In this episode of the History Explorer podcast series, hear activist and Mississippi native June Johnson discuss her work in the civil rights movement, including during Mississippi Freedom Summer.  Johnson was a teenager when she became active in the movement, and worked alongside Fannie Lo

These three activities are designed as follow-up materials for the National Youth Summit on Freedom Summer, but can be modified for any content.

This activity is designed to encourage students to practice their critical reading and historical comprehension skills by reading about the primary source document entitled the “Development of Freedom Summer.” Key questions are posed after the reading to gauge students’ understanding of the

Using documents and historical background from the exhibition Changing America: Emancipation Proclamation 1863, March on Washington 1963, students will d

Introduce students to using oral histories as primary sources with these interviews with jazz musicians recorded by the Smithsonian Jazz Oral History Program in partnership with the National Endowment for the Humanities. The resource includes a guide for teachers and links to oral histories, and

In this lesson, students will learn about the Jim Crow era in American history through an oral history interview with jazz legend John Levy. The resource set includes photographs and newspaper clippings in addition to the oral history excerpts, a teacher guide, and a student worksheet. 

Studying the presidency offers students a new way to explore the democratic political process and to expand their understanding of how this process has shaped the nation's history and continues to influence their own lives. What does it mean to be the president of the United States of America? Wh

Studying the presidency offers students a new way to explore American history. What does it mean to be the president of the United States of America? What is the relationship of the presidency to the American people? Using artifacts and documents, students can begin to uncover this uniquely Ameri

In this lesson, students will examine the difference between history and memory by debating the legacy of Benedict Arnold.  Using video clips of an actor playing Arnold, students are invited to debate his actions and determine how history should remember him.  

This silver wine cup belonged to Pilgrim leader and Mayflower passenger William Bradford, who governed Plymouth Colony for thirty years. Made for Bradford in London, the cup bears his initials on one side. The idea of America as a religious refuge originates with the Pilgrims, a group of E