Examines the events leading to and immediately following the declaration of war on Mexico in 1846. Includes the second and third pages of Abraham Lincoln's "Spot Resolutions" and presents teaching suggestions for interpreting the document and assessing public opinion. (GEA)

Provides background material for teaching Article Four of the United States Constitution. Suggests activities using primary documents in order to teach lessons on religious tests. The document chosen is a letter to John F. Kennedy from a citizen written in September 1960. Document may be reproduced for use in the classroom. (KO)

Reviews a series of First Amendment court cases related to school prayer and Bible reading, including the 1963 decision (Abington v. Schempp) against a Pennsylvania law requiring Bible reading and prayer recitation. Provides suggestions for teaching this case using a portion of Justice Tom C. Clark's opinion of the Supreme Court. Reproducible…

Traces the history of the Plessy v. Ferguson case. Includes copies of the U.S. Supreme Court mandate to the Louisiana Supreme Court denying Plessy's request to overturn the Jim Crow law and ordering him to bear the court costs. Provides teaching suggestions for interpreting the document and highlights related topics and questions for research and…

Provides background information for two Supreme Court decisions that can be used to teach the concepts of due process and student rights. Lists vocabulary and suggests document analysis and student research activities. Includes a copy of the Goss v. Lopez decision and explains how school systems are required to provide students a minimum of due…

Presents suggestions for teaching activities and student projects using Franklin Roosevelt's war address following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Recommends vocabulary emphasis, class discussion, and classroom listening to a recording of the speech. Suggests comparing the speech to Patrick Henry's famous speech and interviewing individuals…

Discusses instances of departure from the rights guaranteed to U.S. citizens by the Bill of Rights. Describes the internment of Japanese-Americans during the Second World War and other incidents in which the government denied individual rights. Details teaching activities intended to increase student understanding of such events. Proposes student…

Presents a history lesson based on the deed of presentation for the Statue of Liberty. Discusses the conception and history of the statue and its presentation to the United States as a gift from the people of France. Includes a copy of the document, topics for class discussion, and research, writing, and design activities. (DK)

Suggests a history lesson using a petition written by prominent African Americans objecting to the coverage of African Americans at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. Explains that African-American citizens were largely ignored in the exhibits. Includes questions for class discussion, writing activities, a copy of the petition, and research…

Examines an 1876 letter from a missionary to Ferdinand V. Hayden in the context of the U.S. government's policy of instituting religious education and training for Native Americans. Provides a photocopy of the letter and outlines class activities designed to help students analyze the document. (DB)

Illustrates how to teach U.S. history through the use of original documents such as Charles Nickerson's cartoon, "Images of the Fifties from Disneyland to Suez." States that the original artwork for this cartoon, which portrays the Eisenhower years, is in the Dwight D. Eisenhower Library in Abilene, Kansas. Provides a pretest, teaching activities,…

Recounts the events of the Battle of Little Bighorn through U.S. cavalry reports, interviews given by Indian warriors present at the battle, and maps (tracings) made of the battle. Gives teaching suggestions for map analysis and includes a map with instructions and a reading list. (GG)

Presents a secondary lesson for high school students based on a controversial 1892 proposal in Congress to reduce the size of Yosemite National Park. Includes a map and petition signed by John Muir, the first president of the Sierra Club, which was formed to oppose the proposal. The lesson includes class discussion and activity suggestions. (CFR)

Presents a section of President Dwight D. Eisenhower's, "Atoms for Peace," 1953 address to the United Nations General Assembly. Suggests using the document for classroom discussions of nuclear proliferation, emphasizing that using primary sources develops research skills, activates classroom discussions, citizenship, and creative writing. (NL)

Provides teaching activities based on a recruiting poster directed at African-American men during the U.S. Civil War. Includes a brief history of the experience of African-American Union troops. Discusses document analysis, creative writing activities, oral reports, and activities for further research. Focuses on problems of racial discrimination…