Early 19th Century
Teaching Activity PDFs
The Cherokee/Seminole Removal Role Play
Teaching Activity PDF. By Bill Bigelow. 10 pages.
Role play on the Cherokee-Seminole removal or Trail of Tears.
Democracy & Citizenship, Native American, Racism & Racial Identity
Andrew Jackson and the “Children of the Forest”
Teaching Activity PDF. By Bill Bigelow. 5 pages.
A lesson in which students develop critical literacy skills by responding to Andrew Jackson’s speech on “Indian Removal.”
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
Bound for the Rio Grande: Traitors—Or Martyrs
Reading in PDF and music video. Reading by Milton Meltzer. 1974. Song by David Rovics.
The story of the San Patricio Battalion, Irish-American soldiers who deserted the US Army during the US-Mexican War and fought on the side of the Mexicans.
Seneca Falls, 1848: Women Organize for Equality
Teaching Activity PDF. By Bill Bigelow. 17 pages.
A role play allows students to examine issues of race and class when exploring both the accomplishments and limitations of the Seneca Falls Convention.
Civil Rights Movements, Democracy & Citizenship, Laws & Citizen Rights, Organizing, Women's History
Hunger on Trial: An Activity on the Irish Potato Famine and Its Meaning for Today
Teaching Activity PDF. By Bill Bigelow. 5 pages.
Role play in the form of a trial to determine who was responsible for the death of Irish peasants during the potato famine.
Environment & Food, Immigration, Social Class, World History/Global Studies
Frederick Douglass Fights for Freedom
Teaching Activity PDF. By Bill Bigelow. 7 pages.
A lesson to introduce students to the numerous and varied ways African Americans resisted their enslavement, using the autobiographical Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, published in 1845.
Reading Between the Lines: An Art Contest Helps Students Imagine the Lives of Runaway Slaves
Teaching Activity PDF. By Thom Thacker and Michael A. Lord. 4 pages.
An art contest is used as the basis from which students can examine primary historical documents (advertisements for runaway slaves) to gain a deeper understanding of the institution of slavery in the North.
Reclaiming Hidden History: Students Create a Slavery Walking Tour in Manhattan
Teaching Activity PDF. By Alan Singer. 7 pages.
How a teacher and his students organized a tour of the hidden history of slavery in New York.
‘If There Is No Struggle…’: Teaching a People’s History of the Abolition Movement
Teaching Activity. By Bill Bigelow. 16 pages.
A role play putting students in the position of abolitionist groups working together to end slavery.
African American, Civil Rights Movements, Democracy & Citizenship, Laws & Citizen Rights, Organizing, Racism & Racial Identity, Slavery
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.
The War on Mexico
Teaching Activity PDF. By Gayle Olson-Raymer. 14 pages.
Questions and teaching ideas for Chapter 8 of Voices of a People’s History of the United States on The Mexican-American War and domestic resistance to it.
Slavery and Defiance
Teaching Activity PDF. By Gayle Olson-Raymer. 17 pages.
Questions and teaching ideas for Chapter 9 of Voices of a People’s History of the United States on black and white resistance to slavery before the Civil War.
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
Teaching Guides
The Line Between Us: Teaching About the Border and Mexican Immigration
Teaching Guide. By Bill Bigelow. 2006. 160 pages.
Lessons for teaching about the history of US-Mexico relations and current border and immigration issues.
Articles
On the Road to Cultural Bias: A Critique of The Oregon Trail
Article for Educators in PDF. By Bill Bigelow. 13 pages.
Critque of the popular Oregon Trail computer game.
Audio
San Patricio
Audio. By The Chieftains featuring Ry Cooder. 2010.
Ballads about the San Patricio Battalion during the U.S. Mexico War.
Books: Fiction
The Birchbark House
Book – Fiction. By Louise Erdrich. 1999. 244 pages.
Historical fiction set in the mid-19th century in the Lake Superior area.
The Bobbin Girl
Book – Fiction. By Emily Arnold McCully. 1996. 36 pages.
Historical fiction for upper elementary based on a true story about the Lowell textile workers.
Books: Non-Fiction
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, Labor, Laws & Citizen Rights, Native American, Organizing, Racism & Racial Identity, Slavery, Social Class, US Foreign Policy, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements, Women's History
Slave Nation: How Slavery United the Colonies & Sparked the American Revolution
Book – Non-fiction. By Alfred Blumrosen and Ruth Blumrosen. 2006.
A detailed account of the role slavery played in the drawing of the U.S. Constitution and in shaping the United States.
Films
Chief Tecumseh: “Speech to the Osages”
Chief Tecumseh’s “Speech to the Osages” (Winter 1811-1812) read by Deepa Fernandes. From Voices of a People’s History of the United States.
Maria Stewart: Address Delivered at the African Masonic Hall
Film clip. From Voice of a People’s History of the United States. 3:41 minutes.
Maria Stewart’s “Address Delivered at the African Masonic Hall” (1833) is read by Alfre Woodard.
The North Star: “The War with Mexico”
Benjamin Bratt reads from The North Star, “The War with Mexico” (1848). From Voices of a People’s History in the United States.
Picture Books
The Bobbin Girl
Book – Fiction. By Emily Arnold McCully. 1996. 36 pages.
Historical fiction for upper elementary based on a true story about the Lowell textile workers.
Songs and Poems
When the Hunger Was Upon Us
By Nigel Gray
Poem about the causes and impact of the Irish Potato Famine.
Environment & Food, Social Class, World History/Global Studies
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