Explore Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark to learn how iron and steel are made in this episode of Yellowhammer History Hunt. Once one of the largest producers of pig iron, Sloss helped make Birmingham the Magic City. Today, its metal arts program keeps the knowledge of making iron alive.
In this passage, students will learn about Greek architecture, like painting, literature, and other forms of art that reflect the ideals of the people who build it. The Parthenon is the best example of ancient Greek architecture. The structure, created between 447 B.C.E. and 432 B.C.E., tells us a lot about the Greek way of thinking.
Note: You will need to create a free account to access this resource.
This clip explains the history behind the holiday known as Cinco de Mayo and dispels misconceptions that the holiday celebrates Mexican independence.
This week we introduce sociology’s three major theoretical paradigms, and some of the advantages and disadvantages of each paradigm.
John Green teaches you about Sub-Saharan Africa! So, what exactly was going on there? It turns out, it was a lot of trade, converting to Islam, visits from Ibn Battuta, trade, beautiful women, trade, some impressive architecture, and several empires. John not only covers the West African Malian Empire, which is the one Mansa Musa ruled, but he discusses the Ghana Empire and even gets over to East Africa as well to discuss the trade-based city-states of Mogadishu, Mombasa, and Zanzibar. In addition to all this, John considers emigrating to Canada.
Throughout 1929 daily papers reported that the future looked bright for investors -- even after the devastating market crash in October. Learn more with these primary sources, from American Experience: "The Crash of 1929."
This clip from the Smithsonian Channel discusses the Trail of Tears and how it got its name. The Indian Removal Act of 1830 resulted in the forced relocation of over 15,000 Cherokee people--a third of whom died during the journey to Oklahoma.
In this video, students learn about Benjamin Franklin. What do the light bulb, the post office, the lightning rod, the Constitution, and the modern fire department have in common? They were all invented by Ben Franklin. He was the genius behind most of modern-day life and technology. Amazing, isn't it?
In this video from PBSLearningMedia, students see how Scarcity Cat learns to set the price for her stinky cheese. If she prices too low, demand will be too high. If she prices too high, demand will be too low.
In this video from PBSLearningMedia, the kids head to the Tribal Archives of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians to view artifacts and records that show them more about the Creek Indians and their importance in Alabama.
In this video from PBSLearningMedia, John Green lists a whole lot of the battles of the US Civil War in seven and a half minutes. We get a lot of requests for military history, so we offer a list of battle names, with some commentary about outcomes and lots of really interesting pictures.
**Sensitive: This resource contains material that may be sensitive for some students. Teachers should exercise discretion in evaluating whether this resource is suitable for their class.
In this interactive activity, students will be led through steps to tell time using a calendar. There are teaching activities as well as practice activities available. A handout that reviews the steps taught during the interactive is available to be printed. After utilizing this resource, the students can complete the short quiz to assess their understanding.
This video from Khan Academy is an overview of the Cold War which was a period of increased tensions and competition for global influence between the United States that lasted from approximately 1945 until 1991. Tensions increased in the aftermath of World War II when the United States dropped the atom bomb and Russian forces took over Eastern Europe. During the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union never directly attacked one another but instead fought proxy wars in order to repel or spread communism, respectively. This video can be played to introduce a lesson on the Cold War. The video is 11 minutes and 57 seconds in length.
In this interactive game from iCivics, students work with a case about Ben Brewer, who wore his favorite band t-shirt to school against dress policy. Students will help the Justice make up her mind and influence the outcome of the case. Students will analyze the First Amendment right to freedom of speech and expression, identify protected and unprotected speech, and simulate the deliberation process of Supreme Court Justices. This game can be played during a lesson on the judicial branch and Supreme Court cases for reinforcement or after as an assessment.
You will need to create a free account in order to access some of the content on this site.
In this learning activity, students make their own Koinobori (fish kite). These kites were an important way of life for Japanese American children in internment camps during World War II.
In this lesson plan, students examine the Greensboro Woolworth's Lunch Counter and its importance to the Civil Rights Movement. Additional resources and links are included.
This is an interactive learning activity about the flag that inspired the national anthem. Students can explore various hot spots on the flag to discover the history, creation, and preservation of the flag.
In this interactive activity, students will compare various roles of men and women at home and on the battlefront during the Civil War by playing an interactive game. Students choose a mystery character from the Civil War and select objects as clues to their identity.
This video from the Daily Dose provides a 3-minute micro-learning film on the city of Constantinople. Established in 657 BCE but later renamed by the Roman emperor Constantine I, the city of Constantinople served as the Byzantine capital with structures still remaining today in modern-day Istanbul.
In this reading passage, students learn about the Vietnam Conflict. In 1975, North Vietnamese troops rolled into Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam, ending decades of conflict.
A vocabulary activity and question set are included with the reading passage.
This fun online game requires students to drag and drop the labels for the seven continents and the five oceans while the Earth is spinning. It is a lot of fun, however, the game is very particular about where the labels are dropped.
This clip describes the history of Veterans Day in the United States. It states that the holiday was originally called Armistice Day to celebrate the truce between the Allies and Germany after World War I. The name of the holiday was changed to honor all veterans, not just those who served in World War I. Also, it explains the difference between Memorial Day and Veterans Day.
John Green talks about the many revolutions of Latin America in the 19th century. At the beginning of the 1800s, Latin America was firmly under the control of Spain and Portugal. The revolutionary zeal that had recently created the United States and had taken off Louis XVI's head in France arrived in South America, and a racially diverse group of people who felt more South American than European took over. John covers the soft revolution of Brazil, in which Prince Pedro boldly seized power from his father, but promised to give it back if King João ever returned to Brazil. He also covers the decidedly more violent revolutions in Mexico, Venezuela, and Argentina. Watch the video to see Simón Bolívar's dream of a United South America crushed, even as he manages to liberate a bunch of countries and get two currencies and about a thousand schools and parks named after him.
**Sensitive: This resource contains material that may be sensitive for some students. Teachers should exercise discretion in evaluating whether this resource is suitable for their class.
Some professor and their lessons at Florida State College of Women were targeted as being subversive and amoral. Professor Raymond Bellamy taught a progressive curriculum in his sociology courses while rumors that he was teaching controversial and subversive topics spread among fundamentalist activists who wanted the teaching of Creationism introduced on campus.
Much like a cell membrane, our atmosphere forms a protective boundary between outer space and the biosphere that allows for all life to exist on Earth’s surface. Today, we’re going to talk about its composition and layers (the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, and thermosphere), follow the path of a sunbeam of light as it travels through space and (potentially) reaches Earth’s surface, and discuss how the greenhouse effect can be both a good and bad thing.
The colonists participate in the Oklahoma Land Rush of 1889 with the hope of claiming a piece of land for themselves. This clip illustrates the transportation methods of the settlers at the time as well as the current situation: that land is up for grabs.
In this video from PBSLearningMedia, Blossom, and Snappy start a band named The Rulers and want to play at Robbie's school party. In order to find out how being in a band works, they visit a performance site to find out about rental fees, a promoter's office, and Ticketmaster.
In this video from PBSLearningMedia, students learn the Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863. It declared “that all persons held as slaves” within the rebellious states “are, and henceforward shall be free.” It only applied to states that had seceded from the Union, exempting parts of the Confederacy.
More About This Resource:
With the Emancipation Proclamation, the aim of the war changed to include the freeing of slaves in addition to preserving the Union. Although the Proclamation initially freed only the slaves in the rebellious states, by the end of the war the Proclamation had influenced and prepared citizens to advocate and accept abolition for all slaves in both the North and South. The 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery in the United States, was passed on December 6th, 1865.
In this video from PBSLearningMedia, John Green teaches students about the Progressive Presidents. The presidents most associated with the Progressive Era are Theodore Roosevelt, William Taft, and Woodrow Wilson. During the times these guys held office, trusts were busted, national parks were founded, social programs were enacted, and tariffs were lowered. It wasn't all positive though, as their collective tenure also saw Latin America invaded A LOT, a split in the Republican party that resulted in a Bull Moose, all kinds of other international intervention, and the end of the Progressive Era saw the United States involved in World War.
In this video from A Kid Explains History, Quinn explains the history of the life of Frederick Douglass and his work as an abolitionist. Quinn's precocious personality and kid-friendly vocabulary bring history to life in this video.
This video from Khan Academy can be used to introduce Ancient Egyptian civilization and the Nile River Valley. This video is 14 minutes and 15 seconds in length.
This learning activity will examine social media’s influence on America’s Civil Rights movement and its role in democratizing the media. In this video from Eyes on the Prize: Then and Now, activists, including DeRay McKesson, use social media to support the work of social change protesters. Because communications are unmediated and occur in real-time, McKesson says, social media can help build community. Tamika Mallory calls social media a powerful asset, enabling people who have never met before to share information and support one another’s efforts. Bree Newsome points out that without social media, people might not even have heard of important cases—including those of Trayvon Martin, Mike Brown, and Sandra Bland. This video comes with a facilitator guide and student handout that helps guide the discussion of this activity.
In this learning activity, students will analyze a famous letter written by Grace Badell to President Abraham Lincoln. Using hints about Grace's family from the letter, students will draw pictures of her family.
In this learning activity, students research the history of American currency. Students discuss objects that were traded or bartered before the use of coins or paper money. Students take a closer look at the symbols in the Great Seal on paper money. Students design their own currency.
