Thoreau's Circle: Who's Who in Transcendentalism

This resource is intended to assist students in drawing interconnections between members of the small group of American literati that made up Thoreau’s circle based in Concord, Massachusetts, and who spawned the transcendentalist movement.

Phoenician alphabet interactive

The Creation of the Bill of Rights: "Retouching the Canvas"

This interactive map of the first 13 states highlights the ratification process in each state.

Launchpad: Frederick Douglass “What To the Slave Is the Fourth of July?”

Frederick Douglass (1818–1895) was a former slave who became the greatest abolitionist orator of the antebellum period. During the Civil War he worked tirelessly for the emancipation of the four million enslaved African Americans. In the decades after the war, he was the most influential African American leader in the nation.

He delivered this speech on July 5, 1852. It is generally considered his greatest and one of the greatest speeches of the 19^th century. Before you read the speech you can follow these links to learn more about Douglass’s life and the evolution of his thought in this period.

Sor Juana Sonnet Unscrambler

Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, a major literary figure and the first great Latin American poet, is a product of el Siglo de Oro Español (Spanish Golden Age). This exercise introduces students to her sonnet, “A su retrato.”

What is Sor Juana wearing?

Lesson 1: The Sonnets, Sor Juana, the Poet

Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, a major literary figure, and the first great Latin American poet, is a product of el Siglo de Oro Español (Spanish Golden Age). Explore the different facets of this painting to learn about Sor Juana and what the life of a nun was like in the 17th century.

Martin Puryear's "Ladder for Booker T. Washington"

Instructions - interactive image map

Lesson 2: Symmetry and Balance Interactive

Bergognioni: Symmetry and Balance Instructions.

What's in a Picture? An Introduction to Subject in the Visual Arts: 1. What is it About? Come Closer!

Realistic Impressions: Investigating Movements in the Visual Arts: Worksheet 3

Worksheet: Activity 1. A Real Impression

Morality "Tails" East and West: The Phony Holy Man, Ant and Chrysalis

Instructions

Morality "Tails" East and West: A Hero Named Jinx

Instructions.

The Victor's Virtue: A Cultural History of Sport

Arguments and Evidence

Metaphors--Margaret Atwood

Instructions.

Life in the Floating World: Ukiyo-e and the Merchant Class in Edo Period Japan

Instructions.

Life in the Floating World: Picture Perfect

Instructions.

Charlotte Perkins Gilman's "The Yellow Wall-paper"—Writing Women

The Roman World

The Roman World

Launchpad: Evaluating Eyewitness Reports Activity 2

Lu Shih: Student Interactive Chart for the Three Teachings

Students should fill in yes or no in the boxes beneath each of the teachings to indicate whether it is a component of that teaching. In the final box they should fill in a line of from one of the poems which exemplifies this idea wherever it is possible to find an example.

Launchpad: Witnesses to Joan of Arc and The Hundred Years' War

Group I: Testimony from Joan of Arc’s Condemnation Trial and Group II: Testimony of Joan’s Friends from Her Nullification Trial

Launchpad: Twelve Angry Men

Begin the lesson by assigning students to either read or view Twelve Angry Men. Distribute the following questions beforehand. These same questions may serve as the basis for either group or class discussion of the play/film.

Reading Andrew Marvell's Coy Mistress

Asian-Pacific: Voyage of Manjiro

Asian Pacific Heritage month was established in 1990 to mark the arrival of the first Japanese immigrant to the United States on May 7, 1843.

Launchpad: Line in Visual Arts (Teacher)

In this launchpad, teachers will instruct students about one of the most important elements in painting and drawing: line. Students learn how line is defined in the visual arts, and how to recognize this element in painting.

Launchpad: Repetition in Visual Arts (Teacher)

In this launchpad, teachers will instruct students about repetition, one of the techniques artists often use to highlight important elements within a painting's composition, and to move a viewer's eye around the canvas, from highpoint to highpoint.

Launchpad: Composition Basics (Teacher)

In this launchpad, teachers will instruct students to learn the definition of composition in the visual arts and some of its most basic components.

Launchpad: Having Fun: The Economics of Leisure

By 1900, there were more than 29 million people in the American workforce including men, women, and children. Americans worked an average of 59 hours per week and usually received Saturday afternoons and Sundays off. Many companies provided unpaid leave to their employees. How do you think Americans might have spent their leisure time a century ago?

Line in the Visual Arts: Grien’s painting diagram 1

3. What Kind of Lines?

Hans Baldung Grien’s Man of Sorrows

Line in the Visual Arts: David’s diagram 1, Napoleon

3. What Kind of Lines?

• Jacques-Louis David’s The Emperor Napoleon in his Study at the Tuileries

Line in the Visual Arts: Line drawing of Rice’s painting

2. In the Line of Sight

• William Clarke Rice’s October

Line in the Visual Arts: Line drawing of Berman’s painting

1. Lining Up

Saul Berman’s River Front

Repetition in the Visual Arts: Biggers diagram 1

3. Working together: Form and Color

John Biggers’ Shotgun, Third Ward #1

Repetition in the Visual Arts: Bellows diagram 1

• George Bellows’ New York

Repetition in the Visual Arts: Schwartz diagram 2

2. Repetition and the Use of Color

William S. Schwartz’s Mining in Illinois

Repetition in the Visual Arts: Line drawing of Schwartz

2. Repetition and the Use of Color

William S. Schwartz’s Mining in Illinois

Repetition in the Visual Arts: Line drawing of Johnson

• William H. Johnson’s Harlem Street

Repetition in the Visual Arts: Diagram 3

• Claude Monet’s Palazzo del Mula Venice

Symmetry and Balance: Avercamp Line Drawing-scene-with-tower

2. Balancing Acts

• Hendrick Avercamp’s Scene with a Tower to the Left

Symmetry and Balance: Avercamp Line Drawing

1. Mirror, Mirror: Symmetry in Painting

• Hendrick Avercamp’s Scene with a Tower to the Left

Composition Basics: David Diagram 1 (ellipse)

3. Compose a Visual Symphony: Pulling towards the Center

• Jacques-Louis David’s The Death of Socrates

Composition Basics: Botticelli Line Drawing

3. Compose a Visual Symphony: Pulling towards the Center

• Sandro Boticelli’s Adoration of the Magi

Composition Basics: Carpaccio Line Drawing

2. Compose a Visual Symphony: Variety of Visions

• Vittore Carpaccio’s The Flight into Egypt

Composition Basics: Catlin (Dance) Diagram 1 (Triangle)

2. Compose a Visual Symphony: Variety of Visions

• George Catlin’s Snow Shoe Dance- Ojibbeway

Composition Basics: Catlin (Paris) Line Drawing

2. Compose a Visual Symphony: Variety of Visions

• George Catlin’s Ojibbeway Indians in Paris

Composition Basics: Leutze Line Drawing

Emmanuel Leutze’s Washington Crossing the Delaware

Childhood Through the Looking-Glass: Activity 2

Instructions

Perspective on the Slave Narrative: Pro- or Anti-Abolition?

Instructions

Study the following cartoons and determine whether they are for or against abolishing slavery.

A Trip to Wonderland: Sizing Up Alice

Follow Alice on her adventure with the White Rabbit, and learn how to solve problems.

'You Kiss by the Book': Sonnet Unscrambler

Learn how Shakespeare used the sonnet tradition to enhance his stagecraft by performing a scene from this timeless tragedy.

Animals From Down Under

Australian Aboriginal art is one of the oldest continuing art traditions in the world. Much of the most important knowledge of aboriginal society was conveyed through different kinds of storytelling—including narratives that were spoken, performed as dances or songs, and those that were painted.

On the Road: A Boy in 13th Century Venice

Instructions

What's in a Name: Characteristic and Patronymic Names -- First Game

For EDSITEment Lesson: How Did Surnames Come to Be? Match each surname to its meaning. A correct answer will win you two stars. Continue until the chart is filled with stars.

What Made George Washington a Good Military Leader: What are the Qualities of a Good Military Leader?

• What qualities made George Washington an effective general?
• How were the responsibilities of the Commander-in-Chief affected by conditions during the Revolutionary War?
• How did Washington's responses to these challenges demonstrate his ability to handle a wide range of problems?

Turning the Tide in Europe, 1942-1944: Map of Southern Europe

Although it was the Japanese who attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941, U.S. military planners decided that Germany, not Japan, was to be the primary target of operations for the early part of World War II.

Launchpad: The Social Security Act: Activity Three

Debating the Social Security Act on the Radio

Launchpad: The Social Security Act: Activity One, Group B

Group B: Debating the Social Security Act

Launchpad: The Social Security Act: Activity One, Group A

Debating the Social Security Act

Launchpad: The Path of the Black Death

The Effects of the Black Death: Group 3

Launchpad: The Path of the Black Death: Activity 3

The Effects of the Black Death: Group 1

Launchpad: Emancipation Proclamation: Activity 2

The Steps That Led To Emancipation

The Aztecs — Mighty Warriors of Mexico — Student Activity

Fill in the white text boxes below each question (Please Note: wrap text in the boxes and use punctuation marks to save space instead of separating items with carriage returns). For information to help you answer the questions, use the following web sites as references: Aztec Society — Conquistadors. When you complete your answers, print out this page.

The Birth of Cuneiform Writing

An interactive timeline on the origins of the cuneiform writing system in ancient Mesopotamia. Can be used with the lesson plan: The Cuneiform Writing System in Ancient Mesopotamia: Emergence and Evolution

Launchpad: Wharton's Ethan Frome

Students practice strategies of "close reading" in order to understand Edith Wharton's gripping tragedy about an unhappy marriage set against the stark backdrop of rural New England

Launchpad: London's "White Fang"

Through this launchpad, students investigate nature and culture in Jack London's White Fang.

Launchpad: Salem Witch Trials

In 1691, a group of girls from Salem, Massachusetts accused an Indian slave named Tituba of witchcraft, igniting a hunt for witches that left 19 men and women hanged, one man pressed to death, and over 150 more people in prison awaiting a trial. Through this launchpad, students will explore the characteristics of the Puritan community in Salem, learn about the Salem Witchcraft Trials, and try to understand how and why this event occurred.

Launchpad: Pearl S. Buck

American author Pearl S. Buck spent most of her life in China. She returned to America in 1934, "an immigrant among immigrants … in my native land." In this launchpad, students will explore American attitudes toward immigration in the 1930s through Pearl S. Buck's essay, "On Discovering America." They will explore the meaning of the term "American" in this context and look at how the media portrayed immigrants.

Launchpad: JFK, LBJ and Civil Rights

This lesson provides students with an opportunity to study and analyze the innovative legislative efforts of Presidents Kennedy and Johnson in the social and economic context of the 1960s.

Launchpad: Welty's "A Worn Path"

In this student Launchpad, study Eudora Welty's "A Worn Path" and the history of comics, then create your own comic strip.

Launchpad: Eleanor Roosevelt

This launchpad asks students to explore the various roles that Eleanor Roosevelt took on, among them: First Lady, political activist for civil rights, newspaper columnist and author, and representative to the United Nations. Students will read and analyze materials written by and about Eleanor Roosevelt to understand the changing roles of women in politics. They will look at Eleanor Roosevelt's role during and after the New Deal as well as examine the lives and works of influential women who were part of her political network. They will also examine the contributions of women in Roosevelt's network who played critical roles in shaping and administering New Deal policies.

Launchpad: The Social Security Act

Students will use primary source documents to learn about the debate over the Social Security Act that took place from 1935-1937. This launchpad will introduce students to key arguments supporting and opposing the establishment of Social Security.

Launchpad: Exploring Arthurian Legend

Trace the elements of myth and history in the world of the Round Table.

Launchpad: Mexican Holidays

In this launchpad students will study four popular Mexican holidays and examine images to see how these particular celebrations represent Mexico's colorful history.

Launchpad: Crane, London, & Naturalism

Heavily influenced by social and scientific theories, including those of Darwin, writers of naturalism described—usually from a detached or journalistic perspective—the influence of society and surroundings on the development of the individual. In the following launchpad, students will learn the key characteristics that comprise American literary naturalism as they explore London's "To Build a Fire" and Crane's "The Open Boat."

Launchpad: Composition & Content in the Visual Arts

This launchpad is designed to help students unravel the connection between composition and content in the visual arts.

Launchpad: Trade in Old Babylonia

You are an archaeologist uncovering artifacts found in Old Babylonia. What can you learn from them about trade there as well?

Launchpad: Flannery O'Connor's South

Today's starting point? Atlanta. Destination? Florida. Although the family in "A Good Man is Hard to Find" lives in Atlanta, their journey to Florida takes them along the relatively new highways of the 1950s, including rural country roads.

Launchpad: Hammurabi’s Code

How does Hammurabi's code reflect Babylonian society?

The First American Party System: Federalist Platform

The rivalry between the Federalists and Republicans was bitter. What were the key positions of the parties? How important to the parties' positions were their basic attitudes toward constitutional interpretation (Federalists, broad interpretation / Democratic-Republicans, strict interpretation)? Which positions of either party resonate in the politics of today? Fill in the respective party positions for each category listed. Fill in the respective party positions for each issue category listed

The Chief Executives Compared: The Federalist Papers

As a class or in small groups, with each group assigned one section only, look at seven elements of the office of President in Hamilton's words. Compile a list of the powers and responsibilities of the President based on Hamilton's essay and/or additional resources. Can be used with the curriculum unit: Before and Beyond the Constitution: What Should a President do?

The Battle Over Reconstruction: Southern Recovery

Beyond the obvious material destruction, there was more to reconstruct in the South than buildings, farms, manufacturing and railroads—there were social and political relationships to rebuild. Yet, it is impossible to understand Reconstruction fully without a grasp of the social and economic upheaval the war brought with it. For the people living through the times, this upheaval created a situation that demanded immediate attention.

How to Win a World War: East Asia and the Pacific in World War II

Map of the World War II Pacific Theater. Use in conjunction with the curriculum unit: American Diplomacy in World War II

American War for Independence: Interactive Map

Interactive map of the campaigns of the American Revolution in the northern colonies. Accompanies curriculum unit: The American War for Independence

The Kansas-Nebraska Act: Interactive Map

An interactive political and demographic map of the U.S. in 1854 that allows users to se the economic, demographic, and political makeup of regions and states at the time. The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854: Popular sovereignty allowed the settlers of a federal territory to decide the slavery question without interference from Congress.

The American Civil War: on the eve of the war

A student interactive that uses a series of animated maps to summarize all the factors and statistics on the United States on the eve of the American Civil War. Accompanies the EDSITEment curriculum unit: The American Civil War: A "Terrible Swift Sword."

Cuban Missile Crisis Interactive

This interactive puts the student in the role of President Kennedy, having to decide among several options for responding to the presence of Soviet missiles in Cuba. By clicking on the names of individual advisers, students can read the views of men such as Secretary of State Dean Rusk, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, and Attorney General Robert Kennedy. After studying the strengths and weaknesses of each option, the student will be asked to choose an option, which will then bring up a new window that evaluates the response.

North Africa and Southern Europe Map

With this interactive map, students learning about World War II can trace the progress of the Allied troops in North Africa and Southern Europe.

America on the Sidelines: The United States and World Affairs, 1931-1941

This student interactive timeline, from the curriculum unit, “The United States and Europe: From Neutrality to War, 1921-1941,” is designed to illustrate the U.S. response to crises in Europe and East Asia during the years 1931-1941.