Teaching Now: Separating Myths from History

Teaching Now: Separating Myths from History

This unit plan and teaching guide was developed by Dr. John Bickford, Professor of Social Studies/History Education at Eastern Illinois University and Editor-in-Chief of The Councilor: A Journal of the Social Studies, in collaboration with Citizen U. It presents a lesson plan with teaching notes targeted to early and upper elementary students. TEACHER BACKGROUND Children—and…

Primary Source Learning: The Wampanoag, the Plimoth Colonists & the First Thanksgiving

Primary Source Learning: The Wampanoag, the Plimoth Colonists & the First Thanksgiving

This primary source set is targeted to elementary students and includes background information and thinking prompts. It was curated mainly by Dr. John Bickford, Professor of Social Studies/History Education at Eastern Illinois University and Editor-in-Chief of The Councilor: A Journal of the Social Studies, with the goal of helping students separate Thanksgiving myths from history. This…

Primary Source Spotlight: Narragansett

Primary Source Spotlight: Narragansett

Narragansett Indian Fall Festival image set Indian Rock, Narragansett image set Image set: masonry work and belt buckle creation by Narragansett Narragansett oral history audio recordings Letter related to Narragansett history project Narragansett mentions in A report to the Secretary of War of the United States, on Indian affairs, comprising a narrative of a tour…

Primary Source Spotlight: The Iroquois Confederacy

Primary Source Spotlight: The Iroquois Confederacy

Senate Resolution 702 — 115th Congress (2017-2018) was agreed to on November 26, 2018. It recognized the contributions of Native Americans to the United States, including the Iroquois Confederacy. Whereas Congress has recognized the contributions of the Iroquois Confederacy and the influence of the Iroquois Confederacy on the Founding Fathers in the drafting of the…

Primary Source Spotlight: Buffalo Bill Cody

Primary Source Spotlight: Buffalo Bill Cody

Stories from America’s Library Buffalo Bill Cody brief bio Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show Buffalo Hunting with the Duke Little Sure Shot and the Gang Nebraskaland Days: Buffalo Bill Rodeo American Treasures Buffalo Bill’s Special Service Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show Buffalo Bill image set Buffalo Bill films Bucking broncho 1894 Buffalo dance 1894 Sioux ghost…

Primary Source Spotlight: Navajo

Primary Source Spotlight: Navajo

Navajo image set More Navajo images Navajo books, reports & other documents Indian (Navajo) Land Cessions in the U.S. 1784-1894 Historical newspaper coverage: Navajo Indians The Navajo mentions in personal narratives Navajo related oral history audio recordings Oral history stories of the Long Walk Navajo code talkers veterans oral histories Code Talkers historical newspaper articles Navajo…

Today in History: Western Missionaries & Native Americans

Today in History: Western Missionaries & Native Americans

Today in History–February 16–the Library of Congress features western missionaries and Native Americans. The Reverend Cushing Eells, born on this date in 1810. This Congregationalist missionary founded Whitman College, named in honor of fellow missionaries and Oregon pioneers Marcus and Narcissa Whitman, who were killed by Native Americans in 1847. Learn more about the relations between missionaries and Native Americans in the west…

Today in History: Dartmouth College

Today in History: Dartmouth College

Today in History–December 13–the Library of Congress features Dartmouth College, which obtained a royal charter on this day in 1769. One of the oldest colleges in the United States, this New Hampshire institution began humbly but is now considered one of the country’s top universities. Learn more by visiting the Today in History section, then follow the links to find more Dartmouth…