17 Test Review Game Ideas for Middle & High School
Why should you use games as review in your class? -Games are fun, and test review games are useful and […]
Voting Before It Was Legal: Three Women Who Challenged America in the 1870s
Three women believed that the Constitution protected their right to vote. They went to Congress (Victoria Woodhull), tried to register
Mabel Ping-Hua Lee: Suffragist, Feminist, and Missionary
Mabel Ping-Hua Lee (1896-1966) immigrated from China as a young girl thanks to an educational scholarship. Her father had come
Eight Nazi Saboteurs, One Failed Mission: A WWII Tale
German saboteurs landed in the United States in June 1942 with plans to attack factories, power stations, and commit other
Abraham Lincoln and the Suspension of Habeas Corpus
John Merryman was arrested for treason in the early days of the Civil War. Merryman is famous because President Lincoln
The Many Sides of Benedict Arnold: Hero, General, Traitor
The name “Benedict Arnold” is now used to label someone as a horrible traitor. Many people only know him as
Charles Sumner: A Founder of A New Birth of Freedom
Charles Sumner (1811-74) played an important role in the abolition of slavery and helped to frame three amendments protecting basic
The Northwest Ordinance: America’s First Blueprint for Liberty and Self-Government
The Northwest Ordinance (1787) was the first step in making our expanding nation into an empire of liberty. Congress, even
“Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death”: The Words That Shaped a Nation
Patrick Henry famously declared, “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” in March 1775. He declared that the British had
Seward’s Folly: The Quite Sensible Purchase of Alaska
Secretary of State William Seward negotiated with Russia to acquire Alaska in 1867 for $ 7.2 million. Some ridiculed the
Constitutional Lessons: State Powers and Responsibilities
We are the United States, a nation made up of fifty states. The Constitution respects federalism, a division of power
The 19th Century Internet: How the Telegraph United the World
We have sent messages long distances by multiple methods since ancient times, including by smoke signals and ringing of church
Justice for Ed Johnson: Lynching, the Supreme Court, and the Fight for Civil Rights
A horrible crime in Jim Crow Tennessee led to the conviction of Ed Johnson, a probably innocent young black man.
Margot Frank: The Lost Diary of A Young Woman
People, young and old, have read the diary of a young girl named Anne Frank, who eloquently discussed her years
Justice Samuel Chase Impeachment: Judicial Independence and the Fight for a Non-Partisan Judiciary
Justice Samuel Chase was the first and only Supreme Court justice impeached. Impeachment is an important check against executive and
Learning About Sources: The Changing Nature of Anne Frank’s Diary
Anne Frank’s diary, beloved by millions, provides a window into the complexity of historical sources. The Diary of Anne Frank
McCarthyism Comes To Hollywood: The Anticommunist Campaign Against American Entertainment
During the early and mid-20th century, communism loomed like a specter, seen as a dangerous threat to American values. The
FDR and the Fight to Defeat Polio
Polio was a deadly childhood disease that originated in prehistorical times. An outbreak of polio could cause paralysis, sometimes resulting
President Warren Harding and Race: A Forgotten Stand for Equality in the Jim Crow Era
President Warren Harding has a bad historical reputation, but let’s still remember some bright spots when he promoted racial justice.
Fireside Chats and Other Radio Broadcasts of the 1920s and 1930s
The 1920s began a golden age of radio which lasted for decades. The whole country could listen in from the
Drug-Sniffing Dogs and the Fourth Amendment: Privacy Rights
Drug sniffing dogs are a powerful tool in crime control but also have the potential to violate our privacy. The
Constitutional Rights in Criminal Prosecution: Ensuring Justice Is Served Correctly
The Constitution carefully establishes how the government can prosecute crimes. Each branch of government serves an important role. The government
The Life and Death of Socrates, The Father of Philosophy
Socrates (470-399 BCE) is the father of Western philosophy. He was the son of a stonemason and a midwife. He
How the Equal Rights Amendment Failed (Or Did it?)
The fight for sexual equality in the United States began when Abigail Adams told her husband to “remember the ladies.”