U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War lasted more than a decade. Have students analyze political cartoons from the primary source sets below to consider different issues related to this war and how cartoonists' perspectives of U.S. involvement evolved over time. If students are not practiced at analyzing political cartoons, use the accompanying resources to help prepare and guide students in this type of primary source analysis. You may choose to have students analyze the cartoons twice, first … [Read more...]
Learning from the Source: Crimea, Ukraine, Russia-Then & Now
March 20, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Overview Students will collaborate to analyze, compare, and contrast newspaper coverage of events in Crimea and Ukraine in the mid-19th century and early 20th century with 2014 media coverage of events involving Crimea, Ukraine and Russia to illuminate the geopolitical history of the region and consider how examining the past shapes perspectives and understanding of current events. Enduring Understanding: Events and actions of the past affect the present and the future. Instructions 1. As … [Read more...]
Learning from the Source: Shifting Perspectives of Iran
December 12, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Enduring Understandings* Politics is a process to determine who governs and for what purposes. Time, place, and culture influence our perspectives on people and issues. Different perspectives affect the interpretation of history. Activity Have students collaborate to compare and contrast how visual and text sources have described and depicted the country of Iran over time. Sources Maps/infographics Iran, ethnic distribution, created 2004 by the United States Central … [Read more...]
Learning from the Source: Print Advertising Across the Centuries
September 23, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Overview Advertisements showcase products and the latest technology while reflecting life and society as we know it, or wish it to be. This project encourages students to use their natural curiosity about the similarities between the past, present, and future to analyze and compare and contrast historical, contemporary, and hypothetical print advertisements of the future.* To complete this project, students will . . . learn about advertising persuasion techniques. analyze a … [Read more...]
Learning from the Source: Primary Source Perspectives of the Civil War
September 3, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Overview Primary sources can help students grasp the reality and impact of historical events. This project connects students to people, events and daily life during the Civil War by having them report on selected topics using primary sources to research and illustrate their learning. To complete this project, students will . . . familiarize themselves with key Civil War events and people. gain an understanding and appreciation of the perspectives of the North and the South during the … [Read more...]
Learning from the Source: Zooming into Documentary Photography
August 22, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Zoom into the picture above and you will see a face recognizable to many. The mother in the photo is Florence Thompson, most famously known as the migrant mother. This photograph was one in a series taken in 1936 by Resettlement Administration photographer Dorothea Lange. In this primary source activity, students will examine photographs individually and as a set. They will then analyze a variety of primary sources and texts to use as evidence in an essay that defines documentary photography, … [Read more...]
Learning from the Source: Digital Stories of Our Heroes
May 23, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Engage students with a real-world activity that has them learning about U.S. history while adding to the collective American memory. This project allows students to learn and use interview and digital presentation skills to discover, elicit, and relate the stories of local veterans and others who contributed during times of conflict. To complete this project, students will . . . visit the Library of Congress website and other websites to familiarize themselves with the time period or … [Read more...]
Learning from the Source: Tactics in the March to Suffrage
May 13, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Collective action can lead to change. "The basic functional requirements of a social movement," according to Herbert W. Simons, Emeritus Professor of Communication, Temple University, "are an ability to mobilize human and material resources, to exert external influence, and to mount resistance to counter-pressures." [1] In this primary source learning activity, students will examine the tactics supporters of the woman suffrage movement used in their long quest to gain the right to vote, consider … [Read more...]
Learning from the Source: Close Reading in Service of a Cause
February 20, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Activity overview Close reading is an opportunity to read and reread thoughtfully and with purpose. By breaking down the analysis of texts and other primary sources into distinct chunks, you can increase rigor and help students more easily climb the staircase of complexity required by the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). In this primary source activity students will look closely and critically at images in conjunction with historical and contemporary texts. They will compare and contrast … [Read more...]
Learning from the Source: Monumental Men
February 7, 2013 by Leave a Comment
George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt were monumental men who made significant contributions to the United States. Through the lens of both primary and secondary sources, students learn about the characters and contributions of these presidents and determine for themselves the qualities and accomplishments that make someone worthy of a lasting tribute. To complete this project, students will . . . review the purposes of monuments and contemplate the … [Read more...]
Nathan Hale hanged for spying on British troops. Check out our 
Preliminary version of Emancipation Proclamation proclaimed. Check out our