Eleventh graders explore the origins of the Prohibition Movement in the United States. In small groups, they analyze the influence of World War I in the passage of the eighteenth amendment. Students explain how different demographics of...

Teach your class about neutral rights with a brief reading selection and related questions. Pupils read the passage and answer the four questions on the bottom half of the page. Useful for a homework assignment or a quick warm-up, this...

Learners explore the Great Depression and issues facing Franklin D. Roosevelt. They analyze the legal struggles surrounding the fight against the Depression. Students investigate the agenda of Southern Democrats who defied FDR and...

Seventh graders examine and discuss photographs and paintings of the Dust Bowl era. They write a journal entry describing what it would be like if they stepped into one of the photographs, and create a Powerpoint presentation on the Dust...

"Ballad for Americans" was a song written for performers participating in the Federal Arts Project, during The Depression. Learners will analyze the lyrics of the song and then create informational posters about other Federal Works...

Students research the history of the Depression particularly in the ways it was documented by photography. Then they take their own pictures in the style of one of the best documentarians, Dorothea Lange.

Understanding the causes of war is one way (possibly) to prevent it. World War II is used as a case study to facilitate an understanding of reasons why wars start. Topics covered included Totalitarianism, scarcity of resources, need for...

The American Dream is a goal that many pursue, but is it truly attainable for all people? An in-depth lesson explores the plight of migrants in twentieth-century America. The resource includes a video and author biographies and...

Students investigate the history of Gary, Indiana by looking at its history, demographics and points of interest. They create a timeline of important events in the city's history.

Young scholars examined the feelings of hopelessness that can result from losing their income, much like one-third of Americans experienced during the Depression in a small group lesson of a mock household. Students create a household...

Students explore development of jazz music in the 1930s by forming imaginary jazz bands which tour several cities in Depression-era America. Jazz band members create imaginary identities for themselves, develop publicity for their tour,...

Students read the novel Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry to determine how the Great Depression affected teens. They compare the problems faced during the Great Depression to those teens face today.

Students investigate and develop relationships between selected themes and resources. In this Us history lesson, students interpret, analyze, and evaluate shifts in continuity throughout US history. Students will create  multimedia...

Young scholars read and explore the themes of the book The Eighty Yard Run. In this literature lesson, students discuss their observations and predictions. Young scholars develop their own story which is similar to that of The Eighty...

Students make a time-lines of of decades using images from Miss America.  In this history lesson, students looks at the country's beauty pageant and how it changes the lives of women in America.  Students debate issues...

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 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...

Students engage in a dialogue about the Depression, the impact of the New Deal, the role of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the survival of Democracy, and the resiliency of the American spirit.

How did women use President Wilson's ideals and rhetoric in their bid for suffrage? To answer this essential question, class groups analyze primary written documents and visual images.

What were political machines and whom did they serve? As part of a study of US immigration patterns and how these patterns influenced politics, groups investigate how Tammany Hall and other political machines gained support from voters.

Students explore U.S. history by listening to an economics lecture. In this Great Depression activity, students read a letter written to the President during the worst economical disaster in U.S. history. Students answer study questions...

Students explore the role of the First Lady. In this Eleanor Roosevelt instructional activity, students analyze letters written to Roosevelt in order to determine her influence in the nation. Students discuss their findings.

Students practice their reading comprehension skills by reading about Franklin Roosevelt and the New Deal programs. They answer questions related to the reading to test for comprehension.