Students visit the Rincon History Museum in California. They discover different periods in the state's history and discuss. They view the art and explain what can be learned from it.

Students discuss the presidential election in 1932. In this U.S. history lesson plan, students compare and contrast the differences between the Hoover administration and the administration of FDR. Students work in groups and present the...

Students discover the history of American foreign policy. In this foreign policy instructional activity, students listen to their instructor present a lecture that presents a brief history of American foreign policy. Students...

Eleventh graders investigate the historical period of the Great Depression. The fall of the United States economy is defined by students and they describe the growing discontent by the year of 1931.

Students view and discuss photographic images of the Dust Bowl by Dorothea Lange. They discuss who Dorothea Lange was and why she took the pictures, the conservational factors that contributed to the Dust Bowl and migrant workers and the...

Students examine how people have contributed to American history, regardless of culture, race or religion. They develop a sense of pride for their own efforts, as well as for the efforts of others. They also study how to work both...

What should be the role of the federal government during an economic crisis? That is the question at the center of this introduction to a study of the New Deal. Class members examine letters to the state government asking for help,...

After reading a series of fictitious letters that represent actual events during the time period, young historians craft a small town newsletter to explain the causes of the Great Depression.

Tumbling tumbleweeds! Scholars work with video clips, primary and secondary documents, and song lyrics to uncover life in the Old West. They examine song's lyrics to uncover myths told in the 1930s about life in the Wild West. 

It's hard to imagine that life on Alcatraz could be dull. A series of intriguing lessons take readers through the novel Al Capone Does my Shirts. Pre-reading questions introduce the text and a range of suggestions, from comic strips to...

Students trace their own family's migrations and history. They listen to the story, 'Blue ow.' They design a plate which is shared at an open house.

Students identify and analyze when the following occurred: the beginning of the NAACP, the enactment of the Pure Food and Drug Act, the ratification of the nineteenth Amendment, and the enactment of the Clayton Anti-trust Act. Students...

Students view video and conduct research on how baseball has reflected the social context of American history. They work in groups to investigate outstanding minority baseball players, including racial minorities and women, and develop...

Unemployment: The job of the future. The resource, designed for high school scholars, explains unemployment rates, recessions, and job trends that are impacting employment in the United States. Academics explore potential careers of the...

Should Social Security be privatized, or is the government program fine just the way it is? Scholars read pro and con arguments and watch videos to learn more about the debate topic. Pupils also have an opportunity to interact with other...

Zora Neale Hurston's novel Their eyes Were Watching God has been highly praised and severely criticized for its depiction of African American folk culture. A set of primary source materials, including photographs, articles, essays, and...

Maya Angelou's work reflects her passion for life, civil rights, and justice for all. A collection of 12 primary sources provide scholars with insight into this amazing woman. The set includes photographs, articles, recordings of...

It is pointed, powerful, and painful! The first of three lessons about laws and practices that support inequality looks at how government policies created and reinforced segregated communities. Young social scientists read excerpts from...

Students review key vocabulary in history and review a specific website. They write a paragraph summarizing an event they read about on this website. They analyze the importance of studying and learning from history.

In this Civilian Conservation Corps worksheet, students read a narrative from a member of the corps and then respond to 3 short answer questions based on the narrative.

High schoolers examine the music of Woody Guthrie and how the political and economic climate influenced his work. They read and discuss online articles, define key vocabulary words, take a Political Orientation Survey, and write a...

Students compose narratives describing the difficulties faced by those living in the Dust Bowl. They use resource sheets and photos in this small group activity. Their stories include plots, settings, and characters either taken...

Students investigate the African American culture in the 1920's and the Harlem Renaissance. They read and analyze poems written by poets of the Harlem Renaissance, listen to jazz music and identify the characteristics of the music, and...

Students investigate that labor unions recruited more workers to join their ranks during the Depression, and speculate as to why this growth occurred when it did. They research the impact of federal legislation of the New Deal (esp. the...