Resource Library
Find compelling classroom resources, learn new teaching methods, meet standards, and make a difference in the lives of your students.
We are grateful to The Hammer Family Foundation for supporting the development of our on-demand learning and teaching resources.
Introducing Our US History Curriculum Collection
Draw from this flexible curriculum collection as you plan any middle or high school US history course. Featuring units, C3-style inquiries, and case studies, the collection will help you explore themes of democracy and freedom with your students throughout the year.
What the Black Man Wants
Frederick Douglass demands voting rights and civil equality for Black Americans in an 1865 speech.
Statistics From the Civil War
This reading features statistics on the number of deaths during the Civil War.
W. E. B. Du Bois Reflects on the Purpose of History
W. E. B. Du Bois questions the way that Reconstruction was studied and taught in an excerpt from his 1935 book Black Reconstruction in America.
Introduction to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Examine the historical context leading up to the creation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and understand how Eleanor Roosevelt became involved in the process.
Democracy and Community
Students brainstorm different definitions of democracy and consider democracy's relationship to their own communities and cultures.
Quotations on Democracy in South Africa (set 1)
Reflect on quotes from South Africans about how the country's history informs its democracy.
Using the Gallery Walk Teaching Strategy to Teach Mockingbird
A middle school class examines historical efforts to seek justice and healing after racial violence as they reflect on the aftermath of the trial in To Kill a Mockingbird.
Verifying the Story
Journalists discuss the difficulties they faced in verifying the facts after the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.
Wesley Lowery's Arrest
Washington Post reporter Wesley Lowery describes how he was arrested in Ferguson, Missouri, and explains how freedom of the press was threatened during the protests.
Why Study Reconstruction?
The Reconstruction era was a pivotal moment in American history. Civil rights were set in motion as Americans grappled to rebuild after the division and trauma of the Civil War, raising essential questions about freedom and democracy.
Writing History's Next Chapter
Scholars Timothy McCarthy and George Lipsitz discuss the connection between our responsibilities in the world today and two historical periods: the civil rights movement and the Reconstruction era.