NOTE: If you are short on time, watch the video and complete this bell ringer activity: What did you notice? What did the story make you think about? What would you want to learn more about?
SUMMARY
President Donald Trump went to Iowa in early July 2025 to start the countdown to the nation’s 250th Independence Day next year. To mark the anniversary, the nonpartisan Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress is looking at 250 years of U.S. innovation. John Yang speaks with Glenn Nye, the center’s president and CEO, about the project.
View the transcript of the story.
News alternative: Check out recent segments from the News Hour, and choose the story you’re most interested in watching. You can make a Google doc copy of discussion questions that work for any of the stories here.
WARM-UP QUESTIONS
- Who is Glenn Nye and what does he do?
- What kinds of innovation does Nye research?
- Where does the timeline of innovations in the U.S. begin?
- Which innovation is mentioned first?
- How did Nye accomplish this timeline?
FOCUS QUESTIONS
- What innovation do you think had the most significance in American history and why?
- Do you believe any major innovations are missing from the timeline? If yes, which ones?
Media literacy: How has the introduction of the internet impacted innovations in America? Have its impacts been beneficial or harmful?
WHAT STUDENTS CAN DO
Listen to this audio clip about two elections in America that took place 100 years apart. The podcast was part of News Hour's America, Interrupted series, which was produced during the COVID pandemic.
Discuss:
- What can we learn about the future of America through its past?
- What traditions in America are kept alive due to elections?
Written by Payton Alfieri, PBS News Hour Classroom's intern and senior at Episcopal High School, and News Hour's Vic Pasquantonio.
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