Students will analyze multiple sources to determine which of the causes of the Civil War each source best supports. Students will support their choices with evidence from the source and their own understanding of the causes of the Civil War.

Students will gather information regarding the cultural and economic interactions between Europeans and American Indians during Westward Expansion. Students will work in groups to analyze several primary sources and create a visual representation depicting the Native vs. European perspectives of westward expansion. 

Students will select a person, persons, or event from the Pre-war to Civil War era that had a significant impact on African American and United States history. They will design a monument or a memorial and create a proposal for it.

Students will examine the life of a Free African American during the Revolutionary War period. This will take place as a case study into the life of Prince Hall. Prince Hall fought for more rights of African Americans during his lifetime.

This teaching guide and activity seeks to introduce primary sources to students so that theyT can understand how to analyze and interpret them to make conclusions about the past. The primary sources the students will analyze are from the John Marshall House’s collection. All of the sources presented, both objects and written, focus on the theme of clothing during the Early Republic (1780-1820), the period in which John Marshall lived. This teaching guide and activity follow the Virginia Standards of Learning from 4th-6th grade, but may be applicable for other grades/ages.

Students will examine the Three-Fifths Compromise. They will look at how the Constitutional Convention decided to handle the issue of enslavement in legislation. Students will analyze primary and secondary sources to learn more about the development and lasting impact of this compromise.

Students will examine the impact of the Emancipation Proclamation on the lives of formerly enslaved people in Virginia. Students will analyze primary and secondary sources to gain context and knowledge about how the Emancipation Proclamation impacted individuals lives directly. Students will develop inquiries and questions about the experiences and history that they learn about through these learning activities.