A student might build a miniature scale model of a Southern plantation with all the outbuildings and fields of cotton and tobacco that supported many of the plantations. The student could select a specific plantation to recreate and give some of the history of that plantation and its location. If the plantation is still standing, he might present pictures from tours or events held in the home. He could describe the lifestyle of the owners, slaves and workers on the plantation and how they interacted.
Have each student choose a famous person from the Civil War and present a report as that person. She could explain why the person was famous and how the person affected American history. She might bring in pictures or drawings about the time period as it relates to her chosen character.
Have each student choose a Native American tribe to represent. The student might come dressed as a Native American and explain how that tribe lived. He might create a display showing the different kinds of animals the tribe hunted and how they used the skins and other animal by-products. He might describe some of the tribal ceremonies and games. He could demonstrate some of the games played by the Native American children.
A student might decide to present her project from the perspective of a news reporter on the scene. She might describe the actions and the famous people who might have been involved in the action. She might choose to present the material as a television reporter might, if the event happened today. She could take on the role of a newspaper reporter, too, and put it in a printed format with pictures.
The student might decide to present some of the music sung by soldiers in the Civil War, slave songs or songs sung by pioneers headed west looking for a new life. He might explain how the songs reflected life during the time and why the songs were popular. He might tell about the songwriter or composer if that person is known. Additionally, he could perform some of the songs for the class.