American History

Students will look at how the atomic bomb changed the world politically, socially, technologically and economically.

This activity includes whole group instruction, small group instruction and individual instruction. The instructor should prepare the pacing and depth of conversation based on the level of the students in the class.

Students will participate in a simulation of the Potsdam Conference between the United States, the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union.

Group discussion of Norman Rockwell’s painting from the October 30, 1948 cover of the Saturday Evening Post.

Students will take a position on one of the many topics listed and create an argument that is supported with the use of primary sources found on the Truman Presidential Library website.

Study of Jackson’s battle with the Bank of the US using a primary source with a student application piece

Students will learn about Presidential State visits and dinners through the powerpoint of pictures about Gerald Ford’s presidency of hosting and attending state dinners. (He is used as an example since he hosted the most state dinners as President.) Then students will look at an infographic about the continents that are most visited by Presidents for state dinners.

This lesson will be a cooperative activity between a pair or group of students that will incorporate primary sources and a writing activity.

Assignment is both individual and cooperative integrating media and visual literacy
into social studies core content using primary sources - Presidential photographs. Abraham
Lincoln, our 16th president, and an early adopter of his era’s newest technology (photography),
has a lot in common with today’s Instagram and TikTok stars. Recognizing the camera's power,
Abraham Lincoln made extensive use of photographs during his presidency. He often sat for the
leading photographers of the day, allowing them to distribute his image widely. Lincoln was the
first president to take full advantage of photography, both as a campaign tool and to craft a
desirable public persona.