Today’s post comes from Joel Walker, education specialist at the National Archives at Atlanta. On December 31, 1942, the Counter Intelligence Section of the Seventh Naval District based in Jacksonville, Florida, distributed its monthly summary of subversive activities. On page two of the summary, under the heading "Activities Concerning Negroes," was printed a small paragraph … Continue reading What Effect Did the WWII Fair Employment Practices Commission Have on the Civil Rights Movement?
Category: Teaching Activities & Lesson Plans
Resources for Teaching about the Constitution
September 17th is Constitution Day! Here are resources from the National Archives and some of our partner organizations for teaching about the Constitution.
The DocsTeach App for iPad
The DocsTeach App extends learning activities from the DocsTeach website to your students' iPads. Using the app, they can choose a topic, such as “Civics & Government” or “Postwar U.S. 1945–early 1970s,” and challenge themselves with a DocsTeach activity, interacting with stories, events, and ideas of the past. The activities are all based on primary source documents from the … Continue reading The DocsTeach App for iPad
Propaganda Posters and the Common Core
I don’t know if it says something about me, but I have always been fascinated with propaganda posters. When I was in the classroom, I probably spent more time than I had to focusing on the various symbols, messages, and styles the US government used during World War I and World War II to gain … Continue reading Propaganda Posters and the Common Core
Mr. President, It is my Desire to be free.
"Mr. President, It is my Desire to be free." Thus wrote (another - not me!) Annie Davis to Abraham Lincoln, 20 months after he issued the Emancipation Proclamation. Writing from Belair, Maryland, she continued, “Will you please let me know if we are free.” But she was not. The Emancipation Proclamation affected only those states … Continue reading Mr. President, It is my Desire to be free.
Resources from the New George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum
Today's opening of the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum on the campus of Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, makes 13 Presidential Libraries that are administered by the National Archives and Records Administration. Part of the Library and Museum’s mission is to encourage students of all ages to learn more about the Presidency, the … Continue reading Resources from the New George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum
Dumping the Flow Chart of the Legislative Process
Watching C-SPAN or using the old textbook flow chart can be a pretty boring way to teach the legislative process. As future voters, it is important for students to understand how lawmaking works and what role they will play in that process. But how can you do it without putting your students to sleep? Making … Continue reading Dumping the Flow Chart of the Legislative Process