DocsTeach
Introduction to the Domino Theory and Containment Policy in Vietnam
Scholars analyze a propaganda poster against communism. The resource uses the poster to examine the domino theory and containment policies used by the United States to stop the spread of communism in Vietnam. Scholars work in pairs or...
DocsTeach
Gulf of Tonkin Incident and Resolution
They sunk our battleship! An engaging activity focuses on the Gulf of Tonkin Incident and the sinking of the USS Maddox. Young historians learn how it increased tensions leading to the Vietnam War and read through a first draft of the...
DocsTeach
Examining Where Rosa Parks Sat
When Rosa Parks took her seat on a public bus to protest segregation, she also took her place in history. Learners examine a clue from this story—a diagram of the bus—to see if they can figure out the pivotal role of this...
DocsTeach
Cultural Diplomacy and the Smith-Mundt Act
During the Cold War, the United States used everything from bookmobiles to radio stations to improve its image globally. Using documents from the programs, including photographs and official memos, individuals consider how the United...
DocsTeach
Cultural Diplomacy and Propaganda During the Cold War
There's a fine line between diplomacy and propaganda. Young historians consider that boundary by examining documents from the Cold War, including memorandum about the lunar program and Peace Corps in addition to a propaganda film. Using...
DocsTeach
Civil Rights or Freedom? When Vietnam and the Civil Rights Movement Clashed
When Martin Luther King Jr. took a stand against the Vietnam War, interests collided. With a letter from Jackie Robinson to Lyndon B. Johnson, the baseball legend urges the president to remain firm in his resolve for civil rights. Young...
DocsTeach
Analyzing a Letter from Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Before her career as a Supreme Court Justice, the Notorious RBG was a legal activist for women's rights. Using a letter from then-Professor Ginsburg, young historians carefully examine a letter from Ginsburg to a member of Congress...
Center for History Education
Post-War Suburbanization: Homogenization
The results of World War II made waves all the way to suburban life today. Examine the flight from the cities using images and documents from the 1950s building boom, including a quote analysis and political cartoons. The resource...
DocsTeach
Analyzing the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (Original Draft Resolution)
Breaking news, President Johnson addresses the nation! Scholars watch a video of President Johnson's address to Congress regarding the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. The activity focuses on the motivation behind the resolution and the...
DocsTeach
Containment in Korea: Entering the Korean War
An interesting resource explores President Truman's decision to enter into the Korean War to contain the spread of communism. Historians analyze the document using an online worksheet before participating in group discussion on the...
DocsTeach
Analyzing US Involvement in the Vietnam War
War: unavoidable or a necessary evil? A thought-provoking activity explores the United States' long involvement in the Vietnam War as well as the aftermath. Scholars research and summarize primary documents and complete online worksheets...
DocsTeach
Analyzing a Letter About American Indian Voting Rights
An informative activity focuses on the law preventing Native Americans from voting until 1947. Scholars read documents from the Office of Indian Affairs, complete an online worksheet, and participate in group discussion. Academics learn...
DocsTeach
"We Are Badly in Need of a Breath of Fresh Air": A Letter to President Kennedy About LGBTQ+ Rights
The 1960s were a pivotal time for many Americans who had long been discriminated against. Scholars read a document addressed to President Kennedy in support of LGBTQ+ rights and why they are essential. The activity includes group...
DocsTeach
WWI Propaganda and Art
Uncle Sam wants you! During World War II, the US government and military created a propaganda campaign to gain public support. The activity uses primary documents such as photos to explain how and why the propaganda campaign was...
DocsTeach
WWI America: Babe Ruth's Draft Card
Even the Great Bambino wasn't above suspicion during World War I. An eye-opening activity explores America's greatest pastime through the lens of government officials during WWI. Academics examine Babe Ruth's draft card to understand how...
Center for History Education
Continuity or Change? African Americans in World War II
While World War II was a pivotal moment in history, historians debate its importance to the civil rights movement. Class members consider the implications of segregation and the war using a series of documents and a jigsaw activity....
Center for History Education
Franklin Roosevelt's Proposal for Reforming the Supreme Court: 168 Days of National Debate
Was it overreach or wise executive functioning? Scholars have long debated Franklin Roosevelt's court-packing scheme when he attempted to stack the court with justices friendlier to his New Deal measures. Now, learners pick up the...
Center for History Education
The Federal Theatre Project: Analyzing Conflict Among Relief, Art, and Politics in 1930s America
In the effort to soothe the suffering of the Great Depression, New Deal programs funded a variety of approaches - including a theater project that proved controversial! Using documents such as oral histories, as well as photographs of...
Center for History Education
Dust Bowl Story
Images of the Dust Bowl during the Great Depression are haunting in the suffering they show. Young historians use photographs—both iconic and lesser known—to tell about the human experience during this time. A series of photographs, as...
Center for History Education
Understanding the Great Migration
What would make someone leave home and travel thousands of miles to find another one? Young historians look at letters, demographic data, and artwork to answer the question for the Great Migration, or the movement of thousands of African...
DocsTeach
The Impact of the Immigration Act of 1924
Welcome to America ... only if you're on an approved list. The activity uses a map to explain how the Immigration Act of 1924 placed quotas on immigration from certain countries, such as India. Scholars analyze the map, complete a...
DocsTeach
Suffrage Photograph Analysis
Votes for women! Young scholars use images to explore the suffrage movement and its impact on the United States. Historians work in groups or pairs to interpret the photograph, complete a worksheet, and discuss how their opinions of the...
Center for History Education
Civil War Weaponry and Medicine: A Disastrous Mismatch
Ironically, science was the reason why the Civil War was so deadly. Despite the use of medical practices now considered barbaric—such as conducting surgery with bare, dirty hands—developments in weaponry meant that more men died on and...
Center for History Education
Northern Racism and the New York City Draft Riots of 1863
Just how racist were some people in the North during the American Civil War? Using excerpts of the Conscription Act, as well as graphic images of lynchings, young historians consider why white people in New York City rioted and killed...