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primary sources & contemporary u.s. history: activity ideas

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  1. Vietnam

    Grade Level: 5-7
    Subject: Social Studies; Reading & Language Arts

    The recent controversies surrounding the Vietnam-era service of President George Bush and Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry are evidence that the effects of that war are still being felt. The Vietnam War was the longest and most unpopular war in which Americans ever fought.

    American involvement in Vietnam was intended to stop the spread of communism in Southeast Asia. The first U.S. combat troops arrived in 1965 and America fought the war until a cease-fire in January 1973. The war's cost was enormous -- in terms of lives lost, money spent, and prestige lost.

    Have students discuss their understanding of the Vietnam War and then provide supplemental information. Use a map to illustrate the separation of North and South Vietnam. Explain to students that oral histories, personal essays, letters, and interviews provide valuable insight into the war's impact on individuals who were involved with it.

    Students can work in small groups to review one of the following resources, which offer a personal recollection of experiences in Vietnam. (Note that these will need to be modified for easier reading.) Have them analyze these materials to determine the overall effect of the war on those who were involved.

    Students can write personal essays or letters that reflect an actual or fictitious individual involved in the war (they can research a real individual or specific event in which the fictitious person may have participated.) As an extended community activity, students can interview local Vietnam veterans or Vietnamese immigrants who survived the war. Or, they can solicit personal essays from the same local groups for compilation in a journal about the Vietnam War.

    Online Resources

    American Experience: "Vietnam: A Television History":
    http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/vietnam/

    P.O.V.: "Re: Vietnam: Stories Since the War":
    http://www.pbs.org/pov/stories/

    Battlefield Vietnam:
    http://www.pbs.org/battlefieldvietnam/

    Frontline World: "Vietnam: Looking For Home":
    http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/vietnam/

    Pete Peterson: Assignment Hanoi:
    http://www.pbs.org/hanoi/

    Print Resources

    Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam by Benard Edelman (editor)

    More Recommended Resources

  2. The Freedom Fighters

    Grade Level: 4-8
    Subject: Social Studies; Reading & Language Arts

    From the Civil Rights Movement -- spanning the mid-1950s to the late 1960s -- emerged several outstanding men and women who were critical to helping people of color acquire rights and gain equality.

    Ask students to name figures integral to the movement's progress. They will likely note more familiar people, such as Martin Luther King, Jr., and Rosa Parks. (If desired, introduce them to additional individuals, such as: James Farmer, Medgar Evers, Roy Wilkins, Ruby Bridges, Malcolm X, Thurgood Marshall, The Little Rock Nine, Bayard Rustin, and Harvey T. Moore.)

    Students can review one or all of the following primary sources providing insight into several of the movement's key figures. (For younger students, it may be best to focus on Martin Luther King, who is widely recognized, Ruby Bridges, who was a student, a person with whom they relate, or Rosa Parks.) Based on these materials, ask students to think about what made these individuals so outstanding and why they were important to the Civil Rights Movement.

    Have students create a general profile of a movement activist or leader, noting the qualities he or she must have to take on such a role. As a follow up activity, students can research Civil Rights Movement activists who lived or live in their communities.

    Martin Luther King

    The March on Washington: "I Have a Dream"
    http://www.history.com/media.do?id=mlk_i_have_a_dream

    200,000 March for Civil Rights in Orderly Washington Rally:
    http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/

    Thurgood Marshall

    On the fight against segregation:
    http://www.history.com/media.do?id=cd3track26

    Thurgood Marshall: American Revolutionary:
    http://www.thurgoodmarshall.com

    Rosa Parks

    Photo of Rosa Parks:
    http://videoindex.pbs.org/resources/eyes/primary/ph6.html

    Interview with Rosa Parks:
    http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/par0int-1

    Little Rock Nine

    September, 1997: The 40th Anniversary of One of America's Most Important Civil Rights Events:
    http://www.centralhigh57.org

    Ruby Bridges

    Ruby Bridges: Understanding History from Primary Sources:
    http://www.mamkschools.org/curriculum/student/ruby.htm

    Online Resources

    American Experience: "Citizen King":
    http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/mlk/index.html

    Freedom: A History of US:
    http://www.pbs.org/wnet/historyofus/index.html

    This Far By Faith:
    http://www.pbs.org/thisfarbyfaith/timeline/p_4.html

    Historic Places of the Civil Rights Movement:
    http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/civilrights/ka1.htm

    Print Resources

    Let It Shine: Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters by Andrea Davis Pinkney (Author), Stephen Alcorn (Illustrator)
    The Children by David Halberstam
    I am Rosa Parks by Rosa Parks
    The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles, George Ford (Illustrator)

    More Recommended Resources

  3. Landmark Decision: Brown v. Board of Education

    Grade Levels: 4-8
    Subjects: Social Studies; The Arts; Reading & Language Arts

    Brown v. Board of Education was a landmark Supreme Court decision that changed the status of public education for African American children. The ruling stated that the notion of a "separate but equal" education was unconstitutional. This case and its compelling argument propelled the movement toward school desegregation.

    Invite students to look at photographs reflecting the early days of education for African Americans. What do the photos show? What can the students surmise about schooling for African American children?

    You can find additional images at the following sites:

    Provide students with some background on the groundbreaking Brown decision. Work with students as they examine the following primary source documents associated with the case. Have them identify the key players (including the citizens who petitioned the court), what was being argued, on what both pro and con arguments were based, and people's reactions to the ruling.

    Have students take on the role of one of the key figures in the case and write a monologue regarding their personal experiences (drawn from student knowledge of segregated schooling, the individuals involved, the ruling, and what occurred after the judgement). Students can also research the past and present status of education for African Americans in their communities.

    Online Resources

    Jefferson: Racial Segregation in Public School:
    http://www.pbs.org/jefferson/enlight/brown.htm

    The Story of American Public Education:
    http://www.pbs.org/kcet/publicschool/innovators/brown.html

    Print Resources

    Linda Brown, You Are Not Alone: The Brown v. Board of Education Decision by Joyce Carol Thomas (Author), Curtis James (Illustrator)

    More Recommended Resources

  4. The Space Race

    Grade Level: 4-8
    Subjects: Social Studies; Science & Technology; Health & Fitness

    Post World War II scientific and technological research and development resulted in breakthroughs that, for example, cured diseases, such as polio. Space travel expanded, with men landing on the moon, and the Soviet Union and the United States competed in a "space race."

    Have students look at all or some of the following sources related to the space race. What achievements were made in terms of space exploration? What issues did such feats pose for the Soviet Union and the United States? What was the response around the world to the first moon landing? What has been the long-term result of those pioneers who catapulted travel into this new frontier? Students can write newspaper articles about space exploration (an analysis or a news report on, for example, a moon landing).

    Students can peruse the following timeline to learn about other science, health, and technological advances. They may select one or several incidents to research through a review of relevant primary sources, presenting their findings and documentation to their peers in a monologue...in the voice of someone who witnessed an event.

    • 1947 Bell Telephone Laboratories develops the transistor
    • 1951 UNIVAC, the Universal Automatic Computer is developed
    • 1953 DNA structure defined
    • 1953Heart-Lung pump for open-heart surgery
    • 1954 First successful kidney transplant performed
    • 1955 Salk discovered polio vaccine
    • 1957 USSR launches Sputnik I, man's first artificial satellite
    • 1958 USA launches Explorer I, its first satellite. Discovers Van Allen radiation belts circling Earth
    • 1959 USSR's Luna 2 made hard lunar landing
    • 1959 USSR's Luna 3 took pictures of dark side of Moon
    • 1961 Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin is first man to orbit Earth
    • 1962 American astronaut John Glenn orbits Earth
    • 1962 USA's Mariner 2 passes within 21,500 mi. of Venus
    • 1963 Laser invented
    • 1964 The IBM 360 is introduced and quickly becomes the standard institutional mainframe computer. By the mid-80s the 360 and its descendents will have generated more than $100 billion in revenue for IBM
    • 1965 Soviet cosmonaut becomes first man to "walk" in space
    • 1966 USSR's Luna 9 made first soft landing on Moon
    • 1966 USA's Surveyor 1 made soft lunar landing
    • 1967 Barnard did first heart transplant
    • 1967 USA's Mariner 4 takes first close-up photos of Mars
    • 1967 USA's Mariner 5 passes within 6,000 mi. of Venus
    • 1969 American astronaut Neil A. Armstrong first man to walk on Moon, accompanied by Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr.

    Online Resources

    American Experience: "Race for the Superbomb":
    http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/bomb/index.html

    Innovation: Life, Inspired:
    http://www.pbs.org/innovation

    NOVA: "Stationed in the Stars":
    http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/station/

    Red Files: Secret Soviet Moon Mission:
    http://www.pbs.org/redfiles/moon/

    John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum:
    http://www.jfklibrary.org/Education%20and%20Public%20Programs/For%20Students/

    NASA: Sputnik (40th Anniversary):
    http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/sputnik/

    Print Resources

    Space Race: The U.S.-U.S.S.R. Competition to Reach the Moon by Martin J. Collins, National Air and Space Museum, National Air Division Of Space History
    Space: The Race to the Moon (Adventures on the American Frontiers) by Tom Kemnitz

    More Recommended Resources

  5. Brown v. Board of Education

    Grade Level: 6-8; 9-12
    Subjects: Social Studies; Reading & Language Arts

    On May 17, 2004, America will observe the 50th Anniversary of the landmark decision Brown v. Board of Education, which found that school segregation violated students' 14th Amendment rights. The segregated schools of the time made sure that black and white students were educated in "separate" environments, but the opportunities available to African American students were certainly not "equal" to those afforded to whites. This lack of equality prompted the case whose decision has led, with mixed success, to the integration of students in the American educational system.

    Looking back over the past fifty years, the issue of race and educational opportunity has continued to surface. Debate over equal educational opportunities for all students continues to rage as inner city schools struggle to meet the needs of primarily minority students.

    Below are several opinion questions related to education. Have students examine the effectiveness of the Brown v. Board of Education ruling as it relates to the questions. At InfoUSA you can find text of the Supreme Court decision for Brown as well as the Fourteenth Amendment, Plessy vs. Ferguson and other interesting readings. The Library of Congress' Digital Library also has a useful collection of Brown-related documents.

    Ask students to use these and other resources (see below) to work alone or in pairs to find facts, examples, and reasons to help them answer the questions below in ways that support their opinions.

    • Did the ruling achieve the desired effect of integrating American public schools and providing equal educational opportunities to all students, regardless of race?
    • Is affirmative action a fair way to ensure equal educational opportunity, or is it a quota system that keeps some deserving students from receiving the education they desire at the institution of their choice because of their race?
    • Are the public schools of today really integrated, or have we segregated students in other ways? Explain.
    • If you could improve the American public education system, what changes would you make to ensure equality for all students?

    After students have gathered their data to address the questions above, conduct a classroom debate about the effects of the Brown v. Board of Education ruling, have students write persuasive essays that clearly outline their point of view, have students write letters to the editor that could appear in the school or local newspaper, or have students use their facts to write letters or emails to state and national representatives if they want to see changes made in American schools.

    Online Resources

    The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow:
    http://www.pbs.org/wnet/jimcrow/stories_events_brown.html

    Jefferson: Enlightenment: Supreme Court Cases:
    http://www.pbs.org/jefferson/enlight/sctips1.htm

    School: The Story of American Public Education:
    http://www.pbs.org/kcet/publicschool/innovators/brown.html

    Freedom: A History of US:
    http://www.pbs.org/wnet/historyofus/web13/segment8_p.html

    African American World:
    http://www.pbs.org/wnet/aaworld/reference/articles/brown_v_board.html

    NewsHour Online: Affirmative Action:
    http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/law/jan-june03/sc_6-23.html

    National Park Service: Brown v. Board of Education:
    http://www.nps.gov/brvb/home.htm

    Print Resources

    Brown V. Board of Education: A Civil Rights Milestone and Its Troubled Legacy by James T. Patterson
    Linda Brown, You Are Not Alone : The Brown V. Board of Education Decision by Joyce Carol Thomas (Author), Curtis James (Illustrator)

    More Recommended Resources

  6. Iraq and Vietnam: Common Threads

    Grade Level: 6-8; 9-12
    Subjects: Social Studies; Reading & Language Arts

    The Vietnam War was one of the most controversial and longest American combat missions in U.S. history. Throughout the 1960's and early 1970's, the Vietnam War was the focus of much discussion and debate among politicians, students, soldiers, and the American public as a whole.

    In 2004, some have drawn parallels between Vietnam and Iraq. Many of the same types of issues are being debated among politicians, activists, and the American public. Others believe such comparisons are inaccurate.

    Using the American Experience: War Letters program and companion Web site, along with other primary sources such as the Washington Post, American Experience: Vietnam Online, newspaper, magazine, and television coverage of the war with Iraq, have students gather information about the causes, issues, and reasons for both wars. Then ask them to research the varying opinions of politicians, students, soldiers, and the American public about involvement in each conflict and the means each group used to express these opinions.

    As a class, create a graphic organizer (see links below for examples) that illustrates the similarities and differences between the Vietnam War and the current Iraq War. Include details about causes, issues, varying opinions, and the ways people shared their opinions during each conflict.

    Finish by asking students to create a creative piece of work that reflects their opinion about the war with Iraq. This could be a political cartoon, a poem/song, a short story or play, a bumper sticker, a fictional letter from a soldier to a family member, etc. Have students share their work in small groups with their classmates.

    Online Resources

    American Experience: "War Letters":
    http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/warletters/

    American Experience: "Vietnam: A Television History":
    http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/vietnam/

    Battlefield: Vietnam:
    http://www.pbs.org/battlefieldvietnam/

    Remembering Vietnam: An Online NewsHour Special Report:
    http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/asia/vietnam/

    NewsHour Online: Memorial Day Poetry:
    http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/entertainment/jan-june98/pinsky_5-25.html

    The Washington Post: Iraq Special Focus:
    http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/world/mideast/gulf/iraq/commentary/

    Print Resources

    Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam by Bernard Edelman (editor)
    Vietnam: A History by Stanley Karnow

    More Recommended Resources

  7. The Age of Technology: A Look at How Far We've Come

    Grade Level: 6-8; 9-12
    Subjects: Science & Technology; Social Studies; Reading & Language Arts

    Since the end of WWII, the role of technology in the everyday lives of people has changed significantly. Gone are the days when meals were prepared at home in the oven and messages were sent by telegram and the U.S. Postal Service. We have entered a new age -- the Age of Technology! The children of today don't remember life without microwaves, cell phones, and the Internet. They don't know what an 8-track player is, and most have never seen a rotary telephone!

    Spend time as a class brainstorming a list of all of the technologies people today use on a daily basis to make life easier and more fun. Record this list on the board for students to see. Once all ideas have been exhausted, have students pair up and randomly assign each pair of students 1-2 of the items that appear on the brainstorming list. Give each group time to research their item(s) using resources such as Modern Inventions: Twentieth Century Inventions. Their job is to find out the who, what, when, where, why, and how surrounding each item. Once they have learned the answers to these questions, the pair should write a 1-2 paragraph summary about each item and include details about the 5 W's and the H.

    Have each pair report their findings back to the class by reading their paragraphs. Post the summary paragraphs on the wall to form a timeline that chronicles the development of the technologies they researched.

    Extend the lesson beyond the classroom and into the community by asking students to interview an adult who is over 60 years old. Help students develop appropriate interview questions about how these older adults have seen technology change over the course of their lifetimes. Have each student use their interview notes to create a feature story about how technology has changed and impacted the average person since WWII.

    Note: Teachers may consider inviting senior citizens from the local community into the classroom to facilitate this activity more easily. Bringing in a panel of 4-6 adults and having a panel discussion and question/answer session would also be an effective way for students to collect information for their feature stories.

    Online Resources

    Innovation: Life, Inspired:
    http://www.pbs.org/wnet/innovation

    NOVA: Technology Archive:
    http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/archive/int_tech.html

    The Telephone: Technology Timeline:
    http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/telephone/timeline/f_timeline.html

    Modern Inventions: Twentieth Century Inventions:
    http://inventors.about.com/library/weekly/aa010500a.htm

    More Recommended Resources

  8. A Place Called Home

    Grade Level: 6-8; 9-12
    Subjects: Social Studies; Reading & Language Arts; The Arts

    The United States is a vast country made up of a huge variety of people, landscapes, and lifestyles. Each community in America has something that makes it unique. We often overlook the special characteristics of the place we call home because we are so used to living there.

    Have students work in small groups to learn more about their community. Have them use their local library, school library, community website, and information from the local or state visitors' bureau to learn about:

    • The history of the community: when was if founded, by whom, why did people settle there, what were the industries, etc.
    • Historical places: why were they significant, what can people today learn from seeing and visiting these sights
    • Famous residents: living or from the past, how did they contribute to the community, what made them famous (or infamous), etc.
    • What makes the community a fun place to visit today? Are there certain places, activities, or festivals that draw a crowd? Do people come as a getaway to relax and unwind here?

    Once research has been collected, have students create their own campaign to bring people to the community. They could make travel brochures, commercial videos, websites, or write travel articles, complete with pictures, to get locals and tourists to enjoy what makes their community special.

    Extend this lesson outside of the classroom by visiting local attractions and participating in events unique to the area.

    Online Resources

    History Detectives:
    http://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/educators/index.html

    Colonial House:
    http://www.pbs.org/wnet/colonialhouse/teachers/plan2b.html

    More Recommended Resources

  9. Modern Presidents: How They Have Shaped America

    Grade Level: 9-12
    Subjects: Social Studies; Reading & Language Arts; Science & Technology

    A lot of time is spent studying and learning about the contributions of early presidents like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln. We sometimes forget that every president makes an impact on the country in many ways. Since WWII, America has been influenced and developed by 11 very different presidents who students don't often study in depth. Knowing about the contributions of modern presidents can help students understand more clearly the United States and the world they live in.

    Have students work in small groups and assign each group a president from Harry S. Truman to George W. Bush. Have students conduct research about the contributions of each of these presidents using primary sources such as American President and Internet Public Library.

    • What were their best achievements in office?
    • What national conflicts or tragedies did they lead America through?
    • What were the controversial points in their presidencies?
    • How will they be remembered historically?
    • How did their presidency change or shape America?

    Have each group create a PowerPoint or other multi-media presentation that describes the president they researched. The presentation should include pictures and information about what was learned from researching. Groups should take turns sharing what they learned with the class.

    Add another dimension to this project by asking students to interview parents, grandparents, or older adults about the president they are researching. Have students ask interviewees their opinions about this president, his contributions, and how he shaped America. Students can then share these findings as part of their presentation.

    Online Resources

    American Experience: "The Presidents":
    http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/presidents/

    American President:
    http://www.americanpresident.org/

    Presidents of the United States:
    http://www.presidentsusa.net/

    The White House:
    http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/index2.html

    Print Resources

    Don't Know Much About the Presidents by Kenneth C. Davis
    Complete Book of U.S. Presidents : From George Washington to George W. Bush by William DeGregorio

    More Recommended Resources

Published: May 2004