In these three lessons the students will analyze and assess Executive Order …
In these three lessons the students will analyze and assess Executive Order 10730, which was issued by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on September 23, 1957, in response to a crisis concerning the integration of Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. Additionally, the students will compare and contrast reactions to President Eisenhower’s executive order by examining and evaluating letters that were written to the White House by American citizens in response to this policy. The students will use close textual analysis to draw conclusions and present arguments as directed in each lesson. They will compose a persuasive essay supported by textual evidence from the documents to express and defend their viewpoints.
The presidential election of 1824 represents a watershed in American politics. The …
The presidential election of 1824 represents a watershed in American politics. The collapse of the Federalist Party and the illness of the "official candidate" of the Democratic-Republicans led to a slate of candidates who were all Democratic-Republicans. This led to the end of the Congressional Caucus system for nominating candidates, and eventually, the development of a new two-party system in the United States. In this unit, students will read an account of the election from the Journal of the House of Representatives, analyze archival campaign materials, and use an interactive online activity to develop a better understanding of the election of 1824 and its significance.
In the United States, a system of checks and balances exists to …
In the United States, a system of checks and balances exists to ensure that no branch of government becomes too powerful. In relation to the Supreme Court (the judicial branch) one of these instituted "checks" is that the executive branch, the President, appoints the Supreme Court Justices, who are in turn confirmed, or rejected, by the Senate (the legislative branch).
Through these lessons, students learn to identify and describe the various roles …
Through these lessons, students learn to identify and describe the various roles and responsibilities of the President of the United States and their own roles as citizens of a democracy.
In order to become informed participants in a democracy, students must learn …
In order to become informed participants in a democracy, students must learn about the women and men who make decisions concerning their lives, their country, and the world. The President of the United States is one such leader. As a nation, we place no greater responsibility on any one individual than we do on the president. Through these lessons, students learn about the roles and responsibilities of the president and their own roles as citizens of a democracy.
In this video segment adapted from A Science Odyssey, follow two scientists …
In this video segment adapted from A Science Odyssey, follow two scientists and their Nobel Prize-winning efforts to cure bacterial infections using penicillin.
Progressive Era reformers sought to harness the power of the federal government …
Progressive Era reformers sought to harness the power of the federal government to eliminate unethical and unfair business practices, reduce corruption, and counteract the negative social effects of industrialization.
This video provides an overview of the history of and philosophy underlying …
This video provides an overview of the history of and philosophy underlying the Progressive Era including Jacob Riis and Upton Sinclair, the Women's Suffrage Movement, and the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire.
This inquiry leads students through an investigation of immigration experiences in the …
This inquiry leads students through an investigation of immigration experiences in the United States. By investigating the compelling question—“Is America the ‘Promised Land’ for the world’s immigrants?”—students evaluate the motivating factors and deterrents for immigration to the United States both in the past and present. The formative performance tasks help students build on knowledge and skills through the course of the inquiry and allow students to recognize the push/pull factors for immigrants throughout our history. Students create an evidence-based argument about whether America remains the prime destination spot for many of the world’s immigrants today.
One of the enduring features of our Constitution is its flexibility. At …
One of the enduring features of our Constitution is its flexibility. At the time of its ratification, the population of the United States was around 4 million and today that population exceeds 332 million. Since its adoption the Constitution has only changed 27 times! Actually, since 1791 (with the inclusion of the Bill of Rights) it has only changed 16 times. That is an amazing fact considering the changes in technology, infrastructure, population, etc. in this country in more than 200 years.
This five-minute video introduces students to the findings of the Kerner commission, …
This five-minute video introduces students to the findings of the Kerner commission, a panel of experts President Lyndon Johnson convened to make policy recommendations following the protests, violence and disorder that occurred in over 150 cities in 1967. The commission recommended a series of sweeping changes, including reforms in policing tactics and efforts to reduce urban poverty. But Johnson largely ignored the findings of the study. Useful in helping students make connections between the 1960s and today, the video sets up an engaging class discussion on race, poverty and policing.
Content Advisory: This video includes footage of police violence. This resource contains additional material that may be sensitive for some students. Teachers should exercise discretion in evaluating whether this resource is suitable for their class.
This activity is designed to help young learners retain a basic understanding …
This activity is designed to help young learners retain a basic understanding of the different roles in the House of Representatives and how they relate to each other by using hand-made puppets to represent each key role. Students will retain each characters identity and function by performing a show using the puppets they create.
Explore why the 2012 shooting of a black student became a pivotal …
Explore why the 2012 shooting of a black student became a pivotal tension point around race and justice during Barack Obama’s presidency, in these videos excerpted from FRONTLINE: Divided States of America. Trayvon Martin’s death at the hands of a neighborhood watch volunteer ignited passions across the nation. America’s first black president grappled with his response. Obama’s initial silence, followed by carefully guarded words, prompted a backlash—and not just from conservative pundits. Many in the black community were traumatized by the incident and by others like it. Following the shooter’s court acquittal the next year, Obama acknowledged his own experiences as a black American. For many, this was the first time in his administration that he openly spoke for black people.
Students will examine, explain, and evaluate a variety of literary and visual …
Students will examine, explain, and evaluate a variety of literary and visual primary sources that describe and depict the development and impact of railroads on sectional relationships, national unity, and economic growth during the nineteenth century; analyze and assess eyewitness accounts, a notable photograph, and two maps of railway routes; read, discuss, and draw conclusions about the text and major concepts; make a sound response to one of several possible "essential questions."
Learn how Jim Crow laws impacted home ownership and the pursuit of …
Learn how Jim Crow laws impacted home ownership and the pursuit of the American Dream in this series of videos from the American Masters film, Lorraine Hansberry: Sighted Eyes/Feeling Heart. Lorraine Hansberry’s family was at the forefront of fighting segregation in Chicago in the 1940s, even taking the fight all the way to the Supreme Court. Hansberry’s famous play, A Raisin in the Sun, continues the legacy of her parents by using literature to take a stand against racial inequality and injustice.
Support materials include discussion questions, teaching tips, and a student handout comparing the experience of Lorraine Hansberry’s family and the Younger family in A Raisin in the Sun.
Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun provides a compelling and honest …
Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun provides a compelling and honest look into one family's aspirations to move to another Chicago neighborhood and the thunderous crash of a reality that raises questions about for whom the "American Dream" is accessible.
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