Christopher Columbus remains one of the most studied yet the least known of major historical figures. In this lesson, students read excerpts from Columbus's letters and journals, as well as recent considerations of his achievements so that they can reflect on the motivations behind Columbus's explorations, his reactions to what he found, and the…

This guide provides history and social studies teachers, at all grade levels, with information and activities about the American Indians of the Northern Plains who lived in the area of the Knife River where it enters the Missouri River. Located in what is now North Dakota, this area is the Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site. The…

The road to the U.S. West, known as the Oregon Trail, had its first real traffic in 1843 when a group of about 1000 people left Independence, Missouri and traveled west. This teacher's guide contains short descriptions of the main landmarks and stopping points that were significant along the northwest portion of the Oregon Trail. The guide is…

This lesson is based on the National Register of Historic Places registration file "Glen Echo Amusement Park," park planning documents, and newspaper and magazine accounts. The lesson can be used in U.S. history units on the Gilded Age and the Progressive Era to explore religious and educational reform movements (including the Chautauqua…

This collection of essays is drawn from a series of international seminars in which participants explored different methodologies for writing social history of the classroom. The collection features 13 essays divided into 3 parts: Part 1, "Raising Questions about Classroom History," contains: (1) "Sneaking into School: Classroom History at Work"…

This paper introduces topics about the American West to teachers and students of U.S. history and suggests that interested students can pursue the topics at greater length. The report is based on information from the novelist, Tony Hillerman, who states in "The Best of the West" (1991) that there are many firsthand accounts and other…

This teaching unit, "Civil War Unit," is the fourth of a series of 10 units about Alabama state history, part of a project designed to help teachers integrate the use of primary source materials into their classrooms. Although the units are designed to augment the study of Alabama, they are useful in the study of U.S. history, world…

This lesson focuses on the black soldiers of the Civil War and Reconstruction. Students use primary source materials from the National Archives for classroom research. Students analyze featured documents, engage in creative writing, present oral reports and conduct further research on the topic of the black Civil War experience. The lesson is…

This packet contains materials to help fourth and fifth grade teachers provide their students with background information for field trips to the California State Capitol Museum (Sacramento). The working museum focuses on the theme areas of California history, the state government/legislative process, and state symbols. The packet presents teacher…

From 1997-2001, the Kentucky Historical Society and the Kentucky Arts Council have cosponsored an annual Kentucky Folklife Festival to celebrate the traditions of diverse groups from across the state. Folklife, or folklore, includes traditions that are shared by a group of people who have a mutual background or interest. Folklore can be expressed…

When Orville and Wilbur Wright began their studies of aviation, they did not overlook the great experts on the subject the birds. The brothers became interested in flight as children, when their father brought home a little flying toy powered by a rubber band. Later, they corresponded with the Smithsonian Institution (Washington, DC) which sent…

This tenth grade lesson plan asks student teams to research and analyze the history, the challenges, and the future of contemporary nations and share their discoveries in a poster presentation at a technology pavilion. The lesson plan states that each team, as a participating nation, is required to include three themes in their countries' pavilion…

Don Henry was a student at the University of Kansas (Lawrence, Kansas) who experienced a profound political change during his years on campus. Henry became a leader in radical campus organizations, volunteered to fight in the Spanish Civil War with the Lincoln Brigade, and died on the battlefield in Aragon (Spain) in September 1937. An article in…

Life in the western United States was reshaped by a series of patents for a simple tool that helped ranchers tame the land: barbed wire. Nine patents for improvements to wire fencing were granted by the U.S. Patent Office to U.S. inventors beginning with Michael Kelly in 1868 and ending with Joseph Glidden in 1874. Vast and undefined prairies and…

The social, cultural, and historical documents and commentary in this casebook illuminate the reading of "The Catcher in the Rye," a novel that has become an important rite of passage for many young adults. In addition to a literary analysis, the casebook acquaints students with the larger world in which Holden Caulfield, the…