Lesson Plans and Resources

This section focuses teaching resources beyond traditional textbooks and provides ways to expand the learning in the Independence Hall Association digital textbook provided on this site. The section emphasizes bringing primary sources into classroom teaching as a resource for enhancing education. Primary sources are important vehicles to have students build strong research and analytical thinking skills that support learning across the curriculum.

One of the premier co-curriculum, student project-based programs supporting this type of learning is National History Day®, which is also featured here. Enabling students to learn the difference between the types of information, both in their kind, source and meaning, supports strong reading and language development, as well as historical thinking and civics literacy. To support this, we are presenting a resource developed through National History Day Philadelphia by the Greater Philadelphia Encyclopedia Project at Rutgers as an introduction.

In other sections we provide information about where to find resources to help students assess and use information sources related to O.V. Catto and the American Civil Rights story. It connects teachers and students to some trustworthy online resources, as well as museums with strong school outreach programs. Also featured in this section, are some original materials held at some premier institutions related to our nation’s Constitutional history, the Catto story and American Civil Rights.