An examination of "classic" documents in American history from the seventeenth through the twentieth centuries, including writings by authors such as John Winthrop, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison; Frederick Douglass, William Lloyd Garrison, and Abraham Lincoln; Horatio Alger, Jacob Riis and Thorstein Veblen; Franklin D. Roosevelt, Betty Friedan, Bob Dylan, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Music, taped speeches, television programs, motion pictures, and/or other visual materials may also be included. Class meetings consist primarily of discussions and there is one required museum trip.

There are three American myths that define "Americanness." The frontier, the melting pot and the "self-made man." They're concepts that define how we are to think about transformation, progress and possibility in America. They also rarely hold up. Heike Paul, author of The Myths That Made America, is our guide to the stories we tell about how it is in this country (even when it isn't.)

(From the Stanford History Education Website)
In the decades following the Civil War, the US military clashed with Native Americans in the West.  The Battle of Little Bighorn was one of the Native Americans most famous victories. In this lesson, students explore causes of the battle by comparing two primary documents with a textbook account.

Reframing American History is a resource guide for kindergarten through twelfth grade teachers, curriculum specialists and administrators.  The attached resources support the development of an accurate, integrative, and comprehensive social studies and history curriculum model that focuses on the critical role African Americans played in our country’s development with a focus on three goals.Reframing American History is a resource guide for kindergarten through twelfth grade teachers, curriculum specialists and administrators.  The attached resources support the development of an accurate, integrative, and comprehensive social studies and history curriculum model that focuses on the critical role African Americans played in our country’s development with a focus on three goals. Goal 1 focuses on easy access to a diverse group of vetted resources in support of a social studies curriculum for grades K through 12 that is inclusive and developmentally appropriate; one that highlights the experiences and contributions of African Americans since they are integral to the origins and development of the United States as well as Wisconsin. Goal 2 ensures that Wisconsin teachers (those in training as well as those currently teaching in the classroom) will have essential historical knowledge of African Americans, their history, and experiences as they relate to our country’s development. Evidenced-based instructional methods and materials will be made available to teachers to support their ability to foster their students’ learning in a positive and nurturing manner.  Goal 3 focuses on ensuring that all Wisconsin public school students graduate with the essential knowledge and skills that will prepare them to work and live in our racially and culturally diverse world. Fortified with this knowledge, they will be able to create an equitable and just society. 

The Digital Public Library of America is a free digital collection of artifacts gathered from libraries, archives and museums.  This great collection of primary source materials will continue to grow as new items are made digital. 

PBS "Into the Unknown" is an interactive activity to help students understand the explorations of Lewis and Clark. The activity probably should take a student 30 – 45 minutes.

This class is a global survey of the great transformation in history known as the "Industrial Revolution." Topics include origins of mechanized production, the factory system, steam propulsion, electrification, mass communications, mass production and automation. Emphasis on the transfer of technology and its many adaptations around the world. Countries treated include Great Britain, France, Germany, the US, Sweden, Russia, Japan, China, and India. Includes brief reflection papers and a final paper.

From the site:
Developed for use in middle and high school classrooms, Mission US engages students in the study of transformational moments in American history. Each mission consists of an interactive game and a set of curriculum materials that are aligned to national standards and feature document-based activities. The game immerses players in rich, historical settings and then empowers them to make choices that illuminate how ordinary people experienced the past. The Educator's Guide provides a wealth of resources and activities for both teachers and students, including primary source documents that show the broader social, political, and economic context of events and perspectives featured in the game.

This lesson will introduce the students to the challenges of American foreign policy in the late 19 century and specifically to the political debate over whether the United States should acquire further territory and/or become a European-style empire. With the help of primary source documents students will debate this issue to help them come to their own assessment of the idea of an American Empire. (Taken directly from website)

From the site:  Thanks to the Disney film, most students know the legend of Pocahontas. But is the story told in the 1995 movie accurate? In this lesson, students use evidence to explore whether Pocahontas actually saved John Smith's life and practice the ability to source, corroborate, and contextualize historical documents.Please note that there are two versions of the lesson plan available. The shorter version is designed for younger students.

Aims to develop a teaching knowledge of the field through extensive reading and discussion of major works. The reading covers a broad range of topics -- political, economic, social, and cultural -- and represents a variety of historical methods. Students make frequent oral presentations and prepare a 20-page review essay.

(Taken directly from website) 
The constitutional amendments passed during Reconstruction vastly expanded former slaves' rights and opportunities. At the same time, the Black Codes passed in most Southern towns, cities, and states curtailed those rights and opportunities. The tension between African Americans' federal and local rights raises questions about the impact of Reconstruction on the freedom of former slaves. In this structured academic controversy, students examine constitutional amendments, a Black Code, a personal account of a former slave, and other documents to answer the question: “Were African Americans free during Reconstruction?"

SlaveryStories.org is an open source project that anyone can can contribute to. It presents various slave narrtives in an easy to find and visably appealing mannter.  It is a good source for literature circles, historical comparisons and narrtive examples.

This course is a graduate reading seminar, in which historical and contemporary studies are used to explore the interaction of technology with social and political values. Emphasis is on how technological devices, structures, and systems influence the organization of society and the behavior of its members. Examples are drawn from the technologies of war, transportation, communication, production, and reproduction.

Our linked subjects are (1) the historical process by which the meaning of technology has been constructed, and (2) the concurrent transformation of the environment. To explain the emergence of technology as a pivotal word (and concept) in contemporary public discourse, we will examine responses--chiefly political and literary--to the development of the mechanic arts, and to the linked social, cultural, and ecological transformation of 19th- and 20th-century American society, culture, and landscape.

Zoom In provides 18 guided lessons on historical events where students focus on reading primary and secondary documents closely, gathering evidence, and writing an argumentative or explanatory essay. Throughout the process students are asked to do the following:
Read documents closely and criticallyIdentify author's point of view and purposeEngage in higher-order, text-based discussionsWrite explanatory and argumentative essays grounded in evidence