement as to whether or not Mary Surratt was guilty. The packet is in Microsoft word so you can edit it as well as PDF.