Are you looking for an innovative and engaging essay prompt to enrich your American history curriculum? Look no further! Our unique essay prompt invites students to delve into key moments and themes in U.S. history through the analysis of primary source documents. Designed for educators teaching U.S. history at grade 11, this prompt provides a stimulating opportunity for students to explore, analyze, and interpret primary sources while honing their historical inquiry and critical thinking skills.
Our essay prompt challenges students to explore the constitutional and civic issue of civil rights and racial equality in early American history. Through the analysis of four carefully selected primary source documents, students will:
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- Document 1: Excerpt from a contract recording the sale of land along the Hudson River from Mahican Indians to Kiliaen van Rensselaer, 1630.
- Document 2: Image of Paul Revere’s drawing of the Boston Massacre.
- Document 3: Excerpt from a confidential letter, Jefferson’s message to Congress on the Expedition West.
- Document 4: Bartolomé de las Casas — Excerpts from The Very Brief Relation of the Devastation of the Indies.
- Document 5: Jefferson’s “original Rough draught” of the Declaration of Independence, 1776.
- Document 6: A traveler describes life along the Erie Canal, 1829.
Engage Students in Active Learning:
This essay prompt is designed to engage students in active learning experiences that foster historical inquiry, critical analysis, and historical literacy. By examining primary source documents, students will gain a deeper understanding of the complexities, contradictions, and enduring struggles that have shaped America’s constitutional and civic landscape.
- Passcodes for Online Versions in my virtual classroom at Innovation Website
- InnovationAssessments.com/TestDrive
- Give your students the passcodes to access online auto-corrected versions of the lessons in this unit. If you are a subscriber to Innovation, you can use the passcodes to import the activities into your own account and test banks. You can see and save student work that way. If not, just have your students send you a screenshot of their score on completing the task.
- Contact with Native Americans pt. 1, [preview]
- Contact with Native Americans pt. 2, [preview]
- Contact with Native Americans pt. 3, [preview]
- Contact with Native Americans pt. 4, [preview]
- English Colonies, part 1, [preview]
- English Colonies part 2, [preview]
- English Colonies, part 3, [preview]
- English Colonies part 4, [preview]
- English Colonies, part 5, [preview]
- New Amsterdam, [preview]
- French and Indian War part 1, [preview]
- French and Indian War part 2, [preview]
- French and Indian War part 3, [preview]
- 11.1 COLONIAL FOUNDATIONS quiz, [preview]
Enhance Classroom Instruction:
Integrate this essay prompt into your history curriculum to:
- Stimulate student interest and curiosity in key moments and themes in American history.
- Encourage students to analyze and interpret primary sources, strengthening their analytical and research skills.
- Foster meaningful class discussions and debates on issues of civil rights, racial equality, and social justice.
- Provide students with opportunities to develop their written communication skills through the composition of well-reasoned and evidence-based essays.
Unlock the Past with Teachers Pay Teachers:
Access our engaging essay prompt today on Teachers Pay Teachers. Whether you’re a history teacher seeking to inspire critical thinking and historical inquiry or a homeschooling parent looking for thought-provoking curriculum materials, our essay prompt offers a valuable tool for bringing American history to life in your classroom or homeschool environment.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to empower your students to become active participants in the study of history. Visit our store on Teachers Pay Teachers to download our essay prompt and ignite a passion for historical inquiry and critical thinking in your students today!
