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Engage in your Civic responsibility: Respond to the Census!
Engage in your Civic responsibility: Respond to the Census!
History in the Making
History in the Making
Has your teacher taught you about primary sources? A primary source is a document from someone who lived during the time you're studying. They are important to historians because they show the views of people living during the moment -- they might not be factually accurate, because sometimes people in the moment don't have all the facts, but they are vital for understanding how people thought and felt during important historical moments.
We are living through an important historical moment.
We are living through an important historical moment.
Someday, historians will look back at this and say, "Wow, the whole country went to distance learning almost overnight. I wonder what students were thinking at that time?" They will want journal entries from students -- students like you. One way you can help the world of tomorrow is by keeping a journal today. It can be digital, for example, in a Google Doc, or it can be on paper, the "old fashioned way." But consider writing something every day that talks about what is happening that day, what you're seeing, doing, and most importantly, how you feel about it. Your words today could be the key piece for a historian of tomorrow.
General Review Activities
General Review Activities
History Activities:
History Activities:
A series of interactive games that teach specific issues in US history.
An online resource for North Carolina History. Most Middle School students can begin with the Great Depression and World War II and proceed as follows:
Civics Activities:
Civics Activities:
iCivics:
iCivics:
Your teacher may have created accounts for your students and linked specific activities through their Google Classroom. You can also play games offline on iPads using the Apple app, and can play on a Android phone using the web browser. Specific games can also be found in Google Play. If your teacher has not assigned games or lessons, here are some suggestions:
Unit Topics
Unit Topics
The Great Depression
The Great Depression
The Great Depression started with the Stock Market Crash of 1929, but there were underlying economic issues that contributed to the Crash and made its impact worse.
The Dust Bowl: This Living History Museum has lots of examples of how bad it was.
Legacy of the Great Depression
World War II
World War II
This section will focus on developments in the "home front" during World War II. For information about the global context of the war, see the 7th Grade Social Studies page.
US Entry into the War
US Entry into the War
At the start of the war, the United States Congress passed a law declaring US neutrality. But as war broke out in Europe, Franklin Delano Roosevelt saw the need for the United States to protect its allies from German aggression. So he persuaded Congress to allow Britain and France to buy supplies on a "cash and carry" basis. But as the war continued, Britain's cash reserves dwindled. This led Roosevelt to begin a new policy of allowing Britain to "borrow" supplies, with payment being deferred to some later point and being made in whatever form Roosevelt chose. This came to be known as the "Lend-Lease" policy.
Then, on Dec. 7, 1941, everything changed. The Japanese launched a surprise bombing attack on the Pearl Harbor naval base in Hawaii. In response, the United States declared war not only on Japan, but also on Germany. The US had entered World War II.
Home Front
Home Front
When we use the term "home front" during World War II, we mean the combined efforts of civilians and state and local governments to help support the war effort overseas. Americans made a number of personal sacrifices for the good of the war effort, went through a massive industrial shift to war production with a largely female workforce, and supported the war through sports, movies, and radio. Unfortunately, these sacrifices also had a darker side, as fear of Japanese aggression led to "Order 9066" and US internment camps of Japanese Americans.
Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was a period of extended, indirect conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union, or USSR. This conflict took several forms: military conflict between "proxies" for the two super powers; direct conflicts short of war; economic, technical, and cultural competition; and an ongoing propaganda campaign on both sides. This can be a confusing topic, but John Ruddy can explain it all in 9 minutes.
Proxy Wars
Proxy Wars
While the US and the USSR never engaged in direct military conflict, they did face off through other countries, called "proxies." Examples of this include:
Direct conflicts
Direct conflicts
In addition to the proxy wars, there were a number of international crises that brought the two nations, and therefore the world, to the brink of war before being resolved. Examples of these crises include:
Competition
Competition
The Cold War completely consumed both societies and their allies. The two superpowers competed in many ways, whether as deadly serious as the military arms race or as seemingly benign as an international chess match. The most significant aspects of this competition included:
The Olympics:
Propaganda
Propaganda
Because the Cold War was a "war of ideas, threats, and bitter rivalry," propaganda played a key role on both sides. American TV shows, movies, music, even comic books extolled the virtues of our democratic system, and warned of the dangers of the "Red Menace." At the same time, the Soviet Union used it's control over information to convince its people that the American way of life was dangerous and degenerate, and they were much better off under Soviet totalitarianism.
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