Instructional Video5:52
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PBS

The Haudenosaunee Legendary Founding

6th - 12th Standards
While many young historians would say the United States' form of democracy is the longest living, the confederacy established by Hiawatha and the Haudenosaunee is America's precursor. The activity set, complete with a beautifully...
Instructional Video1:31
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1
PBS

Inca Origins

6th - 12th Standards
Origin stories aren't just for comic books. Learners explore the Inca origin story and compare it to other familiar creation myths with an installment of the Native American Stories series. An easy-to-use lesson plan includes an...
Instructional Video8:16
The Great War

Life In The Tomb - WW1 Author Stratis Myrivilis

9th - 12th Standards
Most learners likely are not familiar with Statis Myrivilis or his anti-war writings, but his works spur scholars to debate over the role of protest literature in wartime. While the video does situate Myrivilis within the context of the...
Instructional Video8:56
The Great War

A Farewell to Arms - Ernest Hemingway

9th - 12th Standards
While many can identify Ernest Hemingway's famous works, they may be unaware of his service during World War I and how that affected his literary contributions. An video details Hemingway's service in World War I and explains events and...
Instructional Video1:16
1
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PBS

A Gift of Corn to the Choctaw

6th - 12th Standards
A mysterious woman. A humble sharing of a meal. A generous gift. The universal value of generosity is threaded throughout a core Choctaw legend on why the tribe began to grow corn. Using part of the Native American Sacred Stories series,...
Instructional Video6:05
The Great War

Kaiser Wilhelm II - The Last German Emperor

9th - Higher Ed Standards
Was he driven by an inappropriate relationship with his English mother? Or was he just an incompetent, but well-intentioned, monarch? The Kaiser's tough upbringing and how it may have influenced his decisions in the Great War are...
Instructional Video3:58
The Great War

The Red Baron - Manfred von Richthofen

9th - Higher Ed Standards
Now a legend, Manfred von Richtofen was the original Flying Ace. The Red Baron eventually was shot down by the Allies, but not before the German pilot revolutionized warfare with his circus-like stunts. An informative video biography...
Instructional Video4:45
The Great War

Ferdinand Foch

9th - Higher Ed Standards
French commander Ferdinand Foch's early decisions led to some of worst of World War I's bloodshed. He also forecast that the Treaty of Versailles only postponed the inevitable World War II. A detailed video biography gives scholars the...
Instructional Video8:22
The Great War

Standing Up To The Royal Navy - Maximilian von Spee

9th - Higher Ed Standards
At the start of World War I, German naval leader Maximilian von Spee was isolated in the Pacific Ocean. He led his squadron on a daring mission to save themselves, ending in the first defeat of a British naval squadron in a century....
Instructional Video6:48
The Great War

Adolf Hitler in World War 1

9th - Higher Ed Standards
Most learners are already familiar with the horror wreaked by Adolf Hitler during World War II, but few may understand the impact the Great War had on him. Hitler felt his time at the front for Germany during the Great War were some of...
Instructional Video7:34
The Great War

The Last Tsar of Russia - Nicholas II

9th - Higher Ed Standards
Was he a ruthless leader and failed military commander? Or a political martyr and king? Historians continue to debate the legacy of Russian Tsar Nicholas II, who was the last of the Romanov line to rule Russia. An interesting video...
Instructional Video9:02
The Great War

Franz Conrad von Hötzendorf - Strategic Mastermind or War Monger?

9th - Higher Ed Standards
Was he the mastermind of war or a military genius? Franz Conrad von Hötzendorf, who led the Austrian-Hungarian army, is one of the most important figures of World War I. However, his case for war ultimately caused the death of the...
Instructional Video6:28
The Great War

The Author of All Quiet on The Western Front - Erich Maria Remarque

9th - Higher Ed Standards
considered one of the great anti-war novels, All Quiet on the Western Front details the experiences of Erich Maria Remarque on the German front. In addition, Remarque collected stories from other soldiers to paint a picture of the...
Instructional Video6:47
The Great War

Winston Churchill - First Lord Of The Admiralty

9th - Higher Ed Standards
Winston Churchill is a larger-than-life figure, designated by the BBC as the most important figure of the twentieth century. Yet, his political career began long before World War II, and it was marked with failure. A well-rounded...
Instructional Video6:57
The Great War

The German Painter Who Fought In The Trenches - Otto Dix

9th - Higher Ed Standards
Otto Dix wanted to show the ghastliness of war, and his paintings were so controversial that Adolf Hitler later banned them. Dix's artwork was so important to him that he refused to leave Germany, even when he was labeled as degenerate...
Instructional Video8:52
The Great War

The Tragic Downfall Of The Lion Of The Isonzo - Svetozar Borojević

9th - Higher Ed Standards
Was Svetozar Borojevic thick-headed ... or a military genius? While he was the most prominent Slav in the Austrian-Hungarian army, why is he not remembered for his role in the Great War? Young historians consider these questions after...
Instructional Video7:24
The Great War

Josip Broz Tito in World War 1

9th - Higher Ed Standards
While Josip Broz Tito was the father of Yugoslavia, his service in some of the most gory moments of World War I shaped his world view. Tito's time in the army—fighting for Austria-Hungary—made him a critic of the monarchy and...
Instructional Video10:18
The Great War

Russia's Finest General - Aleksei Brusilov

9th - Higher Ed Standards
Russian General Aleksei Brusilov served both the tsar and revolutionary Russia. His massive offensive racked up deaths and broke through the Austria-Hungarian line. An insightful video explores how Brusilov's military career parallels a...
Instructional Video9:09
The Great War

The Architect Of The Battle of the Somme - Douglas Haig

9th - Higher Ed Standards
Douglas Haig, the British Field marshal during World War I, was known as both a national hero and butcher. His decisions directly led to the large numbers of deaths in the trenches, but Haig was driven by the quest for a great victory...
Instructional Video6:30
The Great War

The Best Sniper Of World War 1 - Francis Pegahmagabow

9th - Higher Ed Standards
While he wasn't even considered a Canadian citizen, France Pegahmagabow had the greatest number of kills of any sniper during World War I. After the war, Pegahmagabow went on to lobby for greater rights for the members of the First...
Instructional Video7:10
The Great War

The Lion of Africa - Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck

9th - Higher Ed Standards
While African colonial holdings were supposed to be neutral during the Great War, German military leader Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck used them as a pawn in World War I. Initially seen as a German hero, historians are reconsidering von...
Instructional Video5:47
The Great War

The Father Of Poison Gas - Fritz Haber

9th - Higher Ed Standards
His scientific work led to millions of deaths in gas attacks during World War I and in the concentration camps of World War II. Yet, Fritz Haber's innovations in crop fertilizer also helped feed the world. Haber's complicated story...
Instructional Video5:29
The Great War

Socialist and Front Soldier - Louis Barthas

9th - Higher Ed Standards
The countless deaths of the Great War are often unimaginable to young learners. Examining the life and writings of Louis Barthas, however, paints a picture of life in the trenches. Show your pupils what life was like as a poilu, or...
Instructional Video7:32
The Great War

J.R.R. Tolkien - The Father of Lord of The Rings

9th - Higher Ed Standards
Best known as the author of the  Lord of the Rings trilogy, J.R.R. Tolkien may have used some of his trench warfare experiences to create Middle Earth. While the trilogy is not entirely autobiographical, many scholars agree that...