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Memorandum of a Conference with President Eisenhower after Sputnik
Young scholars document and list excerpts from a document that shows how calmly officials reacted to the launching of Sputnik. They research contemporary magazines and newspaper articles of the day as well.
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Petition Signed by Thomas A. Edison for Sunday Openings at the World's Columbian Exposition
Learners research and discuss the features and controversies of the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893.
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Founding Documents of the Peace Corps
Students examine United States foreign policy in the period immediately following World War II through the activities of the Peace Corps.
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Get Out and Vote!
Students examine political activism. Pupils discuss forms of political activism, specifically voting. They listen to Public Service Announcements. Classmates write and record their own Public Service Announcements to encourage others...
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Maps of Indian Territory, the Dawes Act, and Will Rogers' Enrollment Case File
Students, in groups, analyze one map at a time, first the 1885 map, then the 1891 map. After they have completed the analysis sheets, they compare the two maps and answer questions imbedded in the plan.
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Affidavit and Flyers from the Chinese Boycott Case
Students divide into small groups and study one of the three union flyers. Groups share their findings with the whole class and clarify unfamiliar vocabulary terms.
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Sow the Seeds of Victory! Posters from the Food Administration During World War I
Students engage in a class analysis of posters, responding to each of the worksheet questions. They identify the similarities and differences between the posters.
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Court Documents Related to Martin Luther King, Jr., and Memphis Sanitation Workers
Students read about the civil rights movement in their textbooks. They engage in a whole-class discussion of how nonviolent direct action can be a powerful tool for bringing about social, economic, or political change.
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State of Oregon v. Dominguez-Martinez
Students are introduced to the concept of racial profiling. In groups, they analzye the case between Oregon and Dominguez-Martinez and evaluate the use of racial profiling as a tool of policemen. They also discuss the laws in place to...
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The U.S. Recognition of the State of Israel
Students research the political aspects of the U.S. position in the Middle East, considering, for example, Truman's position in view of the 1948 presidential election. They examine a telegram sent by the Secretary of State, George C....
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World War I: Overview of the Great War
Ninth graders read first hand accounts of soldiers' lives during World War I, examine historical timeline of major events during war, and research and listen to clips of popular music of the time.
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What are the Qualifications to be President of the United States?
Students research the qualifications necessary to be the president of the United States. They create a want-ad for this position using what they have learned about the qualifications.
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Should Voting in the United States be Mandatory? Research Activity
Eighth graders research how many voters actually vote in the U.S. and nine other nations. They create a spreadsheet using this information and write a persuasive essay.
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Capital Punishment
Eighth graders research capital punishment and then type a six paragraph paper.
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Liberty Defined
Fourth graders express their views of liberty through creative writing. They view video segments about the history of the Statue of Liberty.
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The Wealth Tax of 1935 and the Victory Tax of 1942
Students explain that during the Great Depression and World War II, the Roosevelt administration implemented new, broader, and more progressive taxes in order to cover the costs of the New Deal programs and the war.
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Does the Supreme Court Affect Teens?: A Survey of Court Cases
Students read and restate the Ten Amendements of the Bill of Rights. They analyze Supreme Court cases using the Bill of Rights. Students make predictions about how the Supreme Court might have deicided each case. They evaluate how the...
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The Cold War and Development of Post-War America
Young scholars view examples of political advertisements during the years of 1952 through 1964. After viewing, they discuss how the Cold War and the threat of Communism affected the development of the United States. They compare the Cold...
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Comparing Foundations of Democracy
Students examine democratic values. In this democratic ideologies lesson, students discuss individual rights and rights of the group. Students also discuss the implications of the priorities made in democratic societies regarding rights.
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George Washington: Founding Father
Students explore George Washington. Focusing on his personal life, it offers an examination of the man behind the towering symbol. Washington's stature as first president and founding father created a public persona. George
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The President's Cabinet
Eighth graders obtain information about the President's Cabinet by using a template, and exploring the bookmarked Internet sites.
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Campaign Posters 1788-1816
Seventh graders examine the first years of the U.S. under the U.S. Constitution. They identify the main themes of the Federalist and Republican parties, conduct research, and write a campaign speech and create a campaign poster.
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Jury Duty: Honor or Burden
Students come up with a synopsis of whether they feel jury duty is necessary or not and how people rate their experience. They research state jury duty websites and express their ideas. They can propose changes that they feel may...
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How Does Preserving Wilderness Enhance Forestry
Students identify events of the environmental movement in the United States. For this environment activity students study Theodore Roosevelt and John Muir, who had a great impact on the environmental movement.