NCSS Online Teachers' Library
Documents Related to the Flu Pandemic of 1918 (Teaching with Documents)
Submitted by Jennifer Bauduy on Mon, 07/27/2009 - 11:22am--Raphael Mazzone and Lee Ann Potter
As World War I neared its end, a worldwide epidemic claimed more victims than the war itself. The two featured documents recall the loss of life and havoc in the United States.
Printer-friendly versionHarvest Ceremony—Beyond the Thanksgiving Myth
Submitted by Jennifer Bauduy on Mon, 07/27/2009 - 11:24am--Johanna Gorelick and Genevieve Simermeyer/The Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of the American Indian
While the modern story of Thanksgiving describes the original feast as a friendly gathering of neighbors, in reality it had much more to do with political alliances, diplomacy, and an attempt at peaceful coexistence.
Telling Tales:The Teaching of American History through Storytelling
Submitted by Steven Lapham on Mon, 07/27/2009 - 11:25am—Tony R. Sanchez and Randy K. Mills
Teachers can relate the excitement, paradox, and importance of American history to students by conveying the challenges of life in the past with stories. [John Adams, in court, defends British soldiers after the Boston Massacre. Abigail Adams, speaking to her neighbor, defends the right of James Prince--an African American--to attend the local school.]
The U.S. in Iraq: Confronting Policy Alternatives
Submitted by Jennifer Bauduy on Mon, 07/27/2009 - 11:25am--Choices for the 21st Century Education Program, Brown University
This lesson plan enables students to consider the principal alternatives facing U.S. policymakers in Iraq and to formulate their own points of view.
Enduring Lessons of Justice from the World War II Japanese American Internment
Submitted by Steven Lapham on Mon, 07/27/2009 - 11:26am—Nancy P. Gallavan and Teresa A. Roberts
Investigating the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II helps students develop an appreciation of constitutional rights and civil liberties.
Learning about the Civil War through Soldiers’ Letters
Submitted by Steven Lapham on Mon, 07/27/2009 - 11:28am—Joseph Hutchinson
Letters home from young soldiers give students a close-up view of the Civil War; their sense of empathy further deepens when they must use their imagination and write their own letters home.
Lesson Plan: New England and the African Slave Trade
Submitted by Steven Lapham on Mon, 07/27/2009 - 11:30am—Choices for the 21st Century Education Program, Brown University
Although many people in the United States think of slavery as a Southern institution, New England has a more complex history of slavery and slave trading than many realize.
Literature, Literacy, and Legacy: Teaching about the Civil Rights Movement
Submitted by Steven Lapham on Mon, 07/27/2009 - 11:54am—Elizabeth K. Wilson and Kathy Shaver Wetzel
The authors describe how a novel, such as The Watsons Go to Birmingham 1963, can draw students into the study of the civil rights era.
Teaching Civics with Primary Source Documents (Teaching with Documents)
Submitted by Steven Lapham on Mon, 07/27/2009 - 11:57am—Lee Ann Potter
Thomas Jefferson was shocked when war veteran Jacob Koontz wrote to him asking for presidential help seven years after Jefferson’s presidential term had ended. A look at Jefferson’s letter noting Koontz’s lack of civic awareness highlights for students the importance of civic literacy.
Documents and Civic Duties (Teaching with Documents)
Submitted by Steven Lapham on Mon, 07/27/2009 - 2:48pm—Lee Ann Potter
A one-sentence letter from school boy Anthony Ferreira to President Ford stating, “I think you are half right and half wrong ” is one of several primary sources featured in this article that highlight for students the value of responsible citizenship.
