ALEX Resources

Title: Slavery: The Act of Buying, Selling, and Gifting Humans
Description: Through this lesson, students will explore primary sources related to the buying and selling of human beings for the purpose of slavery. Students will analyze receipts from stores and discuss what they demonstrate about modern society.  Students will then analyze the language and iconography used in bills of sale pertaining to the buying and selling of slaves in the 19th century. The students will write a paragraph to compare and contrast the items from both eras. This lesson was created in partnership with the Alabama Department of Archives and History.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (4) 30: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. [W.4.9]

Title: School Days: Early 19th Century in Alabama
Description: Students will explore an article about education in the early nineteenth century and a newspaper article from 1818 to determine what education was like in the early nineteenth century. Students will investigate the documents and find text evidence to find out what schools were like in the early nineteenth century. Students will use their findings to write a story. This lesson was created in partnership with the Alabama Department of Archives and History.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (4) 11: Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text. [RI.4.2]

Title: Letting Off Some Steam
Description: In this lesson, students will explore the invention of the steamboat and the role it played in the economy, transportation, and culture of the lifestyles of plantation owners, yeoman farmers, slaves, and townspeople of early nineteenth-century Alabama.  Students will compare and contrast steamboats, wagons, and stagecoaches as different modes of transportation for goods as well as people.  Students will create a steamboat advertisement to illustrate the importance of the invention of the steamboat in Alabama.  This lesson was created in partnership with the Alabama Department of Archives and History.
Standard(s):
[AED] VA (4) 2: Use traditional and digital media in the production of graphic design to communicate ideas and feelings.

Title: School is in Session!
Description: In this lesson, students will be able to describe cultural aspects of early nineteenth century townspeople by reading a newspaper article describing the opening of a new school. Students will also be able to discuss, infer, and write from a variety of perspectives when explaining the roles of various people mentioned in the article. This lesson was created in partnership with the Alabama Department of Archives and History.
Standard(s):
[SS2010] ALA (4) 6: Describe cultural, economic, and political aspects of the lifestyles of early nineteenth-century farmers, plantation owners, slaves, and townspeople.

Title: The Slave Experience: A Look at a Slave's Life in the Nineteenth Century
Description: Students will explore two NCSS Notable Trade Books and a newspaper advertisement to develop an understanding of what life was like for slaves in the nineteenth century.  Students will use their understanding to write a narrative story about being a slave in the nineteenth century. Students will use the website MyStorybook to create and publish their stories. This lesson was created in partnership with the Alabama Department of Archives and History.
Standard(s):
[TC2] (3-5) 12: Create a product using digital tools.

Title: You Don't Have Mail!
Description: This lesson will provide students with two primary documents, a drawing of a postal stagecoach and a newspaper article outlining the difficulties of mail delivery. Students will complete a graphic organizer to provide evidence that details a specific perspective described in the documents. Students will examine the cultural and economic aspects of the early nineteenth century and will refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences. Students will be able to explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points of view. This lesson was created in partnership with the Alabama Department of Archives and History.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (4) 17: Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text. [RI.4.8]

Title: Look Who's Coming to Dinner!
Description: Students will read from an Alabama newspaper about President James Monroe's surprise visit to Huntsville. The article discusses the purposes of the visit, the locals who welcomed and entertained the President, and his discussion of current (1819) events. This lesson was created in partnership with the Alabama Department of Archives and History.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (4) 12: Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text. [RI.4.3]

Title: Lafayette's Grand Tour
Description: Students will analyze a primary document and read a secondary source about the Marquis de Lafayette's Grand Tour of the United States in 1825. The Marquis and his entourage toured lower Alabama for a few days in April. Students will create an annotated timeline detailing his days and the events that occurred in Alabama as the country prepared to celebrate America's 50th birthday. The timeline will include dates and descriptions of the people, places, and events in informative summaries as well as appropriate illustrations. This lesson was created in partnership with the Alabama Department of Archives and History.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (4) 12: Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text. [RI.4.3]

Title: You are Invited!
Description: Students will analyze a primary document that details items purchased to celebrate the Marquis de Lafayette's tour of Alabama in April 1825. Students will create an invitation to the celebration, including the What, Where, When, Why, What to Bring, and R.S.V.P. Students will include details from the secondary source, as well as the primary document, to include on the invitation. The event will be explained utilizing the format of the invitation. This lesson is part of the SSC3 A+ College Ready training. This lesson was created in partnership with the Alabama Department of Archives and History.
Standard(s):
[ELA2015] (4) 15: Compare and contrast a firsthand and secondhand account of the same event or topic; describe the differences in focus and the information provided. [RI.4.6]

Title: The Value of a Slave
Description: Students will use primary sources to investigate the economic aspect of slavery in the United States and the role of slavery as a cause of the Civil War. This lesson was created as a part of the Alabama History Education Initiative, funded by a generous grant from the Malone Family Foundation in 2009. Author Information: DeShaundra Johnson (Cohort 1: 2009-2010)Hall-Kent Elementary School Homewood City School System Homewood, AL
Standard(s):
[SS2010] US10 (10) 12: Describe the founding of the first abolitionist societies by Benjamin Rush and Benjamin Franklin and the role played by later critics of slavery, including William Lloyd Garrison, Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, Angelina and Sarah Grimké, Henry David Thoreau, and Charles Sumner. [A.1.a., A.1.c., A.1.e., A.1.f., A.1.g., A.1.i., A.1.j.]

Title: Settlement of Frontier Alabama
Description: This lesson is a language arts/social studies lesson for the purpose of developing student knowledge of westward expansion with an emphasis on the settlement of frontier Alabama. Students will work independently and collaboratively to construct a vocabulary list associated with the westward movement both before and after a PowerPoint presentation. Students will use the vocabulary learned in the lesson to compose a friendly letter. This lesson was created as a part of the Alabama History Education Initiative, funded by a generous grant from the Malone Family Foundation in 2009. Author Information:  Darlene Kellison (Cohort 1: 2009-2010) Evans Elementary, Albertville City School System Albertville, AL
Standard(s):
[SS2010] ALA (4) 6: Describe cultural, economic, and political aspects of the lifestyles of early nineteenth-century farmers, plantation owners, slaves, and townspeople.

Title: Clotilde, The Last Slave Ship
Description: In this lesson, students will examine the reasons for the continued importation of slaves into the United States even though Congress had made the importation of slaves illegal in 1807. A PowerPoint will be used to relate the story of the Clotilde, the last slave ship that landed in the United States, in 1860. This lesson was created as a part of the Alabama History Education Initiative, funded by a generous grant from the Malone Family Foundation in 2009. Author Information: Bonnie Shanks, Consultant Alabama History Education Initiative; Rebecca Gregory, Consultant Alabama History Education Initiative
Standard(s):
[SS2010] US10 (10) 9: Explain dynamics of economic nationalism during the Era of Good Feelings, including transportation systems, Henry Clay's American System, slavery and the emergence of the plantation system, and the beginning of industrialism in the Northeast. [A.1.a., A.1.c., A.1.e., A.1.f., A.1.g., A.1.i., A.1.j.]

Title: Edible Alabama and Her Agricultural Resources
Description: This is a great culminating activity after a unit study on the natural resources of the state of Alabama. Students will investigate some of Alabama's agricultural resources and create a multimedia presentation about one of them or recipe brochure featuring Alabama resources. Students will then decorate cookies that have been cut into the shape of Alabama, with various food items to represent the agricultural resources found in Alabama.
Standard(s):
[SS2010] ALA (4) 6: Describe cultural, economic, and political aspects of the lifestyles of early nineteenth-century farmers, plantation owners, slaves, and townspeople.

Title: The Underground Railroad
Description: The Underground Railroad of the 1800's inspired talented writers of all ages. This lesson will integrate some of these famous writings to encourage students to develop their questioning techniques for analysis of literature while furthering their knowledge of this era in American history. As an extension of this study, students will create a class quilt to illustrate the depth of their research.
Standard(s):
[SS2010] USS5 (5) 11: Identify causes of the Civil War, including states' rights and the issue of slavery.

Title: Never, Ever Give Up!
Description: This lesson plan introduces the importance of perseverance. Students will discover that success comes through perseverance. Students will also have the opportunity to research Abraham Lincoln on the Internet to document examples of perseverance.
Standard(s):
[SS2010] ALA (4) 6: Describe cultural, economic, and political aspects of the lifestyles of early nineteenth-century farmers, plantation owners, slaves, and townspeople.

Title: Genealogical Atlases
Description: This Xpeditions lesson asks students to interview their parents or other relatives about what it was like where they grew up. Students use outline maps to create genealogical atlases that illustrate the places of their ancestry and the activities in which their relatives and ancestors participated when living there.
Standard(s):
[SS2010] ALA (4) 16: Determine the impact of population growth on cities, major road systems, demographics, natural resources, and the natural environment of Alabama during the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries.

Title: Harriet Tubman: Secret Messages Shared through Song
Description: In this lesson, students are introduced to the African-American spiritual and its use of a secret language to share information within the slave community.
Standard(s):
[SS2010] ALA (4) 7: Explain reasons for Alabama's secession from the Union, including sectionalism, slavery, states' rights, and economic disagreements.

Title: Harriet Tubman: Dancing on the Freedom Trail
Description: In this lesson, students are introduced to the emotional struggles Tubman faced as she helped slaves escape and travel north along the Underground Railroad.
Standard(s):
[SS2010] ALA (4) 14: Analyze the modern Civil Rights Movement to determine the social, political, and economic impact on Alabama.

Title: Jazz Music, Dance and Poetry
Description: In this lesson, students will be introduced to jazz dance and jazz music. They will explore basic jazz dance movements, and will create a cinquain poem inspired by jazz music.
Standard(s):
[SS2010] ALA (4) 6: Describe cultural, economic, and political aspects of the lifestyles of early nineteenth-century farmers, plantation owners, slaves, and townspeople.

Title: Design Your Own Suburb
Description: This lesson, from Xpeditions, asks students to think about their own perceptions of cities and suburbs and to consider the features that exist in a typical urban and suburban area. They also learn about sprawl and some of the problems associated with rapid suburban growth. They conclude by designing their own suburbs.
Standard(s):
[SS2010] USS5 (5) 3: Distinguish differences among major American Indian cultures in North America according to geographic region, natural resources, community organization, economy, and belief systems.

Title: Where I Come From
Description: In this lesson, from EDSITEment, students take research into their heritage a step beyond the construction of a family tree, traveling through cyberspace to find out what's happening in their ancestral homelands today and explore their sense of connection to these places in their past.
Standard(s):
[SS2010] USS5 (5) 10: Describe political, social, and economic events between 1803 and 1860 that led to the expansion of the territory of the United States, including the War of 1812, the Indian Removal Act, the Texas-Mexican War, the Mexican-American War, and the Gold Rush of 1849.

Title: EDSITEment lessons on Slavery, the Crisis of the Union, the Civil War and Reconstruction
Description: This is an expansive multi-disciplinary collection of EDSITEment resources on the antebellum and Civil War era of American history.
Standard(s):
[SS2010] USS5 (5) 11: Identify causes of the Civil War, including states' rights and the issue of slavery.

Title: Slave Narratives: Constructing U.S. History Through Analyzing Primary Sources
Description: In this lesson, from EDSITEment, students research narratives from the Federal Writers Project and describe the lives of former African slaves in the U.S., both before and after Emancipation. From varied stories, students sample the breadth of individual experiences, make generalizations about the effects of slavery and Reconstruction on African Americans, and evaluate primary source documents.
Standard(s):
[SS2010] USS5 (5) 11: Identify causes of the Civil War, including states' rights and the issue of slavery.

Title: Tracing The Underground Railroad
Digital Tool: Scholastic Digital Tool
Web Address URL: http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/bhistory/underground_railroad/plantation.htm
Standard(s):
[SS2010] ALA (4) 6: Describe cultural, economic, and political aspects of the lifestyles of early nineteenth-century farmers, plantation owners, slaves, and townspeople.
Digital Tool Description: Scholastic Digital Tools is a tool that allows teachers and students to access and download interactive PDFs and digital tools online.  To download and use Scholastic Digital Tools, you will need a computer or mobile device with an Internet connection, the latest version of Adobe Reader (compatible with iOS or Android), and either an Internet Explorer, Safari, Firefox, or Chrome browser.

Title: Put Yourself in Their Shoes
Digital Tool: Mission US: Think Fast! About the Past App for iPad
Web Address URL: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mission-us-think-fast!-about/id566607316?mt=8
Standard(s):
[SS2010] USS5 (5) 8: Identify major events of the American Revolution, including the battles of Lexington and Concord, Bunker Hill, Saratoga, and Yorktown.
Digital Tool Description: This trip lets your students take a step back into a time in history when our nation faced big changes.   Students will be able to complete two missions using this great app.  One mission lets them explore life as an apprentice during the time of the American Revolution.  The other mission allows them to take part in helping to free a slave via the Underground Railroad. In this app, students are in a race against time.  They are given a limit of 5 minutes to answer a certain number of questions correctly in order to complete the challenge.   This app would be a great extension activity to use after teaching the lesson plan, "Yo! The Slaves Have Gotta Go."

Title: Slave Life and the Underground Railroad Homepage
Description: Students will learn about slavery, slave life and the Underground Railroad in this OurStory module. OurStory is a series of modules designed by the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History to help children and adults enjoy exploring history together through the use of objects from the Museum's vast collections, quality children's literature, and engaging hands-on activities. Ideal for afterschool use, OurStory resources allow students to think critically, to be creative, and to achieve academic standards both in and out of the classroom.
Standard(s):
[SS2010] ALA (4) 6: Describe cultural, economic, and political aspects of the lifestyles of early nineteenth-century farmers, plantation owners, slaves, and townspeople.

Title: Life in a Sod House: Background Information
Description: In this reference included in the "OurStory'' module from the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History entitled Life in a Sod House, students will learn about life on the prairie and in sod houses. Discussed through the use of text and photographs are the Homestead Act, everyday life on the prairie and the challenges and realities of building and living in a sod house. "OurStory'' is a series of modules designed to help children and adults enjoy exploring history together through the use of objects from the Museum's vast collections, quality children's literature, and engaging hands-on activities. Ideal for afterschool use, "OurStory'' resources will allow students to think critically, to be creative, and to achieve academic standards both in and out of the classroom.
Standard(s):
[SS2010] ALA (4) 6: Describe cultural, economic, and political aspects of the lifestyles of early nineteenth-century farmers, plantation owners, slaves, and townspeople.

Title: Rebellion: John Horse and the Black Seminoles
Description: The site explores the story of the first black rebels to beat American slavery and leaders of the largest slave rebellion in U.S. history.
Standard(s):
[SS2010] ALA (4) 7: Explain reasons for Alabama's secession from the Union, including sectionalism, slavery, states' rights, and economic disagreements.

Title: Silver Teapot made for Abigail Robinson of Newport, RI
Description: Teapots were among the fashionable items that fit many colonists' taste for stylish possessions in 18th-century British North America. Among the prosperous classes, growing numbers adopted the genteel practice of drinking afternoon tea in imitation of the English gentry. Some Americans imported ceramic tea services, while others patronized local silversmiths. Silver was intrinsically expensive, and it allowed engraved decoration and personalized initials, as on this teapot...
Standard(s):
[SS2010] US10 (10) 3: Trace the chronology of events leading to the American Revolution, including the French and Indian War, passage of the Stamp Act, the Boston Tea Party, the Boston Massacre, passage of the Intolerable Acts, the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the publication of Common Sense, and the signing of the Declaration of Independence. [A.1.a., A.1.b., A.1.d., A.1.g., A.1.i.]

Title: Spinning Wheel
Description: Spinning wheels are believed to have originated in India between 500 and 1000 A.D. By the 13th century, they were seen in Europe, and were a standard piece of equipment for those making fiber into yarn. By the 17th century they were commonly found in homes in the colonies of North America.
Standard(s):
[SS2010] US10 (10) 9: Explain dynamics of economic nationalism during the Era of Good Feelings, including transportation systems, Henry Clay's American System, slavery and the emergence of the plantation system, and the beginning of industrialism in the Northeast. [A.1.a., A.1.c., A.1.e., A.1.f., A.1.g., A.1.i., A.1.j.]

Title: Slave Shackles
Description: In the 15th century, decades before they sailed into the Caribbean, Spanish merchants, captains, and adventurers had already conquered and enslaved the people of the Canary Islands in the eastern Atlantic Ocean. On the western coast of continental Africa, the Portuguese had been cultivating a slavery-based economic policy. This legacy of conquest and slavery shaped the colonization of Puerto Rico and other islands in the Caribbean. Some of the first American encounters between Europeans, Indians, and Africans took place in Puerto Rico, and its early history of genocidal violence and physical exploitation was repeated throughout the Americas.
Standard(s):
[SS2010] US10 (10) 13: Summarize major legislation and court decisions from 1800 to 1861 that led to increasing sectionalism, including the Missouri Compromise of 1820, the Compromise of 1850, the Fugitive Slave Acts, the Kansas-Nebraska Act, and the Dred Scott decision. [A.1.a., A.1.c., A.1.e., A.1.f., A.1.g., A.1.i., A.1.j.]

Title: Treasures of American History: National Challenges
Description: The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History provides a broad and complex view of the American experience. The valuable pieces of history displayed in this section of the online exhibition entitled "Treasures of American History'' document some of the struggles, conflicts, and controversies that have shaped the nation. Students will learn that by understanding the challenges of the past, they can draw lessons and inspiration for confronting new challenges in the present and future. The topics discussed in this section are: the American Revolution; slavery; westward expansion; the Civil War, women's suffrage, the Great Depression and World War II, the Civil Rights movement and AIDS. A Spanish version of the exhibition is available on the exhibition's homepage.
Standard(s):
[SS2010] USS5 (5) 13: Describe social and economic influences on United States' expansion prior to World War I.

Title: Sewing Machine Patent Model
Description: This is a patent model of a sewing machine invented by John Bachelder of Boston, Mass., who was issued Patent No. 6439 on May 8, 1849. In his patent specification he claims "As my invention or improvement in the sewing machine is the combination, with the endless cloth-holder, of the curved bar or piece of metal v, for discharging the cloth from its points after being sewed, all as described."
Standard(s):
[SS2010] US10 (10) 9: Explain dynamics of economic nationalism during the Era of Good Feelings, including transportation systems, Henry Clay's American System, slavery and the emergence of the plantation system, and the beginning of industrialism in the Northeast. [A.1.a., A.1.c., A.1.e., A.1.f., A.1.g., A.1.i., A.1.j.]

Title: Get a "Sense" of It
Description: What would life have been like in a sod house? This group of activities will allow students to use their senses to see, smell, and feel what it would have been like to live on the prairie long ago. Included in an OurStory module, this activity is designed to help children and adults enjoy exploring history together through the use of objects from the Museum's vast collections, quality children's literature, and engaging hands-on activities. Ideal for afterschool use, OurStory resources will allow students to think critically, to be creative, and to achieve academic standards both in and out of the classroom.
Standard(s):
[SS2010] USS5 (5) 13: Describe social and economic influences on United States' expansion prior to World War I.

Title: Send a Lincoln Letter
Description: Writing and receiving letters is fun! In 1860, Grace Bedell wrote a letter to Abraham Lincoln and took it to her local post office to mail it. A week later, a very special letter was waiting for her when she returned! Write a letter and then take it to the post office using helpful advice in this resource from the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. Included in an OurStory module, entitled A Letter to Abraham Lincoln, this activity will encourage children to write letters to friends and family as well as learn more about their local post office. OurStory is a series of modules designed to help children and adults enjoy exploring history together through the use of objects from the Museum's vast collections, quality children's literature, and engaging hands-on activities. Ideal for afterschool use, OurStory resources will allow students to think critically, to be creative, and to achieve academic standards both in and out of the classroom. National Museum of American History
Standard(s):
[SS2010] USS5 (5) 11: Identify causes of the Civil War, including states' rights and the issue of slavery.

Title: Reading Dakota Dugout
Description: In this activity, students will read Dakota Dugout by Ann Turner and answer questions about the book. They will then look at the image of an object that would have been important to women living in a house made of sod and try to determine what the object is. This resource is included in an OurStory module entitled Life in a Sod House.OurStory is a series of modules designed to help children and adults enjoy exploring history together through the use of objects from the Museum's vast collections, quality children's literature, and engaging hands-on activities. Ideal for afterschool use, OurStory resources will allow students to think critically, to be creative, and to achieve academic standards both in and out of the classroom.
Standard(s):
[SS2010] USS5 (5) 13: Describe social and economic influences on United States' expansion prior to World War I.

Title: Darkroom Detectives
Description: What can we learn about life in a sod house by looking at photographs? In this activity, students will analyze two photographs of families who lived in homes made of sod in order to answer questions about these families' lives. OurStory is a series of modules designed to help children and adults enjoy exploring history together through the use of objects from the Museum's vast collections, quality children's literature, and engaging hands-on activities. Ideal for afterschool use, OurStory resources will allow students to think critically, to be creative, and to achieve academic standards both in and out of the classroom.
Standard(s):
[SS2010] USS5 (5) 13: Describe social and economic influences on United States' expansion prior to World War I.

Title: Reading Follow the Drinking Gourd
Description: In this activity, students will increase their knowledge of slavery, slave life and the Underground Railroad by answering questions about the book and song Follow the Drinking Gourd and then writing and illustrating a poem or letter playing the role of a conductor, agent or passenger on the Underground Railroad. It is included in an OurStory module entitled Slave Life and the Underground Railroad . OurStory is a series of modules designed to help children and adults enjoy exploring history together through the use of objects from the Museum's vast collections, quality children's literature, and engaging hands-on activities. Ideal for afterschool use, OurStory resources allow students to think critically, to be creative, and to achieve academic standards both in and out of the classroom.
Standard(s):
[SS2010] USS5 (5) 11: Identify causes of the Civil War, including states' rights and the issue of slavery.

Title: Using Rice Plantation Tools
Description: In this activity, students will analyze images of tools that were used on rice plantations to determine each tool's purpose. These objects can tell us a great deal about slavery and the lives of the slaves who worked on rice plantations. It is included in an OurStory module entitled Slave Life and the Underground Railroad . OurStory is a series of modules designed by the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History to help children and adults enjoy exploring history together through the use of objects from the Museum's vast collections, quality children's literature, and engaging hands-on activities. Ideal for afterschool use, OurStory resources allow students to think critically, to be creative, and to achieve academic standards both in and out of the classroom.
Standard(s):
[SS2010] USS5 (5) 11: Identify causes of the Civil War, including states' rights and the issue of slavery.

Title: Document Detective
Description: Historians gather information about the past by looking at primary sources. In this activity, students will practice using primary sources by to learn about slavery and the Underground Railroad by analyzing newspaper advertisements regarding runaway slaves from the Charleston Mercury. It is included in an OurStory module entitled Slave Life and the Underground Railroad . OurStory is a series of modules designed by the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History to help children and adults enjoy exploring history together through the use of objects from the Museum's vast collections, quality children's literature, and engaging hands-on activities. Ideal for afterschool use, OurStory resources allow students to think critically, to be creative, and to achieve academic standards both in and out of the classroom.
Standard(s):
[SS2010] ALA (4) 6: Describe cultural, economic, and political aspects of the lifestyles of early nineteenth-century farmers, plantation owners, slaves, and townspeople.

Title: Reading Seven Miles to Freedom
Description: Seven Miles to Freedom is a book about Robert Smalls, a man who was born a slave in South Carolina, but made a daring escape to freedom on the ship CSS Planter and joined the Union in fighting to end slavery in America. Part of an OurStory module entitled Full Steam to Freedom, this activity includes strategies that will help adults and children actively read Full Steam to Freedom together. OurStory is designed to help children and adults enjoy exploring history together through the use of children's literature, everyday objects, and hands-on activities.
Standard(s):
[SS2010] USS5 (5) 11: Identify causes of the Civil War, including states' rights and the issue of slavery.

Title: History Explorer Podcast: Holidays on Display
Description: In this episode of the History Explorer podcast series, curator Larry Bird discusses the development of holiday parades, department store window displays, and light shows and examines larger issues in American culture in the late nineteeth through mid-twentieth centuries including urbanization, suburbanization, and consumerism. The teacher guide includes discussion questions and related resources.
Standard(s):
[SS2010] USS6 (6) 4: Identify cultural and economic developments in the United States from 1900 through the 1930s.

Title: Go Back in Time
Description: Travel back in time to visit five of the families who lived at 16 Elm Street in Ipswich, Massachusetts over the past 200 years in this interactive game from the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. Students will match primary source materials and museum artifacts to the appropriate time period in order to learn about the everyday lives of Americans from different eras of our nation's history. This activity is one of the educational resources included in the online exhibition entitled Within These Walls .
Standard(s):
[SS2010] USS5 (5) 13: Describe social and economic influences on United States' expansion prior to World War I.

Title: Slave Life and the Underground Railroad
Description: In this "OurStory'' module entitled "Life and the Underground Railroad'' , students will learn about slavery, slave life and the Underground Railroad. OurStory is a series of modules designed by the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History to help children and adults enjoy exploring history together through the use of objects from the Museum's vast collections, quality children's literature, and engaging hands-on activities. Ideal for afterschool use, OurStory resources allow students to think critically, to be creative, and to achieve academic standards both in and out of the classroom.
Standard(s):
[SS2010] ALA (4) 6: Describe cultural, economic, and political aspects of the lifestyles of early nineteenth-century farmers, plantation owners, slaves, and townspeople.

Title: Slave Life and the Underground Railroad: Document Detective
Description: Historians gather information about the past by looking at primary sources. In this activity, students will practice using primary sources by to learn about slavery and the Underground Railroad by analyzing newspaper advertisements regarding runaway slaves from the Charleston Mercury. It is included in an "OurStory'' module entitled Slave Life and the Underground Railroad.
Standard(s):
[SS2010] USS5 (5) 11: Identify causes of the Civil War, including states' rights and the issue of slavery.