African American History and Early History of Africa and Global Contributions

First European Settlements – The Courageous Life of Early Pioneers

Separate Fact from Fiction in How the English, French and Spanish Put Down Roots in America and Set the Stage for the Democracy We Enjoy Today

Students will follow inquiry-based learning to discover daily life for families who settled our nation when it was called the New World. This ground-breaking experiential learning curriculum is at your fingertips via web-based access. It includes all relevant research and sourced material needed to document facts.  Students will:

  • View a student-narrated video that delivers a compelling history of the Lost Colony at Roanoke Island, St. Augustine, Jamestown and Plymouth Colony with a gripping narrative and eye-catching graphics.
  • Solve the mystery of what happened to settlers who vanished from Roanoke Island.
  • Determine the truth behind the popular takes of Pocahontas, Plymouth Rock, the first Thanksgiving and the relationships between Pilgrims and Native Americans.

American Revolution – Rebellion Leads to Freedom

Discover how American colonists declared and won their independence from one of the strongest countries in the world.

Students will follow inquiry-based learning to trace how tensions between colonial America and England led to the outbreak of war and ultimately to the Continental Army’s victory and the formation of an independent United States of America. This ground-breaking experiential learning curriculum is at your fingertips via web-based access. It includes all relevant research and sourced material needed to document facts. Students will:

  • View a student-narrated video that describes the prelude to war, battles in both the northern and southern theaters and the final peace treaty.
  • Compare and contrast the motives of those American colonists who sided with the Patriots with those who sided with England and remained Loyalists.
  • Analyze how political leaders of the American Revolution transitioned from fighting a war against England for independence, to forming an independent nation and new government.

The Great Chicago Fire –Turning Tragedy into Triumph

Explore How Urban Planners, Business Leaders and Residents Rebuilt the Fastest-Growing City in the World after Fire Turned it to Ash in 1871

Students will follow inquiry-based learning to actively explore the causes of the Great Chicago Fire and how residents dug in to rebuild by replacing wooden structures with brick, stone and steel, and erecting the world’s first skyscraper. This ground-breaking experiential learning curriculum is at your fingertips via web-based access. It includes all relevant research and sourced material needed to document facts.  Students will:

  • View a student-narrated video that describes the tragedy of the Great Chicago Fire, documenting the loss of life and destruction of property. The narrator also chronicles the massive rebuilding that included a broad vision for urban planning and beautification along the city’s shoreline of Lake Michigan.
  • Investigate the cause of the Great Chicago Fire and determine whether the initial suspect – Mrs. O’Leary’s cow – was responsible.
  • Interview parents and grandparents regarding natural and human-made disasters that took place in their community. Compare and contrast those accounts with how Chicago attempted to rebuild following the Great Chicago Fire.

Ellis Island and Immigration – A Gateway to Liberty and Opportunity

Investigate the Bravery, Hardships and Other Experiences of Immigrants Seeking the American Dream and How their Legacy Affects Us Today

Students will follow inquiry-based learning to actively explore the stories and photos behind the mass immigration through Ellis Island that occurred in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This ground-breaking experiential learning curriculum is at your fingertips via web-based access. It includes all relevant research and sourced material needed to document facts.  Students will:

  • View a student-narrated video that delivers a captivating history of Ellis Island with an absorbing storyline and powerful visuals.
  • Develop a timeline on the construction of the Statue of Liberty.
  • Interview family members and identify the role immigration played in their own history, and determine how our shared history as a nation of immigrants impacts society today.

Causes and Consequences of World War I – The War to End all Wars

Discover How an Assassination in Europe Could Trigger a Global War that Lasted over 4 Years and Killed 9 Million Soldiers

Using government records, diaries, letters, drawings and posters, students will follow inquiry-based learning to actively explore the causes of World War I and its horrors. They also will analyze how the U.S. managed to stay out of the war for three years, and why our nation was eventually drawn into the conflict. This ground-breaking experiential learning curriculum is at your fingertips via web-based access. It includes all relevant research and sourced material needed to document facts.  Students will:

  • View a student-narrated video that delivers a frank look at the cause and brutality of World War I on land and sea with a dramatic storyline and photos.
  • Examine the experiences of soldiers on the Western Front, including life in the trenches and the attempt for civility with the Christmas Truce of 1914.
  • Determine how the sinking of the British ocean liner, RMS Lusitania, and the discovery of the Zimmerman Telegraph led President Woodrow Wilson to ask Congress to declare war on Germany.

U.S. Entry into World War II – A Battle to Preserve Democracy

Investigate How the Treatment of Germany after World War I Led to the Rise of the Nazi Party and Adolf Hitler and Why the U.S. Eventually Joined World War II

Students will follow inquiry-based learning to actively explore the causes of World War II and how the deadly attack on the U.S. Navy at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii led President Franklin Roosevelt to declare war first on Japan and then Germany. This ground-breaking experiential learning curriculum is at your fingertips via web-based access. It includes all relevant research and sourced material needed to document facts.  Students will:

  • View a student-narrated video that tells the fiendish plan of how Germany’s Adolf Hitler exploited a global desire for peace to launch his bloodthirsty quest for land and power. It also examines how Germany’s ally, Japan, broadsided the U.S. with a surprise attack from the air and sea.
  • Inspect the reasons the U.S. adopted a policy of neutrality during the period of Nazi aggression and the role aviator Charles Lindbergh played in that decision.
  • Determine the events that led to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the actions taken on the home front to mobilize the U.S. for entry into World War II.

History of Labor Unions in the U.S. – A Fight for Better Wages and Working Conditions

Examine the Brutal Life on a Factory Floor in the Late 19th and Early 20th Centuries and the Role Organized Labor Played in Raising Pay, Curbing Child Labor and Making Work Safer for Everyone

Students will follow inquiry-based learning to actively explore the gripping stories of working-class hardship and shocking photos of child labor.  They also will trace the rise of the nation’s labor movement to bring humane treatment and fairness to the factory floor. This ground-breaking experiential learning curriculum is at your fingertips via web-based access. It includes all relevant research and sourced material needed to document facts.  Students will:

  • View a student-narrated video that delivers a riveting look at factory floor life, strikes and street battles with a strong narrative and visuals.
  • Research the experiences of young female workers in the textile mills of Lowell, Massachusetts.
  • Identify key labor leaders and determine which laws supported unions and their right to organize and strike and which laws hurt their cause.

Montgomery Bus Boycott and Civil Rights Movement – The Struggle for Justice and Equality

Trace How African Americans Fought for Freedom and Equal Treatment Long After President Abraham Lincoln Abolished Slavery and How that Struggle Continues

By examining photographs and witness accounts, students will follow inquiry-based learning to actively explore how African Americans were mistreated, attacked and even killed as they fought for civil rights and justice. This ground-breaking experiential learning curriculum is at your fingertips via web-based access. It includes all relevant research and sourced material needed to document facts.  Students will:

  • View a student-narrated video that delivers a frank look at racial segregation policies impacting African Americans and how ordinary citizens stood up for equality and launched a powerful movement.
  • Identify the roles that the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the Little Rock Nine, the Freedom Riders, the Selma to Montgomery March, Rosa Parks, Emmitt Till and Martin Luther King, Jr. played in advancing civil rights.
  • Examine landmark U.S. Supreme Court decisions that impacted African Americans, such as Plessy versus Ferguson and Brown versus the Board of Education.