This is a great simple civics lesson with three distinctive case studies: marchers with disabilities who took over federal buildings in a historic sit-in in 1977 (the 504 protests), young American volunteers in the Spanish Civil war in 1936, and a 12-year-old mill worker who was inspired to lead a walk-out in 1898.

Who gets accepted as a citizen or as an immigrant?  Who is considered a desirable immigrant? This lesson plan examines the arrival of newcomers and the history of the entry process. Students use primary source images and texts to investigate the answer to this question for Ellis Island in the 1900s and then present evidence with supported claims.

This lesson guides students in exploring the Great Depression of 1920-1940 with a focus on the Dust Bowl, Migrant Workers, and the status of people with disabilities during this time period. The lesson is conceived as a research project in preparation for reading John Steinbeck’s novella “Of Mice and Men”, and could also be an interdisciplinary unit linking American History, English Literature, and Disability History. It can be co-taught by the subject teacher and the Special Education Teacher.

Care for veterans is a topic not only relevant to the understanding of the aftermath of war, and to the understanding of the role of government, but is a critical topic within the longer arc of disability history. In this lesson, students gather information through a variety of primary sources on the experiences of veterans from the War of Independence through today, and ask the question, ‘How has U.S.

This lesson invites students to wonder about what life was like as a disabled WWI veteran. The lesson provides materials and instructions for guiding students in analysis of primary source materials that include a song about shell shock, a cartoon contrasting wounded veterans with rich profiteers, Red Cross posters, and a photograph highlighting life-changing war injuries.

Nellie Bly’s account of her experience as an inmate at an asylum as an undercover journalist offers a gripping entry point into the history of mental health care reform and a discussion of how people in need of care should be treated. In this lesson, students explore several primary sources addressing the treatment of people with mental illness and disability at New York City’s Blackwell Island in the mid to late 1800s.

Carolyn Ritter, author of this newly available lesson on Immigration versus Nativism, writes: “The topic of immigration is just as controversial today as it was at the turn of the twentieth century.

Accessing Inquiry, Emerging America’s initiative dedicated to supporting good teaching for ALL learners, has newly expanded online resources, and a new web page, Classroom Materials for Accessibility.    

The new page has links to resources for

The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 marked the most devastating foreign assault ever on American soil. Over 2,000 soldiers and sailors were killed and 1,000 wounded. The following primary source set on the attack depicts both the attack itself and its aftermath. The pictures, videos, and maps contained in the set paint a vivid picture of the immense loss of life and impact on the American people. By examining these primary sources, students will gain an understanding of:

The December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii resulted in over 2,000 soldiers and sailors killed and 1,000 wounded. The attack sparked the U.S. declaration of war on Japan and the official start of American involvement in World War II. Even as the loss of life caused widespread grief, the assault on American soil drove intense patriotism and spurred subsequent reactionary behavior against Japanese-Americans. Primary sources in this set explore proximate impacts on the street.