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DEFINING MOMENTS Downloadable Lessons

  • 1812: The War

    This downloadable examines the War of 1812—a conflict that might never have happened if President James Madison had access to modern communication. It includes a timeline of events, illustrations, teacher directions, and an activity that challenges students to take a stand—pro-war or anti-war—and then defend their position.

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  • Abolition and John Brown's Raid

    Using contemporary accounts, newspaper cartoons, replicas of authentic maps, and other primary sources, students explore the life of the abolitionist figure, John Brown—from his early days of agitating against slavery to the raid at Harper’s Ferry to his conviction and execution.

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  • Artisans in Early America

    This lesson plan will help your students understand what life over 200 years ago was like by using the "Looking at Pictures" graphic organizers to seek out information, form questions, and imagine themselves in colonial times.

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  • The Battle of Gettysburg

    During the three-day battle of Gettysburg, the fortunes of the Northern and Southern armies rose and fell with every passing hour. The focal points of this lesson discuss how different decisions within the battle could have altered the outcome and how a Confederate victory might have affected the course of the war.

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  • The Battle of Saratoga

    In 1777, under the command of General John Burgoyne, the British Army attempted to divide America’s colonial forces in half by controlling the route from Montreal to the Hudson Valley—a plan that ultimately collapsed with the surrender of Saratoga. How viable was the plan to begin with? How did it fail? What if it had succeeded?

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  • Bringing African American History Alive

    This downloadable creates awareness of the contributions of African Americans throughout the history of the United States. An included activity invites students to identify people, events, places, documents, and laws that played a pivotal role in writing African American history.

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  • Cherokee Peacemakers

    In 1762 a delegation of Cherokee leaders went to England to visit King George III. What was its goal, and how did the meeting impact history? Students learn about the Cherokee culture and compare it to the culture of the English colonists.

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  • The Civil Rights Movement: Martin Luther King, Jr.

    This lesson focuses on Martin Luther King's significant contributions to the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, including the Birmingham boycott and his spellbinding "I Have a Dream" speech, as well as the impact of his 1968 assassination. Activities include creating an ad campaign using King's image to inspire activism and speculating how he might have led a 21st-century civil rights movement.

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  • The Compromise of 1850

    With this lesson, students hold a mock Senate debate on the agreement that temporarily forestalled the American Civil War, including the positions of those who wanted new states free, those who wanted new states open to slavery, and those who wanted each state's citizens to decide for themselves. Students also think through possible outcomes had the Compromise in fact kept the nation at peace.

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  • The Constitution of the United States

    This downloadable provides a great way to teach the U.S. Constitution and related historic documents such as the Bill of Rights and the Virginia Plan. One activity provides a comparison chart for discussing the Constitution and the Articles of Confederation.

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Defining Moments

Introducing ABC-CLIO's latest tool for social studies educators.

Defining Moments is a unique series using alternative history — posing questions such as "what if key events had come out differently?" — to teach both history and critical thinking skills. This new series of primary source-based lessons covers the whole American history using the novel device of alternative history.

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