This unit of study, one of a series of eight, provides a method for students to study U.S. history through reviewing the advertising of specific periods to learn about customers, styles, language, and interests of specific eras. The advertising of the past chronicles everyday people and everyday life. Advertising is used to examine five periods in…

This study unit, one in a series of eight, gives students examples of: (1) how a major business began in the mid-nineteenth century; (2) why and how individuals joined in financing and sharing in the growth of such a firm; and (3) how trademarks and brand names were adopted as a symbol that a firm stood behind and took pride in its goods and…

Senior high social studies students discuss how people who lived during the Great Depression viewed the future and then, coming back to the present, predict how 13 new industrial inventions of today may affect life a hundred years from now. (RM)

U.S. history is an ideal subject in which to inculcate skepticism and to teach critical thinking skills. High school students who read and analyze rival interpretations of history come to expect that there is more than one viewpoint to most historical topics. Sample lessons are presented. (RM)

So that the same mistakes would never again be repeated, the Army War College prepared a clear and understandable analysis of America's strategic failure in Vietnam. One of the most positive aspects of the analysis was the rediscovery of the importance of traditional military history and classical military theory. (RM)

An ambitious effort to produce a comprehensive historical account of the war in Vietnam is underway within the United States government. The publications that have been completed to date and those to be issued later are discussed. A bibliography of the publications is also provided. (RM)

Children develop enthusiasm for learning about the states when they become "tour directors." Activities to help students learn about various states and then convince others to "visit" these places are offered. (DF)

Two teachers describe their junior high school's involvement in National History Day. Participation in History Day provides students with the thrill of competition and the satisfaction that comes from really getting into a topic of their choice. (RM)

Using colored construction paper, students trace around their shoes and cut out two forms. Students then pick and research an event from the time period in history under study and write a report on the representations of shoe soles. The reports are taped, in order of occurrence, around the classroom. (RM)

This unit is designed to teach students about how a bill becomes law and how interest groups participate in and impact this process. LegiQuest teaches students about the roles of Congress, the President, and the courts in the legislative process. It can be used at the beginning of the course to introduce the functions and branches of government.…

This educator guide provides background information on Wilbur and Orville Wright. It also presents activities on aeronautics that provide templates for building the 1900, 1901, and 1902 Gliders and the 1903 Flyer. Activities include: (1) Early Aviation; (2) Your First Interview; (3) Your First Report; (4) Build a Model of the 1900 Glider; (5)…

Herbert Hoover became U.S. President in 1929, just months before the stock market crashed and the United States was flung into an economic depression. Harry S. Truman became U.S. President on April 12, 1945, after the death of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt. While Herbert Hoover and Harry Truman disagreed on many political issues, their…

By 1860 much of the beauty of St. Anthony Falls in Minneapolis (Minnesota) had been destroyed, as mills on both sides of the river used the power of the falls to turn millions of bushels of wheat into flour. Steel rails linked bonanza farms hundreds of miles to the west to the mills. The mills, the farms, and the railroads depended on each other…

All evening on election night 2000, candidates George W. Bush and Al Gore were deadlocked in the tightest-ever race for the office of President of the United States. As the numbers were reported from each state, the battle for votes in the electoral college swung back and forth from Republicans to Democrats. The next morning, the issue was still…

Guns, tanks, and bombs were the principal weapons of World War II, but there were other, more subtle forms of warfare. Words, posters, and films waged a constant battle for the hearts and minds of the U.S. citizenry as military weapons engaged the enemy. Persuading the U.S. public became a wartime industry, almost as important as the manufacturing…