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Interactive
DocsTeach

Evaluating the New Departure Strategy in the Fight for Women's Suffrage

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
When women demanded their right to vote, did the Constitution already protect it? The New Departure Strategy in the women's suffrage movement made this claim through court hearings. Using documents, such as transcripts from Susan B....
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Interactive
DocsTeach

Comparing Civil War Recruitment Posters

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
African Americans fought in the Civil War, and they were recruited by both the Union and the Confederacy! By comparing the wording of posters—one directed at freedmen and another to the owners of enslaved people—young historians discover...
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Interactive
DocsTeach

Black Soldiers in the Civil War

For Teachers 7th - 10th Standards
Get hands on virtually with recruitment posters for African American soldiers during the Civil War with an interactive online resource. By highlighting key phrases in the posters using an Internet tool, learners discover how African...
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Interactive
DocsTeach

A Petition for the Cotton Gin

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
While almost forgotten today, the cotton gin could be seen as one of the causes of the Civil War. The innovation led to more cotton production, which in turn undermined political power balances in the 1800s. Individuals unpack the...
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Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution and Escalation of the Vietnam War

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution propelled America's involvement into a bloody conflict—and it was based on a fallacy. Using the resolution and other documents from the Vietnam War, including declassified documents, young historians...
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Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

Ratifying the Constitution

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Ratifying the Constitution was no simple task. Using primary sources, such as classic writings from the Federalists and Anti-Federalists, young scholars examine the arguments for and against the Constitution. They then decide: Would they...
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Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

The Creation of the Bill of Rights: “Retouching the Canvas”

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
While the Constitutional Convention lay the foundation of the new government for the United States, the protections given under the Bill of Rights were controversial. Using documents, such as James Madison's and Thomas Jefferson's...
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Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

Empire and Identity in the American Colonies

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The American Revolution was born out of a European conflict that spilled over into North America—and the documents prove it! Using primary sources from the era of the French and Indian War, including British plans to try to unite its...
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Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

The Mexican Revolution

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The legacies of the Mexican Revolution are visible today—even if some history classes don't cover them. Using primary sources from leaders in Mexico at the time of the popular uprising and other evidence, such as railroad maps, young...
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Lesson Plan
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National Endowment for the Humanities

The Matter of the Philippines

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
The United States won the Spanish-American War, so now what? Young scholars act as advisors to President McKinley and use primary sources to recommend what America should do with its territories. Using a variety of perspectives—including...
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Lesson Plan
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National Endowment for the Humanities

The Power of the Majority over Thought

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
While Alexis de Tocqueville mourned a lack of "freedom of discussion" in America in the early republic, today's pupils are concerned about peer pressure. Using excerpts of de Tocqueville's writing and discussion questions, scholars...
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Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

Chronicling and Mapping the Women's Suffrage Movement

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
While women's suffrage is often believed to be the result of a single constitutional amendment, the effort of women to secure the vote spanned decades and continents. Using primary sources in online archives, class members explore the...
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Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

Oyez! Oyez! Oyez!: Simulating the Supreme Court

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Students have freedom of speech—or do they? Using an actual court case and research materials on the Supreme Court, young legal scholars examine the Supreme Court's role and history. Then, they argue a case the court declined to hear and...
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Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

“From Time to Time”: Presidents and Communicating with the Public

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
While the Constitution requires a "State of the Union" address, it doesn't give many details. In fact, it wasn't until Woodrow Wilson that the periodic update to Congress was given in-person. Using primary sources, recordings and...
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Lesson Plan
C-SPAN

How to Interpret Political Polls

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
While numbers don't lie, the reliability of information in a poll may be difficult to discern. After viewing video clips with polling experts, young scholars consider how polls work and the elements of a reliable poll. Extension...
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Lesson Plan
C-SPAN

Big Data and Politics

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Movie selection means more than entertainment. Learners consider what information Netflix gathers to understand the concept of "big data." Resource includes clips of experts talking about corporations that harvest the details of our...
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Lesson Plan
C-SPAN

Survey Analysis- Public Perceptions of Voting and Elections

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
The perception of fairness in elections becomes more important with each passing election. Using data from a C-SPAN poll, budding historians consider the differences between how people perceive elections. The resource includes videos of...
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Lesson Plan
C-SPAN

Presidential Primary Challengers

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
A formidable opponent can shake up the election of an incumbent president. Class members explore the results of the elections of 1912, 1968, 1976, 1980 and 1992 using video clips. A chart helps pupils organize their thoughts and analysis. 
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Lesson Plan
C-SPAN

Presidential Candidate Firsts

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Hilary Clinton may have been the first woman to run for president on a major party ticket, but she was only one example of an historic candidacy. Class members use video clips curated from C-SPAN to examine historical firsts in...
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Lesson Plan
C-SPAN

Polling and Public Opinion

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Polls are ubiquitous in American politics, but just how reliable and equal are they? A video-driven resource helps learners discuss the question by examining what pollsters and pundits say. Extension activities involve evaluating the...
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Lesson Plan
C-SPAN

Political Polarization

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Dive into the political breach with pupils and explore the reasons for political polarization. Using clips from C-SPAN that include discussions from reporters and scholars, class members consider what is causing the political fault lines...
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Lesson Plan
C-SPAN

The Impact of Citizens United v. FEC

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
What began as an effort to show a movie by an interest group has impacted financing of federal elections. Did the Citizens United case lead to more "dark money" in politics, or did it shine a light with more speech? Using video clips...
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Lesson Plan
C-SPAN

Why Do Americans Not Vote in Elections?

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
In an age of inflamed politics, who votes, who doesn't vote, and why are the questions everyone is trying to answer. Pupils listen to scholars, journalists and data crunchers on voting statistics to make their own conclusions. A chart...
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Lesson Plan
C-SPAN

What Makes a Good Campaign Ad?- Advertisement Analysis

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
In the time of a hotly contested presidential election, campaign ads are almost ubiquitous—but what makes them good? Using ads from the 2018 midterm elections, learners consider the various strategies candidates use to get the vote....