Curated OER
Twentieth Century Entertainment: When Work is Done
Students determine how Americans enjoy leisure time. In this 20th century America lesson, students research primary sources to study how Americans gained leisure time during the century and what they did with it.
Curated OER
20th Century American Art
See the changes, controversy, and innovations that define postwar American art. The onset of the modern art era in American history is well-defined in this slide-show. You'll see how Abstract Expressionism shifted into conceptual, pop,...
Smithsonian Institution
Borders and Community: Early 20th Century Chicago Neighborhoods and Ethnic Enclaves
Chicago is one city, four neighborhoods, and countless nationalities. The lesson explores the ethnic division of Chicago in the early twentieth century. Academics read primary sources, analyze maps, and tour an online exhibit to...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Ellis Island—The “Golden Door” to America
Are you one of the 100 million Americans whose ancestors passed through the doors of Ellis Island? Learn about the historic entry point for immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries with an informative reading passage. After...
Curated OER
Change in Early 20th Century America: Doing the Decades
Learners investigate and develop relationships between selected themes and resources. In this Us history instructional activity, students interpret, analyze, and evaluate shifts in continuity throughout US history. Learners will create ...
Curated OER
Coming to America: U.S. Immigration
Students study immigration in the late 19th and early 20th century. In this immigration lesson plan, students participate in activities including creating maps, responding to non fiction text, memorizing and analyzing poetry, and...
Academy of American Poets
We Sing America
Pair the famous poems "I Hear America Singing," by Walt Whitman, and "I, Too, Sing America," by Langston Hughes, with a more recent poem by Elizabeth Alexander called "Praise Song for the Day" to demonstrate a theme and introduce your...
National Endowment for the Humanities
“Read All About It”: Primary Source Reading in “Chronicling America”
Can investigative journalism become too sensationalistic and accusatory, or is it vital for the survival of a democracy? Middle schoolers analyze primary source documents from early 20th-century newspapers as well as Theodore Roosevelt's...
PBS
The New West: Interactive Map | A Biography of America
Using this interactive map activity, from A Biography of America, explore how the "New West" evolved during the late 20th century, transforming from the wild, untamed Old Rocky Mountain West into a smaller, more accessible "New West."...
Bill of Rights Institute
America's Transition to a Global Economy (1960s-1990s)
Just how do we live in a global society? Scholars investigate an AP review video to see the transition in the latter half of the 20th century to a global economy. The final video of nine installments helps them examine and analyze the...
Curated OER
The Red Scare
Students identify and interpret issues of Nativism and Protectionism in early 20th Century America. They analyze the roots of anti-immigrant movements in the Post-World War One United States. Finally, students identify and explore the...
Curated OER
History of the Americas – The Cuban Revolution
In this 20th century history worksheet, students respond to 5 short answer questions about the Cuban Revolution and Fidel Castro.
Curated OER
Social Studies, Music, The Blues, Urbanization, and Technology
Enable young scholars to use the blues to explore urbanization, technology, and their effects on everyday life in the 20th century. Musicians were among the large number of people who, between 1914 and 1945, participated in the Great...
Curated OER
The Past Half Century: Achieving Equality
Young scholars analyze reactions to the Brown vs. Education decision of 1954. In this segregation lesson, student look at the actions that were taken in the education world as a result of the Brown decision. They watch a CD, examine...
Curated OER
The Roots of Prohibition: Examining the Effort to Prohibit Alcohol in America
Five segements from Ken Burns' documentary series Prohibition, easily accessed on the PBS website, are at the center of a terrific short unit on the roots of America's ambivalent relationship with alcohol. Engage your secondary class...
Curated OER
Breaking the Color Barrier: Jackie Robinson's Combat Against Racism
Students explore Jackie Robinson's career. In this 20th century American history lesson, students complete the provided analysis questions based on the provided primary documents about Jackie Robinson. Students discuss Jackie' Robinson's...
Curated OER
America's Great Disasters
The most famous American disasters - natural and otherwise - of the late 19th and early 20th century are the focus of this presentation. Detailing the 1865 sinking of the USS Saldana, the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake, and the Influenza...
Curated OER
The Brief American Pageant: America on the World Stage
America's presence in Alaska and the Caribbean are the focus of this short presentation. Two detailed maps help to illustrate America's growing influence in the regions past its continental borders, which could supplement a more thorough...
Curated OER
Immigrants in America
Possibly helpful in the context of a larger unit, this presentation about 19th-20th century immigration leaves much to be desired. Some useful information about limitations of immigration and the rate of growth could be incorporated into...
NPR
The History of America’s Weed Laws
To understand the laws regarding marijuana use in the United States, you can go all the way back to the 1800's to learn about farming hemp, or you can go back to 2018 when California became the sixth state to legalize recreational...
ABCya
Martin Luther King Crossword Puzzle
Martin Luther King, Jr. led the movement that came to define civil rights in 20th century America. Reinforce class members' knowledge of terms like segregation, tolerance, and peaceful with a crossword puzzle.
Curated OER
America: The Story of Us; Episode 7: Cities
This handout provides a brief description of late 19th century, early 20th century immigration and industrialization followed by five short-answer questions. On the reverse is a poem by Emma Lazarus about the Statue of Liberty and two...
Curated OER
Modern-Day America
Students remember the September 11 terrorist attacks. In this public memorials activity, students research 20th century memorials. Students then design their own memorials for the victims at the World Trade Center site.
National First Ladies' Library
Who’s on First? in the End Zone? at the net? in the Ring?
Pupils are introduced to some sport heroes from the 20th century. They are told that although many sports have their own Halls of Fame, there is no one list of the top 10 athletes from the 20th century. It is their job to research famous...
Other popular searches
- 20th Century American Wars
- 20th Century American Artists
- 20th Century American History
- 20th Century American Authors