Perspectives from the Present

The five activities outlined in this resource packet engage class members in projects that ask them to research the causes and the effects, both national and local, of the Great Depression and the New Deal policies of FDR.

With the BP oil spill still fresh on your scholars' minds, take the opportunity to analyze various perspectives on it through political cartoons. This critical-analysis handout features 2 cartoons on the incident. Background information...

After studying the reasons settlers entered the New World, primary learners try to persuade others to enter this new land. Class members present their arguments in a variety of ways including posters, writings, and charts. Richly...

Text of a speech given by Franklin D. Roosevelt after he signed the bill known as the National Industrial Recovery Act. Discusses purposes and intended impact of the legislation.

This comprehensive and interesting site fully describes black suffrage in the south, and goes into detail on poll taxes. Written in 1940, it offers a fascinating perspective and historic relevance.

Using an article from The New York Times, young scholars answer discussion questions about gun control. They are divided into four groups to research different standpoints on gun control, including the Executive Office, Congress,...

Learners understand why historians conduct research and the importance of perception when it comes to studying history. The resource covers The Wars of Expansion and the Battle of Little Bighorn/Greasy Grass through group work, debate,...

Check out this fantastic research project where learners work to see the modern world through the eyes of a historian and analyze a contemporary event of their choice. An in-depth reflection on the project is given by the project...

Find out about FDR's vision and the New Deal plan that helped pull America out of the Great Depression. The presentation focuses New Deal programs such as the Works Progress Administration, Agricultural Adjustment Administration, and the...

Although not a complete lesson plan, this set of emotionally powerful texts could be used in a variety of lessons. From The New York Times' Learning Network site, the resource includes a poem, an excerpt from a New York Times article and...