Discover the challenges in educating immigrant children at the turn of the 20th century. Reforms that New York City schools used are described here and data is included for your class to analyze, in its evaluation of the effectiveness of...

A study of an image from The Library of Congress collection Civil War Photographs 1861-1865 launches an investigation of the connection between the Civil War and American industrialization. After analyzing “Petersburg, Va. The...

Incorporating the cultures, architecture, and ethnic populations of several American cities (namely Chicago and New York), this presentation displays vivid photographs of buildings and people in 19th - 20th century urban America. The...

Lewis and Clark took note of the animals common to their home state. As they traveled, they noticed that different places had different types of animals. Your class will use this model to compare and contrast elements that make up their...

Students examine the time period of the Great Depression. Using primary source documents, they read excerpts of interviews done by author Studs Terkel for one of his books. They practice interviewing their partner in front of the class...

Students examine world population density and population distribution. They create pie charts showing population distribution and analyze population patterns in the United States and major regions of the world. They identify...

Learners compose essays on nuclear policies. In this North Korea lesson, students examine political cartoons and primary documents regarding nuclear build-up by North Korea. Learners write essays about North Korea's military goals and...

Good for setting the context for 20th century foreign policy issues, these slides describe key points in Latin America, the Middle East, the Far East, and Europe. US or World History classes will appreciate the concise list on each...

In order to understand the political process and the importance of voting, pupils will construct a class time line. They will group up and research a specific era, creating a time line of political events where one vote made a...

The world is full of places that start with the letter O. It's true! Your class can use what they know about geography to answer seven curious questions related to world locations that all begin with letter O. Like Ohio, Ottowa, and...

Students investigate the principal explorers of the New World and the contributions that they made to the European knowledge about America, the development of rivalries, and the effects on Native American cultures.

High schoolers examine American attitudes toward war as revealed in Civil War photographs and WWII homefront posters. They analyze and discuss photos, explore the National Archives website, and organize a statement of their findings.

Students perform research using primary resources in order to create a knowledge base for the place of women in society. The sources are synthesized by students to reveal the true story of the extraordinary women of America.

While the objective is to provide an overview of the Cold War in preparation for further study, this resource addresses the topic at a rather advanced level, and might need its own introductory lesson. The handouts include terms such as...

Students explore the Latin American film industry. In this Latin American film lesson, students compare Latin American films to American films as they watch segments of "Que Viva Mexico!" Students research the painters on the film and...

Seventh graders compare drafts of the Declaration of Independence. In this primary source analysis lesson, 7th graders access copies of Thomas Jefferson's original draft of the document and compare it the final document that gave birth...

Have your class learn about the fifty states in the United States and their capital cities. Learners play matching games, complete quizzes, and a variety of activities in order to cement their knowledge of the states.

High schoolers study child labor in the 19th century through one painting and multiple photographs. In discussion and writing, they consider the differences between photography and painting as mediums for expressing these attitudes.

Students investigate the Fourth Amendment principles and how its interpretation changed in the 1990's. They answer questions based on the interpretation in small groups.

Students investigate patterns of immigration in the US while comparing and contrasting the ideas of citizenship and non-citizenship. They decide how education plays a role in citizenship.

Students watch a video clip discussing the story about the mayor and answer the following: What kind of people should be role models for students today +++ Are they politicians and government employees, movie stars, or professional...

Students research human shields, mostly European peace activists who stand against war. They guard civilian sites to prevent attack on schools, hospitals, etc. Student research is to include articles by those who support the war as well...

Fourth graders use a previous and current map of the state of Michigan to compare cities and roads. They look for names that come from the Native American culture. They participate in a class discussion to compare findings.

Students explore the extent of colonialism from the early periods in the 1500's to the later years in the mid 1900's. They explain how colonization differed in regions around the world and examine the lasting effects on the colonized...