Missouri State Capitol

Description

The Missouri State Capitol Building's ground floor serves as the Missouri State Museum. As such, it offers two halls—one dedicated to state history and one to the state's natural resources. The three other floors of the 1924 structure are also open to the public. Noted artists who were involved in the building's creation include Frank Brangwyn, N.C. Wyeth, James Earle Fraser and Alexander Stirling Calder.

The museum offers exhibits and dioramas, while a 30-minute guided tour is available for the entirety of the building.

Mesa Historical Museum [AZ]

Description

The Mesa Historical Museum was opened in 1987, and is located in the buildings of the old Lehi School, which is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The museum chronicles the history Mesa, Arizona.

The museum offers field trip programs, exhibits, educational programs, and special events such as historic home tours. The website offers a history of the museum, visitor information, an online exhibit, a collection of oral histories, and an events calendar.

Beeverhead-Deerlodge National Forest [MT]

Description

The Lemhi Pass is located in the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest. The Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest is the largest national forest in Montana, and contains miles of trails as well as the scenic Beartooth Mountains.

The forest offers a wealth of outdoor activities, including hiking, skiing, backpacking, camping, and fishing. The forest also offers an educational trunk, the Birch Creek Center, which is a residential outdoor educational center, and summer camps. The website offers information regarding all activities offered by the park, visitor information, and curriculum guides. In order to contact the national forest via email, use the "contact us" link located on the left side of the webpage.

Tonight's the Night: PBS Broadcasts We Shall Remain

Date Published
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The five-episode PBS series We Shall Remain begins tonight. Check local listings for broadcast times of this American Experience documentary.

Teaching Guides and Lesson Plans are now available on the rich, interactive, and immersive series website. Teaching Guides are defined by episode, and each includes discussion questions, student activities, additional resources, and lists of relevant themes corresponding to those developed by the National Council for the Social Studies Curriculum Standards and common state social studies standards.

But don't stop there. Explore supplementary video resources including discussions of language, sovereignty, and enterprise included under the Native Now section.

Elsewhere, on PBS Teachers, guest author, educator Eric Langhorst discusses the program and tackles the question, How do you teach Native American history and culture in the context of an American history class?

Laboratories of Democracy: The State of the States

Description

According to BackStory, "In its early years, the U.S. wasn't so much "United" as "States." Over time, the federal government has become more powerful, but states have continued to assert their independence on everything from gun control to medical marijuana. This presentation asks: If we're all Americans, why do states still matter? Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell describes how his state has left the feds in the dust when it comes to climate change policy. Historian Eric Foner discusses the successes and failures of the 14th Amendment, created to protect us from the states. And a long-haul trucker explains why she'd like to do away with states altogether."

Seeking U.S. History Books for 9th and 11th Graders

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Cigarette card, Robinson Crusoe, New York Public Library
Question

I am interested in locating a list of U.S. history fiction and nonfiction books that are appropriate for use with my U.S. history students, grades nine and 11.

Answer

Some of the best and most easily available sources for lists of appropriate books for 9th and 11th graders come from school districts and teachers who have compiled them and shared them on the internet.

An excellent example of this can be found at Oxnard Unified High School District. This annotated list includes both fiction and nonfiction titles related to high school U.S. history. Another example of this type of list has been posted by a classroom teacher. This list highlights nonfiction titles on a range of U.S. history topics but also includes a brief list of recommended historical fiction.

Libraries are another obvious choice for booklists. Library Booklists is a clearinghouse of public libraries across the nation, providing links to lists of books put together by librarians on diverse topics. You can search for nonfiction as well as historical fiction lists, and it differentiates between young adult and children's literature.

The American Library Association's Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) has annotated lists of suggestions for teen readers. Many, but not all, of their nonfiction history titles relate to U.S. history. They also have excellent annotated lists of fiction, but they do not differentiate historical fiction from general works.

Another approach to finding books would be to use a search engine to generate a personalized list on a particular topic. The reading measurement company Lexile has an online feature that can be used to search for book titles. To use Lexile, go to Find a Book, then follow the prompts to enter information about your students (for average 9th-11th grade readers the Lexile range would be 880–1165), and then you enter your search terms. The California Department of Education also has a reading list generator. These sites can be tricky, and you may want to try a variety of searches as often a search will bring up too few results or so many that it is hard to tell what might be worthwhile.

Finally, there are many excellent high school booklists on specific topics that might be of interest to you. Check out the lists for Black History Month, (extensive and divided by grade level, but not annotated), and Lincoln and the Civil War which offers an annotated list on the topic for young adults.

Kudos to you for bringing books into your curriculum! And happy reading.

Ellis Island

Description

From the Bowery Boys website:

"For millions of Americans, Ellis Island is the symbol of introduction, the immigrant depot that processed their ancestors and offered an opening into a new American life. But for some, it would truly be an 'Island of Tears,' a place where they would be excluded from that life. How did an island with such humble beginnings—'Little Oyster Island,' barely a sliver of land in the New York harbor—become so crucial? Who is the 'Ellis' of Ellis Island? And how did it survive decades of neglect to become one of New York's most famous tourist attractions?"

Looking for Work: A History of Unemployment

Description

From the BackStory website:

"With the unemployment rate at a 25-year high, BackStory is exploring the phenomenon of joblessness throughout American history. How has the changing nature of employment shaped the experience of not having a job? Have the moral connotations of work evolved? What has it meant for American workers that there are always new immigrants—or poor migrants—who are willing to work for less?

Over the course of the hour, the History Guys speak with historian Alex Keyssar, take calls from BackStory listeners, and hear an imagined testimonial from an itinerant worker in the 'New Northwest' at the turn of the 20th century."

The BackStory site also has a Further Reading page for more information on this topic.

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