🇺🇸 U.S. History and Government
One printable 40-minute plan for each of the 16 lessons. A substitute can run any lesson with the lesson's 3D video and Movie. No account needed.
Lesson 1: Colonial foundations
Lesson link: books/hs-us-history · lesson 1
Big idea: Colonies grew self-government and slavery side by side.
Read this aloud (it is the lesson's hook). Students think, then tell a partner what they notice.
“In 1619, Virginia's House of Burgesses first met, and the same year enslaved Africans were brought to Virginia.”
- Open the lesson link on the board.
- Press Next to the 🎬 Watch step and press ▶ Play.
- Press Next to the Movie step and press ▶ Play.
The video says:
- First permanent English colony.
- An agreement to govern themselves.
- Enslaved Africans' forced labor built colonial wealth.
Students open the same lesson on their own device (or work with the board). Press Next to Try it.
Try it together first:
The Mayflower Compact is an early example of…
- A. Self-government
- B. Absolute monarchy
Answer (for the teacher): Self-government
If time is left, students play the lesson's game steps (they show up between the videos and Check).
Students press Next to Check and answer the 4 questions on their own device. Goal: 100%. 95% or more is Mastered. “Not yet” means try again; students may retry.
Read this question aloud. Students write the answer on a slip of paper with no name or with a class number, and hand it in.
New York began as the Dutch colony of…
- A. New Netherland
- B. New France
Answer (for the teacher): New Netherland
Leave on the board
- Colonial foundations
- Big idea: Colonies grew self-government and slavery side by side.
- Memory trick: “Self-rule and slavery, both from the start.”
- Goal: 100%
Watch for this mistake
- Telling colonial history without Native Americans and enslaved Africans.
Students do not need accounts; progress stays on each device.
Notes for the teacher
Lesson 2: The road to revolution
Lesson link: books/hs-us-history · lesson 2
Big idea: Colonists claimed their rights and declared independence.
Read this aloud (it is the lesson's hook). Students think, then tell a partner what they notice.
“Colonists protested taxes passed without their vote: ‘no taxation without representation.’”
- Open the lesson link on the board.
- Press Next to the 🎬 Watch step and press ▶ Play.
- Press Next to the Movie step and press ▶ Play.
The video says:
- Colonists protest taxes from Parliament.
- Natural rights and consent of the governed.
- A weak first government was replaced.
Students open the same lesson on their own device (or work with the board). Press Next to Try it.
Try it together first:
The Declaration of Independence draws on Locke's idea of…
- A. Natural rights
- B. Divine right of kings
Answer (for the teacher): Natural rights
If time is left, students play the lesson's game steps (they show up between the videos and Check).
Students press Next to Check and answer the 4 questions on their own device. Goal: 100%. 95% or more is Mastered. “Not yet” means try again; students may retry.
Read this question aloud. Students write the answer on a slip of paper with no name or with a class number, and hand it in.
‘No taxation without representation’ protested…
- A. Taxes from Parliament without colonial votes
- B. Local town taxes
Answer (for the teacher): Taxes from Parliament without colonial votes
Leave on the board
- The road to revolution
- Big idea: Colonists claimed their rights and declared independence.
- Memory trick: “Rights → revolt → rules.”
- Goal: 100%
Watch for this mistake
- Thinking the Constitution came right after 1776 (the Articles came first).
Students do not need accounts; progress stays on each device.
Notes for the teacher
Lesson 3: Constitution and federalism
Lesson link: books/hs-us-history · lesson 3
Big idea: Limited government with checks.
Read this aloud (it is the lesson's hook). Students think, then tell a partner what they notice.
“The Constitution splits power between states and the national government, and among three branches.”
- Open the lesson link on the board.
- Press Next to the 🎬 Watch step and press ▶ Play.
- Press Next to the Movie step and press ▶ Play.
The video says:
- Key principles: federalism and separation of powers.
- Veto, override, judicial review.
- First ten amendments.
Students open the same lesson on their own device (or work with the board). Press Next to Try it.
Try it together first:
Judicial review was established in…
- A. Marbury v. Madison
- B. Plessy v. Ferguson
Answer (for the teacher): Marbury v. Madison
If time is left, students play the lesson's game steps (they show up between the videos and Check).
Students press Next to Check and answer the 4 questions on their own device. Goal: 100%. 95% or more is Mastered. “Not yet” means try again; students may retry.
Read this question aloud. Students write the answer on a slip of paper with no name or with a class number, and hand it in.
The elastic clause gives Congress…
- A. Implied powers
- B. No powers
Answer (for the teacher): Implied powers
Leave on the board
- Constitution and federalism
- Big idea: Limited government with checks.
- Memory trick: “Split it, check it.”
- Goal: 100%
Watch for this mistake
- Thinking the Bill of Rights came with the 1787 draft.
Students do not need accounts; progress stays on each device.
Notes for the teacher
Lesson 4: Expansion and sectionalism
Lesson link: books/hs-us-history · lesson 4
Big idea: Growth west deepened the fight over slavery.
Read this aloud (it is the lesson's hook). Students think, then tell a partner what they notice.
“The 1803 Louisiana Purchase doubled the nation's size, but every new territory raised the question of slavery.”
- Open the lesson link on the board.
- Press Next to the 🎬 Watch step and press ▶ Play.
- Press Next to the Movie step and press ▶ Play.
The video says:
- The nation doubled in size.
- The Trail of Tears forced Native nations west.
- A women's rights convention in New York.
Students open the same lesson on their own device (or work with the board). Press Next to Try it.
Try it together first:
Each new western territory raised the question of…
- A. Whether slavery would spread
- B. Which language to speak
Answer (for the teacher): Whether slavery would spread
If time is left, students play the lesson's game steps (they show up between the videos and Check).
Students press Next to Check and answer the 4 questions on their own device. Goal: 100%. 95% or more is Mastered. “Not yet” means try again; students may retry.
Read this question aloud. Students write the answer on a slip of paper with no name or with a class number, and hand it in.
The Trail of Tears forced the removal of…
- A. The Cherokee and other Native nations
- B. Mexican settlers
Answer (for the teacher): The Cherokee and other Native nations
Leave on the board
- Expansion and sectionalism
- Big idea: Growth west deepened the fight over slavery.
- Memory trick: “More land, more conflict.”
- Goal: 100%
Watch for this mistake
- Telling westward expansion without the Native nations it displaced.
Students do not need accounts; progress stays on each device.
Notes for the teacher
Lesson 5: Civil War and Reconstruction
Lesson link: books/hs-us-history · lesson 5
Big idea: 13th, 14th, 15th: freedom, citizenship, vote.
Read this aloud (it is the lesson's hook). Students think, then tell a partner what they notice.
“The Civil War ended slavery; Reconstruction amendments promised equal citizenship.”
- Open the lesson link on the board.
- Press Next to the 🎬 Watch step and press ▶ Play.
- Press Next to the Movie step and press ▶ Play.
The video says:
- Civil War.
- Abolition, citizenship and equal protection, voting.
- Segregation rolled back gains.
Students open the same lesson on their own device (or work with the board). Press Next to Try it.
Try it together first:
The 14th Amendment guarantees…
- A. Equal protection and citizenship
- B. Women's suffrage
Answer (for the teacher): Equal protection and citizenship
If time is left, students play the lesson's game steps (they show up between the videos and Check).
Students press Next to Check and answer the 4 questions on their own device. Goal: 100%. 95% or more is Mastered. “Not yet” means try again; students may retry.
Read this question aloud. Students write the answer on a slip of paper with no name or with a class number, and hand it in.
Reconstruction ended in…
Answer (for the teacher): 1877
Leave on the board
- Civil War and Reconstruction
- Big idea: 13th, 14th, 15th: freedom, citizenship, vote.
- Memory trick: “Free, citizen, vote.”
- Goal: 100%
Watch for this mistake
- Thinking Reconstruction fully secured rights.
Students do not need accounts; progress stays on each device.
Notes for the teacher
Lesson 6: The West and Native nations
Lesson link: books/hs-us-history · lesson 6
Big idea: Western settlement came at great cost to Native nations.
Read this aloud (it is the lesson's hook). Students think, then tell a partner what they notice.
“After the Civil War, railroads and settlers pushed west, and Native nations lost most of their land.”
- Open the lesson link on the board.
- Press Next to the 🎬 Watch step and press ▶ Play.
- Press Next to the Movie step and press ▶ Play.
The video says:
- Completed in 1869, linking east and west.
- Tribal land broken up; assimilation pushed.
- U.S. troops massacred Lakota people.
Students open the same lesson on their own device (or work with the board). Press Next to Try it.
Try it together first:
The Dawes Act of 1887 aimed to…
- A. Assimilate Native Americans and break up tribal land
- B. Protect tribal land forever
Answer (for the teacher): Assimilate Native Americans and break up tribal land
If time is left, students play the lesson's game steps (they show up between the videos and Check).
Students press Next to Check and answer the 4 questions on their own device. Goal: 100%. 95% or more is Mastered. “Not yet” means try again; students may retry.
Read this question aloud. Students write the answer on a slip of paper with no name or with a class number, and hand it in.
After 1877, Black Southerners faced…
- A. Jim Crow laws
- B. Full equality
Answer (for the teacher): Jim Crow laws
Leave on the board
- The West and Native nations
- Big idea: Western settlement came at great cost to Native nations.
- Memory trick: “Rails west, land lost.”
- Goal: 100%
Watch for this mistake
- Calling the West ‘empty’ before settlers came.
Students do not need accounts; progress stays on each device.
Notes for the teacher
Lesson 7: Industrialization and immigration
Lesson link: books/hs-us-history · lesson 7
Big idea: Big business and immigrants transformed American cities.
Read this aloud (it is the lesson's hook). Students think, then tell a partner what they notice.
“Millions of immigrants entered through Ellis Island in New York Harbor to work in growing factories and cities.”
- Open the lesson link on the board.
- Press Next to the 🎬 Watch step and press ▶ Play.
- Press Next to the Movie step and press ▶ Play.
The video says:
- Steel and oil giants.
- Gateway for millions of immigrants.
- Workers organized for better pay and safety.
Students open the same lesson on their own device (or work with the board). Press Next to Try it.
Try it together first:
Immigrants arriving in New York Harbor were processed at…
- A. Ellis Island
- B. Angel Island
Answer (for the teacher): Ellis Island
If time is left, students play the lesson's game steps (they show up between the videos and Check).
Students press Next to Check and answer the 4 questions on their own device. Goal: 100%. 95% or more is Mastered. “Not yet” means try again; students may retry.
Read this question aloud. Students write the answer on a slip of paper with no name or with a class number, and hand it in.
The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882…
- A. Restricted Chinese immigration
- B. Welcomed all immigrants
Answer (for the teacher): Restricted Chinese immigration
Leave on the board
- Industrialization and immigration
- Big idea: Big business and immigrants transformed American cities.
- Memory trick: “Factories pull, immigrants build.”
- Goal: 100%
Watch for this mistake
- Thinking immigrants were always welcomed.
Students do not need accounts; progress stays on each device.
Notes for the teacher
Lesson 8: The Progressive Era
Lesson link: books/hs-us-history · lesson 8
Big idea: Problems sparked reforms.
Read this aloud (it is the lesson's hook). Students think, then tell a partner what they notice.
“The 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York City killed 146 workers and led to new safety laws.”
- Open the lesson link on the board.
- Press Next to the 🎬 Watch step and press ▶ Play.
- Press Next to the Movie step and press ▶ Play.
The video says:
- Journalists exposed problems.
- Income tax, direct election of senators, Prohibition, women's vote.
- A central banking system.
Students open the same lesson on their own device (or work with the board). Press Next to Try it.
Try it together first:
The 19th Amendment gave…
- A. Women the right to vote
- B. 18-year-olds the vote
Answer (for the teacher): Women the right to vote
If time is left, students play the lesson's game steps (they show up between the videos and Check).
Students press Next to Check and answer the 4 questions on their own device. Goal: 100%. 95% or more is Mastered. “Not yet” means try again; students may retry.
Read this question aloud. Students write the answer on a slip of paper with no name or with a class number, and hand it in.
Muckrakers were…
- A. Journalists exposing problems
- B. Factory owners
Answer (for the teacher): Journalists exposing problems
Leave on the board
- The Progressive Era
- Big idea: Problems sparked reforms.
- Memory trick: “Expose, reform, protect.”
- Goal: 100%
Watch for this mistake
- Mixing up the Progressive Era and the New Deal.
Students do not need accounts; progress stays on each device.
Notes for the teacher
Lesson 9: The rise of American power
Lesson link: books/hs-us-history · lesson 9
Big idea: The U.S. became a world power, then debated its role.
Read this aloud (it is the lesson's hook). Students think, then tell a partner what they notice.
“In 1898 the U.S. won the Spanish-American War and gained territories overseas.”
- Open the lesson link on the board.
- Press Next to the 🎬 Watch step and press ▶ Play.
- Press Next to the Movie step and press ▶ Play.
The video says:
- Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines.
- Linked the Atlantic and Pacific.
- Wilson's Fourteen Points.
Students open the same lesson on their own device (or work with the board). Press Next to Try it.
Try it together first:
The U.S. entered World War I in…
Answer (for the teacher): 1917
If time is left, students play the lesson's game steps (they show up between the videos and Check).
Students press Next to Check and answer the 4 questions on their own device. Goal: 100%. 95% or more is Mastered. “Not yet” means try again; students may retry.
Read this question aloud. Students write the answer on a slip of paper with no name or with a class number, and hand it in.
Wilson's peace plan was the…
- A. Fourteen Points
- B. Monroe Doctrine
Answer (for the teacher): Fourteen Points
Leave on the board
- The rise of American power
- Big idea: The U.S. became a world power, then debated its role.
- Memory trick: “Expand, enter, debate.”
- Goal: 100%
Watch for this mistake
- Thinking the U.S. joined the League of Nations.
Students do not need accounts; progress stays on each device.
Notes for the teacher
Lesson 10: Prosperity and Depression
Lesson link: books/hs-us-history · lesson 10
Big idea: Boom, bust, then a bigger role for government.
Read this aloud (it is the lesson's hook). Students think, then tell a partner what they notice.
“The 1920s roared with cars and radio; the 1929 crash led to the Great Depression and the New Deal.”
- Open the lesson link on the board.
- Press Next to the 🎬 Watch step and press ▶ Play.
- Press Next to the Movie step and press ▶ Play.
The video says:
- Cars, radio and the Harlem Renaissance.
- The stock market collapsed.
- FDR's relief, recovery and reform, like Social Security.
Students open the same lesson on their own device (or work with the board). Press Next to Try it.
Try it together first:
Social Security came from…
- A. The New Deal
- B. The Gilded Age
Answer (for the teacher): The New Deal
If time is left, students play the lesson's game steps (they show up between the videos and Check).
Students press Next to Check and answer the 4 questions on their own device. Goal: 100%. 95% or more is Mastered. “Not yet” means try again; students may retry.
Read this question aloud. Students write the answer on a slip of paper with no name or with a class number, and hand it in.
FDR's New Deal expanded…
- A. The federal government's role
- B. Laissez-faire policy
Answer (for the teacher): The federal government's role
Leave on the board
- Prosperity and Depression
- Big idea: Boom, bust, then a bigger role for government.
- Memory trick: “Boom, bust, New Deal.”
- Goal: 100%
Watch for this mistake
- Thinking the New Deal alone ended the Depression (WWII spending mattered too).
Students do not need accounts; progress stays on each device.
Notes for the teacher
Lesson 11: World War II
Lesson link: books/hs-us-history · lesson 11
Big idea: Total war changed America at home and abroad.
Read this aloud (it is the lesson's hook). Students think, then tell a partner what they notice.
“After the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Americans mobilized for total war at home and abroad.”
- Open the lesson link on the board.
- Press Next to the 🎬 Watch step and press ▶ Play.
- Press Next to the Movie step and press ▶ Play.
The video says:
- The U.S. enters the war.
- Women and minorities in war jobs; rationing.
- Executive Order 9066 violated citizens' rights.
Students open the same lesson on their own device (or work with the board). Press Next to Try it.
Try it together first:
Korematsu v. United States (1944) upheld…
- A. Japanese American internment
- B. Women's suffrage
Answer (for the teacher): Japanese American internment
If time is left, students play the lesson's game steps (they show up between the videos and Check).
Students press Next to Check and answer the 4 questions on their own device. Goal: 100%. 95% or more is Mastered. “Not yet” means try again; students may retry.
Read this question aloud. Students write the answer on a slip of paper with no name or with a class number, and hand it in.
The D-Day landings were in…
- A. Normandy, France
- B. Hawaii
Answer (for the teacher): Normandy, France
Leave on the board
- World War II
- Big idea: Total war changed America at home and abroad.
- Memory trick: “Attack, mobilize, win, at a cost.”
- Goal: 100%
Watch for this mistake
- Leaving out internment and other rights violations.
Students do not need accounts; progress stays on each device.
Notes for the teacher
Lesson 12: The Cold War at home and abroad
Lesson link: books/hs-us-history · lesson 12
Big idea: Containment shaped U.S. policy for decades.
Read this aloud (it is the lesson's hook). Students think, then tell a partner what they notice.
“Americans built fallout shelters as the U.S. and USSR raced to build nuclear weapons.”
- Open the lesson link on the board.
- Press Next to the 🎬 Watch step and press ▶ Play.
- Press Next to the Movie step and press ▶ Play.
The video says:
- Contain communism.
- Wars to stop communist expansion.
- Fear of communists at home.
Students open the same lesson on their own device (or work with the board). Press Next to Try it.
Try it together first:
Containment aimed to stop…
- A. Spread of communism
- B. Trade
Answer (for the teacher): Spread of communism
If time is left, students play the lesson's game steps (they show up between the videos and Check).
Students press Next to Check and answer the 4 questions on their own device. Goal: 100%. 95% or more is Mastered. “Not yet” means try again; students may retry.
Read this question aloud. Students write the answer on a slip of paper with no name or with a class number, and hand it in.
The space race sped up after the USSR launched Sputnik in…
Answer (for the teacher): 1957
Leave on the board
- The Cold War at home and abroad
- Big idea: Containment shaped U.S. policy for decades.
- Memory trick: “Contain, compete, fear.”
- Goal: 100%
Watch for this mistake
- Thinking the Cold War was only about foreign policy.
Students do not need accounts; progress stays on each device.
Notes for the teacher
Lesson 13: The civil rights movement
Lesson link: books/hs-us-history · lesson 13
Big idea: Courts, laws and people expanded rights.
Read this aloud (it is the lesson's hook). Students think, then tell a partner what they notice.
“Brown v. Board (1954) ended legal school segregation; activists won the Civil Rights Act (1964).”
- Open the lesson link on the board.
- Press Next to the 🎬 Watch step and press ▶ Play.
- Press Next to the Movie step and press ▶ Play.
The video says:
- Struck down school segregation.
- Banned discrimination in public places and jobs.
- Nonviolent direct action.
Students open the same lesson on their own device (or work with the board). Press Next to Try it.
Try it together first:
Brown v. Board of Education overturned…
- A. Plessy v. Ferguson
- B. Marbury v. Madison
Answer (for the teacher): Plessy v. Ferguson
If time is left, students play the lesson's game steps (they show up between the videos and Check).
Students press Next to Check and answer the 4 questions on their own device. Goal: 100%. 95% or more is Mastered. “Not yet” means try again; students may retry.
Read this question aloud. Students write the answer on a slip of paper with no name or with a class number, and hand it in.
Sit-ins were…
- A. Nonviolent protests at segregated places
- B. Court cases
Answer (for the teacher): Nonviolent protests at segregated places
Leave on the board
- The civil rights movement
- Big idea: Courts, laws and people expanded rights.
- Memory trick: “Brown beat Plessy.”
- Goal: 100%
Watch for this mistake
- Thinking rights came only from leaders, not ordinary people.
Students do not need accounts; progress stays on each device.
Notes for the teacher
Lesson 14: Expanding rights and the Great Society
Lesson link: books/hs-us-history · lesson 14
Big idea: Many groups organized to win equal rights.
Read this aloud (it is the lesson's hook). Students think, then tell a partner what they notice.
“Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta organized farmworkers, while women, Native Americans and others pushed for equal rights.”
- Open the lesson link on the board.
- Press Next to the 🎬 Watch step and press ▶ Play.
- Press Next to the Movie step and press ▶ Play.
The video says:
- LBJ's Medicare, Medicaid and war on poverty.
- Equal opportunity in education.
- Federal environmental protection.
Students open the same lesson on their own device (or work with the board). Press Next to Try it.
Try it together first:
Title IX (1972) bans sex discrimination in…
- A. Federally funded education programs
- B. Private homes
Answer (for the teacher): Federally funded education programs
If time is left, students play the lesson's game steps (they show up between the videos and Check).
Students press Next to Check and answer the 4 questions on their own device. Goal: 100%. 95% or more is Mastered. “Not yet” means try again; students may retry.
Read this question aloud. Students write the answer on a slip of paper with no name or with a class number, and hand it in.
The Americans with Disabilities Act became law in…
Answer (for the teacher): 1990
Leave on the board
- Expanding rights and the Great Society
- Big idea: Many groups organized to win equal rights.
- Memory trick: “Organize, advocate, win.”
- Goal: 100%
Watch for this mistake
- Thinking the civil rights era involved only one group.
Students do not need accounts; progress stays on each device.
Notes for the teacher
Lesson 15: The U.S. in a changing world
Lesson link: books/hs-us-history · lesson 15
Big idea: Terrorism, technology and trade reshaped recent America.
Read this aloud (it is the lesson's hook). Students think, then tell a partner what they notice.
“On September 11, 2001, terrorists attacked New York City and Washington, D.C., and U.S. security policy changed.”
- Open the lesson link on the board.
- Press Next to the 🎬 Watch step and press ▶ Play.
- Press Next to the Movie step and press ▶ Play.
The video says:
- The attacks led to wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
- Technology changed work and communication.
- Ongoing national issues.
Students open the same lesson on their own device (or work with the board). Press Next to Try it.
Try it together first:
After 9/11, the U.S. created the…
- A. Department of Homeland Security
- B. Federal Reserve
Answer (for the teacher): Department of Homeland Security
If time is left, students play the lesson's game steps (they show up between the videos and Check).
Students press Next to Check and answer the 4 questions on their own device. Goal: 100%. 95% or more is Mastered. “Not yet” means try again; students may retry.
Read this question aloud. Students write the answer on a slip of paper with no name or with a class number, and hand it in.
A major recent policy debate:
- A. Immigration reform
- B. Whether to have elections
Answer (for the teacher): Immigration reform
Leave on the board
- The U.S. in a changing world
- Big idea: Terrorism, technology and trade reshaped recent America.
- Memory trick: “Secure, connect, debate.”
- Goal: 100%
Watch for this mistake
- Thinking recent events are not history.
Students do not need accounts; progress stays on each device.
Notes for the teacher
Lesson 16: Supreme Court cases and civic literacy
Lesson link: books/hs-us-history · lesson 16
Big idea: Court decisions can expand or limit rights.
Read this aloud (it is the lesson's hook). Students think, then tell a partner what they notice.
“Supreme Court decisions have expanded, and sometimes limited, Americans' rights.”
- Open the lesson link on the board.
- Press Next to the 🎬 Watch step and press ▶ Play.
- Press Next to the Movie step and press ▶ Play.
The video says:
- Judicial review.
- ‘Separate but equal’ overturned.
- Rights of the accused and of students.
Students open the same lesson on their own device (or work with the board). Press Next to Try it.
Try it together first:
Judicial review lets courts…
- A. Strike down unconstitutional laws
- B. Write new laws
Answer (for the teacher): Strike down unconstitutional laws
If time is left, students play the lesson's game steps (they show up between the videos and Check).
Students press Next to Check and answer the 4 questions on their own device. Goal: 100%. 95% or more is Mastered. “Not yet” means try again; students may retry.
Read this question aloud. Students write the answer on a slip of paper with no name or with a class number, and hand it in.
A civic literacy essay asks you to…
- A. Explain a constitutional issue, efforts to address it, and its impact
- B. List random dates
Answer (for the teacher): Explain a constitutional issue, efforts to address it, and its impact
Leave on the board
- Supreme Court cases and civic literacy
- Big idea: Court decisions can expand or limit rights.
- Memory trick: “Case → right → impact.”
- Goal: 100%
Watch for this mistake
- Thinking Supreme Court decisions never change.
Students do not need accounts; progress stays on each device.