Students identify the important geographic and political locations on a map of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. They draw and label 19 items of geographic and political importance. Students are introduced to the Vietnam War through power...

Guide reading and enhance your students' understanding of WWI with this rich presentation. Topics covered are warfare, weapons, technology, government actions, women in war, and the effects of war on the home front and around the world....

On the cusp of the 20th century, Japan was going through many cultural and political changes. From the entrance of Commodore Matthew Perry, to the introduction of Western culture to the Japanese people, this presentation covers the many...

Enhance your student's reading with this presentation on the end of WWII. This series of slides contains information,  focus questions to guide student reading, and a video entitled, The Impact of World War II. Note: To view the...

Students determine the most compelling evidence explaining why the U.S. entered WWI. They read and discuss a handout of reasons why the U.S. entered the war, and take a poll as to which reason was the most compelling.

A good addition to a unit on the War of 1812, this slideshow details causes, specific battles, political contexts, and several campaigns of the war. Maps and pictures with broad topics allow teachers to bring their own discussion topics...

Covering the main events of the Cold War, this (mistitled) presentation includes photographs, political cartoons, and amusing graphics to illustrate its points. The information on the slides is helpful for an overview of the Cold War,...

Students, after reading Chapter 1 in the book, "Super Power: Americans Today," analyze the recognition of the quote, "Hunger does not breed reform; it breeds madness and all the ugly distempers that make an ordered life impossible," by...

Providing the details of different religious wars in 16th - 17th century Europe, this presentation includes pictures and maps to help contextualize these important events. The last slide prompts viewers to answer a question about the...

Use this as a quiz or to guide reading. There are five true/false and five multiple choice questions for the class to answer. Topics covered relate to the type of power Congress has and the constructionists movement.

Some words are best left unspoken.  Words matter, according to Benjamin Zander, conductor, teacher, and lecturer. To illustrate his point, Zander recounts a story told to him by a survivor of Auschwitz. As a result of her experience...

Take a closer look at the impact of war in this language arts and social studies lesson. Middle schoolers use primary sources to conduct research as they relate to the effects of war on children. They compare and contrast the effects of...

Have your class fill out this comprehension sheet while reading about the powers of Congress. There are ten multiple choice questions focused on the rights, powers, and limitations of Congressional law.

Point of view is everything, especially when reporting about the war in Afghanistan. Class members compare and contrast the same event from the war in Afghanistan as reported by five different sources. Learners are also asked to rank the...

Students examine the role that the U.S. played in bringing about victory in the two major theaters of the war in the Pacific and Europe. How the various military campaigns contributed to the war's successful conclusion forms the focus of...

Are executives as powerful as they sound? High schoolers find out about the US president and executive branch. A variety of activities include scaffolded reading sections, research assignments, and collaborative group work.

Class members read a series of primary and secondary source materials to examine the effects of Queen Anne's War, also know as the War of Spanish Succession, on the Pocumtucks and other Native Americans in the area of Deerfield, MA.

"I have here in my hand . . ." The war against Communism and Joseph McCarthy’s place in it are the focus of a series of lessons examining postwar America from 1945-1954. Joseph McCarthy takes center stage in this, the final activity...

If called, would you go? Should the US government have the power to impose a draft during any war? The Selective Service Act of 1917 (aka the Conscription Act of 1917) authorized the drafting of men into the military for only the...

The end was just the beginning. The period immediately after the end of World War II and the Holocaust is often called "The Return to Life" as survivors looked to reunite and recreate broken families and shattered lives. A two-lesson...

Students 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 research the political climate prior to major American wars of the past, then reflect on the current call for power to confront Iraq. They create posters using newspaper articles and headlines to highlight the major opinions of...

Students examine reasons for going to war. In this foreign policy lesson, students analyze the reasons the U.S. entered the the War of 1812, the Mexican War, the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the...

Students examine the U.S. neutrality policies that preceded American involvement in World War II. In this World War II instructional activity, students explore the events in Europe from 1939 to 1940 and Roosevelt's decision to give...