Learn about an important physics experiment that uses an invention that manipulates light in this interactive activity adapted from NASA.
This course surveys the history of the Middle East, from the end of the 19th century to the present. It examines major political, social, intellectual and cultural issues and practices. It also focuses on important events, movements, and ideas that prevailed during the last century and affect its current realities.
This lesson encourages close study of Wood's painting, American Revolution elementary sources, and Longfellow's poem to understand the significance of this historical ride in America's struggle for freedom. By reading elementary sources, students learn how Paul Revere and his Midnight Ride became an American story of patriotism.
This unit is one of the Gilder Lehrman Institute’s Teaching Literacy through History resources, designed
to align with the Common Core State Standards. These units were developed to enable students to
understand, summarize, and evaluate original materials of historical significance. Through a step-by-step
process, students will acquire the skills to analyze, assess, and develop knowledgeable and well-reasoned
viewpoints on primary sources and literary texts.
Over the course of three lessons the students will compare and contrast two different versions of one of the
most iconic events in American history: the midnight ride of Paul Revere. The comparison will be made
between the poem “Paul Revere’s Ride” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and a description of the event
written by Paul Revere himself. Students will use textual evidence from these two sources to draw their
conclusions and write an argumentative essay.
This worksheet gives students an opportunity to show their understanding of the compromise through color coding the map and answering some questions about the compromise itself.
Selective survey of Latin American history from the wars of independence at the start of the nineteenth century to the present. Issues studied include: independence and its aftermath, slavery and its abolition, Latin America in the global economy, relations between Latin America and the US, dictatorships and democracies in the twentieth century, and revolution in Mexico, Cuba, and Central America.
In this unit students will develop a thorough knowledge of the text of the Monroe Doctrine and understand how this document represented a major shift in American foreign policy. Students will demonstrate learning by combining prior knowledge and outside sources to dig deeper and discover more relevant information related to the adoption and application of the Monroe Doctrine throughout United States history.
Monroe brought a vision of an expanded America to his presidency"”a vision that helped facilitate the formulation of what has become known as the Monroe Doctrine. In this unit, students will review the Monroe Doctrine against a background of United States foreign relations in the early years of the republic.
This activity “Becoming aware of the Japanese American Internment Camp Experience” is intended to help students become aware of, and sensitive to, the Japanese American interment camp experience. They will develop a sense of empathy by simulating the situations which Japanese American children faced.
Felix Morley reports that although officials have portrayed the development of the atomic bomb as “eminently laudable,” the general reaction to news of the atomic bomb has been “unconcealed horror.” Published in Human Events on August 29, 1945, these excerpts from Morley’s essay “The Return to Nothingness” show the author’s apprehensions over the atomic bomb and its impact on humanity.
This lesson will engage students in understanding the impact Mormon pioneer settlers had on Native American tribes living in Utah. Students will also understand and appreciate the role that Mormon pioneer settlers had on the eventual settling of Utah. Students will be assessed by creating an Apple Pages project wherein they demonstrate their understanding of the two issues. Students are asked to create an essay including images about the impact Mormon pioneer settlement of Utah had on Native Americans. Image Credit: North Wind Picture Archives
In this lesson, students meet James Madison as he is working on the Bill of Rights and assist him in deciding the most important rights to include. Access to this resource requires a free educator login.
For over 20 years, a summer program for gifted adolescents at Western Kentucky University has offered an arts-integrated history course on Nazi Germany and the Holocaust. The course concludes with students working as a group to create a large mural on the Holocaust. In this way, students use the power of art to deal with their own emotions as well as to educate others. The murals from the past 20 years went on a traveling display in Kentucky to engage a broader audience in thought-provoking conversation on the topic. In this video collection, hear the stories of a Holocaust survivor and the son of a Holocaust survivor who are involved with the program, learn how students in the program decided on a theme for their mural, and learn how one teacher incorporates the arts into Holocaust history lessons.
Martin Luther King Jr. was the featured speaker at a March on Frankfort, Kentucky, in 1964, where an estimated 10,000 people gathered in a peaceful protest for civil rights. In 2022, researchers Joanna Hay and Le Datta Grimes, Ph.D., recorded interviews with 10 people who participated in that march as teens or young adults. Interviewees in this video explain how music brought protesters together and gave them courage.
Hip hop music is a staple of music lovers around the world. With its strong, rhythmic beat and lyrical rap vocal tracks, the genre that originated in New York City after the Civil Rights Movement has grown into one of the most popular styles of music in the world.
In this lesson, students will learn about hip hop as a tool for empowerment and critically analyze its place in American history as they read, analyze, and respond to film clips and lyrics from select songs. Through the discussion questions and activities, students will question the historical complexities and come up with their own interpretation of how music can be a tool for empowerment.
Students will answer questions before, during, and after watching the clips. Teachers may choose to have students create a social post/poem/rap about a social issue or create a presentation about a song with social justice themes. The lesson also allows students to explore other songs with social justice messages, across genres.
The activities in this lesson can be implemented across curricula, including, music, history, ELA, and non-academic classes (e.g., advisory).
More About This Resource
About the Authors:
This resource was developed by PBS Digital Innovator All Star Educators. The PBS Digital Innovator All Star program brings together a community of PreK-12th grade educators, who are hometown thought-leaders and classroom changemakers, for ongoing professional learning and growth. The program creates opportunities for participants to share strategies, learn from peers and leverage PBS platforms to elevate their own ideas and voice.
PBS Digital Innovator All Stars are characterized by their ability to seamlessly integrate media and digital technology into their learning environments, inspiring students to use media and emerging technologies in responsible, effective and empowering ways.
David Upegui is a Latino immigrant who found his way out of poverty through science. He currently serves as a science teacher at his alma mater, Central Falls High School (RI) and as an adjunct professor of Education. His personal philosophy and inclusive approach to science education have enabled students to become problem-solvers and innovative thinkers. He has a keen ability to engage students in learning, exploring, and contributing to science. He received the NABT’s Outstanding Biology Teacher Award (2021) and the Evolution Education Award (2014) as well as the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching in 2019 (2017 cohort). Upegui started, and runs, the school's Science Olympiad team and has contributed to several publications on science education and appropriate pedagogy. He completed his doctoral degree in education at the University of RI, focusing on science education and social justice.
Darnell Williams was born on the south-side of Chicago. As a child his family traveled to different parts of the United States during his father’s service in the Navy. Williams would go on and obtain his B.A in Childhood Studies of Psychology at Rutgers University- Camden. Soon after, Williams would become an English Language Arts teacher and Social Studies teacher. In 2020 Williams would have the honor of becoming a Digital Innovator and work on several projects. During this time, Williams would also obtain his Masters in Educational Leadership. Williams would be recognized for his educational leadership during the Covid-19 pandemic. He is currently the Supervisor of Pupil Services in Hamilton Township School District in Mays Landing, New Jersey. Williams in dedicated to serving staff and students in mental health and equity.
Sensitive: This resource contains material that may be sensitive for some students. Teachers should exercise discretion in evaluating whether this resource is suitable for their class.
Students examine and listen to a variety of forms of music to learn about the cultural, geographic, and stylistic diversity available within the United States.
This lesson traces the long history of how African Americans have used music as a vehicle for communicating beliefs, aspirations, observations, joys, despair, resistance, and more across U.S. history.
In this video segment from Religion & Ethics Newsweekly, learn about the daily prayer rituals of the Muslim faith and their significance in the life of a Muslim living in America.
Members of CRF’s Youth Board lead a lesson for elementary students as they learn about the three branches of government. Links to free, downloadable lesson materials included. Access to this resource requires a free educator login.
By exploring myths and truths surrounding Independence Day, students think critically about commonly believed stories regarding the beginning of the Revolutionary War and the Independence Day holiday.