Curated OER
1900 America: Historical Voices, Poetic Visions
Pupils examine the United States at the turn of the century. Using primary source documents, they interpret them within a specific historical context. Using this information, they write a poem with metaphors and a specific meter They...
Curated OER
Establishing Borders: The Expansion of the United States 1846-48
Students investigate how the United States acquired land after the Revolutionary War ended. In this establishing borders lesson, students use maps to identify territories acquired by the US and the states that later developed. Students...
Curated OER
Vietnam 1945 - 1975 :The 10,000 Day War
Each phase of the Vietnam War is fully developed and defined in terms of political cause and effect and social action. Phase one covers the onset of the war in 1945 through the French defeat at Dienbienphu. Phase two discusses American...
National First Ladies' Library
Missionaries, Expansionism, and The Philippines
Students examine the quality of sources in research in the process of gaining an understanding of the Spanish American War, American expansionism, and the role of missionaries in history. They meet in groups to provide an audio/visual...
Curated OER
Alaska Purchase Debate
Students examine the benefits and the challenges Alaska has presented to the United States. They research what the government and the people of the United States considered at the time of the purchase of Alaska in order to debate the...
National First Ladies' Library
Anarchists
High schoolers identify and gain an understanding of the politics behind the killing of President McKinley, as well as the anarchist movements that continue to exist worldwide. Then they select a form of anarchy and write a short story...
Curated OER
U.S. Expansion and the Age of Empire
In this American foreign policy instructional activity, learners respond to 20 essay questions about expansionism in the country during the 20th century.
Curated OER
Rotation in Office
Eleventh graders explore the concept of the spoils system. In this presidential history lesson, 11th graders examine Andrew Jackson's Inaugural Address as well as a letter to him from Mary Barney in order to gain an understanding of the...
Curated OER
The American Landscape (1800 - 1850)
Young scholars are introduced to the romantic cultural movement in America. Reading examples of pictures of Washington Irving's home, they identify the characteristics of the movement. They view other paintings of artists from the same...
Curated OER
Charles Young Photographs
Students analyze photographs as an introduction to the Spanish American War. The concepts of American expansionism are explored through the process.
Curated OER
Imperialism
Learners explore the concept of Imperialism. In this foreign policy lesson, students examine the policies of the US and other countries through time. Learners then create a political cartoon of their own and create a timeline that...
Curated OER
White Man's Burden:The Expansionist/Anti-Imperialist Debate at the Turn of the Century
Students explore the roles of Expansionists and Anti-imperialists and take on the identity of a historical character to defend their position before a Senate committee. Roles of newsmen, senators, and futurists are also assumed in this...
Curated OER
Charles Young Photographs
Students view photographs of Charles Young. They analyze the photograph to decipher the time period. As an introduction, students brainstorm questions they may ask the man in the photograph. Students investigate the era of the...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Neh: Edsit Ement: Road to Pearl Harbor: The United States and East Asia 1915 1941
A four-lesson plan unit on the events that led up to the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor during World War II. Lesson topics include the growth of hostility between the United States and Japan after WWI, the Sino-Japanese conflict,...
Smithsonian Institution
National Portrait Gallery: 1846: Portrait of a Nation
This site provides a glimpse into the United States in the year 1846. James Polk was president and the Westward Expansion was in full force. The site has nice historical photographs.
Curated OER
History Matters: Manifest Destiny, Continued: Mc Kinley Defends u.s. Expansionism
Enhanced by an introduction and commentary, read a speech given by U.S. President William McKinley to a delegation of Methodist church leaders in 1899 in which he defined the United States intervention in the Philippines as the proper...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Pearl Harbor
A concise look at the economic relations between Japan and the United States just prior to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Find out what the Japanese hoped to achieve with the attack, and read about the American response.
Other
On Line History of the United States: The Age of Imperialism
Online history page containing numerous links to specific incidents of U.S. expansion in the Pacific, Latin America, China, and Cuba.
PBS
Pbs: American Experience: The Spanish American War in the Philippines (1898)
After giving a general summary of the Spanish-American War in the Western Hemisphere, the course of the war as waged in the Philippines is explained. See how the Philippines was annexed to the United States.
University of Virginia
Miller Center at Uva: u.s. Presidents: Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Foreign Affairs
Scroll through this discussion of Franklin Roosevelt's attention to foreign policy during his several terms in office to "Confronting Germany and Japan" and "Descent into War." Here you will find out about the United States' position of...
Charles I. Kelly and Lawrence E. Kelly
Many things.org: In 1845, Republic of Texas Faces a Choice
An explanation of the difficulties the Republic of Texas encountered when deciding whether to join the Union. Also discusses President James Polk's efforts to expand the territories held by the United States, which brought him into...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Reactions to a Troubled World
Read about the rising militarism and fascism in Europe and Asia as dictators expanded their territories. See how the United States reacted with its series of three neutrality acts.
Country Studies US
Country Studies: Ambivalent Empire
With the purchase of Alaska in 1867, the United States embarked on the road of building an empire. From Alaska to the Spanish-American War to the Philippine Islands, the U.S. grew as an imperial nation throughout the latter half of the...
Yale University
Yale New Haven Teachers Institute: The Foreign Policy of Franklin D. Roosevelt
Describes Roosevelt's policies towards Pan-America, involvement in the global conflict, and entry into World War II. Included are sample lessons and a bibliography. (Published in 1978)