In the 1950s, how did the Red Scare and the actions of Senator Joseph McCarthy affect the American people? Your young historians will analyze primary source documents on the Red Scare, participate in a "find the...

Students are instructed using a cross curricular type of lesson. The time period that they focus upon is the founding of the Soviet Union as a superpower in the world after WWII. The rise of communism is also taken into consideration.

Ninth graders explore how nuclear weapons have affected the actions of nations around the world. They identify the countries that have nuclear weapons and discuss the humanitarian issues with nuclear weapons. Students create a "Doomsday...

Eleventh graders explore and analyze the impact of the Cold War at home and how the fear of communism and nuclear war affected American life throughout the Cold War. They study what role Senator Joseph McCarthy played on American fears...

Students write reactions to selected pictures of the Holocaust. They view selected online pictures about the Holocaust and write their reactions. They use their knowledge about the Holocaust to write reactions to pictures about this period.

Eighth graders study the historical significance of the Korean and Vietnam Wars in this unit of study. They investigate the different ideologies that were involved and examine the effect of the wars on local veterans.

Pupils discuss the Rosenberg spy case during the Cold War. They research and report on a recent or current investigation into espionage by people working for the U.S. government. Students find out what they can from newspapers,...

Learners identify substances and activities within a household that contribute to water pollution and identify safe cleaning alternatives for commercial cleaning products.

Students conduct an experiment to simulate an oil spill and identify the characteristics of oil in water. They evaluate the effectiveness of various cleanup methods. They discuss the how to clean up an oil spill, and what causes oil...

In this American History worksheet, 11th graders analyze different scenarios and create possible solutions. 

Students enter the classroom and observe a wall that is set up with desks, bookshelves, or anything else available. to create a barrier that they cannot cross during the class. The class then is divided into East and West Berlin with the...

Students examine different perspectives on the events during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Using the internet, they research the Cuban perspective on the issue and discover the need for empathy in a situation like this. They use primary...

Students examine the background of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Using the foreign policy decision-making process, they simulate and elaborate the processe involved. They identify the causes of the misconceptions that plagued the U.S.-Cuba...

Students compare and contrast a speech given to the United Nations by Colin Powell and a speech given to the UN by Adlai Stevenson. Clearifying the objective of each, they evaluate their proposals to the United Nations. In groups, they...

This lesson could be used in teaching units on the Civil War or on the commemoration of wars.

Students examine the viewpoints of the major players in the Cuban Missile Crisis. In groups, they research the topic and organize the information into a presentation. They evaluate the decisions made at the time. They also discover the...

Students read President Kennedy's speech to the nation on October 22, 1962. Using the text, they identify the deception by the Soviets. In groups, they create a comip strip showing what they believe might have happened had there been no...

Discover some of the themes of Dr. Seuss's major books. They see that despite being written for young people, Dr. Seuss' books contain powerful messages and important themes.

In celebration of renowned cartoonist Herb Block's Library of Congress exhibition, this handout includes 2 of his famous political cartoons for scholars to analyze. Background information describes "Herblock's" career, and talking points...

Ronald Reagan's 1983 speech to the National Association of Evangelicals (also know as the "Evil Empire Speech") offers readers with an opportunity to practice their skills at reading informational text, specifically primary source...

Ninth graders investigate the original mandates of the League of Nations regarding the Middle East. They listen to a lecture/PowerPoint presentation on the end of the mandate system, and complete a fill-in-the-blank worksheet that...

Director George Pal’s film The Time Machine, based on H. G. Wells’ 1895 science fiction novella and starring Rod Taylor, Alan Young, and Yvette Mimieux, is the focus of a lesson that considers the consequences of time travel. Viewers...

High schoolers read the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, define asylum and identify when people have the right to asylum. They examine specific cases of asylum in recent times and consider some of the difficulties refugees face.

Young scholars explore Bebop in America by listening to music and answering questions.