Crash Course
Greeks and Persians
Considering the evolution of democracy and civilization to this day, is there any reason to believe the Persians should have defeated the Greeks in the Persian War? Why could the legacy of Ancient Greece be considered "profoundly...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
The Making of the Fittest: Natural Selection in Humans
Sickle cell disease only occurs when both parents contribute the trait, and mostly in those of African descent. Where did it come from? How did it evolve? Tony Allison, a molecular biologist, noticed a connection between sickle cell and...
C-SPAN
On This Day: Me Too Movement Takes Off
Listen to the #MeToo stories from a movement that has shaped the lives of women in the twenty-first century. With a series of video clips from C-SPAN, pupils consider the genesis of the movement. Videos include discussion from the...
C-SPAN
On This Day: Germany's Invasion of Poland
While most people consider Germany's invasion of Poland the start of World War II, the invasion was only one of a sequence of events that led to the global conflict. Using archival footage of the invasion, as well as clips from...
PBS
Reconstruction: The Black Codes
During the era of Reconstruction, the planter class of the South tried to replicate the time before the Civil War by squashing rights given in the Thirteenth, Fourteenths and Fifteenth amendments. Using a video clip featuring renowned...
C-SPAN
On This Day: George Washington's Farewell Address
What would George Washington think about the current state of the United States? One needs to look no further than his Farewell Address, where he offered advice to the new nation. Curated videos include a reading of the address on the...
C-SPAN
On This Day: Bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, AL
The bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama that killed four little girls galvanized a civil rights movement. Clips include interviews with the church's pastor and a survivor of the bombings, as well as a...
C-SPAN
On This Day: National Hispanic Heritage Month
From the rights of farm workers to food and culture, Hispanics have an indelible imprint on American culture. Using a curated set of videos, young scholars consider the rich heritage of Hispanic American history. Videos profile famous...
C-SPAN
On This Day: Emmett Till and the Rebirth of the Civil Rights Movement
The murder of Emmett Till, a boy accused of whistling at a white woman in the deep South in the 1950s, galvanized the civil rights movement. His open casket—revealing the ugly horror of racism—reignited a movement. Clips include an...
C-SPAN
On This Day: President Ford Pardon of Richard Nixon
Was Gerald Ford's pardon of Richard Nixon an attempt to move the country forward or the final corruption of the Watergate scandal? A collection of videos includes Ford's speech to the nation, as well as interviews with Watergate...
PBS
Reconstruction: The Birth of a Nation - Rewriting History through Propaganda
How historically accurate was the film The Birth of a Nation? Using a video that features clips from the film and analysis from historians, young scholars explore the connection between art and history. Additional activities...
PBS
Reconstruction: Ida B. Wells - Pioneer of Civil Rights
When Ida B. Wells was kicked off the whites-only ladies railway car, it ignited a ferocious warrior for civil rights. Wells and others worked to preserve the hard-won freedoms of Reconstruction, which were tenuous at best during...
PBS
Reconstruction: The 15th Amendment and African American Men in Congress
To escape to freedom, Robert Smalls had to steal a Confederate ship and sail to Union lines. He continued that fight for freedom as one of the first African American representatives in Congress during the Reconstruction era. Learners...
C-SPAN
On This Day: September 11, 2001
September 11—another date that will live in infamy. Using news footage from that day, as well as interviews with government officials who helped guide the United States during the attack, pupils learn about the tragic events. Additional...
C-SPAN
On This Day: The Department of Housing and Urban Development is Created
Just what should the federal government do to help low-income citizens find safe and affordable housing? After viewing several video clips on the Department of Housing and Urban Development, including an interview with the current HUD...
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...
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,...
C-SPAN
On This Day: Bush v. Gore is Decided by the Supreme Court
Most Americans expect to wake up the morning after a presidential election knowing who won. That didn't happen during the 2000 election between Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Al Gore. The Supreme Court had to weigh in on a messy...
C-SPAN
On This Day: Capture of Saddam Hussein
The capture of Saddam Hussein brought to an end a war in the country—but ended only the first chapter in American involvement in the nation. Using clips from his capture, as well as eye witness recollections, pupils explore what happened...
C-SPAN
On This Day: The Ratification of The Bill of Rights
The cherished rights included in the first ten amendments to the Constitution almost didn't happen! Pupils tour via video a National Archives exhibit on the Bill of Rights, as well as listen to how a modern judge applies them. Once...
C-SPAN
On This Day: Gettysburg Address
The Gettysburg Address was a short speech—only about two minutes in length—but its reach has been long. Video segments from a panel of scholars, an historian talking about the printing of the speech, a re-enactment of the speech, and a...
C-SPAN
On This Day: Mayflower Compact
Learners consider how the Mayflower Compact created a sense of order for the new residents of North America. Video clips include a scholar and a re-enactor playing Plymouth Gov. William Bradford, and others include Native American...
C-SPAN
On This Day: Kristallnacht
Krristallnacht—the night of broken glass—shattered lives in a watershed moment in Holocaust history. Learners listen to the testimony of survivors of the violent night that marked a pivotal moment of the early Holocaust. The three video...
C-SPAN
On This Day: Barack Obama Becomes the First African American to Win a Presidential Election
The election of Barack Obama in 2008 was a watershed moment in African American and American history. Using clips from the acceptance and concession speeches, as well as the words of outgoing president, George H. W. Bush, budding...