Imperialism
Teaching Activity PDFs
What War Looks Like
Background Reading for Teachers and High School Students PDF. By Howard Zinn. 4 pages.
An essay by Howard Zinn on the impact of war.
Imperialism, US Foreign Policy, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements
Discovering Columbus: Re-reading the Past
Teaching Activity PDF. By Bill Bigelow. 6 pages.
How to engage students in a critical analysis of the textbook version of “discovery.”
Education, Imperialism, Individuals in US History, Native American
The People vs. Columbus, et al.
Teaching Activity PDF. By Bill Bigelow. 8 pages.
Role play in the form of a trial to determine who is responsible for the death of millions of Tainos on the island of Hispaniola in the late 15th century.
U.S. Mexico War: “We Take Nothing by Conquest, Thank God”
Teaching Activity PDF. Lesson by Bill Bigelow and student reading by Howard Zinn. 21 pages.
Interactive activity introduces students to the history and often untold story of the U.S. Mexico War.
Imperialism, Latino, Slavery, US Foreign Policy, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements
The Coming of the Pink Cheeks
Teaching Activity PDF. By Chief Kabongo as told to Richard St. Barb e Baker. 7 pages.
Story of what happened to the Kikuyu people of Kenya when Europeans took control of their land.
Imperialism, Racism & Racial Identity, World History/Global Studies
What the Tour Guide Didn’t Tell Me: Tourism, Colonialism, and Resistance in Hawai’i
Teaching Activity. By Wayne Wah Kwai Au. 5 pages.
Lesson on the history of Hawai’i and the impact of colonization and tourism.
Asian American, Imperialism, Pacific Islander, Racism & Racial Identity, US Foreign Policy
History Textbooks: “Theirs” and “Ours”: A Rebellion or a War of Independence?
Teaching Activity PDF. By John DeRose. 4 pages.
Analysis of textbook passages from different countries, videos and books are used to explore different perspectives about the same event in history, i.e. “Philippine-American War” vs. “War of Philippine Independence”.
Imperialism, US Foreign Policy, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements, World History/Global Studies
A Revolution of Values
Teaching Activity PDF. By the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 3 pages.
Text of speech by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the Vietnam War, followed by three teaching ideas.
Civil Rights Movements, Imperialism, US Foreign Policy, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements
Rethinking the Teaching of the Vietnam War
Teaching Activity PDF. By Bill Bigelow. 8 pages.
A role play on the history of the Vietnam War that is left out of traditional textbooks.
Imperialism, US Foreign Policy, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements
The Expansion of Empire
Teaching Activity PDF. By Gayle Olson-Raymer. 15 pages.
Questions and teaching ideas for Chapter 12 of Voices of a People’s History of the United States on internal dissent over American expansionist policies.
Imperialism, US Foreign Policy, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements
Indian Removal
Teaching Activity PDF. By Gayle Olson-Raymer. 18 pages.
Questions and teaching ideas for Chapter 7 of Voices of a People’s History of the United States on the American policy of “Manifest Destiny” and Native American resistance to their own displacement.
Vietnam and Beyond: The Historic Resistance
Teaching Activity PDF. By Mike Benbow and Robin Pickering. 17 pages.
Questions and teaching ideas for Chapter 18 of Voices of a People’s History of the United States on opposition to the Vietnam War.
Imperialism, Social Class, US Foreign Policy, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements
Articles
Empire or Humanity?: What the classroom didn’t teach me about the American empire
Article for Teachers and High School Students – PDF. By Howard Zinn. 4 pages.
An essay which raises questions about the justifications for empire building and imperialism.
Imperialism, US Foreign Policy, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements
Books: Fiction
A Moment in the Sun
Book – Fiction. By John Sayles. 2011. 968 pages.
Spanning five years and half a dozen countries, Sayles’ novel paints a picture of the late 1890s — from the racist coup in Wilmington, North Carolina, to the bloody dawn of U.S. interventionism in Cuba and the Philippines.
Books: Non-Fiction
Addicted to War: Why the U.S. Can’t Kick Militarism, An Illustrated Guide
Book – Non-Fiction. By Joel Andreas. 2004. 77 pages.
A comic book expose on militarism in graphic format, making it accessible for high school and above.
Imperialism, US Foreign Policy, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements
Colonialism in Asia: A Critical Look
Book – Non-fiction. By Susan Gage. 1993. 52 pages.
Comic book tackles the history of colonialism in India, the Philippines and Vietnam.
Colonialism in the Americas: A Critical Look
Book – Non-fiction. By Susan Gage. 1991. 51 pages.
Graphic/comic book tackles history of colonialism in the Americas.
A People’s History of American Empire: A Graphic Adaptation
Book – Non-fiction. By Howard Zinn and Mike Konopacki. 2008. 288 pages.
Graphic format with photos and narrative introduce parts of U.S. history.
Imperialism, Labor, US Foreign Policy, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements
A People’s History of the United States: 1492 – Present
Book – Non-fiction. By Howard Zinn. 2005. 702 pages.
Howard Zinn’s groundbreaking work on U.S. history. This book details the lives and facts that are rarely included in textbooks — an indispensable teacher and student resource.
African American, Civil Rights Movements, Democracy & Citizenship, Economics, Education, Immigration, Imperialism, Individuals in US History, Labor, Laws & Citizen Rights, Native American, Organizing, Racism & Racial Identity, Slavery, Social Class, US Foreign Policy, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements, Women's History
Teaching Global History: A Social Studies Approach
Book – Non-fiction. By Alan J. Singer. 2011. 206 pages.
A guide that proposes another way to teach history from a global perspective.
Democracy & Citizenship, Education, Imperialism, World History/Global Studies
Films
Cindy Sheehan: “It’s Time for the Antiwar Choir Started Singing”
Cindy Sheehan’s “It’s Time the Antiwar Choir Started Singing” (2005) is read by Marisa Tomei and Staceyann Chin. From Voices of a People’s History of the United States.
Democracy & Citizenship, Imperialism, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements, Women's History
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: “Beyond Vietnam”
Film clip. Dr. Martin Luther King’s “Beyond Vietnam” (1967) speech is read by Michael Ealy. From Voices of a People’s History of the United States.
The Insular Empire: America in the Mariana Islands
Film. Directed by Vanessa Warheit. 2009. 60 minutes.
Documentary about U.S. colonies in the western Pacific.
Democracy & Citizenship, Imperialism, Pacific Islander, US Foreign Policy, World History/Global Studies
Spanish/Bilingual
Adicto a la Guerra: Por que el E.E.U.U. no Puede Librarse del Militarismo
Book – Non-fiction. By Joel Andreas. 2005. 80 pages.
Spanish-language edition of the expose on militarism in graphic novel format. Accessible for high school and above.
Imperialism, US Foreign Policy, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements
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