Students will learn about the personal experiences of Japanese American incarcerees during World War II and will practice communicating information concisely by developing an original comic.

Students will gain historical reasoning skills by studying primary sources and comparing them to secondary sources. They will become more familiar with the conditions in Japanese American concentration camps through the personal writings of Stanley Hayami, a high school student who was incarcer

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 American presidency offers students an unparalleled opportunity to explore the democratic political process and to deepen their understanding of how this process fits into the whole of American history. While learning about subjects as diverse as campaigns, the media, and presidentia

Investigate the authentic journal of Alex Van Valen, a man who set sail in 1849 to stake his claim in the California gold fields, to discover what life was like during the gold rush. This dynamic project from the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History includes student questions to help

Railroads have moved people and cargo around America for more than 180 years. By using this OurStory module, children and adults can enjoy exploring the history of trains in America. Focused on actively reading Jingle the Brass, a historical fiction picture book about a ride on a steam l

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.  

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

Debates are one of the most anticipated events in the lead up to a presidential election. Each candidate carefully plans their strategies to persuade the American public that they are the one to vote for in November. In this learning resource, learners will examine historical examples of presidentia

Have you ever thought about the speeches presidential candidates give after an election? Why do they make these statements? What do they want the American people to know as a result? This activity shares two sets of victory and concession speeches that illustrate some of the candidates’ goals for