On January 1, 1863, Daniel Freeman, a Union Army scout convinced a land office clerk in St. Louis (Missouri) to open the office shortly after midnight so that Freeman could file a land claim. In doing so, Freeman became one of the first to take advantage of the opportunities provided by the Homestead Act, a law signed by President Abraham Lincoln…

This primary source kit offers history teachers the opportunity to use primary sources from the Maryland Historical Society to activate student interest in United States history and to encourage participation in National History Day. This source kit features original documents, images, maps, oral histories, broadsides, and a variety of other…

The Eisenhower Foundation developed and produced posters and curriculum materials for "Dreams of a Barefoot Boy: 1890-1911," the first in a series that examines, in depth, the life and times of Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34th U.S. President. This collection of primary source documents consists of documents with social themes relating to:…

This teaching unit, "The Alabama Constitution of 1901 Unit," is the sixth in 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…

This teaching unit, "The Great Depression Unit," is the eighth in 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,…

This guide was designed to help secondary teachers use a series of radio programs based on the book, "First-Person America," an oral history collection derived in turn from a massive body of first-person accounts originally collected during the 1930's by the Federal Writer's Project. The series dramatizes the texture of everyday life in…

Research and learning opportunities for elementary and secondary students at the seven presidential libraries located around the country are discussed. A questionnaire was sent to each institution, and several of the libraries were visited. Also presented is an overview of the presidential library system. (RM)

Cemeteries dot the U.S. urban and rural landscape. They hold genealogical information and more. This guide suggests using cemeteries as an informative resource for classroom study. The guide outlines research strategies, provides additional information for interpreting and understanding cemeteries in rural and urban South Carolina, and contains…

Contends that oral history projects are an effective way of teaching history. Provides suggestions on setting up an oral history project, selecting topics, conducting background research, and conducting interviews. Includes a bibliography of resources for both students and teachers. (CFR)

During the Jim Crow era, separation of the races in public places was either required by law or permitted as a cultural norm. Public school systems across the U.S. south were typically segregated. After 1896, these schools were supposed to adhere to the separate but equal rule established by the U.S. Supreme Court in "Plessy v.…

This research guide is designed to help teachers and students organize their thoughts as they begin to plan and carry out a research assignment where they review and use the resources of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library and Museum (Hyde Park, New York) or other resources for specific projects. The guide is divided into five sections: (1) the…

This teaching unit, "Creek Indian War," is the first 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 teaching unit, "Reconstruction Unit," which deals with the post-Civil War period, is the fifth 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…

The United States subscribes to the original premise of the framers of the Constitution that the way to safeguard against tyranny is to separate the powers of government among three branches so that each branch checks the other two. At no time in the 20th century was the devotion to that principle more vigorously evoked than in 1937, when…

Presents a lesson plan for seventh-grade students in which they learn respect for themselves and others and apply social studies skills. Explains that the students create timelines, interview someone of an older generation, and create a Venn diagram comparing that person's life to their own. Includes suggestions for writing assignments based on…