Curated OER
Defense Mechanisms
Students examine the Cold War roots of the recent debate over the construction of United States and Russian missile defense shields. They begin by reading and discussing the article, Putin Says Russia Would Counter U.S. Shield.
Facing History and Ourselves
Emmett Till: Examining the Choices People Made
The choices made by Roy Bryant and J.W. Millam, the men who murdered Emmett Till in 1955, are usually the ones people ponder when they examine the case. But other individuals made choices that contributed to the event and its subsequent...
Curated OER
Poisoned Chalice
Students explore espionage. In this current events activity, students research various Web sites for information about the history of spy work, Anglo-Russian relations, and spy gadgets.
Curated OER
Focused Learning Lesson
Eleventh graders read and analyze primary source documents from World War II. They are to create a timeline of the important events by using the sources.
Constitutional Rights Foundation
History of Immigration From the 1850s to the Present
The Statue of Liberty may embrace the huddled masses of the world, but has American society always joined in? After young historians read a passage about the history of American immigration in the 19th and 20th centuries, focusing on...
Curated OER
618,000: Shall Not Have Died in Vain
Learners explore the American Civil War. In this Civil War lesson, students examine a slave auction advertisement and an Abraham Lincoln quote. Learners also read Pink and Say, create a foldable regarding naval warfare, and design a...
Curated OER
Personal Accounts of the Korean Civil War 1950-1953
Ninth graders evaluate primary source documents from the Korean Civil War to compare and contrast them to different countries. They identify the boundaries of the Korean Civil War and work in groups to investigate the story of a Korean...
Curated OER
Eisenhower National Historic Site
Learners complete a variety of activities that go along with the study of and possible fieldtrip to the Eisenhower National Historic Site in Gettysburg, PA.
Curated OER
America Enters WWII
Students analyze the attack on Pearl Harbor. In this World History lesson, students research the events that led to the attack of Pearl Harbor then discuss the what happened after the attack. They finish the lesson with writing a...
Curated OER
Korean War
Young scholars visualize where the Korean Peninsula is located and what are some neighboring countries. They read a handout giving background information on Korea's 20th centuy history and Truman's Statement and answer questions in their...
Curated OER
Cold War-Atomic Weapons
Ninth graders explore how nuclear weapons have affected the actions of nations around the world. They identify the countries that have nuclear weapons and discuss the humanitarian issues with nuclear weapons. Students create a "Doomsday...
Curated OER
Milestones in the Space Program
Students brainstorm names of astronauts from NASA space missions. They are explained that the Cold War was not actually a war but pervasive tension that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union for several decades...
Curated OER
McCarthysim
Eleventh graders explore and analyze the impact of the Cold War at home and how the fear of communism and nuclear war affected American life throughout the Cold War. They study what role Senator Joseph McCarthy played on American fears...
Curated OER
Korean And Vietnam Conflicts: Similarities And Differences
Eighth graders study the historical significance of the Korean and Vietnam Wars in this unit of study. They investigate the different ideologies that were involved and examine the effect of the wars on local veterans.
Curated OER
Introducing Vocabulary
Eleventh graders create a timeline of events. In this vocabulary instructional activity, 11th graders work in groups to create a timeline of major events that occurred during the Civil Rights era. Students present to class then create a...
Curated OER
Nationalism and Conflict-Two Fronts, Two Perspectives!
Students examine the major conflicts of the 20th century. After watching a video, they discuss the various types of technology and how they were used in World War I. They watch excerpts from films covering different wars and view them...
Curated OER
Investigating the Cuban Perspective
Students examine different perspectives on the events during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Using the internet, they research the Cuban perspective on the issue and discover the need for empathy in a situation like this. They use primary...
Curated OER
The Kennedy Years
Eighth graders read text and view films about the Kennedy administration. In this preseidential administration lesson, 8th graders interview someone who lived during Sputnik, write summaries of lectures, and create posters demonstrating...
PBS
The Sixties: Dylan Plugs in and Sells Out
Before Woodstock, there was Newport. Get plugged in to the social changes of the 1960s with a lesson that looks at Bob Dylan's performance at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival as a symbol of the radical changes that marked the era.
Curated OER
Democracy in the Middle East
Students explain that President Bush's foreign policy to promote democracy is a departure from the Cold War policy of containment, and examine the reasons this policy has been proposed at this time.
Curated OER
Bridging the gap between the U.S. and Cuba
Eleventh graders examine the events that led to the strained relationship between Cuba and the United States. For this US History lesson, 11th graders create an illustrated timeline of Cuba-U.S. relations. Students write an essay...
Curated OER
Bob Dylan: No Direction Home
Students hold panel discussions on selected topics about the 1960s and their impact on modern-day events. As visual reinforcement, they watch the film about Bob Dylan and research the music of the period as well as his musical...
National First Ladies' Library
The Space Race
Young scholars investigate the historical events that have surrounded The Space Race. They conduct research using a variety of resources and focus upon the progress between Russia and The United States. Students describe the events that...
Curated OER
Vietnam: A Divided Nation
Eleventh graders examine events leading up to and during the Vietnam War. They research assigned topics utilizing interviews, Powerpoint presentations, timelines, and collages in their presentations.