I Get By With a Little Help From My Friends

Judge Learned Hand's "Spirit of Liberty" speech delivered during the July, 1944 "I Am an American Day" celebration is the subject of a close reading activity that models for learners how to approach a dense, difficult text.

Don't be put off by the fact that the World War I propaganda posters in this packet are Canadian and some of them are even in French. All the better, in fact, to see the techniques. The richly detailed plan has instructors model...

Analyze the images and details of the Great Seal of Queen Elizabeth I, and discover clues that reveal how one of the greatest monarchs in the history of England wished to be seen and respected. This is a great way to discuss how even to...

Discuss the ethical and practical consequences of dishonesty at work by analyzing a hypothetical situation in which a young employee at a pizza shop is being asked by her friends for free meals.

When Christopher Columbus landed, he found many things to comment on. Have your class read this letter that he wrote to Luis de Sant Angel in 1493. The text is split up into sections. Each section is paired with two to three...

When you're writing historical fiction, the past really can become the present — especially if you're writing in the present continuous tense! Cover World War I, verb tenses, censorship, and letter writing with one informative lesson and...

Examine the legacy of some of the most influential speeches in American history with a series of history activities. Learners study George Washington's inaugural speech, Frederick Douglass's speech "What to the Slave is the Fourth of...

As if surviving a journey to America wasn't enough of a feat for early 20th century immigrants, they then needed to settle into American life. Learn about the ways New York public education attempted to meet the needs of its high...

The moment Christopher Columbus's ships touched North American shores, the world changed forever. But has it been for the better? High schoolers consider the effectiveness, benefits, and drawbacks of the Columbian Exchange with a...

Listen and analyze as the narrator explains why he identifies World War I as "the war to change all wars". In summarizing the events of the Great War, this episode also details the particular experiences, fears, and motivations of...