Teaching Literacy Through History Units and Lesson Plans
Opportunity to combine history and literacy learning.
With the introduction of the Common Core State Standards, teachers have been given an opportunity to further incorporate the use of primary source texts in the classroom and have these documents be the basis for content-rich lesson plans that encourage student literacy. This opportunity encourages teachers to engage students’ understanding of history while building their investigative and analytical reading and writing skills.
Developed by master teachers. Aligned to Common Core.
The following units target the skills and strategies students must learn before they can gain academic independence. Each unit below develops key skills as outlined in the Common Core, such as examining vocabulary text, discerning argument construction, analyzing non-fiction texts, and writing critical analysis. Please explore and use our Teaching Literacy Through History lesson plans below.
Explore additional Teaching Literacy Through History courses and resources.
Common Core Units in American History
Letter from Christopher Columbus
The Declaration of Independence
Our Constitution: The Bill of Rights (Grades 4–6)
Our Constitution: The Bill of Rights (Grades 7–9)
Our Constitution: The Bill of Rights (Grades 10–12)
Andrew Jackson’s Message to Congress Concerning the Indian Removal Act of 1830
The Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine
Franklin D. Roosevelt’s First Inaugural Address
Common Core Lessons in American History
How We Elect a President: The Electoral College (Grades 4–6)
How We Elect a President: The Electoral College (Grades 7–9)
How We Elect a President: The Electoral College (Grades 10–12)
Tim Bailey, formerly an eighth-grade teacher at Northwest Middle School in Salt Lake City, Utah, and the winner of the 2009 National History Teacher of the Year Award, is the director of Teaching Literacy Through History at Gilder Lehrman. He is currently developing Common Core units, aligned to the new literacy standards, on 48 seminal topics for K–12 history education.
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