Providing free education tools and materials for teachers, interpreters, students, and lifelong learners inside and outside the National Park Service is one important way we support the agency's mission. The value of America's cultures and diverse heritages may be lost if it's not passed on to the next generation or experienced by the present one. Want to inspire young people to grow into responsible citizens? Looking for more resources to craft interpretation or educational programming plans? See the related resources below or visit our Education & Training page for more.
The National Park Service offers free lesson plans through the Teaching with Historic Places series. Over 160 lessons cover a variety of topics, including European immigration and influence, and they all align with national curriculum standards. These resources contain primary and secondary sources, including readings, maps, and images, and recommended activities. A few on this topic include,
- The No. 2 Quincy Shaft-Rockhouse: 9,240 Feet into the Earth
With this lesson plan about European immigrant families, enter a historic company town and descend deep into the copper mines of Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula, where labor unrest upset an industry and changed a community in the early 20th century.
- Digging into the Colonial Past: Archeology and the 16th-Century Spanish Settlements at Charlesfort-Santa Elena
Discover the site of a 16th-century Spanish town that was founded before Roanoke, Jamestown, and Plymouth, and learn how archeology uncovered the story of Santa Elena.
- Savannah, Georgia: The Lasting Legacy of Colonial City Planning
This lesson plan features the historic district in Savannah, Georgia, where English settlers led by visionary James Oglethorpe founded a new colony in the 18th century.
- Forts of Old San Juan: Guardians of the Caribbean
Discover how Spanish fortifications on the island of Puerto Rico helped protect Spain's expanding interests in the New World. La versión en español: Los Castillos del Viejo San Juan: Guardianes del Caribe
- Bethlehem, Pennsylvania: A Moravian Settlement in Colonial America
Learn why Moravians immigrated to the New World and how the towns they established embodied their religious beliefs.
Last updated: March 8, 2016