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Stereotypes and Tonto
Students identify stereotypes, especially those applied to American Indians. In this teaching tolerance lesson, students read an essay entitled " I Hated Tonto (Still Do)" and discuss the negative impact that stereotypes may have...
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Alfred Hitchcock and David O. Selznick
Students compare/contrast the Hollywood film industry of the 30s and 40s with Hollywood today. They watch a video on David O. Selznick and Alfred Hitchcock, conduct Internet research, and create a poster to present their findings.
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Chisholm '72: Shirley Chisholm for President
Students view the film "Chisholm '72 - Unbought and Unbossed" about Shirley Chisholm's 1972 bid for the Presidency. They complete a writing assignment in response to the film and participate in class discussion.
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Art of Cynicism
High schoolers analyze selected pieces of art and infer how they reflect a sense of disillusionment, and/or cynicism in American society in the aftermath of the Vietnam War and Watergate scandal. Then they identify and place cultural...
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Propaganda
Learners discuss wartime propaganda after viewing the World War II film "Christmas Under Fire." They answer discussion questions, identify passages of propaganda from a transcript of the film, and write a brief from the Ministry of...
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Ghosts of Rwanda
Students participate in watching the film "Ghosts of Rwanda." They are put into a group of seven and assigned to track a specific area of the film. The group then discusses their assigned area of the film answering specific questions.
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My Country, My Country: To Vote or Not to Vote
Learners view a film about elections in Iraq. They examine the story of a doctor and his decisions to vote. They work together to complete a worksheet about voter turnout.
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Following Muddy's Trail
High schoolers view the AMERICAN MASTERS film "Muddy Waters: Can't Be Satisfied" and research him using the Guided Reading strategy. They examine the influential musician's childhood and trace his journey from the Mississippi Delta to...
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Life During the Civil War for Women and Civilians
Students follow an overview of the American Civil War from a film, the text and/or teacher direct instruction. They create a timeline with a large map of the U.S. in the 1860's available for student reference as they do the spider activity.
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Lincoln's Legend and Legacy
Students evaluate Lincoln's impact on American History. In this Civil War activity, students view a film clip of writings about Lincoln. Students take notes and compare how the writings define his legacy. Students write their own poem or...
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Cole Porter: You're the Top
Learners watch selected film clips about Cole Porter and discover his uniqueness. In groups, they research associates of the Porter's and present reports on them. Then, they write position papers on prominent people of the Jazz Age. ...
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The Freedom to Fight
Students study the African American troop experiences in the Civil War. In this American history instructional activity, students examine primary and secondary sources regarding the experiences and contributions of African American...
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Comparing/Contrasting Northern Life to Southern Life
Students compare and contrast the lives of African Americans who moved North vs. those who stayed in the South during the era of Jim Crow Laws.
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Bob Dylan: No Direction Home
Students hold panel discussions on selected topics about the 1960s and their impact on modern-day events. As visual reinforcement, they watch the film about Bob Dylan and research the music of the period as well as his musical...
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The Oregon Trail
Fourth graders discover the significance of the Oregon Trail in Idaho history. In addition, 4th graders conceptualize the Oregon Trail in relation to their own lives. They engage in a wide variety of curricular activities, culminating in...
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"Jazz is About Freedom": Billie Holiday's Anti-lynching Song Strange Fruit
Working in small teams, learners analyze a variety of primary source materials related to lynching (news articles, letters written to or written by prominent Americans, pamphlets, broadsides, etc.) in order to assess the effectiveness of...
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How Transportation Transformed America
Eleventh graders focus on the role of transportation. In this transportation lesson, 11th graders look at the lives of Americans at the turn of the centuries. They compare and contrast 2000 to 1900.
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Using Photography to Time-Travel
Learners view a series of films called "American Photography". They use primary source materials to place themselves in a historical period of their choice. They write an essay about the historical period.
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One Survivor Remembers: Anti-Semitism
Students analyze and discuss how propaganda influenced anti-Semitism and it's role in World War II. In this propaganda lesson, students define the terms involved in this assignment. Then they will discuss their reactions to a film and...
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Creative Voices of Harlem
Students explore the Harlem Renaissance. In this American history instructional activity, students examine a poem by Langston Hughes and identify the characteristics of the Harlem Renaissance. Students research and report on a famous...
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Rationalizing Race in US History
Students consider the classification of people. In this race studies lesson, students examine the concept of race as it relates to U.S. history and trends. Students research racial discrimination and prejudice in order to support their...
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Anger, Aggression and Adolescents
Students examine the relationship between anger, aggression and teenagers. As a class, they share a difficult situation in their own lives and review the techniques to properly deal with it. In groups, they discuss how they feel about...
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1856-1865: Abolitionists and the Civil War
Students explore the concept of philanthropy. In this abolition lesson, students watch "Uncle Tom's Cabin" and discuss the philanthropic acts they witnessed in the film. Students also complete an activity that requires them to determine...
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Views of the American West: True or False?
High schoolers explain that a landscape painting may or may not accurately represent a specific place. They identify techniques that create the illusion of three-dimensional space on a flat surface.