Children often lack knowledge and skills necessary to interact with each other, especially when confronted with differences in mobility, hearing, sight, developmental skills or verbal skills.

This teaching module guides teachers as students analyze primary sources to better understand Theodore Roosevelt the person and the issues that most concerned Americans during the 1912 campaign. Students then create materials to promote Roosevelt’s third party campaign.

The 2020 National Youth Summit was centered on the case study of Claudette Colvin—a 15-year-old Black student in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1955. Colvin refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus and testified in the legal case that brought an end to segregated busing in Montgomery. Check out videos, lesson plans and primary resources from this event.

A collection of 11 modules of explainers and lesson plans on the global challenges that will define our lifetime.

On May 25, 1787, framers of the Constitution gathered in Philadelphia, PA to deliberate ideas about establishing a system of government for our new country. In this lesson, students will examine some of the founding principles that emerged from this meeting as well as hear about some of the people who participated.

This set of Library of Congress primary sources explores systems of racial segregation in the U.S. and the efforts of African American civil rights movements to end them.

This set of Library of Congress primary sources explores the ideas, individuals, and debates that shaped the creation of the U.S. Constitution.

Students explore the power of personal narrative to shape and influence the people around them. They gain a better understanding of the ways these stories produce empathy and create connections between people. Students identify scenarios where they might use their own personal stories to influence others in a positive way.

Created in collaboration with representatives of the Poarch Band of Creek Indian, this guide highlights the difficult choices faced by Creek people during the Creek War, with emphasis on the ways that colonization, in particular the Federal Road and the “Plan of Civilization,” influenced the war.

In this lesson, students assist the new mayor in solving problems in MyTown by setting up a city council and judge (legislative and judicial branches of government). They read and discuss letters from townspeople and decide which branch of the town’s government should handle the problem described in the letter. Available in English and Spanish at this link.

Through a word association activity and an examination of a TED talk, students explore the ways labels and stereotypes are used to create a ‘single story’ about people and places. Students reflect on, and share, the impact labels and stereotypes have had on their own lives. They identify strategies they can use to counteract the negative impact of stereotypes.

Students reflect on the impact their decisions have on the wellbeing of the planet and on future generations. A discussion on why it is important for people to use long-term thinking introduces students to the Seventh Generation Principle. Through a creative writing task, students reflect on the importance of having a long-term view when making decisions that impact future generations.

Featuring examples of published cartoons from the MHS collections as well as other libraries and foundations, this resource collection illustrates how cartoonists helped to tell the story of voting rights in the United States.

Comic books are visual literature. This simple cooperative group activity allows students to identify confrontational issues within their own school and then imagine solutions.

This lesson focuses on helping young children learn to participate in different kinds of digital communities. Students will solidify and work on what they know about being part of any community.

This lesson is an excerpt from the teacher’s guide of One Survivor Remembers, a teaching kit built around the incredible life story of Holocaust survivor Gerda Weissmann Klein.

Gain a deeper understanding of the 14th Amendment and the evolution of Title IX by analyzing the Supreme Court’s 1984 decision in Grove City College v. Bell

Explore case summaries and engage in discussions focused on how Supreme Court decisions maintain the rule of law and protect minorities

This resource set contains best practices for teaching about Native people in your classroom and sample maps with Native viewpoints and inquiry questions to use in your classroom.

Maps, truth, and belief have a complicated relationship with one another. Every map is a representation of reality, and every representation, no matter how accurate and honest, involves simplification, symbolization, and selective attention.

Sending a letter to elected officials can be a powerful and personal way to ensure the public’s voice is represented in politics, but just how do you get in contact with your representatives? Using primary and secondary sources, this collection explores the power of letters, highlights social justice letters throughout history, and examines activist covers–envelopes–and postage stamps for a cause from the National Postal Museum’s collection. Using all of these objects as inspiration, users are encouraged to select a cause of personal concern to them, and send their own letters to elected officials.

On February 1, 1960, four African American college students challenged racial segregation by sitting down at a “whites only” counter lunch counter in Greensboro, N.C. Politely asking for service, their request was refused. When asked to leave, they remained in their seats. Their sit-in inspired others to engage in nonviolent protests, which drew attention to the inequalities in civil rights at the time. This suite of resources provides strategies to explore this history, the Civil Rights Movement and the power of nonviolent protest.

The War of 1812 is often referred to our country’s second war of independence. As a young nation, the United States’ economy, territory, and rights of individual citizens were again threatened by the British. A Sailor’s Life for Me! presents life at sea during the War of 1812 for those serving aboard USS Constitution, one of the few naval vessels in America’s young navy, and now a national symbol, through interactive games, primary sources, and Museum resources.

This deliberative discussion guide engages students in a conversation about the difficult choices citizens had to weigh during the Civil Rights movement. By examining multiple approaches from the movement, students will better understand the diversity of views within the Civil Rights Movement and understand the challenges of civic engagement.

Students are introduced to the 9/11 attacks and learn that the nation’s response created tension between the need for security and America’s tradition of liberty. They are then introduced to the Declaration of Independence and Preamble to the U.S. Constitution and learn that these documents describe fundamental values and principles that characterize the American political culture.

Explore the roles of Article II: The Executive Branch as outlined in the Constitution.

Explore Article III of the Constitution and learn about the roles of the Judicial Branch!

Do you want to change the Constitution? Explore the amendment process outlined in Article V of the Constitution!

Eagle Eye Citizen allows teachers and students to solve or create online interactive challenges while engaging with rich Library of Congress primary sources. Students learn civics content as well as primary source analysis skills.

Uncover the tools to hold constitutional conversations and civil dialogue.

Students will learn about personal identity by discovering who Mabel McKay, a Native Californian basket weaver from the 20th century, was through “The Story of Mabel McKay” video.

Civil liberties are the basic individual rights of all citizens, as expressed in the Constitution and (especially) the Bill of Rights, and reinforced by the 14th Amendment.

This lesson explores the relationship between National, State, and Local governments.

Students will examine arguments concerning the role of the government during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

This lesson looks at the intersection between constitutional principles and the struggle for equality during the Civil War and Reconstruction.

This lesson asks students to investigate the connections between constitutional principles, the United States founding documents, and their relationship to one another.

As a highly-structured model for conversation, Deliberations allow teachers to help students cooperatively discuss contested political issues by carefully considering multiple perspectives and searching for consensus. This high school Deliberation focuses on the decision to raise the minimum wage.

Students explore the ways that their perceptual set influences their expectations and shapes how they view the world and others. They examine how their personal experience and cultural background affect their perceptual set and can lead to prejudice. Students then brainstorm strategies for widening their perceptual set to have a better understanding of the world around them.

African American women played a significant and sometimes overlooked role in the struggle to gain the vote. This Learning Resource is a collaboration between New American History and Retro Report, producers of “How Black Women Fought Racism and Sexism for the Right to Vote,” on PBS.

NK360° Helpful Handouts: Guidance on Common Questions provide a brief introduction to teachers about important topics regarding Native American life, cultures, and communities. Honoring Indigenous Inhabitants: Land Acknowledgement discusses land acknowledgement as a dynamic cultural practice rooted in Indigenous traditions. Use this resource as a starting point to recognizing the continuing experiences, rights, and values of Native Peoples. Culturally sensitive activities and resources related to land and tribal sovereignty are provided.

This online lesson provides Native perspectives, images, documents, and other sources to help students and teachers understand how the 17th century fur trade brought together two cultures, one Native and the other Dutch, with different values and ideas about exchange. Examine these differences to determine whether the exchange that took place on Manhattan in 1626 was really a land sale or not.