This project seeks to bring an immediacy and interest to historical events through the use of Hollywood feature films. Some of the films used to promote interest in history are "Inherit the Wind,""All the President's Men,""The Birth of a Nation," and "Reds." Films used in the class should be available on videocassettes because they are less…

In this 10th grade social studies and language arts interdisciplinary unit, students research and report on historical figures from the turn of the 20th century. Students are required to work in pairs to learn about famous and common individuals, including Andrew Carnegie, Samuel Gompers, Susan B. Anthony, Thomas Edison, Theodore Roosevelt, Booker…

A historian, Doane Robinson, and a sculptor, Gutzon Borglum, worked together to build a gigantic monument in South Dakota that honored four of the greatest U.S. presidents: George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, and Thomas Jefferson. Robinson and Borglum wanted the monument to represent U.S. ideals. To celebrate the anniversary of…

This simulation allows students to experience how their ancestors felt when they decided to emigrate to this country. The basic activity is a core simulation in which students role-play either an immigrant or an immigration processor at Ellis Island in 1900. The amount of time available determines additional enhancement options offered in the…

This instructional packet is designed to introduce students to primary source material by having them participate in an historical "what might have been." Students engage in critical thinking and document analysis, and through the process learn about Operation OVERLORD and World War II in general. This spy kit centers on Operation…

In this lesson, each fourth-grade student is asked to choose a famous person who was born in his/her state, research the person's contributions to history, write a monologue, and then perform the monologue using a costume and/or a prop. The lesson offers an overview; suggests lesson length and grade level; lists subjects and subtopics; cites…

This book is about changes in the Chesapeake Bay, its animals, plants, and the surrounding land during the last 15,000 years. Some changes were caused by natural forces while others were made by people. "Chesapeake Challenges" tests the student's thinking skills. "Family Action" lists things families can do to learn more about…

Presents a high school unit about the U.S. Industrial Revolution featuring the Boott Cotton Mills of Lowell, Massachusetts. Includes student objectives, step-by-step instructional procedures, and discussion questions. Provides two maps, five illustrations, one photograph, and three student readings. (ACM)

Maintains that the American West has fascinated artists for the last 150 years. Presents four lesson plans based on paintings from the Phoenix (Arizona) Art Museum. Includes student objectives, step-by-step instructional procedures, and four full-page color prints of the paintings. (CFR)

Presents a five-page study guide on the site selection of New Orleans (LA). Encourages students to recognize situational advantages determined by different historical periods. Asks students to recommend specific sites based on time and place variables. (CFR)

This activity book is designed for grades 4-8 but could be modified for other levels. Mini-units begin with a brief biographical sketch of a U.S. president, including highlights of his life and administration. Twelve trivia questions accompany each sketch and require additional reading from other sources. Thought questions are based on an analysis…

This booklet is part of a series designed to help students take and defend a position on public issues. In this unit, the progressive era, a major reform period in U.S. history that stretched from about 1900 to 1915 is discussed. The book suggests that large scale reform is difficult to achieve because reformers often assume that their interests,…

Because religion has greatly influenced the course of U.S. history and because it continues to have an impact on U.S. life, an examination of its role is a necessary part of social studies. In order to understand U.S. society, citizens must know something about the development of the religious ideas, practices, and institutions found in the United…

This book examines the life of Ella Baker, the civil rights worker who was a key figure in the formation of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), and other civil rights organizations. The biography, which is aimed at young readers aged 10 and older, recounts the history of the…

Written by history students at Gary High School, Gary, Texas, this issue includes two articles relevant to East Texas history. "Mission Dolores and Jim Corbin," (Moss Heaton and others) is a summary of material presented by Professor James Corbin about the early Spanish presence in East Texas. The first attempt at setting up a mission…