Teaching with Historic Places has posted on the Web the following lesson plans based on sites in and around Washington, D.C. These lessons, based on sites listed in the National Register of Historic Places, explore local landmarks that illustrate Washington's diverse history. The lessons are free and ready for immediate classroom use by students in history and social studies classes.

• Building of the C & O Canal
  Explore the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal from Washington D.C. to Cumberland, Maryland, and decide why canal building was important during the National Period of the 1820s and 1830s.

• Clara Barton's House: Home of the American Red Cross
  Follow Barton as a leader of charitable causes, from caring for the wounded on Civil War battlefields to founding the American Red Cross.

• Decatur House: A Home of the Rich and Powerful
  Inspect Commodore Stephen Decatur's home near the White House, a gathering place for the politically ambitious, and learn why the naval hero felt compelled to fight a fateful duel.

• Glen Echo Park: Center for Education and Recreation
  Trace the evolution of this Maryland site from a chapter of the Chautauqua movement, to an amusement park, to a national park.

• The Mary McLeod Bethune Council House: African American Women Unite for Change
  Learn about Mary McLeod Bethune and how she and the organization she founded promoted political and social change for African American women.

• The Washington Monument: Tribute in Stone
  Understand why George Washington was so revered during his lifetime and beyond, and learn why it took 100 years to complete this famous monument in his honor.

• Woodrow Wilson: Prophet of Peace
  Examine Wilson's struggle to achieve lasting world peace following World War I.