The First Day of Congress

How reliable is a painting of the first Thanksgiving if it was created 300 years after the fact? Learners assess the validity of a primary source image to determine what it can actually reveal about this event. 

To be Puerto Rican, in the words of one politician, is to be "foreign in a domestic sense." Young historians consider the American role in colonialism and its impacts on Hispanic Americans through the first part of the twentieth century...

As Theodore Roosevelt reminded Congress in 1908, corporation one is not corporation two. Readers of this excerpt from Roosevelt's Message to Congress have an opportunity to sharpen their comprehension skills as they study this primary...

What is an oral history interview? What goes into the planning and what should be said? Why is it important that we know and learn from oral history? This is an excellent worksheet to support your young historians as they conduct...

A good handout is a great find. Print this resource and hand out a simplified version of the US Constitution and Bill of Rights to your US government or US history class. The powers of the president, Congress, and the Senate are...

Trailblazers forge the path into uncharted territory, they establish a precedent for others to follow. Young historians research trailblazers in Congress using primary and secondary sources to profile outliers that changed the face of...

Why does the United States have a bicameral voting system? Through role playing as either advocates for or against a cell phone policy in school, your learners will organize, vote, compromise, and experience first-hand the benefits of a...

Learners discover how to identify and contact their local Representative. They can send an email or a regular letter to their Representative voicing their concerns. They share with the class any responses.

In a role-play activity acting as members of either the Senate or House of Representatives, class members will vote on bills to halt mail delivery on Saturdays in the United States and to raise the minimum wage. Through an included...