The Star-Spangled Banner is the original flag that flew over Fort McHenry in Baltimore (Maryland) during its attack by the British during the War of 1812. It inspired Francis Scott Key, a lawyer being held on board a British ship in Baltimore Harbor, to write a poem that later became the words to the national anthem. Since 1907, the Star-Spangled…

This unit deals with the struggle between proslavery and antislavery proponents which exacerbated sectional discord and culminated in secession of the southern states and the Civil War. The lessons would most appropriately be taught as a prelude to the Civil War and as a culmination of units on the heightened sectional conflict resulting from…

This resource packet highlights over 30 contemporary Maryland women who reveal motivating stories from diverse backgrounds and occupations. The purpose of the packet is to recognize representative women of achievement and to ensure that teachers have the necessary tools to illustrate the extensive leadership and community involvement of Maryland…

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 learning kit begins with a glossary of terms to help students learn about California Indians and their food. The kit explains that California Indians were the first people to live in the area now known as California, and that these tribes differed in the languages they spoke, the regions they lived in, and the foods that they ate. It explains…

For this kindergarten classroom activity, students are asked to pretend they have just won a trip to four historical sites: (1) Lincoln Memorial; (2) Mount Rushmore; (3) White House; and (4) Statue of Liberty. The activity instructs the students to keep a journal of the trip (taken via the Internet) so that a presentation can be given to the class…

By the beginning of the 20th century, most of the hills near the Hunting Creek water gap in Maryland's Catoctin Mountains had been stripped of their trees and bore only scars of erosion caused by successive groups of settlers. Starting in the 1930s, people began to reclaim the land. The story of how the area regained its forest is the story of…

The North American prairie ecosystem is unique. Comprised of tall grass, mixed grass, and shortgrass communities, the acreage this ecosystem once covered is incredible 400 million acres (pre-settlement times), accounting for 40% of North America's landscape. Prairies are home to a great diversity of animal life, such as cottontail rabbits,…

Judicial review is a fundamental facet of constitutional government in the United States. Invented during the founding of the United States, judicial review has spread to most constitutional democracies of the world. This digest discusses: (1) the concept of judicial review; (2) the origin of this concept; (3) the uses of this concept in U.S.…

Designed for small group instruction, this fifth-grade classroom activity deals with the creation of a special edition newspaper commemorating the 200th anniversary of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The activity contains five roles for students (historian, journalist, cartographer/illustrator, biographer, scientist), and each group is to produce…

This 4-day curriculum unit explores U.S. foreign policy between 1787 and 1812. During this time the United States faced a series of foreign policy challenges that threatened its survival as an independent, constitutional republic. Between 1793 and 1815, a nearly continuous series of wars pitting the French against the British engulfed the European…

This viewer's guide is designed to encourage discussion about the issues covered in the four-part public television series "Liberty & Limits: 'The Federalist' Idea 200 Years Later" that aired during 1997. The series examines whether the current U.S. political system still matches the vision of its founders. The guide offers: an essay…

This bibliographic essay supports a K-16 history curriculum called "Crossroads," which is chronologically organized into 12 historical periods. The bibliographic essay presents authoritative and accessible thematic treatments of U.S. history and scholarship for each period. Paperback books are indicated by an asterisk. Following a preface and a…

This U.S. history curriculum guide, based upon the historical essays written by Richard B. Bernstein, is intended for students in grades 9 - 12 and refines and extends the understanding of U.S. history that students have acquired to date. Students are challenged to venture into historical explorations and analyses in order to compare and contrast…