Experience a bit of what life was like at the turn of last century with images of rural and urban life. Learners consider pictures from each environment and then compare and contrast them. Activities include discussing the differences,...

What was it like to pass through Ellis Island? Learners move through the immigration process of the early 1900s in a simulation activity. A comprehensive activity includes role-playing profiles and other manipulative items such as...

What is the best way to get a point across: a petition or a protest? Using primary sources, including a petition from Susan B. Anthony and a photo of a White House protest from the early 1900s, young historians examine what women did to...

No taxation without representation may have been the battle cry of the American Revolution, but women used the same argument when demanding their right to vote in the late 1800 and early 1900s. Young historians examine petitions from...

Despite the difficulty of travel, the US expanded significantly between the 1800s and the early 1900s. To prepare for a performance task assessment on the rapid expansion of the US in the 1800s, class members engage in a...

Scholars analyze the role of women in the military in United States history. Using group research, debate, and diary entries, they explore various military activity in America. To complete the lesson, young historians write an essay...

Nanoparticles have toxic effects on plant and animal life—even though you can't see them. The second lesson of a two-part series has young scientists conduct an experiment that exposes plant and animals to nanoparticle pollutants. They...

The Harlem Renaissance brought forth many American art forms including jazz, and the writings of Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes. Using a carefully curated set of documents from the Library of Congress, pupils see the cultural...

Breakfast without toast? It wasn't until the early 1900s that this amazing invention was discovered. Learn interesting and fascinating facts behind the invention of the toaster while viewing pictures of the many different designs through...

Trading cards were popular in the 1800s and 1900s as a way of advertising health and beauty products. This exhibit shows examples of various types and discusses the advertising techniques used. Younger children will especially enjoy the...

Have you ever thought about your shadow? One way to learn about them is to make your own shadow box theater--once a very popular form of entertainment in Europe during the 1800s and early 1900s.

Theodore Roosevelt's presidency had a focus on conservation. This site outlines the first five water projects begun in the early 1900s in the western United States that had a great effect on opening up land for agricultural production.

Use this site to learn about this former president of The American Federation of Labor, who was a leader in the labor movement in the early 1900s.

Have you ever heard the expression "a canary in a coal mine"? In the 1900s and earlier, coal miners brought canaries with them into the mines to act as early warning signals. The canaries were very sensitive to low levels of dangerous...