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Help your students become informed citizens

Youtube Playlist Learn about the political, social, and economic changes in the Union and the Confederacy and the Civil War's long-term economic and intellectual impact. In The Unfinished Revolution: Reconstruction and After, 1865-1890, Professor Eric Foner examines the pivotal but misunderstood era of Reconstruction that followed the Civil War, the first effort in American history to construct an interracial democracy. Beginning with a discussion of the dramatic change in historians' interpretations of the period in the last two generations, Foner goes on to discuss how Reconstruction turned on issues of continued relevance today. Among these are: who is an American citizen and what are citizens' rights; what is the relationship between political and economic freedom; which has the primary responsibility for protecting Americans' rights - the federal or state governments; and how should public authorities respond to episodes of terrorism? The course explores the rewriting of the laws and Constitution to incorporate the principle of equality regardless of race; the accomplishments and failings of Reconstruction governments in the South; the reasons for violent opposition in the South and for the northern retreat from Reconstruction; and the consolidation at the end of the 19th century of a new system of white supremacy. This course is part of the series, The Civil War and Reconstruction, which introduces students to the most pivotal era in American history. The Civil War transformed the nation by eliminating the threat of secession and destroying the institution of slavery. It raised questions that remain central to our understanding of ourselves as a people and a nation - the balance of power between local and national authority, the boundaries of citizenship, and the meanings of freedom and equality. The series will examine the causes of the war, the road to secession, the conduct of the Civil War, the coming of emancipation, and the struggle after the wa

To help us think, talk and teach about the rights and responsibilities of citizens in our democracy, we invite you to explore 100 milestone documents of American history. These documents reflect our diversity and our unity, our past and our future, and mostly our commitment as a nation to continue to strive to "form a more perfect union."

"The twentieth century has been a century of war. It began with the Boer War in South Africa and ended with the Gulf War in Kuwait and Iraq. This tragic legacy suggests that citizens of the twenty-first century have a shared responsibility to attempt to understand how and why these conflicts occurred and to discover how peace efforts contributed to the resolution of international conflicts. "

Primary sources devoted to helping people understand why the C20th was a time of such visceral conflict. If you believe Niall Ferguson it had to do with ethnic diversity in regions of deteriorating economic conditions and declining imperial control. My high school history teacher reckoned it was ideologies. Many of you will no doubt have other ideas...

This unit will introduce the first major clash in the Civil War--the Battle of Bull Run--and encourage students to consider the perspectives of ordinary citizens of the North and the South and the impact of this battle on their lives. The activities are based on the award-winning young adult novel Bull Run by Paul Fleischman.

The Redistricting Game is designed to educate, engage, and empower citizens around the issue of political redistricting. Currently, the political system in most states allows the state legislators themselves to draw the lines. This system is subject to a wide range of abuses and manipulations that encourage incumbents to draw districts which protect their seats rather than risk an open contest. By exploring how the system works, as well as how open it is to abuse, The Redistricting Game allows players to experience the realities of one of the most important (yet least understood) aspects of our political system. The game provides a basic introduction to the redistricting system, allows players to explore the ways in which abuses can undermine the system, and provides info about reform initiatives - including a playable version of the Tanner Reform bill to demonstrate the ways that the system might be made more consistent with tenets of good governance. Beyond playing the game, the web site for The Redistricting Game provides a wealth of information about redistricting in every state as well as providing hands-on opportunities for civic engagement and political action.

The 50th anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis, coming up this October

Texas Freedom Network

Great article. I find myself everyday in the classroom wondering if my choice of content, my presentation of it, my choices of words, etc. leans to the left or the right. It's impossible to provide unbiased commentary, but I sure do try. Nothing is worse than a social studies teacher who insists on forcing their political views on students!

I hear you! I come from a background on the left, and sometimes quite suddenly when I'm explaining something to the class I'll hear my own voice and realise how partisan what I'm saying sounds. I found an excellent diagram of left and right ( http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/2009/left-vs-right/ ) which I put up on the door so that at least the students might become more aware of the political spectrum and how it influences people's beliefs. Perhaps the best we can do is show the students how their political assumptions play out in their opinions so that as self-aware citizens they can at least make conscious choices... The right doesn't have much sway in education in Australia; I think the district board system over there in some areas (if you don't mind me saying...) gets hijacked sometimes by extremists by the looks of it. I've read some fascinating articles on how textbooks are approved in parts of the States which was quite surprising (the Intelligent Design debate I guess is an example).

Sources related to the internment of Japanese citizens during World War II in the USA.

'Underwritten by a "We the People" grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, The Digital Library on American Slavery is a cooperative venture between the Race and Slavery Petitions Project and the Electronic Resources and Information Technology Department of University Libraries at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. The Digital Library offers a searchable database of detailed personal information about slaves, slaveholders, and free people of color. Designed as a tool for scholars, historians, teachers, students, genealogists, and interested citizens, the site provides access to information gathered and analyzed over an eighteen-year period from petitions to southern legislatures and country courts filed between 1775 and 1867 in the fifteen slaveholding states in the United States and the District of Columbia.'

really engaging simulation for teaching Canadian or American gov't, economics, citizenship

Yale Makes 260,000 Images Available Online - With No Limitations On Their Usage: http://j.mp/mHcIwC. Yale Digital Commons.

VERY COOL video - one of my students actually shared it with me! I plan to use this with my AP Human Geography students! In my case I may use it as an opener to the class as to what types of things we will cover and the connectedness of everything. Also great for Industrialization, Globalization, etc!

I would like to encourage you to view or research some critiques of this material. After I viewed your post, I did some research and it looks like there is good criticism out there of this video that it portrays a one sided argument. I don't believe the video is wholly inaccurate. However, the video does present information that is easily questionable due to inaccurate and impartial interpretations. Part of our duty as great teachers it to present all facts and allow young citizens to use their own questioning to make informed decisions.

I don't disagree with you. You don't have to 'encourage me to research critiques'. Maybe I should have written more when I posted it, but I was in a rush and just bookmarked it typed quick comments. I actually had seen the critiques. However, the way in which it is made, and things included are great for use as discussion starters and prompts for fact finding. I didn't include my lesson plan or the way I personally plan to use it, as I felt that was not relevant. I think each person can decide on their own how to use it. I agree great teachers do have a job to teach studnets to critically question and analyze - something I do all the time with my students. It helps when there is compelling items like this video to garner their interest. One of the things my students look at during our time together is motivation, and bias. So when I show it, my students will also be looking at who funded the video, and follow that trail back to look at biases that the group/companies involved might have. Also, with the different portions, as you mention, it is one sided in areas, so again, part of my personal lesson plan with this is that as we reach various portions of class that correlate with the video, my studnets will be viewing that portion and doing their own addition of the other side of the story. And I use a strategy called "philosophical chairs" and portions of this video along iwth well constructed starter questions are great for utilization in that situation.

Many of the points made here have been made in other places, but they cannot be restated enough. Every history teacher needs to read this, and then read it again after a month of teaching

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