C-SPAN
On This Day: Ellis Island Opens
Immigration is a hot topic in the news, but it has been a part of the American story for centuries. Learners explore Ellis Island and its connection to the American immigration story with a video tour of Ellis Island, Congressional...
C-SPAN
On This Day: The Chicago Iroquois Theatre Fire of 1903
When sparks ignited a fire at the Iroquois Theatre in Chicago in 1903, it was one of the greatest public safety tragedies of the twentieth century. Even though the theater did not take basic safety precautions, no one was held...
C-SPAN
On This Day: Apollo 8
Apollo 8—the mission to orbit the moon—changed the trajectory of human history and space travel. A series of videos, including historians, the mission commander, and footage of the mission, allows pupils to watch the mission as it...
C-SPAN
On This Day: Sandy Hook Shooting
What causes someone to commit mass acts of violence? After their daughter was killed in the Sandy Hook shooting, the parents of Avielle Richman created a foundation to study the dark corners of neurology to answer that question....
C-SPAN
On This Day: Boston Tea Party
Just how did loyal British citizens decide they would vandalize a shipment of tea coming into Boston Harbor in 1773? Using video clips that show the re-enactment of a debate about the Boston Tea Party and experts analyzing its historical...
National WWII Museum
What Would You Do? Scenario: Segregation
Young African American men at the start of World War II faced a dilemma: they could fight the racism of the Nazis but only by enlisting in a racist Army. Scholars consider this situation as they study the life of a man who in 1941 was...
National WWII Museum
What Would You Do? Scenario: Standing up to Hitler
A reporter for the Chicago Daily News, based in Germany in 1933, is documenting Hitler's rise to power. As his stories grow more critical of the regime, he faces increasing pressure to stop. Eventually, even the American government...
National WWII Museum
What Would You Do? Scenario: Bombing to Invade
The D-Day invasion was critical to the Allies defeating Nazi Germany. However, they needed to make sure Hitler could not get resources to France to fight back. Should the Allies bomb the rail lines feeding the German army through France...
National WWII Museum
Air War over Berlin
The air Battle of Berlin was harrowing with fighter pilots so close in the skies they could see each other's eyes. A video studies the important engagement, explaining that while the Allies lost the largest number of men in a single air...
National WWII Museum
What Would You Do? Scenario: Dachau
When American troops liberated the Dachau concentration camp, they were so enraged by the death they saw that a group of soldiers summarily executed Nazi soldiers. One man filmed the actions, and then struggled with a moral dilemma:...
National WWII Museum
War in Europe Overview
Victory in World War II was by no means a forgone outcome for the Americans. A video resource paints a picture about what the Allies faced by the time the United States entered the conflict. Issues included both wartime production and...
The School of Life
Political Theory - John Rawls
Pretty much everyone has heard the phrase life is unfair. A theory by John Rawls, a famous political theorist, as to why this occurs in government and society presents itself. Pupils watch his theory through primary resource...
The School of Life
Political Theory - Henry David Thoreau
Did you know that sometimes hermits come up with some of the most influential political ideas? The 10th video in a series of 13 covers Henry David Thoreau, a highly influential man who authored Civil Disobedience and lived a quiet,...
The School of Life
Political Theory - Niccolò Machiavelli
Do the words politician and moral go together? Machiavelli argues that an effective politician does not always act moral. Learners take an in-depth look at his theories about leaders by watching a video about government. To keep your...
The School of Life
Political Theory - Thomas Hobbes
Obedience and Thomas Hobbes: two peas in a pod. Learners hear about these two concepts and more of Hobbes' political theory in an informative video. A variety of primary resources, drawings, and visual aids help convey the information.
The School of Life
Political Theory - John Locke
Your high schoolers may be tabula rasa about political theory until they learn about John Locke. Use a thought-provoking video to teach them about his philosophies on the natural rights of all humans, religious tolerance, and of course,...
The School of Life
Political Theory - Adam Smith
Can capitalism have virtue? Adam Smith thinks so! The 12th video in a series of 13 discusses Smith's political and economic views. Pupils discover these concepts and more through primary source photographs and examples that relate to...
Macat
An Introduction to Thomas Paine's Common Sense
Most American are familiar with Thomas Paine's impassioned plea about the importance of liberty, but they may not be as familiar with the other ideas put forth in his pamphlet Common Sense. Introduce class members to Paine's...
Crash Course
Democracy, Authoritarian Capitalism, and China: Crash Course World History 230
Is democracy on the rise, or is it declining worldwide? Take a look at Crash Course World History's take on the state of global democracy when compared to the governments of Singapore, China
Crash Course
Capitalism and the Dutch East India Company: Crash Course World History 229
How did the Dutch East India Company flourish while other trade companies floundered? Learn more about the ways that the Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie, or the VOC, used interest rates, monopolization, and violence to maintain their...
Crash Course
Nonviolence and Peace Movements: Crash Course World History 228
Is violence inevitable, or can peace overcome war? A Crash Course World History discusses how Leo Tolstoy influenced Mohandas Gandhi to use nonviolent resistance against British Imperialism, and how Gandhi's example became a...
Crash Course
Japan in the Heian Period and Cultural History: Crash Course World History 227
When your class thinks of medieval history, they probably think of European castles and knights. But they may not know that the Heian period in Japan, which coincided with the Middle Ages in Europe, saw a significant development in...
Crash Course
Iran's Revolutions: Crash Course World History 226
The 1979 Iranian Revolution changed the identity of Iran, and in many ways, the Middle East as a whole. High schoolers learn more about the Persian region, history, and government in a brief but explanatory video from Crash Course World...
Crash Course
War and Nation Building in Latin America: Crash Course World History 225
Does war hinder the growth of nation-states, or does it facilitate development? A video from Crash Course World History examines this question in the context of Latin America, particularly how the lack of international war in Central and...