If called, would you go? Should the US government have the power to impose a draft during any war? The Selective Service Act of 1917 (aka the Conscription Act of 1917) authorized the drafting of men into the military for only the...

The post-Civil War convict leasing program, rarely covered in textbooks, is the focus of a instructional activity that asks class members to use information drawn from primary source documents to assess the program. While the focus is on...

Students analyze primary documents to determine why President Madison believed it was important for the US to declare war with Great Britain. Students research documents on the Internet to determine President Madison's argument for going...

Students explore the different ads used by the military. They use media reports and the internet to research the war effort at home during World War II.

Students interview an adult that grew up in the United States during the Cold War to develop an understanding of the concept of mutually assured destruction. They focus the interview on how the person dealt with the threat of nuclear...

Young scholars analyze the experiences of a fictional soldier in a war and create a mental health profile for that individual. They emulate psychiatrists and propose treatment strategies for their particular soldier's post-traumatic...

Middle schoolers discuss the U.S. economy, society, and politics in the years following World War II. They explore the boom in advertising during this period by reviewing print advertisements from the late 1940s and early 1950s. ...

Eleventh graders examine the political demands put on one of four groups living in America during WWII. Each class member is asked to research and write a paper describing the homefront experience for women, Hispanics, African-Americans,...

The Holocaust is the focus of this world history PowerPoint. Viewers are presented with important facts regarding the Holocaust, and the rise of Nazi Germany. They must answer questions such as: "Describe Nazi anti-Semitism in the...

Class members compare the final 30 minutes of Lucas's Star Wars: A New Hope with Act V of Doescher's play, William Shakespeare's Star Wars: Verily, A New Hope and consider how the choice of media influences viewers' impression...

Governments rely on propaganda to build support for wars. Class members examine six propaganda posters, two each from the Spanish-American War, World War I, and World War II, and analyze how the way women were portrayed in the posters...

Students read and discuss the poem "In Flanders Fields," then write poems evoking images of peacetime. They practice the techniques of writing poetry while using textual imagery to create visual images.

The end of World War II saw major events that would forever change the global landscape and international relations. Using a fantastic PowerPoint presentation and several primary source documents, your learners will discuss the...

Why was the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) formed, and what is its mission? Learners discuss NATO's participation in various events throughout the Cold War and work in groups to analyze whether those responses were appropriate.

Explore the way local farming and rationing helped the war effort in World War I with a lesson plan on gardening. After learning about trench warfare, reading "In Flanders' Field" by John McCrae, and studying poppies, kids discuss...

Take an in-depth look at the historical events in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in this 69-slide PowerPoint. Photos, facts, and transcripts are outlined in this presentation in order to answer the stated essential question in slide 2: "What...

Learners justify how alliances lead to war. They compare the conflicts of war that arose because of imperialist interest. Students explain the cause of World War I. They compare and contrast European maps before and after World War I....

Seventh graders research the political, societal, and economic factors of World War I, World War II, and the 2001 war against terrorism. They participate in class discussions, write journal entries, and conduct Internet research. ...

Students examine the Just War theory, examine a specific example of what is commonly considered to have been a Just War, develop their own moral viewpoints on war, and relate their beliefs to current international situations.

Explore contributions of Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) during World War II with an engaging history lesson. Middle schoolers examine portrayals of women in World War II posters and newsreels, compare and contrast them with...

Students complete a web-quest into a day in the life of a World War II soldier. In this webquest lesson, students investigate what life was like for soldiers on the front lines during the second World War. They use note taking skills...

Eighth graders examine the Mexican War and its outcome through music. In this primary source analysis lesson, 8th graders analyze the lyrics of selected songs to consider the 2 perspectives regarding U.S. involvement in the war. Students...

Young scholars brainstorm lists of songs that were written in response to American wars; consider the patterns in the lists they create.