Carefully study the details of the Bonus Veterans photograph above. Brainstorm a list of questions you would need answered in order to write an article about this image. Share your questions with an elbow partner, then investigate this primary source image set to see what questions you were able to answer. Write a brief summary…
Zoom into the map and analyze it, creating a bulleted list of what you learned from your analysis and another list of any questions that you have; click the image above to access the source record. Use the scale to trace a 1-mile square grid over the image portion of the map. Use the grid…
Discuss the Declaration of Independence. Why was it written? What meaning did it have in 1776? What meaning does it have today? Read the Declaration of Independence and highlight words and phrases that stand out to you. Read over the words and phrases you highlighted. In what ways does the language you selected help to…
Look carefully at the photograph above and respond to the following questions. What do you notice first? What else do you see? What details can you point to? What might those details tell you about this woman and what she is doing? What might those details tell you about why this photo was taken, or…
In an opinion piece for the New York Times, Noah Feldman, a Harvard law professor and the author of the book The Three Lives of James Madison: Genius, Partisan, President, discusses the dichotomies between Madison’s moral views of slavery and his actions. Delving into the past, he contends, can provide us with lessons in racism for…
The United States is a nation of immigrants, many of whom have served the country in times of need. Below you will find links to news articles about immigrant soldiers, historical background resources, and related primary sources and teaching resources. How does studying sources from the past inform your understanding of the contemporary debate surrounding…
Help students learn about the history and contemporary contexts of the U.S. national anthem and the American flag. Teaching resources The Star Spangled Banner (K-2) The Star Spangled Banner (grades 3-5) Stars, Stripes and Symbols of America: Comparing Our Flag, Past and Present (grades 1-2) Pledge of Allegiance Image Sequencing (grades 3-5) Direct students do some background…
Zoom into left half of this map (.pdf or online) to answer the following questions about the Women’s Rights National Historical Park. Where is it and how would you get there from where you live? Why did the National Park Service choose this location? What would you do if you visited the park? Why is it important…
Zoom into the selected section of the primary source shown above. Look closely at the details and answer the questions below. What do you see? What is happening in this scene? How do you feel when you look at this scene? What do you wonder about? Now look at the complete primary source and answer the questions below….
Zoom into this political cartoon (.pdf). Fill out a primary source analysis tool to help you look deeply at this source and discover what information it was attempting to convey. In your analysis, did you recognize any of the people? Read the curator note to find out the names of the people the creator depicted in…
The page shown above comes from a transcript of a 1930s oral history interview with George Strester who remembers a memorable Thanksgiving time when his father, a preacher, tried farming in Nebraska in 1873. Click the links below to browse through some related images, then read Strester’s whole story. Describe how the images enhanced your understanding…
Read the lyrics to the song shown above, written by Sylvia Fine. What is the main message of the song? What is the tone of the song? Which words help set the tone? How does the tone influence the feeling you get from this song? Now compare these song lyrics to a draft of the lyrics (.pdf…