History

1. Alternatively, you could divide the class into groups and assign each group a different area of comparison. One group might focus on the possible reasons why both men chose a life of crime, a second group might compare life during Reconstruction with life during the Great Depression, and so on.

2. Students researching the K.K.K. might start with the historian interviews at the Web site of the American Experience film Reconstruction: The Second Civil War.

Geography

1. Before starting this activity, you may want to prepare a sample bar graph as a class to remind students how they should be constructed.

2. More details on crimes committed by James can be found on the Web.

Civics

1. Both the defense and prosecution teams should explore the issue of what defines terrorism -- in terms of the acts committed, the persons against whom the acts were committed, and the stated goals of the attackers. For example, can killing a uniformed soldier be termed "terrorism"? Does it matter if the soldier was unarmed? Does it matter if the killer was (or was not) motivated by some political belief?

2. Students may want to review pages 376-378 of T.J. Stiles's biography of James, Jesse James: Last Rebel of the Civil War (Alfred A. Knopf, 2002), for reactions to James' killing, including Crittenden's defense of his actions. Students might also want to consider how they would react if a present-day governor encouraged the killing of a dangerous criminal without trial.

Economics

1. Films about Robin Hood include the 1991 "Robin Hood - Prince of Thieves," starring Kevin Costner and the 1938 "The Adventures of Robin Hood," starring Errol Flynn. Books about Robin Hood include the 1904 Robin Hood, by J. Walker McSpadden.

2. Before doing this activity, you might ask students to explain why $10,000 in 1881 is not the same as $10,000 today. You may ask them to try out this online inflation calculator.