On this page, we feature resources for teachers of History, Social Studies, and Civics who are designing curriculum in the context of the pandemic, both for students who may be learning from home, and for students navigating a changing environment no matter where teaching and learning happens. 

Among these resources are many that provide guidance for increasing the accessibility of digital teaching resources.

Beginning in the 1870s, America underwent a second industrial revolution driven by the metal industries. For the worker, opportunities abounded; the United States experienced a massive migration from country to city, while immigrant workers flocked to America from Eastern and Southern Europe. As industrial wealth grew, so did class divisions and class unrest. In this period, a succession of organizations sought to mobilize workers according to a variety of ideologies and structures.

In the following lesson plan, students will look at the way in which events are reported on in history and how bias in the media affects peoples’ understanding of current events and history by analyzing both modern and historical newspaper articles. Throughout this unit, students will read and analyze Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath in relation to migrant workers and explore the conflict between political policy and the humane realities, as well as whether or not civil disobedience is necessary to create societal changes.

In this lesson students are asked to analyze Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s First Inaugural Address and to compare the promises made to his later work as president. Students will use a graphic organizer to list three of FDR’s promises in the speech and then use secondary resources to research whether he fulfilled those promises.

The demand for women’s suffrage began in the 1840’s and culminated in 1920 with the passage of the nineteenth amendment. Two competing organizations were established in 1869 and eventually merged in 1890 to become the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA). Cartoons, newspaper articles, and marches demonstrate the urgency with which women sought this basic democratic right. In the following primary source set, these materials are made available for instruction and research.

The following immigration flow map is a valuable resource both to further understanding of the progression of the immigration experience and as an example of a flow map for virtually any topic or lesson plan. Tracing the origins of the immigrant decision to leave their homes through their settlement into a new environment, this flow map provides visual clarification through primary source materials from the Library of Congress. In addition, educators may use the flow map as an example of how to produce a flow map and how to incorporate primary source documents into sequential order.

Students are often intrigued by individuals who question authority and seek change. Thus, the following multimedia set was created with a focus on Reformers and Gangsters in American History from Antebellum to Prohibition (1840s-1920s). The following evidence supports the case that reformers who desired change impacted American society resulting in the rise of organized crime. This collection presents evidence focused on the climate of thought arising from the Second Great Awakening, the Abolitionist movement, and women’s struggles for social justice.

The period of time between 1900 and 1941 was punctuated by a dramatic increase in mass media production including film, recordings, and photography. The following primary source set and the Library of Congress showcase many of the most well-known sources from the time. Topics include the Women’s Suffrage movement, the Harlem Renaissance, and the Great Depression which are explored through primary source materials such as political cartoons, sheet music, and digital photographs. The source set features a large number of Library of Congress lesson plans available for use. 

The primary sources compiled in the following set are designed to provide snapshots of Theodore Roosevelt during different periods of his life, beginning with a photograph of his birthplace/childhood and extending through the late stages of his life. Some of the sources are outwardly pro-Roosevelt, while others question Roosevelt’s integrity and represent a more anti-Roosevelt perspective. Certain topics play a prominent role in the documents, particularly Roosevelt’s role in the Progressive Movement and Imperialism.