America on the Move, Part One: Migrations, Immigrations, and How We Got Here

Description

Students and Smithsonian National Museum of American History curators give a tour of the exhibition "America on the Move," which looks at how immigration and migration impacted American history and at the role of various forms of transportation.

To view this electronic field trip, select "America on the Move, Part One: Migrations, Immigrations, and How We Got Here" under the heading "Electronic Field Trips."

Children’s Voices from the Civil War

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Photo, "Camp of 31st Pennsylvania Infantry near Washington, DC," 1862, LoC
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Why do it?

Textbooks, which feature the passive voice and condensed versions of momentous events, rarely capture the passion and drama of the past. By supplementing the textbook with documents that show how real-life children experienced historical events, the teacher can engage students' interests and can also offer multiple perspectives on historical events.

As an example of this approach, consider children's experiences during the Civil War. Although Joy Hakim's excellent textbook A History of US (volume six, War, Terrible War), touches on how the war affected children's lives, students can gain a much deeper understanding through analyzing additional primary sources. Documents such as period photos and excerpts from letters help students reconstruct what children experienced during the Civil War.

Young girls were pressed into service as nurses when their farms and villages became battlefields.

The destructive swath of "total war" drew children into its path as they witnessed violent death, looting and burning of their homes and farms, and occupation by the enemy. Boys as young as 13 enlisted as drummer boys, and while official recruitment policies required that a soldier be at least 18, many younger boys conveniently added a few years to their age or received permission from their fathers to enlist. Young girls were pressed into service as nurses when their farms and villages became battlefields.

What is it?

After reading a section of the textbook, students analyze primary sources showing how children their age experienced the events described in the textbook. In this lesson, students examine excerpts from letters written by teenagers who witnessed or participated in Civil War battles, and they analyze period photographs to consider the extent and ramifications of children's involvement.

Teachers can adapt this approach to other historical topics by supplementing with the appropriate primary sources.

Example
  1. To gain background knowledge, students read Chapter 16 of War, Terrible War, "The Soldiers.” Ask students to consider the following questions as they read.
    • How did adolescent boys experience the war?
    • How did adolescent girls experience the war?
  2. As you discuss the chapter with students, help them understand the mixture of excitement, optimism, boredom, homesickness, and terror that many young soldiers describe. Students may note that the chapter does not discuss how adolescent girls experienced the war.
  3. Assign students to teams or pairs. Distribute copies or display the photograph, "A Soldier and His Family." Explain to students that this photo was taken early in the war (1862) in the camp of the 31st Pennsylvania Infantry near Washington, DC. Ask students to speculate and discuss with their teammates the following questions.
    • As a child, what do you think it would be like to live in a Civil War army camp? What responsibilities might the young girl pictured have?
    • What does the photograph tell you about living in such a camp? What details in the photo support your impressions?
  4. Distribute the sheet "Children’s Voices from the Civil War" to student pairs or teams. Students discuss the quotes with teammates, and answer the following questions.
    • How were boys' and girls' experiences of the war similar? Different?
    • How did enslaved children view and experience the war?
    • How did the war change the lives of the children being studied?
    • What character qualities did these youths demonstrate in their response to war?
    • How does it change your perspective to read the quotes from the boys and girls?
Why is this a best practice?

Comparing the textbook with additional primary source documents expands students' knowledge, breathes life into the text, and introduces the voices of those left out of the text—in this case, girls. While women did not officially serve as soldiers, some accompanied their husband or fathers to army camps or were pressed into service as nurses when battles raged near their homes. Supplementing the text with voices of young soldiers gives students a broader picture of how boys self-reported their reasons for enlisting and their experiences.

For more information

The photo, "A Soldier and His Family," is available on the Library of Congress website.

Hakim, Joy. A History of US. Vol. 6, War, Terrible War. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003.

Student handout, Children's Voices from the Civil War.

Civics Online

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Painting, "Penn's Treaty with the Indians," Edward Hicks, c.1840-1844
Annotation

This site was designed as a resource for teachers and students of Civics, grades K-12, in Michigan public schools. The site provides access to 118 primary source documents and links to 71 related sites. Of these documents, 22 are speeches, 34 are photographs or paintings, and five are maps. The site is indexed by subject and "core democratic values" as determined by Michigan Curriculum Framework. A section for teachers includes one syllabi each for primary, middle, and high school courses. The syllabi are accompanied by interviews with the teacher who developed the assignments and by a student who participated in the curriculum, as well as by examples of student work. "Adventures in Civics" presents student visitors with a 178-word essay on Elian Gonzalez and an essay assignment for each grade level on what it means to be an American. The site links to six articles and 17 sites about Gonzalez.

Students may use a multimedia library, simultaneously searchable by era, grade-level, and core democratic value. The site also provides a timeline of American history with 163 entries (five to 500-words). The site provides a 1,000-word explanation of core democratic values and links to 41 other government and university sites about American history and civics. This site will probably be most interesting and useful for teachers looking for curriculum ideas.

Maps
Paintings and Prints
Photographs
Speeches
Teaching Tools
Images
Text
Colonization & Settlement, 1585-1763
Revolution & New Nation, 1754-1820s
Expansion & Reform, 1801-1861
Civil War & Reconstruction, 1850-1877
Devel. of the Industrial US, 1870-1900
Emergence of Modern US, 1890-1930
Great Depression & WWII, 1929-1945
Postwar US, 1945-Early 1970s
Contemporary US, 1968-Present
African Americans
American Indians
Education
Ideas & Ideologies
Immigration
Latinos
Legal History
Midwestern States
Politics
Women

Resources for Flag Day

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Envelope, Elmer Ellsworth with sword, pistol, and flag, c.1861-1865, LoC
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Do you celebrate Flag Day? Though not an official federal holiday, June 14 (one week from today) memorializes the day when the Second Continental Congress approved the first version of what evolved into our modern national flag.

Since 1777, the flag has gained 37 stars and exact specifications for color and design, but it's always been recognizable. Red, white, and blue, it has waved over people, places, and events throughout U.S. history. How much do your students know about the flag and its history? If you ask them to share what they know, do they offer stories about Betsy Ross or the writing of "The Star-Spangled Banner"? Use these stories as starting points or explore other pieces of flag history with free online resources.

On Teachinghistory.org
  • Historian John Buescher describes the history of the flag—and the history of the story of Betsy Ross.
  • Historian Alan Gevinson looks at the design of the Confederate flag and how it differs from the U.S. flag.
  • In Lesson Plan Reviews, we explore the strong points of a Smithsonian Institution lesson on "The Star-Spangled Banner" and the War of 1812.
The Wider Web
  • The Smithsonian National Museum of American History lets you interact online with the flag that inspired the national anthem.
  • The Smithsonian exhibit July 1942: United We Stand looks at ways the image of the flag was used in World War II.
  • You can find more flag-related artifacts on the Smithsonian National Museum of American History's History Explorer.
  • OurStory, another project of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, offers a reading guide for the picture book The Flag Maker, which looks at the flag that flew over Fort McHenry during the War of 1812.
  • The Library of Congress suggests questions to ask students about the flag and related primary sources.
  • When Alaska and Hawaii became states, the 48-star flag needed two new stars. The National Archives preserves two possible designs sent to the White House by citizens.
  • Every year, the president proclaims Flag Day. Read recent proclamations at the White House website.
  • EDSITEment offers crosscurricular lessons on the flag as a symbol and other symbols of the U.S.
For more information

Looking for resources for other holidays? How about heritage months? Check out Teachinghistory.org's spotlight pages! Spotlight pages are available all year long and update constantly.

Abraham Lincoln's Inaugural Journey

Description

From the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History website:

"In the months after his election, Abraham Lincoln famously assembled his 'team of rivals' as the United States disintegrated. In this lecture, Harold Holzer, author of Lincoln President-Elect: Abraham Lincoln and the Great Secession Winter 1860-1861, argues that Lincoln was not the inexperienced country lawyer he has often been described as. He was every bit as shrewd during the 'Great Secession Winter' of 1860 as he was as president. He used silence to his advantage and made a grueling (and sometimes dangerous) railroad journey to his inauguration, during which he reaffirmed the promise he had made during the campaign: to put slavery on the path to extinction."

The Civil War in American Memory

Description

From the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History website:

"Gary Gallagher, John L. Nau III Professor in the History of the American Civil War at the University of Virginia, discusses the different Civil War narratives that emerged in the popular consciousness in the century after the war. From the 'Lost Cause' rhetoric of the defeated Confederacy, in which an unapologetic South found honor in defeat, to the 'Emancipation Cause' advanced by the Union, which held that the North went to war in order to liberate slaves, Gallagher explains that these narratives drew both on fact and myth and were critical in the formation of regional and national American identity."

The Three Constitutions

Description

In this lecture from the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, Professor Cornell examines the three distinct phases of the Constitution. "The first is the Constitution in the 18th century as imagined by the Founding Fathers. The Constitution went through another incarnation after the Civil War. Professor Cornell will then look at the Constitution in the decades after the New Deal to the present."

Anne Sullivan Macy: Miracle Worker

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Photo, Anne Sullivan stands with Helen Keller, c. 1893, AFB
Annotation

This website is dedicated to the life and legacy of Anne Sullivan Macy, who, in the words of the site's authors "was a pioneer in the field of education." The exhibition tells her story through an introduction and five galleries, each focused on a different period in the inspiring story of Macy's life, including galleries on her childhood and her work teaching Helen Keller that became the basis for the play The Miracle Worker. The galleries feature excerpts from Macy's correspondence and writings, quotes contained in various biographies, and passages about Macy from Helen Keller's Teacher: Anne Sullivan Macy. The full-text of many of Macy's letters are available. All 47 images can be viewed in a larger size and are accompanied by descriptions. The site also offers a brief, one-page biography of Macy; a chronology of her life; and a recommended reading list with 10 books (two for children). An outstanding introduction to the life of this extraordinary teacher.

Literary Sources
Personal Accounts
Photographs
Images
Text
Video
Splash Pullout Women's Month
Learn Women's Month
Women's History Month
Civil War & Reconstruction, 1850-1877
Devel. of the Industrial US, 1870-1900
Emergence of Modern US, 1890-1930
Great Depression & WWII, 1929-1945
Education
Health & Medicine
Ideas & Ideologies
Science & Tech.
Women

Lincoln Bicentennial: A Teachable Moment (updated February 24)

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bicentennial poster, Abraham Lincoln
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The calendar date of President Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday on February 12, 2009, by no means circumscribes the exhibits, events, lectures, reenactments, ceremonies, and other tributes commemorating the significance of his life and his presidency. They continue throughout the year in libraries, schools, museums, towns, and cities.

The Clearinghouse will continue to highlight resources on Lincoln that are helpful in the K–12 classroom: lesson plans, projects, and professional development opportunities of particular interest to educators. Please visit the Clearinghouse Digital Classroom section for information on events and online programs. The Clearinghouse Project Spotlight will also highlight Teaching American History (TAH) grants with modules related to teaching about Abraham Lincoln.

Lincoln Bicentennial Commission

The most complete centralized information center is the Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, website of the Library of Congress, offering a comprehensive compendium of events, materials, information, and resources surrounding this event the Commission has labeled "a teachable moment." We particularly invite your attention to Resources for Teachers. The Learning About Lincoln section includes lesson plans and other classroom resources, reading lists, podcasts, ideas for community projects, and a calendar of professional development opportunities.

Recent Discoveries

The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History (added February 24)

The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History announced two podcasts by Lincoln historians Catherine Clinton and Andrew Delbanco. Clinton looks at how early tragedy helped prepare Lincoln for crises later in life; Delbanco examines how Americans have perceived Lincoln throughout history. Other resources from Gilder Lehrman are available on the Institute's Lincoln page.

21st Century Abe (added February 16)

On February 12, the Rosenbach Museum and Library in Philadelphia launched 21st Century Abe. This interactive website is an exploration of history, memory, and popular culture and invites visitors to find their own version of Abraham Lincoln, asking why we in the 21st century "are still obsessed with this 19th-century man?"

The project points out that Abraham Lincoln is prevalent in popular culture and asks what this popular culture has to do with the historical Abraham Lincoln. It's a collaborative venture. Visitors may upload their own images of the "found Abe." There's a portrait in cupcakes, videos, and contemporary artists' paintings and illustrations. You can add your own creation and design a poster to show what Abe means in the modern world. The site blog shares other representations of the "found Lincoln."

Lincoln at 200

Lincoln at 200, a collaborative project from Chicago—the city where Lincoln was nominated for president—combines resources from the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, the Chicago History Museum, and the Newberry Library.

The thoughtfully analytical site includes two web exhibits and a databased archive of 270 prints, images, and artifacts.

Abraham Lincoln and the West, 1809–1860 is a web-only exhibition that takes its organizing structure from Lincoln's 1860 autobiography, written to introduce him to voters. The exhibit looks at America between 1809 and 1860, focusing on changes in transportation, commerce, political alliances, and growing divisions on the question of slavery.

The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War is a digital version of a temporary exhibition at Chicago History Museum (October 10, 2009 to April 4, 2010). This exhibit examines the course of Lincoln's ideological and political transformations as president from a moderate Republican opposed to slavery yet willing to accept it to maintain the Union to becoming the author of the Emancipation Proclamation—a document that changed the course of American citizenship and democracy. The exhibit also looks at how time and memory alter the historic perception of Lincoln.

Gilder Lehrman Institute

The Gilder Lehrman Institute publishes a Lincoln page offering highlights of current events about Abraham Lincoln, bibliographies of prize-winning books, links to online exhibitions on Lincoln and the Civil War, and audio podcasts and videos of prominent historians focusing on themes and events in the life of Abraham Lincoln.

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