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Mrs. Bloomer's 'Political Disability'

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
It's hard to believe that women had to argue for the right to vote a mere 100 years ago. Today, young historians can examine their case left behind in primary sources. Using a letter from a woman who claimed she should be able to vote...
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Evaluating Perspectives on Westward Expansion

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Although popular culture tells the story of the American West simplistically, its reality is far more complex. Native American tribes—while already on the land—didn't have the same interests, and conflicts between white settlers and...
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To What Extent was Reconstruction a Revolution? (Part 2)

For Teachers 10th - 12th Standards
While Reconstruction laid the groundwork, many believe its revolutionary ideals weren't realized until the 1960s Civil Rights Movement. Using the 1965 Voting Rights Act, budding historians consider why it took more than 100 years to...
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To What Extent was Reconstruction a Revolution? (Part 1)

For Teachers 10th - 12th Standards
Some scholars consider the Civil War and Reconstruction a second American Revolution. Class members weigh in after examining primary sources, including a Congressional resolution calling for the Fifteenth Amendment and the credentials of...
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The Civil War: Commemorate or Celebrate?

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
While the Civil War ended over 150 years ago, Americans are still unsure how it should be remembered. Is the tragic conflict to be celebrated for bringing freedom to African Americans or commemorated for its sad place in US history?...
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The Civil War as Photographed by Mathew Brady

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
While there are no photographs of actual battles during the Civil War, the pictures of Matthew Brady still paint a vivid image of what life was like as a solider. Using a series of photographs, including those of camp life and the...
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Lincoln's Suspension of Habeas Corpus During the Civil War

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
What is the balance between constitutional rights and security during a war? Young historians debate the question while looking at Lincoln's decision to suspect habeas corpus during the Civil War. After reviewing his order, discussion...
Lesson Plan
Museum of the American Revolution

Leadership and Alexander Hamilton

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Alexander Hamilton serves as a model in a lesson that asks young political scientists to consider the strengths and weaknesses of six different leadership styles. They read a brief overview of Hamilton's activities before, during, and...
Unit Plan
Kent State University

Teaching Ethics in Scholastic Journalism

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Events in recent years have underscored the importance of a free and independent press in a democracy. Young journalists engage in lessons about the function of journalism in a democratic society, practice the steps of Bok's Ethical...
Lesson Plan
C-SPAN

Last Days of Martin Luther King, Jr.

For Teachers 6th - 12th
On April 4, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. Four video clips reveal the events of that time, including the shift in the focus of the Civil Rights Movement, the aftermath of the assassination, and...
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Court Packing vs. Reorganizing: The Supreme Court in the New Deal

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Travel back in time to understand the effects of FDR's New Deal on the Supreme Court. Academics analyze historical documents to understand FDR's attempts to pack the Supreme Court and the opposition he faced. The activity includes a...
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Analyzing Einstein's Citizenship Application

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Albert Einstein contributed greatly to America's history, but he wasn't always a citizen. An engaging activity analyzes Einstein's citizenship application to understand the process of immigration and how it impacts those trying to reach...
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Analyzing a Letter from Jackie Robinson: "Fair Play and Justice"

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Jackie Robinson was more than a baseball legend; he was an activist, too. An interesting resource explores Robinson's time in the military using primary sources. Scholars examine the racially inspired event that led to a court martial...
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Lincoln's 1863 Thanksgiving Proclamation

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
While most Americans connect the celebration of Thanksgiving to a colonial celebration of pilgrims and Native Americans, the national holiday was actually the product of a war-time measure by Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War....
Activity
PBS

Presidential Leadership and the Goal to Unify | America’s Great Divide: From Obama to Trump

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Traditionally, a United States President's Inaugural Address establishes the tone and vision for his presidency. It has stressed the goal to unify the country and bring the political parties together after what are often divisive...
Lesson Plan
C-SPAN

1968: The Poor People's Campaign

For Teachers 6th - Higher Ed
The Poor People's Campaign of 1968 marked a shift in the civil rights movement to economic issues. Speakers in four C-SPAN video clips discuss different aspects of the campaign including Resurrection City, the Economic Bill of Rights,...
Lesson Plan
PBS

Out of the Shadows | Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise

For Teachers 9th - Higher Ed Standards
Two powerful video clips launch a study of race relations in the United States after the Selma, Alabama riots, the passage of the Votings Rights Act, and the riots in Watts, California. 
Lesson Plan
PBS

Keep Your Head Up | Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise

For Teachers 9th - Higher Ed Standards
Change may be slow in coming, but things do change. Oprah Winfrey and Black Entertainment Television CEO, Robert L. Johnson, discuss the opportunities available to them due to the efforts of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and other civil...
Lesson Plan
C-SPAN

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Letter from Birmingham Jail

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Timing is everything. Introduce young historians to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail" with a resource that underscores the significance of the timing of the Good Friday Birmingham march, King's subsequent...
Lesson Plan
C-SPAN

Civil Rights Movement: Sit-Ins

For Teachers 9th - Higher Ed Standards
Part of the protests of the Civil Rights Movement were small scale sit-ins at lunch counters. This form of on-the-ground activism is the focus of a C-SPAN resource that includes four video-clips about the sit-ins by pupils at a lunch...
Activity
Prindle Institute for Ethics

My Dream of Martin Luther King

For Teachers Pre-K - 5th Standards
Conduct a book study of the story, My Dream of Martin Luther King by Faith Ringgold. Followng a read-aloud, scholars take part in philosophical discussions covering the topics of freedom, equality, race, and heroes. 
Handout
Plimoth Plantation

History In A New Light: Illuminating the Archaeology of Historic Patuxet and Plymouth

For Students 4th - 12th Standards
Sixty-seven pages take scholars on a digital tour through the exhibit, History in a New Light: Illuminating the Archaeology of Historic Patuxet and Plymouth. Crystal clear pictures accompanied by text offer a deep understanding of the...
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Comparing Depictions of the Boston Massacre

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Academics compare images of the Boston Massacre to understand differing opinions of the event. Scholars view multiple images, participate in group discussion, and complete a series of written prompts. Young historians gain an...
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Celebrating America's Bicentennial in 1976

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Budding historians learn the process of preserving history in an interesting hands-on-activity. The resource walks academics through the process of restoring the Declaration of Independence. Individuals place a series of images in...