C-SPAN
On This Day: The Star-Spangled Banner
You may not be able to take your class to see Ft. McHenry, the birthplace of our national anthem, but using video clips, your learners can see the site for themselves. A curated collection of videos discusses the writing of the anthem in...
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On This Day: Executive Order 9066 and Japanese-American Internment
Forced to leave, branded a security risk, held at gunpoint. It's hard to imagine this happened in the US. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, thousands of Japanese-Americans on the West Coast were forced in internment camps. Using video...
C-SPAN
On This Day: Branch Davidian Standoff
When David Koresh and his followers refused to let a group of federal agent search their compound for illegal weapons, a firefight that eventually ended in the deaths of dozens of people ensued. What could law enforcement have done to...
C-SPAN
On This Day: Friendship 7: John Glenn Orbits the Earth
Exactly what is the right stuff? Individuals consider the question using video clips about the astronaut legend, John Glenn. Footage includes NASA propaganda newsreels about his upbringing, as well as speeches from Glenn and his...
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On This Day: Publication of The Feminine Mystique
When Betty Friedan published The Feminine Mystique, it was considered a manifesto for women who suffered from the problem that has no name. Clips from authors and historians, as well as the writer herself, help class members consider the...
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On This Day: The End of the French and Indian War
Most Americans don't connect the French and Indian War with the American Revolution. Yet, scholars consider the expensive war as a major cause of the conflict. Watching video clips of historians speaking about the conflict, budding...
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On This Day: Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Shooting
When a gunman killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, the tragedy gave birth to a new age of student activism. Using video from the March from our Lives and politicians scrambling to react to the crisis,...
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On This Day: Greensboro, North Carolina Sit-In
More than an iconic image, the picture of young people sitting at a lunch counter in Greensboro, N.C., to protest segregation and Jim Crow laws also sparked a new phase of the civil rights movement. Video clips, including activists,...
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On This Day: Space Shuttle Columbia Disaster
When the space shuttle Columbia disintegrated as it returned home in 2003, it sparked questions about the future of America's space program. Using video footage that includes former astronauts involved in the shuttle program, experts on...
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On This Day: McCarthyism and the Red Scare
Senator Joseph's McCarthy's claims that communists had infiltrated and threatened the American way of life set off a red scare in the 1950s—and those claims have influenced today's concepts of loyalty to country. Using video clips from...
C-SPAN
The First Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
While most Americans can identify civil rights hero Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., they often are not aware of how controversial he was in his time. Using video resources that include documentation of the first federal holiday to honor him...
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On This Day: Life and Contributions of Alexander Hamilton
Historians have been fascinated by Alexander Hamilton long before he was the subject of a Broadway hit. Using video resources, scholars explore how his early upbringing as an orphan and social outcast may have influenced his role in the...
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On This Day: California Gold Rush
Upon hearing of the gold discovery at Sutter's Mill in California in the 1840s, a flood of migrants went West in search of wealth and fame. Others, such as Chinese workers, came from farther away. Using video clips from historians and...
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On This Day: Thomas Paine's Common Sense
Many Americans can identify Thomas Paine and his seminal work, Common Sense. Yet, only six people showed up at his funeral. Using video resources, class members study both the document and the outcomes of his inflammatory words. Clips...
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On This Day: Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission
What is free speech? And does it apply to corporations looking to support federal campaigns? As decided in the controversial Citizens United ruling, the Supreme Court determined that corporations have the same rights as people and can...
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On This Day: Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty has been a symbol of freedom since the people of France gifted it to the US. Today, as immigration debates grip the nation, learners consider the iconic image. Using a vintage newsreel about the statue, a scholar's...
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On This Day: U.S.A. P.A.T.R.I.O.T. Act
In the weeks after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Congress passed the U.S.A. P.A.T.R.I.O.T Act. This law—meant to protect the public—was controversial, as some felt it undermined civil liberties. Using video from President George W. Bush,...
C-SPAN
On This Day: The US Invasion of Grenada
The 1983 invasion of Grenada was one of the first major military actions after the Vietnam War. The invasion took place during the tensions of the Cold War, making the stakes higher than what might be expected. Using President Ronald...
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On This Day: The United Nations Charter
Established after the devastation of World War II, the United Nations was meant to uphold peace among nations—though the idea isn't without its critics. Using newsreel footage from its establishment and videos of politicians from Eleanor...
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On This Day: The British Surrender at Yorktown
Why was the Battle of Yorktown not as decisive in the American Revolution as many people believe? Young scholars consider the question while viewing video clips from historians who discuss the various factors that went into the American...
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On This Day: Cuban Missile Crisis
Just how close was the world to nuclear war in October 1962? Using White House audio tapes recording John F. Kennedy and his advisors, aerial footage, and newsreels, learners decide for themselves. Historians also weigh in on the Cuban...
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On This Day: The Establishment of the Department of Education
When looking at educational policy, many politicians forget to consult experts—scholars! Video clips demonstrate the debate over educational policy. After watching the views of education secretaries and politicians, pupils decide how to...
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On This Day: Battle of the Bulge
The Normandy invasion was the beginning of the end for World War II. Using the series of video clips, pupils explore the role the Battle of the Bulge played in bringing World War II to an end. The interesting resource includes...
C-SPAN
On This Day: North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
While a Republican president envisioned NAFTA—and a Democratic administration enacted it—it does not enjoy universal support. A video resource collection, including clips from presidential speeches by George H.W. Bush to Donald J. Trump,...