NCSS has selected a collection of classroom activities, teaching ideas, and articles from Social Education, Middle Level Learning, and Social Studies and the Young Learner. Browse the collection, or search by historical period and grade level using the search function below.
(Collections on other disciplines are under development.)
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An End and a Beginning: The Fiftieth Anniversary of [em]Brown v. Board of Education[/em] (Looking at the Law)
Submitted by Jennifer Bauduy on Tue, 07/28/2009 - 11:03am--James H. Landman
Fifty years ago this May, the Supreme Court decision on the case of Brown v. Board of Education changed the course of American history. Here is the background to the judgment that outlawed segregation policies in public schools.
Printer-friendly versionOrder of Argument in the Case [em]Brown v. Board of Education[/em] (Teaching with Documents)
Submitted by Jennifer Bauduy on Tue, 07/28/2009 - 11:11am--Kahlil Chism, contributing author, and Lee Ann Potter, editor
The Order of Argument in Brown v. Board of Education is a short document, but it can launch students on a long voyage of understanding of this milestone case.
Letter from President Millard Fillmore to the Emperor of Japan (Teaching with Documents)
Submitted by Jennifer Bauduy on Tue, 07/28/2009 - 11:36am--Marvin Pinkert and Lee Ann Potter
A letter from President Fillmore plays a key role in overcoming Japan’s “closed country” policy.
Separate Is Not Equal: [em]Brown v. Board of Education[/em] Resources—A Guide for Study and Discussion
Submitted by Jennifer Bauduy on Tue, 07/28/2009 - 11:39am--Alonzo N. Smith
This study guide provides a range of resources in preparation for the fiftieth anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education.
School Desegregation Depicted in Docudrama
Submitted by Jennifer Bauduy on Tue, 07/28/2009 - 11:40am--David L. Wolfford
The author provides in-depth reviews of six films on desegregation.
Harriet Jacobs: Using Online Slave Narratives in the Classroom
Submitted by Jennifer Bauduy on Tue, 07/28/2009 - 11:43am--Cheryl Mason Bolick and Meghan M. McGlinn
With digital libraries, valuable documents become readily available, such as the writings of a former slave, Harriet Jacobs, who became an outspoken opponent of slavery.
1863 Letter from Ralph Waldo Emerson about Walt Whitman (Teaching with Documents)
Submitted by Jennifer Bauduy on Tue, 07/28/2009 - 11:46am--Lee Ann Potter
During the Civil War, poet Walt Whitman was eager to work for the government. Though federal jobs weren’t easy to come by, a letter of recommendation from Ralph Waldo Emerson was able to push open government doors.
Robert E. Lee's Demand for the Surrender of John Brown (Teaching with Documents)
Submitted by Jennifer Bauduy on Tue, 07/28/2009 - 1:08pm--Daniel F. Rulli
John Brown’s raid on Harpers Ferry--considered treasonous by some and heroic by others--helped strengthen the anti-slavery movement. Students can gain a deeper understanding of this event by studying General Lee’s demand for Brown’s surrender.
Teaching about the Electoral College
Submitted by Jennifer Bauduy on Tue, 07/28/2009 - 1:11pm--David Dulio and the staff of the National Student/Parent Mock Election
When citizens step into the voting booth on election day, they are not actually voting for their candidate, but rather choosing a group of electors. This set of classroom activities explains one distinctively American institution--the Electoral College.
Buttons to Bumper Stickers: Political Campaign Memorabilia (Teaching with Documents)
Submitted by Jennifer Bauduy on Tue, 07/28/2009 - 1:14pm--Lee Ann Potter
From George Washington to George W. Bush, politicians have used campaign memorabilia to capture the attention of voters. By studying these items, students can learn a great deal about historical issues and candidates.
