Embedded Files
May 10, 2022
May 10, 2022
Teaching the 68th Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education
Use our short video, discussion guide, and mini-lesson to discuss the landmark Supreme Court decision.
Brown v. Board of Education may have been decided on May 17, 1954, but it was the result of a multi-year campaign and the work of many people, including students. Start your lesson about this landmark Supreme Court case with our 2-minute Changemaker video: Students and the Struggle for School Integration.
The video introduces Barbara Johns, a 16-year-old who organized a walkout of 450 Black students in 1951 to protest their inferior school facilities. Their action led to a lawsuit that became one of the five cases represented in Brown v. Board of Education. The accompanying Teacher’s Guide provides teaching suggestions for using the video, discussion questions, and extension ideas.
April 20, 2022
April 20, 2022
Africa is the world's second-largest continent consisting of 54 countries and a population of more than 1.2 billion people. Yet this important continent is often overlooked in history books. Three units from the Choices Program can help you integrate Africa into your world history curriculum:
Colonization and Independence in Africa
Nigeria: History, Identity, and Change
Freedom in our Lifetime: South Africa's Struggle
These curriculum units include four case studies and lessons that explore geography, fiction, artifacts, poetry, politics, resistance, activism, and more! Explore the curriculum units below.
Colonization and Independence in Africa
Colonization and Independence in Africa
How did Africans resist European colonialism? This unit examines four case studies of colonization and resistance: Algeria, Ghana, Kenya, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It explores the challenges of independence and the legacies of colonialism. Explore the unit.
Nigeria: History, Identity, and Change
Nigeria: History, Identity, and Change
This unit invites students to explore the history of Africa’s most populous country and the world's largest Black country. It probes the country’s history and examines concepts such as colonialism, nationalism, independence, military dictatorships, and more. Explore the unit.
Freedom in Our Lifetime: South Africa's Struggle
Freedom in Our Lifetime: South Africa's Struggle
In this unit, students explore the history of South Africa and the development of a race-based society, the effects of apartheid, challenges to the system of apartheid, and South Africa’s transition to a democratic, multi-racial society. Explore the unit.
March 28, 2022
March 28, 2022
Free Lesson Download | China and the United States: Competitors or Adversaries?
In the this edition of our Current Events series, student's will learn how to examine different types of infrastructure and details of the 2021 bipartisan “Investment Infrastructure and Jobs Act” and President Joseph Biden’s “Build Back Better Act.”
Utilizing close reading, a provisions chart, and argumentative
writing, students will:
identify the differences between “hard” and “human” infrastructure
analyze how provisions in President Biden’s infrastructure bills align with the political ideology of conservatives and liberals
develop logical pro or con arguments for selected provisions in each bill
declare support or voice opposition for selected provisions in each bill
March 17, 2021
March 17, 2021
Lessons from Irish History
on St. Patrick’s Day
In the latest issue of Orion magazine, Lacy M. Johnson writes:
When the next freeze or fire or pandemic or hurricane hits us, vulnerability will determine who gets to live, and who will die, and how. The disaster won’t be the weather, but the shape of the wound structural violence has already made.
This is a profound insight that history can help our students grasp.
For better or worse, St. Patrick’s Day is a brief period when people pay attention to all things Irish. It is a good time to revisit Ireland’s Great Famine and the refugee exodus it unleashed.
Studying the so-called Potato Famine can help students recognize that this was no natural disaster, it was the product of structural violence. As Bill Bigelow writes in his “If We Knew Our History” column, “The Real Irish American Story Not Taught in Schools,”
During the first winter of famine, 1846–47, as perhaps 400,000 Irish peasants starved, landlords exported 17 million pounds sterling worth of grain, cattle, pigs, flour, eggs, and poultry — food that could have prevented those deaths.
The shape of the wound of famine was British colonialism and the capitalist system, which prized profit over the Irish poor. See our role play, “Hunger on Trial,” which can bring this insight to life in the classroom — and help students consider the roots of today’s unnatural disasters.
The Real Irish American Story
Not Taught in Schools
By Bill Bigelow
“Wear green on St. Patrick’s Day or get pinched.” That pretty much sums up the Irish-American “curriculum” that I learned when I was in school. Yes, I recall a nod to the so-called Potato Famine, but it was mentioned only in passing.
Sadly, today’s high school textbooks continue to largely ignore the famine, despite the fact that it was responsible for unimaginable suffering and the deaths of more than a million Irish peasants, and that it triggered the greatest wave of Irish immigration in U.S. history. Nor do textbooks make any attempt to help students link famines past and present.
Throughout the Irish potato famine, there was an abundance of food produced in Ireland, yet the landlords exported it to markets abroad.
Like with today’s climate crisis, the capitalist market ruled, and commerce trumped need. . . .
March 9, 2022
With Russia waging war in Ukraine, the whole world is watching to see how events will unfold. Several resources from the Choices Program can help you and your students understand the history of this conflict and provide a framework for analyzing and discussing events going forward.
The Ukraine Crisis, a free Teaching with the News lesson (released February 22, 2022), explores recent developments between Russia and Ukraine. In the three-part lesson, students examine the current situation and its historical origins; analyze political cartoons; and monitor ongoing events and consider international responses.
Why did democracy fail to take root in Russia in 1917? Our Russian Revolution unit (second edition, February 2020) considers this question as it traces the history of Russia from the end of serfdom to the founding of the Soviet Union. Students explore the conditions that led to the fall of the tsar as well as the competing political ideologies that the Russian people debated in 1917. In one lesson, Women, War, and Revolution, students assess primary source documents representing perspectives of women in Russia about World War I and consider the question of what it means to be a revolutionary.
Our curriculum unit on Russia's Transformation (fifth edition, July 2018) examines what priorities should drive U.S. policy toward Russia. Students survey the economic issues and political developments that have shaped the outlook of policymakers in the Kremlin and Washington, D.C. Lessons explore Russia's geography, propaganda, Cold War policy, photo analysis, and more.
March 5, 2022
Contextualizing the Crisis in Ukraine
As the crisis in Ukraine unfolds, we're sending compassion to every educator and student navigating difficult conversations about war in their classrooms—especially those with roots or loved ones in the region, and all those who have experienced conflict in their own home countries and communities.
"The first step in confronting the most dangerous European crisis since World War II is understanding the people, places, and motivations that led to the current dreadful moment," writes Pulitzer Center Executive Director Jon Sawyer.
In this lesson, students will analyze reporting on Russian aggression and conflict in the region over the last several years. Through this exploration, they will gain context for the breaking news headlines about Ukraine, empowering them to evaluate information, engage in dialogue, and seek out underreported stories on this global issue.
February 26, 2022
TEACHING & LEARNING
Historians encourage anti-racist instruction
Kendi (Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)
Teachers should remain steadfast in their commitment to anti-racist instruction despite backlash, say historians Ibram Kendi and Keisha Blain, who spoke at the 100th Anniversary Conference of the National Council for the Social Studies. In fact, Blain said, backlash is a "really good indication that you are stepping on the right toes." Full Story: SmartBrief/Education
February 20, 2022
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
Who inspires you and why? As we celebrate Black History Month we are reflecting on all those individuals who have worked for change in the United States. Please check out this playlist of resources on Black history, as well as our recent Scholar Talk series on Black Intellectuals and the African American Experience. Also noteworthy are the lessons and narratives Barbara Jordan, Watergate, and Justice and Courage Under Fire: The Selfless Decision of John Robert Fox from our American Portraits resource and the primary source activities, Ida B. Wells, “Lynch Law,” 1893 and Malcolm X, “The Ballot or the Bullet,” April 12, 1964 from Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness
Bridge from the Past: Black History Month Series
This playlist catalogs BRIdge from the Past videos that focus on primary sources related to the African-American experience in America. Use these videos alongside our Plainest Demands of Justice: Documents for Dialogue on the African-American Experience resource which will be released on Frederick Douglass' birthday, Monday, February 14!
The Emergence of Black Codes DBQ
After the conclusion of the Civil War and the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment, slavery was forever abolished in the United States. Though formerly enslaved individuals were now and forever free, many southern states soon passed Black codes. The states used Black codes to legally deprive Black Americans of many of their basic civil rights and attempted to place them in a subordinate position within society. This lesson invites students to examine a series of primary sources, including Mississippi’s Black code, to determine in what ways the legal status of African Americans changed after emancipation. It also asks them to explore, despite this legal change, what ways their experience remained unchanged.
Supreme Court Term Limits? Join the Debate!
Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer recently announced that he will soon retire from the bench, and President Biden and the U.S. Senate will carry out one of their most important constitutional duties—the nomination and approval of a new member of the Supreme Court. In recent years, there has been considerable debate over whether or not Justices should have term limits. Encourage your students to join this latest debate on Think the Vote for a chance to win prizes for themselves and you.
February 15, 2022
For over twenty years the Bill of Rights Institute has developed resources rooted in primary sources that put teachers and their students in conversation with historical actors as they debate the most significant issues of our past.
Take note of the release of the latest primary source-based collection, The Plainest Demands of Justice: Documents for Dialogue on the African American Experience.
This free resource begins with a foundational introduction to natural rights through the Declaration of Independence. Three chronological primary source sets cover the Colonial Era to the present, and a culminating assessment has students choose a topic to research and present to make connections to how the work to ensure a society aligned with Founding principles continues today.
This curriculum is designed to put teachers and students in conversation with those who strove and continue to strive for a greater realization of the promises of liberty and equality as outlined in the Declaration of Independence. Click here to join the conversation and make use of this valuable resource.
February 11, 2022
The Seizing Freedom website has an interesting interview by host Kidada E. Williams speaking with Adam Serwer, staff writer at The Atlantic.
They discuss challenges of the black press in American history. They cover conspiracy theories, misinformation and how slander have been used as a form of media propaganda since the formation of the Ku Klux Klan. Check it out.
February 10, 2022
Happy Birthday, Oregon!
A History Spotlight from OHS Executive Director Kerry Tymchu
The 95,988 square miles of land that we now call Oregon has existed for more than 150 million years, and as of this coming Monday, February 14, 163 of those years will have been spent as one of the United States of America.
Our tradition at the Oregon Historical Society has been to celebrate Oregon Statehood Day with standing room only crowds enjoying speeches, music, and the key ingredient to any good birthday party — cake!
This year’s commemoration — like so many other events these past two years — will be slightly different. While there won't be an official program, OHS is excited to share a special Oregon birthday gift thanks to a generous donation from one of Oregon’s most iconic and admired companies, Reser’s Fine Foods — free admission for all visitors Saturday, February 12, through Monday, February 14!
February 9, 2022
In celebration of Black History Month, we're sharing a few stories that center strength, pride, and joy in the Black community. Visit our racial justice reporting portal throughout the year for the latest Pulitzer Center stories.
The Lost Ancestors: A Ghanaian artist reckons with the legacy of slavery in Africa [video]
"Why Historically Black Colleges Are Enjoying a Renaissance" [photo, text]
I Am Omar: Illuminating the story of Omar Ibn Said, who wrote the only surviving autobiography in Arabic by an enslaved person in the United States [photo, text]
"Humanity: The Protest Photos You Don't See" [photo, text]
"‘We Can’t Be Selective on What Black Lives Matter and What Black Lives Don’t,' Says Philly Race and Gender Activist" [photo, text]
"This Afro-Latina Started a Magazine in Puerto Rico to Celebrate Black Beauty" [photo, text]
"Where They Stood: A Photojournalist Documents the Nation's Fallen Confederate Monuments" [photo, text]
"Afropunk Brings The 'Black Lives Matter' Ethos Abroad" [photo, text]
"In Ghana's Year of Return, NAACP Goes Home on Behalf of the Ancestors" [text]
October 26, 2021
October 26, 2021
The College Board defines contextualization as, "a historical thinking skill that involves the ability to connect historical events and processes to specific circumstances of time and place as well as broader regional, national, or global processes." In this newsletter we share the John Brown DBQ from Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness to illustrate the importance of using contemporary documents in particular to contextualize significant events in history–in this case the failed raid on the federal arsenal on Harper Ferry and the subsequent trial and execution of the radical abolitionist, John Brown. What do your students think? Was Brown a hero or a villain?
October 12, 2021
October 12, 2021
Talk to the Authors of Real Classrooms Real Teachers
Thursday, October 14, 2021, 7:30 PM Eastern
History and social studies standards are shifting to place a higher emphasis on critical thinking, interaction, expression, and inquiry models of teaching and learning. These shifts, while exciting, can be challenging and even intimidating to implement. In this book, we take a close look at how real teachers in real 3-8 classrooms have met this challenge. During this webinar, participants will have the opportunity to engage with authors who have implemented each Dimension of the Inquiry Arc in classrooms and participate in Q and A.
Presenters:
Kristy Brugar, University of Oklahoma
Kathryn Roberts, Wayne State University
Fault Lines: Polarization and
Partisanship in America since the 1970s
Thursday, October 21, 2021, 7:30 PM Eastern
Professor Kruse is the co-author of Fault Lines: A History of the United States since 1974. A sweeping history of the past four decades of American history, the book chronicles the origins of the divided states of America, a nation increasingly riven by stark political partisanship and deep social divisions along lines of race, class, gender and sexuality. In this webinar, he will discuss the broad themes of the book and the challenges of teaching post-1974 US History.
Presenter:
Kevin Kruse, Princeton University
Choices U.S. History Units and the Teaching Hard History American Slavery Framework
Thursday, October 28, 2021, 7:00 PM Eastern
The Choices Program and the Teaching Hard History Project recently collaborated to align six Choices Program U.S. History units to the popular Teaching Hard History: American Slavery Framework. Join us as we:
PROVIDE an overview of the Teaching Hard History: American Slavery Framework, which guides educators in teaching about the critical topic of slavery and its legacies. PRESENT a summary of the Choices Program alignment with the Teaching Hard History: American Slavery Framework. DISCUSS ways educators can use Choices Program curriculum to teach about slavery and its legacies in a responsible and just manner.
Presenters:
Kate Shuster, Teaching Hard History Project
Mimi Stephens, The Choices Program
October 7, 2021
October 7, 2021
Monday, October 11th will be celebrated as both Columbus Day and Indigenous People’s Day. How we remember historical figures and their legacies is complicated. Christopher Columbus is no exception and debates have emerged over how we should think about his legacy. This eLesson, adapted from an activity from the Bill of Rights Institute’s online U.S. history textbook Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness, challenges students to form their own opinions on the controversial question: Should We Remember Christopher Columbus as a Conqueror or Explorer?
October 7, 2021
October 7, 2021
Indigenous Peoples' Day
A History Spotlight from OHS Executive Director Kerry Tymchuk
Earlier this spring, Oregon became the eleventh state in the nation to officially recognize the second Tuesday in October as Indigenous Peoples' Day. Thanks to the advocacy of Representative Tawna Sanchez, who is Shoshone-Bannock and Ute, House Bill 2526 "recognizes and acknowledges the significant contributions made in our community by Indigenous People and commits to ensure greater access and opportunity for continued contribution." This recognition of Indigenous Peoples' Day supports a nationwide movement to provide a more complete and accurate account of United States history in our schools and public spaces. Research shows that a majority of state and local curriculum in the United States ends the study of Indigenous history before 1900, ignoring that these communities are not only surviving, but thriving.
In support of this movement and ahead of Oregon's first official celebration of Indigenous Peoples' Day, OHS has dedicated this week's e-digest to educational resources on Indigenous people in Oregon. I encourage you to explore these resources as well as read this recent Street Roots interview with Sanchez where she discusses advancing legislation that addresses justice for Indigenous people.
Image Credit: Tawna Sanchez was elected to the Oregon House of Representatives in District 43, North Portland. Photo courtesy of Tawna Sanchez.
Museum Collection Spotlight: Chinookan-style Canoe
Native people have always lived on the land now known as Oregon, and we know the history of this place from the stories people have told for thousands of years. Hundreds of tribes and bands speaking dozens of languages have followed seasonal rounds here for food, medicine, and building materials. The mountains, rivers, plateaus, and valleys all have creation stories and memories that continue to be passed down today.
In OHS's permanent exhibition, Experience Oregon, visitors can read creation stories shared by tribes and learn about Native traditions that are intimately tied to land and water. One Native belonging on display in Experience Oregon is a Chinookan-style canoe, built by the Scarborough family (Chinook) using traditional methods. Canoes such as this one were used for transportation, food gathering, and trade. Carvers shaped the canoe's hull to ensure symmetry on both sides from bow to stern. It was then hollowed, and small, targeted fires were set inside the shell, which removed excess wood.
Image Credit: Canoe, nineteenth century, made by the Scarborough family (Chinook). OHS Museum, 780.
Exhibits Spotlight: In-Person, Online, and Traveling Exhibits
Woven Together: Klamath Tribes Basketry from Sam and Becky Johnson
This exhibit highlights the artistry and resilience of the Klamath Tribes of southern Oregon through their basketry and woven traditions. The Klamath Tribes include the Klamath, Modoc, and Yahooskin people. Once others recognized the numerous resources on their ancestral lands, such as timber and land suitable for grazing, the U.S. government grouped the three tribes together on a new reservation in the Klamath Basin. The Treaty of 1864 secured hunting, fishing, gathering, and water rights for the Klamath Tribes on 1.5 million acres, until the Klamath Termination Act of 1954. It took decades of persistence and tireless work by tribal members to regain some rights through The Klamath Indian Tribe Restoration Act (1986). Woven Together is on display at the Oregon Historical Society through January 30, 2022.
Image Credit: Baskets on display in Woven Together: Klamath Tribes Basketry from Sam and Becky Johnson.
The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde
The people of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde represent almost thirty different tribes and bands that the U.S. government removed to the Grand Ronde Reservation in the nineteenth century. The history of the reservation — and how so many western Oregon Native people came to reside there — is long and complex. With support from the Spirit Mountain Community Fund, the Oregon Historical Society worked with scholars to create Oregon Encyclopedia entries on the people, places, and events connected to the history of the Grand Ronde people. Included in this online exhibit are entries published by E.A. Schwartz, Kenneth Ames, David Lewis, Robert T. Boyd, Henry Zenk, William Lang, Dan Boxberger, Yvonne Hadja, and Chuck Williams. OHS archival materials connected to the history of the Grand Ronde have been digitized and published on the OHS digital history projects' websites. You can view this exhibit online here.
Image Credit: Lithograph, "Valley of the Willamette River," 1845, by Henry Warre. OHS Research Library, OrHi 49030.
Oregon Is Indian Country
First exhibited in 2009 at the Oregon Historical Society in Portland, Oregon Is Indian Country represents a groundbreaking project that brought together all nine federally recognized Oregon tribes to present information, never-before-assembled in one exhibit, on contemporary Indigenous cultures. This rich content is now available for museums and cultural institutions across the state as a traveling exhibit of vibrant banners. The exhibit is a direct result of the Oregon Tribes Project, a multi-year collaboration between the Oregon Historical Society's former Folklife Program and the nine federally recognized tribes in Oregon. Tribal members documented their contemporary traditions and worked with OHS staff members to create a series of heritage resources, including the Oregon Is Indian Country traveling trunk. The exhibit is on display at the Garibaldi Maritime Museum through November 2, 2021.
Image Credit: Klamath man overlooks giiwas (Crater Lake), Curtis Collection Photo provided by Taylor R. David, Klamath Tribes News Department.
September 29, 2021
September 29, 2021
Continuing Celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month
Continuing Celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month
As with all heritage months, the recognition, exploration, and celebration of history and culture need not be limited to any specific month. However, these calendar set asides are a great opportunity to explore resources to utilize in expanding student understanding of Hispanic and Latino perspectives, histories, and contributions to all areas of social science.
National Resources
National Resources
Pulitzer Center: Celebrating Latinx Community Organizations and Leaders
National Park Services:500 Years of Hispanic and Latino History and Heritage
A Latinx Resource Guide: Civil Rights Cases and Events in the United States
Local Resources
Local Resources
May 28, 2021
May 28, 2021
Remembering the
Tulsa Massacre
The Tulsa Massacre happened 100 years ago this week. The spring editorial of Rethinking Schools magazine is devoted to why this event deserves a place in our classrooms
The centennial of the Tulsa Massacre is a time to teach about the horrific events of those few days at the end of May and beginning of June 1921. Tulsa is a glaring historical example of police violence, mob rule, theft of Black land, and the destruction of Black wealth. And it continues today.
What happened in Tulsa is not an isolated moment of white rage, but should be seen — and should be taught — as part of a pattern of white supremacy and African American dispossession.
Read the whole editorial.
The spring issue also includes the story of one union’s journey toward disability justice, a moving obituary of the late Karen Lewis, an article about teaching a people’s history of the March on Washington, and more.
Teaching the Tulsa Massacre
In Burned Out of Homes and History: Unearthing the Silenced Voices of the Tulsa Massacre, Rethinking Schools editor Linda Christensen shares the story of teaching the Tulsa Massacre in a language arts classroom.
The unit includes a mixer role play, poetry writing, historical fiction, and a culminating activity in which students grapple with the question of what is owed to the residents (and their descendants) of the Greenwood section of Tulsa today.
Tulsa in Context
The Tulsa Massacre was just two years after Red Summer and two years before the Rosewood Massacre. When looked at together, and alongside the United States’ “red record” of lynching, white violence was no anomaly, but an epidemic. Yet textbooks downplay white culpability for this violence — as well as Black resistance.
Read more about how textbooks mislead students about this critical history.
May 27, 2021
May 27, 2021
Portland, of course, was the home of the Kaiser Shipyards, where workers built over 750 ships as part of America’s arsenal. The appropriately named SS Star of Oregon was one of the first ships built. To house his workforce, Henry J. Kaiser had to build a new city — Vanport, which remains one of the most fascinating places in Oregon’s history. Oregon was also home to a variety of official military facilities, including Camp Abbot, Camp Rufus, Camp White, and the Naval Air Station Tillamook.
Pendleton Field served as the training ground for the famed “Doolittle’s Raiders.” The 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion, nicknamed the "Triple Nickles," was a World War II African American unit of the U.S. Army stationed in Pendleton in 1945.
One of the most acclaimed Oregon World War II veterans was Ken Jernstedt, who volunteered for the "Flying Tiger" squadron and who would later serve as Mayor of Hood River and a long-time state legislator. The 41st Infantry Division, also known as the "Sunset Division," was included in the National Guard unit from Oregon and was one of the first U.S. Army divisions sent overseas.
Women served important roles during World War II, including pilot Hazel Ying Lee, who flew for the Women Airforce Service Pilots. The American Red Cross was active in Oregon, and by the end of World War II, over three million women had volunteered for the organization, including Margaret McLeod.
The National Archives shows that 3,757 Oregonians from all branches of the service were classified as World War II casualties. One of those casualties was Frank Hachiya, who enlisted and served, despite the fact that his father and thousands of other Oregonians of Japanese heritage were forcibly removed and incarcerated in camps along the West Coast.
"Scenes from the Rails: How the SP&S Railway Transformed the Pacific Northwest"
During a recent project, OHS’s research library digitization team selected over 650 photographs from the Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway (SP&S) photographs to digitize and make available on OHS Digital Collections. The SP&S Railway became a fixture in the Pacific Northwest with lines connecting the region’s largest cities as well as travel opportunities to more remote areas, which transformed rural communities in Oregon and Washington. In this recent post on Dear Oregon, "Scenes from the Rails: How the SP&S Railway Transformed the Pacific Northwest," OHS Collections Assistant Ilana Sol describes the collection, composed of images captured between the early 1900s and 1970s that SP&S commissioned to document all aspects of its operations and the economic and recreational potential of the destinations along its routes. The post features a slideshow of some of Sol’s favorites from the collection.
May 20, 2021
May 20, 2021
Lawmakers in at least 15 states are attempting to pass legislation that would require teachers to lie to students about the role of racism, sexism, heterosexism, and oppression throughout U.S. history.
To raise public awareness about the danger of these state bills, we invite educators and allies to take a public stand at historic sites on Saturday, June 12, 2021.
Hosted by the Zinn Education Project and Black Lives Matter at Schoo
May 18, 2021
May 18, 2021
Violence between Hamas in Gaza, and Israel, is the worst it has been since 2014. Hamas, the militant group that rules Gaza, began firing rockets after warning Israel to withdraw from a holy site in East Jerusalem, triggering retaliatory air strikes from Israel.
Historically, the United States has tried to broker peace agreements in the Middle East. While President Biden condemned the violence on both sides of the current conflict, he has been very careful about demanding an immediate ceasefire; in contrast, many Congressional members have come out with strong statements condemning the violence, highlighting human rights violations in Gaza, and encouraging a ceasefire. Meanwhile, in the United Nations Security Council, the U.S. blocked a resolution condemning Israel and Hamas for the ongoing violence and demanding an immediate ceasefire.
This week’s current event dives into the historical and current conflict between Israel and Palestine. There are primary sources, maps, and lesson plans so that teachers can implement learning about the Israel and Palestine conflict to fulfill civics, geography, economics, political, and global studies social studies standards.
And don't forget to sign up at our We The Teachers Educator Resource Community for more ideas of how to use our Current Events and other programs in your classroom!
Don't forget to visit the Resources tab on our website for our classroom-ready and remote-ready materials, and all of our Current Events.
April 15, 2021
April 15, 2021
Help your students explore the human, economic, social, and political costs of the War on Terror with our free updated Teaching with the News lesson, The Costs of War. Since 2001, the War on Terror has mushroomed into a military campaign extending far beyond the early target of al-Qaeda in Afghanistan. This free lesson allows students to explore the scope of the War on Terror, examine its costs, and consider the future of U.S. counterterrorism policy.
The lesson includes videos featuring Stephanie Savell, co-director of the Costs of War Project at Brown University, and utilizes information from the Costs of War Project website. Though this lesson can be completed as a stand-alone activity, it would also serve as a great synthesis activity after teaching any of the units listed below.
The United States in Afghanistan
The United States in Afghanistan
Students examine the history, culture, and geography of Afghanistan, including the arrival of the Taliban and al Qaeda and the U.S. role there since 2001. They then prepare to articulate their own views on the future of the U.S. role in Afghanistan. Explore the unit.
A Global Controversy: The U.S. Invasion of Iraq
A Global Controversy: The U.S. Invasion of Iraq
This unit provides an overview of Iraqi history and draws students into the public debate over the decision to invade Iraq in 2003. Students assess the war’s effects on the United States, Iraq, and beyond, and consider the public’s role in foreign policy decisions. Explore the unit.
Responding to Terrorism: Challenges for Democracy
Responding to Terrorism: Challenges for Democracy
This unit traces the history and evolution of terrorism. Students consider the motivations of terrorists, the threat that terrorism poses in the United States and around the world, and U.S. policy challenges. Explore the unit.
The U.S. Role in a Changing World
The U.S. Role in a Changing World
Students identify global issues, assess national priorities, and decide for themselves the role the United States should play in the world as they consider the array of economic, political, and social transformations taking place both at home and abroad. Explore the unit.
March 4, 2021
March 4, 2021
Minoru Yasui Student Contest
Minoru Yasui Student Contest
This year’s contest is focused on Refugee and Immigrant Experiences. We celebrate the ideas and opinions of students in grades 6 through 12 and challenge them to write an original and thoughtful essay exploring refugee or immigrant experiences. Essays should also demonstrate an understanding of the life and legacy of Minoru Yasui, who spent over 40 years as a dedicated leader serving diverse and often marginalized communities.
Students are encouraged to research and share meaningful stories about the conditions, challenges, and support experienced by immigrants and refugees coming to the United States. At the same time, we hope to inspire the next generation of leaders who can embrace complex issues as Min Yasui did - with courage, agility, and thoughtfulness. The deadline for submission is March 12, 2021.
For more information, please go to the Minoru Yasui Legacy Project website: minoruyasuilegacy.org/student-contest. Contact Jennifer Fang, Director of Education, Japanese American Museum of Oregon (jennifer@oregonnikkei.org) with questions.
Jennifer Fang, Ph.D. | she/her/hers
Director of Education
ETHNIC STUDIES ADOPTED BY STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
ETHNIC STUDIES ADOPTED BY STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
On February 18th the Oregon State Board of Education approved the adoption of the 2021 Social Science Standards with integrated Ethnic Studies Standards. Although implementation of the standards is required in the 2026-2027 school year, school districts may begin to use these standards immediately.
Effectively implementing the new standards will mean the introduction of new content knowledge in social science as well as pedagogical moves that help to create an inclusive classroom. School districts, local, and national organizations offer trainings and professional development supporting the successful implementation of Ethnic Studies standards.
The Oregon Department of Education Ethnic Studies webpage includes links to additional resources to assist with implementation:
Ethnic Studies Supplemental Non-Textbooks for Teachers and Students
Nevertheless, They Persisted: Women’s Voting Rights and the 19th Amendment
Nevertheless, They Persisted: Women’s Voting Rights and the 19th Amendment
March 14, 2020 – December 5, 2021
March 14, 2020 – December 5, 2021
Oregon’s first constitution, from the late 1850s, banned slavery but also made it illegal for free African Americans to live in the state. Not long after, in 1872, Mary Beatty, an African American woman who lived in Oregon, joined Abigail Scott Duniway, Maria Hendee, and Mrs. M.A. Lambert in their attempt to vote. Along with activists across the country, these four women brought attention to the campaign for women’s voting rights — known as “woman suffrage.”
One hundred years later, the Oregon Historical Society commemorates the bravery of those activists and many others in an original exhibition, Nevertheless, They Persisted: Women’s Voting Rights and the 19th Amendment. This exhibit will show the many ways Oregon history connects to the national history of woman suffrage and to the complex history of democracy in the United States.
Nevertheless, They Persisted focuses on the work necessary to win the 1920 ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment (granting women the vote). It also invites visitors to think about subjects such as how and why political leaders have denied women the vote, how women have fought for equal rights, and how teamwork and fights across race, class, and organizing tactics have shaped this history. Through storytelling, interactive experiences, and original artifacts and documents, visitors will connect to the past and feel the struggles and triumphs of the women (and men) who demanded the vote and used their rights to shape our nation and our world.
Educator Resources
ADDRESSING WHITE NATIONALIST AND OTHER ANTI-DEMOCRATIC RHETORIC AND BEHAVIOR IN THE CLASSROOM
ADDRESSING WHITE NATIONALIST AND OTHER ANTI-DEMOCRATIC RHETORIC AND BEHAVIOR IN THE CLASSROOM
March 9, 2021 | 4:30-6pm, 2 PDUs available |
Cost: REGISTER FREE
In recent years, white nationalist and other anti-democratic rhetoric and behavior have increasingly made its way into mainstream public discourse and school spaces.
In this session, educators will hear from Joseph Lowndes, a Political Science professor at the University of Oregon who will discuss the history and rise of white nationalist and anti-democratic movements and their relevancy in Oregon. Jessica Acee from the Western States Center will then share tools and strategies educators can use to navigate current events and concerning comments in the classroom. The program will conclude with an opportunity for teachers to practice these skills in breakout rooms and time for Q&A.
This session is brought to you in partnership with Western States Center.
*This program is the first of two aimed to support educators in understanding contemporary threats to American democracy and ways to navigate classroom conversations. The second program, Confronting Conspiracy Theories in the Classroom is on March 31 from 4:30 – 6pm.
After RSVPing, you will receive an email 24 hours prior to the event with a zoom link. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this event, please contact education@ojmche.org.
Due to limited space, we must give priority to current K – 12 educators. Please send an email if you are not a teacher but would like to be on the waiting list. The program will also be recorded and uploaded to our youtube page for anyone to watch.
GILDER LEHRMAN INSTITUTE OF AMERICAN HISTORY
GILDER LEHRMAN INSTITUTE OF AMERICAN HISTORY
The Gilder Lehrman Institute is pleased to invite Oregon middle and high school teachers to free professional development on Friday, March 12.
Please join us for a virtual program on women's suffrage, featuring a lecture by John Hopkins University professor Martha Jones, followed by a short Q&A session and a 1-hour pedagogy session with Gilder Lehrman Master Teacher Lois MacMillan.
Friday, March 12
4 pm to 6 pm PT
Participating Oregon teachers will be eligible for a $50 stipend.
RSVP here and please pass this invitation along to your fellow teachers.
WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH LESSON PLANS & RESOURCES
WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH LESSON PLANS & RESOURCES
A Legacy of Empowerment: Women's History Month Lesson Plans
Use these timely preK-12 lesson plans and class activities to incorporate key figures and historical events in your Women’s History Month lesson planning. This Share My Lesson collection spans topics like women’s suffrage and women’s rights and features influential women in science, social justice and sports. Read this blog for more ideas on how to make Women's History Month relevant for all students. You may also find of interest the #MeToo resource collection on combating harassment and creating inclusive classrooms.
Women’s history was first celebrated in the United States in March 1981 when Congress authorized the celebration on Women’s History Week. In 1987, upon the request of the National Women’s History Project, Congress passed a resolution to declare March Women’s History Month. Since that time, each president has continued to sign the resolution on an annual basis to continue the tradition of Women’s History Month celebrations.
Last year, August 18th marked the centennial celebration of the passage of the 19th Amendment, granting women the right to vote in the Untied States. Celebrate the achievements, brilliance, and legacies of the women that tranformed society and paved the road for the struggle for equality that continues today. Explore preK-12 lesson plans, resources and more including activities like:
Find more free prek-12 Women's History Month lesson plans and resources in our curated collection on women's suffrage and the 19th amendment.
February 25, 2020
February 25, 2020
The Oregon Historical Society
The Oregon Historical Society
World War II and Oregon
A History Spotlight with OHS Executive Director Kerry Tymchuk
The news that former Senator Bob Dole, whom I had the privilege of working for, had been recently diagnosed with lung cancer led to my receiving numerous calls and emails from individuals wanting to express their concern. Senator Dole is, of course, one of the most prominent living members of what Tom Brokaw termed “the Greatest Generation.” After retiring from political office, Senator Dole played a lead fundraising role in the effort to build the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. One of the most inspiring moments of my life was accompanying Senator Dole to that memorial a few years ago and watching as he greeted the “Honor Flights” of fellow World War II veterans who traveled to our nation’s capital to visit this tribute to their courage and sacrifice.
Oregon has a number of historic connections to the Allied war effort, including the massive production of materials at the Kaiser Shipyards. According to The Oregon Encyclopedia entry by Gordon Oliver, the shipyards at its peak employed 97,000 workers and, “with Kaiser’s active recruitment, the shipyards attracted workers from across the nation, particularly from the South. Thousands of African Americans contributed to an increase in Portland’s Black population, which grew from 1,800 before the war to an estimated 15,000 in 1946.” The Kaiser Shipyards also brought a large number of women into the workforce; by the end of 1942, 30 percent of the shipyard workers were women. For continued reading on World War II, I recommend The OE’s entries on Camp Rufus, Camp White, the Triple Nickles, the Women’s Land Army, the 41st Infantry Division, and the Naval Air Station Tillamook.
It is estimated that fewer than 300,000 of the 16 million American World War II veterans are alive today. The Oregon Historical Society is proud to have collaborated in the past with Veteran’s Legacies, a non-profit whose Mighty Endeavor project gathers veterans’ stories to share with students and educators as well as connect veterans with the community they served. I encourage you to visit our YouTube channel to watch an interview with three World War II veterans that we were privileged to host with Veteran’s Legacies on the 75th anniversary of D-Day.
Image Credit: Women painting crew at Kaiser Company, Swan Island, April 20, 1943. OHS Research Library, Al Monner news negatives, Org. Lot 1284, box 20, 786-4.
Feb 19, 2020
Feb 19, 2020
The Civil Rights Movement:
Grassroots Perspectives
Application Deadline March 1
July 6-23, 2021 | Virtual Event
Teaching for Change is partnering with a team of scholars, SNCC veterans, Duke University's Center for Documentary Studies, and the SNCC Legacy Project on a NEH Teacher Institute, The Civil Rights Movement: Grassroots Perspectives.
Participants (grade 5-12 classroom teachers) will learn the bottom-up history of the Civil Rights Movement, receive teaching resources, and co-write lessons. The facilitators and guest presenters include people who made the history and leading scholars of the era.
February 11, 2020
February 11, 2020
Dig into Primary Sources with DBQuest
Document-based questions (DBQs) can be a challenge — for you to curate and for students to engage with. DBQuest takes care of both!
Our interactive primary source analysis tool introduces students to big ideas in civics and history. Students are presented with a Big Question to use as a guiding light as they examine three primary resources. Document–based supporting questions challenge students to dig in to each artifact to find the relevant information.
February 2, 2020
February 2, 2020
Celebrating Black Women this Black History Month
Celebrating Black Women this Black History Month
February is a time to pause and recognize the leadership of Black women. We have recent national milestones to celebrate such as the election of Kamala Harris, the first woman Vice President, as well as historic heroes to recognize like Maya Angelou, Harriet Tubman, and Rosa Parks who fiercely paved the way for the generations that follow them.
This is also a great time to reflect on the leadership of Black women leaders in Oregon. We invite you to make intentional space to learn their names, stories, and legacies. Across all types of leadership roles, Black women are contributing to the advancement of women in our state.
Women Powered News
Women Powered News
Deborah Archer becomes first Black person elected to be ACLU’s president
The Voices Of Black Women Were Essential To Phil Spector’s Wall Of Sound
Oregon State celebrates women in STEM with new film, other events
Oregon’s first female Gov. Barbra Roberts reacts to first female VP
Dr. Mae Jemison, first woman of color in space, to give virtual lecture at Oregon State
February 1, 2020
February 1, 2020
Every student deserves an equitable education. That means that more Black educators must be recruited, supported, and elevated. This Black History Month, we asked influential Black authors and faculty members to tell the story of their experiences in the classroom and how Black history has shaped their lives and careers. We begin with longtime educator, presenter, and author Baruti Kafele, who consistently instills the importance and relevance of Black history into his work.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is shown on his visit to Portland in 1961 where he met with leaders of the Vancouver Avenue First Baptist Church. OHS Research Library, Vancouver Avenue First Baptist Church collection, Coll 189, box 1, folder 4.
January 18, 2021
January 18, 2021
Oregonians Fighting for Racial Equity
As we honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the Oregon Historical Society encourages everyone to learn more about the remarkable individuals who have advanced Oregon’s ongoing struggle for racial equity. We share twelve of these stories below, and you can read about all these people, and many more, on The Oregon Encyclopedia.
Mary Laurinda Jane Smith Beatty (1834–1899)
Mary Beatty, one of the first Black women west of the Mississippi to advocate publicly for woman suffrage, attempted to vote in the 1872 presidential election and a year later addressed the organizing convention of the Oregon State Woman Suffrage Association. Known as “Mrs. Beatty (colored),” her full name and identity were unrecognized until recently.
Kathryn Hall Bogle (1906–2003)
A freelance journalist, social worker, and community activist, Kathryn Hall Bogle was “one of Portland’s earliest and most passionate advocates of racial diversity.” She wrote articles for many African American newspapers, including the Portland Observer and The Skanner, but may be known best for “An American Negro Speaks of Color,” a 2,000-word article describing the realities of being Black in Portland that she sold to the Oregonian in 1937. It was the first time the newspaper paid an African American writer for a story, and Bogle would contribute many more articles to the Oregonian over the years.
Beatrice Morrow Cannady (1889–1974)
Beatrice Morrow Cannady was the most noted civil rights activist in early twentieth-century Oregon. Using her position as editor of the Advocate, Oregon's largest, and at times the only, African American newspaper, Cannady launched numerous efforts to defend the civil rights of the approximately 2,500 African Americans in the state (in 1930) and to challenge racial discrimination in its varied forms.
Mercedes Deiz was the first Black woman admitted to the Oregon State Bar and, when she was sworn in as a judge of the Multnomah County District Court on January 6, 1970, became the first woman of color to be an Oregon judge. That appointment also made her the only woman then serving in that capacity. Diez’s oral history is also available to listen to on OHS Digital Collections.
In 1996, Avel Louise Gordly became the first African American woman elected to the Oregon State Senate. Her legislative record includes an array of initiatives that focus on cultural competency in education, mental health, and the administration of justice.
Ancer L. Haggerty was the first African American to become a partner in a major Portland law firm and the first to serve as a judge on the federal court in Oregon. Before his appointment to the U.S. District Court, he was a judge of the Multnomah County District Court and the Multnomah County Circuit Court. Haggerty’s oral history is also available to listen to on OHS Digital Collections.
Willie Mae Young Hart (1915–2017)
As a founding member of the Portland Chapter of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) and Women In Community Service (WICS), Hart inspired others to serve as agents of change. She helped operate Portland's first Black-owned cab company and was the first African American nurse to work at Portland's Physicians and Surgeons Hospital.
Gladys Sims McCoy was the first person of color elected to public office in Oregon. Whether in her position at Head Start or as a member of the Portland School Board and the Board of County Commissioners, McCoy believed that what people do is “not worth doing” if others are “not better off as a result.” McCoy’s oral history is also available to listen to on OHS Digital Collections.
Harriet "Hattie" Redmond (1862–1952)
Harriet “Hattie” Redmond was a leader in the long struggle for Oregon woman suffrage, especially during the successful campaign of 1912. The right to vote was especially important to Redmond as a Black woman living in a state that had codified Black exclusion laws in its constitution. Redmond’s work for voting rights helped lay the groundwork for the Black civil rights movement of the mid-twentieth century.
Thelma Johnson Streat (1912–1959)
Thelma Johnson Streat was a multi-talented African American artist who focused on ethnic themes in her work. Streat began painting at the age of seven and received art training at the Museum Art School in the mid-1930s. In 2016, Streat's mural, Medicine and Transportation, became part of the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture's permanent collection and is currently on display in Washington, D.C.
DeNorval Unthank received his M.D. in 1926 from Howard University College of Medicine in Washington, D.C. James A. Merriman recruited him to work care for Black workers of the Union Pacific Railroad in Oregon, and upon Merriman’s move to Arizona, Unthank became the only Black physician in Portland. He was a co-founder of the Portland Urban League and was active in the passage of Oregon’s 1953 Civil Rights Bill.
Lizzie Koontz Weeks was an African American activist in Portland in the years after women in Oregon had achieved the right to vote in 1912. She organized Black women to empower them to be successful voters and was an early candidate for local party office. Weeks was the first female African American social worker employed by Multnomah County.
November 17, 2020
November 17, 2020
10:00 - 11: 00am PST via ZOOM
10:00 - 11: 00am PST via ZOOM
Colonizing by Imagination:
Colonizing by Imagination:
Early Photography and Palestine
Early Photography and Palestine
About the Lectur
In the very first year in which the announcement of the invention of photography was made, the first photographer arrived in Palestine. During the rest of the 19th century, many photographers arrived in Europe to document Palestine, and a number of locals took up the practice and opened up their photographic studios throughout the country. The lecture will examine the ways in which Palestine was represented in the work of the early photographers, both visitors and natives. The lecture will tackle questions relating to the effect of the visual representation of Palestine on the European powers of the time, the Zionist project, and the way Palestinian saw themselves.
About the Speaker
Issam Nassar is a professor of Middle East History at Illinois State University and professor of history at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies. His area of specialization is Late Ottoman period in Palestine and the history of photography in the Middle East.
November 10, 2020
November 10, 2020
12:00 - 1: 00pm PST via ZOOM
12:00 - 1: 00pm PST via ZOOM
Polarized and Demobilized:
Polarized and Demobilized:
Legacies of Authoritarianism in Palestine
Legacies of Authoritarianism in Palestine
About the Lecture
After the 1994 Oslo Accords, Palestinians were hopeful that an end to the Israeli occupation was within reach, and that a state would be theirs by 1999. With this promise, international powers became increasingly involved in Palestinian politics, and many shadows of statehood arose in the territories. Today, however, no state has emerged, and the occupation has become more entrenched. Concurrently, the Palestinian Authority has become increasingly authoritarian, and Palestinians ever more polarised and demobilised.
Palestine is not unique in this: international involvement, and its disruptive effects, have been a constant across the contemporary Arab world. This book argues that internationally backed authoritarianism has an effect on society itself, not just on regime-level dynamics. It explains how the Oslo paradigm has demobilised Palestinians in a way that direct Israeli occupation, for many years, failed to do. Using a multi-method approach including interviews, historical analysis, and cutting-edge experimental data, Dana El Kurd reveals how international involvement has insulated Palestinian elites from the public, and strengthened their ability to engage in authoritarian practices. In turn, those practices have had profound effects on society, including crippling levels of polarisation and a weakened capacity for collective action.
About the Speaker
Dana El Kurd is an Assistant Professor at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies and a researcher in its sister institution the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies. She holds a PhD in Political Science, with concentrations in Comparative Politics and International Relations. Her work focuses on authoritarian regimes in the Arab world, state-society relations in these countries, and the impact of repression on polarization and social cohesion. She has published in peer-reviewed journals such as PS Political Science and Politics, Journal of Global Security Studies, Middle East Law and Governance, Siyasat Arabiya (an Arabic peer-reviewed journal), Contemporary Arab Affairs, and Parameters. Her recent book titled Polarized and Demobilized: Legacies of Authoritarianism in Palestine is out now with Oxford University Press.
November 2, 2020
November 2, 2020
Winona LaDuke on Remaking the Economy
Winona LaDuke on Remaking the Economy
Winona LaDuke gave the keynote speech at September's Indigenous Peoples’ Day Virtual Teach-In: Food and Water Justice, organized by Teaching for Change and the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI). LaDuke spoke about the times that we are living in and the opportunity to protect our world and future generations through relocalization and adapting pre-petroleum indigenous seeds.
"What you want in the time of COVID, in the time of crisis, is to figure out how we’re going to survive. This is really a small snapshot of what the future in a climate change challenged world will be… We’re going to learn what relocalization is about — Omaa akiing — how to be here on our land. Here on the land to which the people belong... We have this history that we are making of rematriation, the return of our seeds and the return of our traditional foods to our communities, and within that, and the transition to small scale, renewable energy, is really the security for our future."
Pipeline Protests: Putting Climate Civil Disobedience into the Curriculum
Pipeline Protests: Putting Climate Civil Disobedience into the Curriculum
This lesson by Ursula Wolfe-Rocca is built around the new documentary film, Necessity: Oil, Water, and Climate Resistance, which details the story of multiple cohorts of climate activists: Indigenous leaders in the Climate Justice Movement, valve turners using civil disobedience to stop the flow of oil, and the legal team that uses the “necessity defense” in the courts. Access the film and lesson at the Zinn Education Project website.
October 7, 2020
October 7, 2020
CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE EDUCATION
CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE EDUCATION
Latinx Heritage Month teaching resources to use all year long
Latinx Heritage Month is a great opportunity to consider how we can all be more culturally inclusive year-round. This list of resources, activities, and lessons can help your students learn about diversity within the Latinx community and celebrate Latinx heritage every month of the year.
Celebrate diversity with your students >
Celebrating Latinx Heritage Month: Understanding Diversity by Exploring Identity
Celebrating Latinx Heritage Month: Understanding Diversity by Exploring Identity
Happy Latinx Heritage Month! Education Northwest celebrates the rich complexity of Latino/a/x identity and the value that diverse cultures, histories, and languages bring to our community.
October 7, 2020
October 7, 2020
7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. ET
7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. ET
Free and fair elections are the foundation of all democracies. The US Voting Rights Act of 1965 established protections for all Americans, especially for Black Americans. However the 2013 Supreme Court decision Shelby County v Holder dismantled key elements of the Voting Rights Act and voter suppression efforts are ongoing across the country.
Please join us on Wednesday, October 7 for a dialogue with Dr. Carol Anderson; professor, historian, and National Book Critics Circle Award winner, exploring the history of the fight for African Americans' voting rights as part of the struggle for racial justice in the United States.
This is the second installment in the year-long Facing History Now: Conversations on Equity and Justice virtual event series.
September 28, 2020
September 28, 2020
I Civics
I Civics
Teaching with Primary Sources
Teaching with Primary Sources
Professional learning videos exploring how to teach with primary sources and using iCivics’ DBQuest tool.
September 28, 2020
September 28, 2020
Racial Slavery in the Americas: Resistance, Freedom, and Legacies
Racial Slavery in the Americas: Resistance, Freedom, and Legacies
Provides a wide-ranging overview of racial slavery in the Americas and explores how the past shapes the present. Free in Digital Editions through 9/30/2021
September 28, 2020
September 28, 2020
Zinn Education Project
Zinn Education Project
"I think we ought to examine that premise that our great heroes are military heroes in war. There are other heroes that young people can look up to." — Howard Zinn
Donald Trump recently blasted the work of historian Howard Zinn as "propaganda." Here is Zinn discussing the importance of rethinking how we view the triumphs and tragedies of U.S. history.
June 8, 2020
June 8, 2020
Oregon Historical Society Statement on Racial Justice and Equality
Oregon Historical Society Statement on Racial Justice and Equality
In December of 2019, the Oregon Historical Society (OHS) was very proud to publish a special issue of the Oregon Historical Quarterly (OHQ), which was entirely devoted to the history of "White Supremacy & Resistance" in Oregon. The issue was guest edited by scholars Dr. Darrell Millner and Dr. Carmen Thompson. We said at that time that OHS and the OHQ are "not neutral on the subject of White supremacy. [We] believe that organizations, leaders, and public policies that advance and institutionalize the idea that people categorized as White are superior to other people are harmful, and always have been." Since its publication, this special issue has sparked conversations around the state about how white supremacy has been woven into many of our state's policies and social norms, as well as the many diverse people who have resisted that institutionalization.
Such conversations were important then, and they are even more important today, in light of the killing of George Floyd in Minnesota and many other Black men and women throughout our nation's history.
The resulting protests and marches that have occurred here in Oregon and across the country are a testament to the reality that it is long past time to root out and remove every last vestige of racial discrimination and inequality in our society.
In these turbulent and hopeful times, the Oregon Historical Society recommits itself to being a valuable resource by documenting, preserving, and sharing our state’s history, from all perspectives, and in all its complexities. We hope that everyone will continue to help guide us in providing knowledge of the past and working to build a more just and equitable society in the future.
Let us remember and take inspiration from these words of the late Senator Mark Hatfield: "All of us need each other. All of us must lift and pull others as we rise. All of us must rise together — powerful, free, one self-determined people."
Sincerely,
Kerry Tymchuk
Executive Director, Oregon Historical Society
Mary Miller Faulkner
President, Oregon Historical Society Board of Trustees
Welcoming Challenging Conversations
Welcoming Challenging Conversations
Last Tuesday, we published a blog post where Oregon Historical Quarterly editor and Director of Community Engagement, Eliza E. Canty-Jones, shared Oregon Historical Society resources that highlight the work of Black scholars, activists, and community leaders who shared their experiences, insights, and analyses about racism, white supremacy, violence, community organizing, and resistance. Their work and scholarship helps us understand our past with the hope of creating “a present and future that is more equitable for all.”
We invite you to explore the educational resources highlighted in this blog post, particularly the recently digitized introduction to the Winter 2019 special issue of OHQ, "Expectation and Exclusion: An Introduction to Whiteness, White Supremacy, and Resistance in Oregon History," by co-guest editor Dr. Carmen Thompson.
June 4, 2020
June 4, 2020
Oregon Historical Society
Oregon Historical Society
Director's Corner: Oregonians Fighting for Equality & Justice. Weekly history spotlight with OHS Executive Director Kerry Tymchuk
One of the many treasures in the Oregon Historical Society's priceless collections is our remarkable oral history collection. OHS Oral History Librarian Sarah Stroman has the responsibility of caring for and cataloging that collection, and I often envy her. To be able to listen to hour upon hour of interviews with Oregonians who are part of our state's story is a job that any history buff would love. Sarah has written today's outstanding blog entry on the oral history of Judge Mercedes Deiz, who was the first black woman admitted to the Oregon State Bar. When she was sworn in as a judge of the Multnomah County District Court on January 6, 1970, she became the first woman of color to be an Oregon judge. I had the pleasure of meeting with Bill Deiz, the son of Judge Deiz, when he generously donated a number of object and documents from his mother's career to OHS.
You can read more about Judge Deiz thanks to The Oregon Encyclopedia, which is another OHS treasure. And in these times when many are fighting for the simple truth that Black Lives Matter, I heartily recommend reading The OE entries on other individuals like Willie May Young Hart, DeNorval Unthank, William Hilliard, Avel Gordly, Dr. Nathalie Johnson (an Oregon History Maker!), and the Triple Nickles — heroes all, who persevered through discrimination and moved Oregon forward in the struggle for equality and justice for all — a struggle that continues today.
On the Blog: Tales from the Oral History Collections: Mercedes Deiz
On the Blog: Tales from the Oral History Collections: Mercedes Deiz
In our recent installment of “Tales from the OHS Oral History Collections,” Oral History Librarian Sarah Stroman unearths a story from Mercedes Deiz about a pivotal moment in her life in Oregon that prompted her civil rights activism. After being refused service at an Oregon drive-in restaurant in 1948, Deiz jumped into action, working with organizations like the NAACP and Urban League of Portland to lobby equality for black Oregonians. Deiz's activism, along with that of many Oregonians, led to the eventual signing of Oregon's Civil Rights Bill in 1953, which ensured that, “[a]ll persons within the jurisdiction of this state shall be entitled to the full and equal accommodations, advantages, facilities, and privileges of any place of public accommodation, resort, or amusement, without any distinction, discrimination, or restriction on account of race, religion, color, or national origin." You can listen to the full oral history on OHS Digital Collections.
NEW! Nevertheless, They Persisted Curriculum
NEW! Nevertheless, They Persisted Curriculum
Yesterday, OHS released thirteen lessons inspired by our exhibit, Nevertheless, They Persisted: Women’s Voting Rights and the 19th Amendment. Suitable for middle and high school students, the lessons can be used independently from each other and without a visit to the museum. Bringing together Oregon and national history, the lessons incorporate histories beyond ratification of the 19th amendment, addressing subjects such as intersectionality, women’s political action during the 1970s, and the influence of money in politics.
This curriculum — with its focus on protest, activism, civil rights, and voting — will be especially valuable as teachers prepare for fall classes, which will take place during the final weeks of a momentous election and within the context of ongoing debates about media, racism, and democracy in our nation.
We will be sharing more information through our educator newsletter about professional development opportunities to help make the best use of these lessons, whether you are in a classroom with your students or are teaching from a distance. If you are a teacher who is not on our educator email list, please sign-up by selecting "Educator News" from the list!
Public Programs Spotlight: Regulating Birth in Oregon History: Keynote Lecture by Shafia Monroe, with panelists Maria Taylor, Consuelo Vazquez, and Zalayshia Jackson
Shafia Monroe, founder of Portland’s International Center for Traditional Childbearing, offered information about the historical devaluing of, and violence against, black women’s bodies that began in slavery times and explained how that context continues to negatively affect black women’s experiences with healthcare professionals and institutions today. In this discussion, which can be viewed online, panelists discussed how their personal experiences prompted their decisions to train as healthcare professionals with the intention of aiding black and other women of color in pregnancy, childbirth, and new motherhood. This lecture was offered as part of the November 2015 “Regulating Birth in Oregon History” symposium, which is documented in the Summer 2016 special issue of the Oregon Historical Quarterly.
OHS Museum Collections Spotlight: Afro-American Heritage Bicentennial Commemorative Quilt
This Afro-American Heritage Bicentennial commemorative quilt held in the OHS Museum collections is composed of 30 cotton fabric blocks that depict black American history. The Afro-American Heritage Bicentennial Commemorative Quilt Committee formed in 1974 to make the quilt celebrating African American history, which was finished to coincide with the American Revolution Bicentennial Celebration. On the blocks are appliquéd scenes and portraits of prominent blacks. Each block is initialed by its respective artist. The quilt was part of a nationally touring exhibition in about 1990. OHS Museum 75-77
Community Shout-Out: Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education Core Exhibit
The Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education (OJMCHE) features an excellent core exhibit. Guest curated by Janice Dilg, Discrimination and Resistance, An Oregon Primer documents Oregon’s history of discrimination from its territorial days, into statehood, and through the twentieth century. The exhibit explores "the numerous ways individuals and groups have resisted and overcome discrimination" and is organized by equally weighted "tools of discrimination" and "tools of resistance" in a progression through time and across different groups. The exhibit's goal is to have "visitors question how discrimination works outside of any particular issue or group slated for oppression....to find commonalities in instituting and perpetuating discrimination and the many ways we can resist and overturn discrimination to create a more egalitarian state."
May 20, 2020
May 20, 2020
Facing History and Ourselves
Facing History and Ourselves
If you’ve experienced a Facing History and Ourselves summer seminar in the past, you’ve been wondering how we will deliver this unparalleled professional development experience within the public health constraints we’re all living with. Have no fear, our team has been hard at work redesigning our in person offerings into unique online learning experiences. If you’re new to our Professional Learning, you are in for a treat. From 5-minute classroom videos to 4-day seminars, you will find our impactful core resources, as well as new work on responding to and teaching through COVID-19.
Classroom Videos
Classroom Videos
Get a glimpse inside real classrooms in our library of videos. You'll see our teaching strategies in action, experience classroom conversations, and hear teacher tips on how to build reflective classrooms. Our classroom videos are typically between four and ten minutes long.
Webinars
Webinars
Register for one of our free one-hour webinars and get introduced to a theme, practice, or particular historical moment. We offer both live and on-demand webinars including Teaching Through This Pandemic, Civic Engagement in a Digital Age, and Teaching Complex Current Events and Supporting Student Well-Being.
Courses
Courses
Sign-up for the course that best fits your needs. We offer both facilitated and self-paced online courses which run between 3-6 weeks. Six-week facilitated courses begin June 11, while our on-demand offerings are available when you are. Topics include Holocaust and Human Behavior, Reconstruction, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Choices in Little Rock.
Seminars
Seminars
Experience what our approach looks and feels like and connect with other educators in sessions facilitated by Facing History experts. Our 4-day facilitated online seminars are for educators looking to develop and implement our curriculum and methodology with their students. Topics include the Holocaust, the Reconstruction Era, Civics, and Teaching for Equity and Justice.
May 9, 2020
May 9, 2020
Rethinking Schools
Rethinking Schools
Rosa Parks did a lot more than just refuse to give up her seat on that Montgomery bus. She worked for justice before — and long after — her famous gesture that launched the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
The lesson was just posted at the Zinn Education Project, which Rethinking Schools coordinates with Teaching for Change.
The lesson grows out of the wonderful Zinn Education Project "People's Historians Online" series — which continues every Friday through June. To open the series, Rethinking Schools editor Jesse Hagopian led two conversations with Jeanne Theoharis, author of The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks. Theoharis shared story after story of Mrs. Parks' defiant life, stretching back to when she was 6 years old, sitting on the porch in rural Alabama with her grandfather, ready to defend their home from Ku Klux Klan raids. Many of Theoharis's stories about Rosa Parks focused on her work in Detroit, where she lived and worked for racial justice for more than half her life — which is almost always left out of the conventional Rosa Parks story.
Bigelow's mixer activity features 22 episodes from Mrs. Parks' life of activism. Students meet — and teach — one another about these "rebellious" moments. It's an activity we think can be adapted for online use with students.
At this dangerous moment in world history, our students need models of social justice activists like Rosa Parks, who dedicated their lives to fairness and equality.
Thank you for your important work, and for your support for Rethinking Schools.
March 11, 2020
March 11, 2020
National History Club
National History Club
Lessons of Leadership Contest: Profiles in Political Courage
Lessons of Leadership Contest: Profiles in Political Courage
GUIDELINES
Elected officials have always been called upon to make critically important decisions, ones that can determine the fate of their towns, cities, states and nations. With the next election in the not-so-distant future, the NHC and The HBE Foundation are pleased to present the 7th annual “Lessons of Leadership” contest, with a focus on political courage.
We invite middle and high school students from any school in the United States to select an elected official and describe how that person risked his or her career by making a decision (passing a law, making a speech, advocating for change, running for office, etc.) that was at odds with public opinion. Using descriptive examples of the risks, consequences and rewards associated with his/her act of political courage, we seek to be inspired by the vision and boldness of these leaders. We strongly encourage students to think broadly about this topic, and figures can be ancient or modern, domestic (local, state, national) or foreign. Acts of political courage can range from a representative from one’s town or city to a world leader. Contest entries can be submitted in one of the three following formats:
* An essay of no less than 500 words and not more than 2,000 words, supplemented with a bibliography and endnotes. Entries may be submitted in either of the following forms: 1) Microsoft Word document or 2) PDF document.
* A documentary or PowerPoint presentation that reflects your ability to communicate your figure’s importance, and also helps you develop skills in using photographs, video, graphic presentations, etc. Documentaries should not exceed more than 10 minutes, and sources used should be credited through a bibliography.
* A website that reflects your ability to use website design software and computer technology to communicate how your historical figure influenced history. Your website should include a collection of web pages, interconnected with hyperlinks, that presents primary and secondary sources and interactive multimedia. Sources used should be credited through a bibliography.
All entries must be received by April 10, 2020 and can be emailed to Bob Nasson at rnasson@nationalhistoryclub.org (please type “Lessons of Leadership” in the subject line). Submissions will be judged by the NHC Advisory Board and winners will be announced at the end of April.
Awards:
First Place - $1,500 (one prize)
Second Place - $750 (two prizes)
Third Place - $500 (four prizes)
February 12th, 2020
February 12th, 2020
The Choices Program
The Choices Program
Black History Month: Choices materials bring new perspectives
Black History Month: Choices materials bring new perspectives
Curriculum units and free videos from the Choices Program can bring new perspectives on black history to your classroom this month for Black History Month. These materials are also great resources for courses on African American Studies.
Free Video Series
Free Video Series
In this series, Representative John Lewis describes growing up under Jim Crow, his involvement in the civil rights movement, and his decision to go into politics.
In this series, Judy Richardson describes her experience in the civil rights movement, including her work with the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee.
In this series, Renée Ater of the University of Maryland examines the purpose of historical memorials and provides analysis on several memorials to slavery.
Curriculum Units
Curriculum Units
The Haitian Revolution
Students trace the development of the American colonial world and one of the greatest wealth-producing colonies in world history. They consider the groups involved in the conflict and reflect on the legacies of one of the most successful revolts of enslaved people in history.
The Civil War and the Meaning of Liberty
Students probe the history of the United States from 1830 to 1865 and consider the experiences of people in the United States as well as the issues driving the political confrontation over slavery and the meaning of liberty.
Freedom Now: The Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi
Students trace the history of the black freedom struggle from Reconstruction through the 1960s. Readings and activities focus on the grass-roots movement to achieve civil rights for African Americans.
KATU
KATU
James McGee is changing the story for students of color
James McGee is changing the story for students of color
Read about how James McGee, vice principal at Lincoln High School, started Brothers of Color to give black and Latino students a place to connect and build a community.
Watch/Read more here
February 5th, 2020
February 5th, 2020
Pullitzer Center Education
Pullitzer Center Education
In her framing essay for The 1619 Project, journalist and project architect Nikole Hannah-Jones describes black Americans as "the perfectors of this democracy." In honor of African American History Month, we are sharing a lesson plan on Hannah-Jones' essay. She uses a combination of historical research and personal reflection to tell the story of how slavery has shaped U.S. society, and how black Americans have consistently striven to transform that society into a stronger, more equitable democracy. "Without the idealistic, strenuous and patriotic efforts of black Americans," she writes, "our democracy today would most likely look very different—it might not be a democracy at all.
This lesson plan offers warm-ups, reading guides, and discussion questions, to delve into this text. The lesson also contains the unabridged essay in the downloadable PDF of The 1619 Project, as well as a short, printable excerpt from "The Idea of America."
January 30th, 2020
January 30th, 2020
Rethinking Schools
Rethinking Schools
The National Black Lives Matter Week of Action is right around the corner. Rethinking Schools editors and staff endorse the week of action, Feb. 3-7, 2020, and encourage all educators, students, parents, unions, and community organizations to participate.
Black Lives Matter at School is a national coalition of educators organizing for racial justice in education. Each year, during the week of action, thousands of educators in cities across the country participate to affirm the lives of Black students. Educators teach lessons about structural racism, Black history, and anti-racist movements during the week of action and beyond.
The four demands of BLM at School are vital to dismantling institutional educational racism:
1. End “zero tolerance” discipline, and implement restorative justice
2. Hire more Black teachers
3. Mandate Black history and ethnic studies in K–12 curriculum
4. Fund counselors not cops
Rethinking Schools believes that every social justice educator should make building the Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action during the first week of February a top priority — and we offer our solidarity in the fight against racism in schools and the broader society. To help you support this work, we offer a list of resources:
2020 Black Lives Matter At School Curriculum Resource Guide!
Free Rethinking Schools Archive Resources
Zinc Education Project Week of Action Resources
Teaching for Change #BlackLivesMatter Collection
Black Lives Matter at School: From the Week of Action to Year-Round Anti-Racist Pedagogy and Protest
Stanford History Education Group
Stanford History Education Group
New History Materials
New History Materials
25 New Reading Like a Historian Lessons
24 New History Assessments of Thinking
12 Newly revamped lessons
10 New Spanish language translations
All featuring documents from the Library of Congress.
Free, as always. Explore Now
January 20th, 2020
January 20th, 2020
Bill of Rights Institute
Bill of Rights Institute
Following World War II, America experienced a dramatic economic boom—and a dramatic reorientation of American ideals at home. Cities, long the heart of urban society and culture, lost jobs and population during a phenomenon known as “White Flight.” Poverty, crime, and cultural tensions between a growing number of minorities and whites led to many of the latter leaving cities in the Northeast and Midwest for the suburbs. By 1960, almost as many Americans lived in suburban areas as in city centers.
In this lesson, students will examine how this changing cultural landscape and the assassination of the great civil rights leader MLK contributed to a spark in anger amongst African Americans, who used a variety of outlets, including music, to express their frustration. They will analyze how changes in postwar ideology transformed life in urban and suburban areas and also evaluate the issues affecting city dwellers in the 1960s.
January 8, 2020
January 8, 2020
Rethinking Schools
Rethinking Schools
Time to Teach About The Wars in the Middle East:
Time to Teach About The Wars in the Middle East:
A free PDF book from Rethinking Schools
A free PDF book from Rethinking Schools
Seven years ago, we published Teaching About the Wars, a collection of Rethinking Schools teaching articles, lesson plans, and essays to help teachers make sense of the conflicts roiling the Middle East. Today, in recognition of how urgent it is to help students come to grips with the history of U.S. military intervention in that region, we offer Rethinking Schools readers a free PDF download of Teaching About the Wars.
Teaching About the Wars offers age-appropriate ways to discuss topics of war in the Middle East with upper elementary through high school and college students.
December 10, 2019
December 10, 2019
BRI Lessons & Resources
BRI Lessons & Resources
Immigration in the Gilded Age and Progressive Era
In this lesson, students will explore the causes of immigration to the United States, the effects of immigration on American society, and the experience of immigrants during the Gilded Age and Progressive Era.
Classroom Law Project's Weekly Current Events
Classroom Law Project's Weekly Current Events
THE UNITED STATES AND NATO: World Relationships and Why They Matter
THE UNITED STATES AND NATO: World Relationships and Why They Matter
Last week, leaders of 29 countries gathered in London, England to celebrate the 70th anniversary of NATO – the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. NATO was formed in 1949 following World War II, when 12 countries signed a pact creating a political and military alliance to protect each other from the growing threat of the Soviet Union’s military expansion. After the Cold War ended, former Soviet republics joined the alliance, and NATO added a focus on joint humanitarian efforts. However, 70 years after its beginning, leaders in several NATO countries, including the United States, question its continued mission and effectiveness. This week's Current Event looks at NATO, world relationships and why they matter.
December 2, 2019
December 2, 2019
Oregon Historical Society
Oregon Historical Society
The Oregon Historical Society (OHS) is interested in collaborating with teachers to provide resources, opportunities, and information that will best support your work in implementing new state mandates—Ethnic Studies, Oregon Tribal History, and the Holocaust & Genocide Law—in the upcoming year. Take the Educator Survey to provide direct feedback to OHS staff by Midnight on Tuesday, December 17.
Are you aware that OHS has 5 units of grade-appropriate curriculum for the core Oregon History exhibit, Experience Oregon, that aligns with social studies standards and meets the new ethnic studies and Oregon Tribal history mandates? The curriculum can be tailored to all classrooms regardless of a museum visit.
OHS museum visits are FREE to all Oregon schools groups and bus assistance is available! We are currently recruiting volunteer museum docents, who will undergo a six-session orientation to lead tours in Nevertheless, They Persisted, an original exhibit commemorating the centennial of the Nineteenth Amendment, which offers many avenues to engage middle and high school students in discussions about the complex history of voting rights in the United States.
PBS Resource
PBS Resource
The documentary takes us from the origins of Reconstruction as slavery was destroyed during the Civil War all the way to the early twentieth century, with the repudiation—both popular and scholarly—of Reconstruction. The two episodes that constitute Part 1 cover Reconstruction itself, describing it as a revolutionary moment in American history, full of hopeful possibilities. But it provoked a fearsome backlash, what Du Bois called a “counter-revolution of property.” This is the focus of Part 2, which covers the era of Jim Crow segregation, lynching, and disenfranchisement. It would take thousands of pages and dozens of books to tell this story fully. All the more remarkable, then, that the four episodes succeed so well in introducing the broad outlines of what Gates calls “the chaotic, exhilarating, and ultimately devastating period known as Reconstruction.”
Veterans Legacies Project
Veterans Legacies Project
In classrooms and libraries across the state, The Mighty Endeavor offers students an opportunity to help preserve history while building skills they need for life.
The curriculum has been developed for use by librarians, teachers, after-school groups, youth programs and other organizations. The current version is designed to be implemented in individual or team settings, and includes multiple opportunities for integration into language arts, history and technology instruction.
NPR's Throughline
NPR's Throughline
NPR's Throughline provides short, usually less than 40 minutes, riveting takes on facets of the past that may be forgotten but remain strikingly relevant. School Desegregation in the 1970s, Presidential Impeachment in the 1860s, Billie Holiday, Strange Fruit, and the War on Drugs in the 1950s, A debate about concentration camps and the woman who challenged her government's policy in 1900s
November 13, 2019
November 13, 2019
PULLITZER CENTER EDUCATION
PULLITZER CENTER EDUCATION
Narratives of Native Nations: Indigenous Representation in the News
Narratives of Native Nations: Indigenous Representation in the News
November is National Native American Heritage Month. This lesson highlights injustices committed against Native Americans by exploring issues of broken treaties and federal recognition. Students consider: What stories about Indigenous communities are going under-reported, and what can you do to help make these stories more visible in your own life and in your community?
For more lessons centering Indigenous stories in the U.S. and around the world, see:
Contested Lands: Teaching Indigenous Rights and Resistance Through Photos
Reporting on Cultural Genocide and the Legacy of Indian Residential Schools
Evaluating Climate Change's Impact on Individuals and Ecosystems
November 6, 2019
November 6, 2019
FACING HISTORY AND OURSELVES
FACING HISTORY AND OURSELVES
Free Poster Sets for your Classroom!
Free Poster Sets for your Classroom!
We are excited to partner with the Smithsonian Institution to offer you a free 8-poster set on their exhibition, Righting a Wrong, tracing the story of Japanese national and Japanese American incarceration during World War II.
Young and old lived crowded together in hastily built camps, endured poor living conditions, and were under the constant watch of military guards for two and a half years. Meanwhile, brave Japanese American men risked their lives fighting for the United States. Some 40 years later, members of the Japanese American community led the nation to confront the wrong it had done—and urged Congress to make it right.
Based on an original exhibition at the National Museum of American History, the Righting a Wrong poster exhibition centers around eight core questions that encourage viewers to engage in a dialogue about how this happened and could it happen again. Embracing themes that are as relevant today as they were 75 years ago, the poster exhibition brings forth themes of identity, immigration, prejudice, civil rights, courage, and what it means to be an American.
BILL OF RIGHTS INSTITUTE
BILL OF RIGHTS INSTITUTE
The latest video in our Homework Help series on landmark U.S. Supreme Court cases has been released today examining the 1963 case of Gideon v. Wainwright.
In this video, we explore the question of whether an individual has a right to a lawyer, regardless of the crime he or she is charged with. The case addresses how constitutional due process protections for the accused protect us all.
We will be continuing to release new homework help videos every Monday throughout the semester. Subscribe to our channel to make sure you don't miss any!
National Council for the Social Studies
National Council for the Social Studies
Artifacts Help Students Study the Holocaust
A class of Texas eighth-grade students used artifacts and other materials from a trunk provided by the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum to learn about the Holocaust. The student, who have read the writings of Anne Frank and Elie Wiesel, examined the contents of the truck including books and replicas of armbands worn by Jews and others during the time period.
October 8, 2019
October 8, 2019
THE HISTORIC NEW ORLEANS COLLECTION
THE HISTORIC NEW ORLEANS COLLECTION
Civil Rights Curriculum and Workshop
Civil Rights Curriculum and Workshop
Hello, Educators!
We hope your school year is off to a great start. THNOC’s education department is excited to share the NOLA Resistance Oral History Project, which features testimony from individuals who were active in the fight for racial equality in New Orleans between 1954 and 1976. Our team has created an interactive curriculum and an upcoming teacher workshop to complement the project and connect students with the compelling stories of these activists.
OREGON HISTORICAL SOCIETY
OREGON HISTORICAL SOCIETY
SPECIAL EVENT
An Evening with Teddy Roosevelt
Tuesday, October 8, 2019
Performance by Teddy Roosevelt historical recreator Joe Wiegand
7pm at the First Congregational Church
Free Admission More Information
SERIES: Second Sunday, Experience Oregon
Rethinking Oregon Settlement
Sunday, October 13, 2019
Presented by Dr. Katy Barber and Dr. Melinda Marie Jetté
2pm at the Oregon Historical Society
Free Admission More Information
PARTNER EVENT
1882 Project Celebration: Beyond the Transcontinental Railroad
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Organized by the Chinese American Citizens Alliance and presented by Dale Hom
7pm at the Oregon Historical Society
Free Admission More Information
SERIES: History Pub
Hiking Oregon's History
Monday, October 28, 2019
Presented by William L. Sullivan
7pm at McMenamins Kennedy School
In partnership with McMenamins and Holy Names Heritage Center
Free Admission More Information
EXHIBITIONS
Flaxen: From Flax to Linen in the Willamette Valley
This photography exhibit features reproductions of hand-tinted glass lantern slides from OHS's Portland Public School Collection. From harvesting and retting to combing and weaving, the images — all dating from the early 1930s — document how flax was grown and processed to make fabric. The slides were shown to schoolchildren to illustrate various Oregon industries and, in this case, children learned about making towels and napkins at the Oregon Linen Mill in Salem.
See a live projection of the slides featured in this exhibit at the Portland Textile Month event Celebration of Linen this Friday, October 4, at The Cleaners.
RESEARCH LIBRARY
New on OHS Digital Collections
Columbia Steel Casting Company Photographs
Recently added to our digital collections site is a series of photographs taken at the Columbia Steel Casting Co. in 1944 showing steelworkers casting and preparing parts for Liberty Ships. These are from the Research Library's Photo Art Commercial Studios negatives collection. Browse the collection to see some great examples showing the process of sand casting, as well as striking details of a working foundry.
Shining Light on Oregon’s Shadows:
Learning from our Past to Understand our Present and Build our Future
The 2019 OCSS Fall conference will aim to bring into light the histories, contributions and celebrations of Oregon’s ethnic and social minorities that have too often been left in the shadows of our textbooks. The 2018 Oregon state social studies standards, the recent passage of House Bill 2845 and Senate Bill 13 charges Oregon educators to ensure instruction and curriculum is inclusive of multiple perspectives and authentically presents the diverse population and lived experiences of Oregonians, past and present.
Attendees will be sure to gain access to a host of ready-to-use pedagogical strategies and skills that will enhance and expand their abilities to teach students the content knowledge, intellectual skills, and civic values to become positive contributing members of the local and continually expanding global community.
Native American Student & Community Center Portland State University Saturday, September 28th, 2019 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM
HOLOCAUST TEACHER ADVISORY BOARD & STUDENT-EDUCATOR INTERNSHIP
May 29, 2019
On May 28, 2019, SB 664, a bill to mandate Holocaust and genocide education in Oregon starting in the 2020-2021 school-year, unanimously passed its final vote on the House floor. To ensure that we are working with educators, OJMCHE is excited to announce the formation of a Teacher Advisory Board for the 2019-2020 school year. Additionally, we are offering a new opportunity for students to become involved with Holocaust and genocide education with our new Student-Educator Internship. More information on both is available below and applications for each are due JUNE 14th. Photo: Phil Mandel, OJMCHE's Amanda Solomon, Representative Janeen Sollman, Bob Horenstein, George Okulitch, OJMCHE Director Judy Margles at the State Capitol.
What is the Teacher Advisory Board
The role of the Teacher Advisory Board is to advance the museum’s mission to explore the legacy of the Jewish experience in Oregon, teach the universal lessons of the Holocaust and provide opportunities for intercultural conversation. OJMCHE challenges our visitors to resist indifference and discrimination and to envision a just and inclusive world. The TAB meets five times during the school year to foster collaboration and learning between teachers and museum educators, advise OJMCHE on our educational programs, and participate in roundtable discussions around a variety of topics.
What do I get from this?
The TAB meets 5 times during the year and you will receive:
Free donor level museum membership with 6 guest passes &invitations to members-only events
10 professional development hours
Free class visit to the OJMCHE
10% discount at the Museum Shop
Click the link to find out more information: http://www.ojmche.org/educate/teacher-advisory-board. Applications are due June 14, 2019.
WORLD OREGON EVENT: June 25, 2019 at 7pm - 8:30pm
Ambassador Ryan Crocker | Taking the Pulse: The Middle East & U.S. Diplomacy
Diplomacy is an art and foreign policy is not short on challenges. The world is experiencing a 25-year peak in violent conflict, trapping millions of innocent families in cycles of poverty and displacement and leading to costly and prolonged military and humanitarian responses, challenging the U.S.’s role on the international stage.
Join us and hear from former U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker(and Mercy Corps board member) as he shares his thoughts on diplomacy and its role in the state and future of U.S. policy across the Middle East– from withdrawal in Afghanistan, conflict in Syria, proxy war in Yemen, and Iran’s role in the region, to the ongoing question of Saudi Arabia’s influence in a very complex geopolitical landscape.
The Old Church. 1422 SW Eleventh Ave, Portland
Contact: Tim DuRoche · timd@worldoregon.org
OSAS SCIENCE ASSESSMENT STANDARD SETTING PANEL
The Oregon Department of Education Office of Teaching, Learning, and Assessment is seeking educators to participate in Standard Setting for the Oregon Statewide Assessment System (OSAS) Science Assessment. The purpose of standard setting is to interpret test scores relative to achievement standards that define the extent to which students have attained achievement expectations prescribed in the Oregon’s Science Standards in grades 5, 8, and 11. Oregon educators, serving as standard setting panelists, will follow a standardized procedure to recommend achievement standards demarcating each achievement level.
Meeting Dates:
August 19-21, 2019, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. in Portland, OR.
Application Please see the recruitment letter for more information. Participants will be monetarily compensated.
Noelle Gorbett Science Assessment Specialist
Phone: 503-947-5928
AP TRAINING BEND, OREGON
The Summer AP Training Institute. Registration is open. August 5-10, 2019
The AP® Institute of the Cascades prides itself not only in providing an excellent learning environment for educators seeking AP training – but also by providing a cultural and recreational experience for participants to connect with peers from across the country and explore the best of what sun-filled Central Oregon has to offer.
The High Desert Education Service District and Oregon State University - Cascades are proud to announce a partnership to create the only AP Institute currently available in Oregon. This AP Summer Institute is designed to provide educators from around the globe with the training and skills they need to develop or expand their high school Advanced Placement programs. Located in the destination town of Bend Oregon, AP Institute of the Cascades participants can also enjoy all of the breathtaking beauty and recreational activities that Central Oregon has to offer.
Stay Connected with the Oregon Department of Education
SUBSCRIBER SERVICES:
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It is a policy of the State Board of Education and a priority of the Oregon Department of Education that there will be no discrimination or harassment on the grounds of race, color, sex, marital status, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, or disability in any educational programs, activities or employment. For more information, visit the Anti-Discrimination Policy page.
June 2, 2019
June 2, 2019
June Events Calendar
June Events Calendar
PANEL DISCUSSION
Ideas Matter: History and the Shaping of U.S. Foreign Policy
Monday, June 3, 2019
Presented by Danielle Holtz, Christopher McKnight Nichols, and Daniel Tichenor
7pm at the Oregon Historical Society
In partnership with Oregon State University Center for the Humanities, Oregon State University Citizenship & Crisis Initiative, and WorldOregon
Free Admission More Information
LECTURE
A Celebration of Heroes: The 75th Anniversary of D-Day
Thursday, June 6, 2019
With WWII veterans Ben Asquith and Abe Laurenzo
12pm at the Oregon Historical Society
In partnership with The Mighty Endeavor
Free Admission More Information
ERIES: Second Sunday
Lost Portland
Sunday, June 9, 2019
Presented by Val Ballestrem
2pm at the Oregon Historical Society
Free Admission More Information
LECTURE
An Evening with Rick Atkinson
Thursday, June 13, 2019
Author of The British Are Coming
7pm at the First Congregational Church
Tickets start at $25 More Information
SERIES: Experience Oregon
Oregon's Enigmatic Black History
Wednesday, June 19, 2019
Presented by James Stanley Harrison
7pm at the Oregon Historical Society
Free Admission More Information
SERIES: History Pub
50 Years After Stonewall - Portland’s LGBTQ History
Monday, June 24, 2019
Presentations by early PDX LGBTQ activists Darcelle, Holly Hart, Kathleen Saadat, & Susie Shephard, and PDX gay community historian Jeff Stookey
7pm at McMenamins Kennedy School
In partnership with McMenamins and Holy Names Heritage Center
Free Admission More Information
EXHIBITIONS
Barley, Barrels, Bottles, & Brews: 200 Years of Oregon Beer
Closes June 9!
The history of beer in Oregon and the passion Oregonians hold for beer and brewing extends back over two hundred years. This exhibition connects these moments in history, from the Lewis and Clark Expedition to early pioneer hop growers to the craft brewery revolution centered here today.
PARTNER EVENT
Wild Wild History: The Rise and Fall of Rajneeshpuram
Thursday, June 27, 2019
7pm at the First Congregational Church
In 1981, the Indian guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, his personal assistant, Ma Anand Sheela, and their community of followers purchased the Big Muddy Ranch near the tiny Oregon town of Antelope. The ambitious experiment soon ignited great concern among the citizens of Antelope as well as among state and federal officials. The resulting legal and cultural controversies – many of them caused or exacerbated by supporters of the Bhagwan – played out in state and national media and in state and federal courtrooms.
In this event, the U.S. District Court of Oregon Historical Society and the Oregon Historical Society are pleased to welcome leading advocates from both sides of the Rajneeshpuram episode who will address issues that continue to reverberate today. Three speakers made prominent appearances in the highly acclaimed Nefflix documentary Wild Wild Country. The discussion will be moderated by Oregon Supreme Court Justice Tom Balmer
Speakers include:
Philip Toelkes (a.k.a. Swami Prem Niren), attorney for the Rajneesh
Robert Weaver, assistant U.S. attorney at the time and lead federal prosecutor
William Gary, lead counsel for Oregon Attorney General Dave Frohnmayer on the matter
U.S. Magistrate Judge John Jelderks who presided over a number of the state court legal proceedings
Tickets are $25 and can be purchased online through brownpapertickets.com.
BLOG
New on Dear Oregon
Oregon History Day: It’s All About the Journey
By Erin Brasell
This post highlights one of the inspiring projects entered in this year’s Oregon History Day contest. Erin Brasell, Editorial, Design, and Production Manager for OHQ, had the opportunity to interview returning participants Alan Zhou and Kyler Wang on a visit to the OHS Research Library. Zhou and Wang won second place for their documentary titled “Echo of Falling Water: The Destruction of Celilo Falls” and will attend the national contest this month. Accompanying the interview is a Two-Minute-Take video that allows readers to go behind the scenes with these two impressive young historians.
By Jay Cosnett
Our latest post on Dear Oregon is a fun walk down memory lane with images found on OHS’s digital collection site. In this staff reflection, OHS Web Strategist Jay Cosnett indulges in two of his interests, historic photos and the history of streetcars, to determine the location of a building in Southeast Portland. Jay, who is also the mastermind behind all of Dear Oregon’s Two-Minute-Take videos, employs a cool online tool that allows readers to scroll between historic and contemporary photos of the location — be careful, though, you might want to do it all day.
May 27, 2019
May 27, 2019
What do you teach about Central America?
What do you teach about Central America?
TEACHING CENTRAL AMERICA
TEACHING CENTRAL AMERICA
More than four million Central Americans reside in the United States today, yet the lack of resources in most schools on Central American heritage make the rich history and literature of the region invisible. Teaching for Change has launched a campaign to encourage and support teaching about Central America. We have collected lessons, book lists, biographies of noted historical figures, and readings for free use by classroom teachers. Learn more.
Feature films and documentaries.
Selected poems and literature in English and Spanish.
May 25, 2019
May 25, 2019
Driving excellence in humanities education
Driving excellence in humanities education
EDSITEment is a partnership between the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Trust for the Humanities. EDSITEment offers a treasure trove for teachers, students, and parents searching for high-quality material on the Internet in the subject areas of literature and language arts, foreign languages, art and culture, and history and social studies. All websites linked to EDSITEment have been reviewed for content, design, and educational impact in the classroom. They cover a wide range of humanities subjects, from American history to literature, world history and culture, language, art, and archaeology, and have been judged by humanities specialists to be of high intellectual quality. EDSITEment is not intended to represent a complete curriculum in the humanities, nor does it prescribe any specific course of study.
Closer Readings
Closer Readings
Commentary on EDSITEment subjects, topics, and people
Commentary on EDSITEment subjects, topics, and people
Everything Your Students Need to Know About Immigration History
Teach Immigration History from the University of Texas at Austin explains the important and complicated history of immigration to the United States for general audiences and high school teachers of U.S. history and civics courses. The backbone of the website is an 80-item chronology of key events, laws, and court rulings that are further explained by a dozen thematic lesson plans on topics such as citizenship, an overview of major laws, gender and immigration, and migration within the Americas.
The month of May is an opportunity for reflection on and commemoration of all that AAPI individuals and organizations have accomplished and contributed to U.S. history and culture. This piece highlights NEH projects and classroom resources for teaching about these experiences in America.
Chronicling and Picturing America
Created through a partnership of The National Endowment for the Humanities and the Library of Congress, Chronicling America offers visitors the ability to search and view newspaper pages from 1836–1922 and to find information about American newspapers published between 1690–present.
May 24, 2019
May 24, 2019
The Choices Program from Brown University
The Choices Program from Brown University
Free Videos Focus on Iran and Its Relationship with the U.S.
Free Videos Focus on Iran and Its Relationship with the U.S.
Choices has recently uploaded thirteen videos to our website! Johns Hopkins University anthropologist Narges Bajoghli discusses life and politics in Iran and the country's long history with the United States.
WATCH THE VIDEOS:
Trace the history of Iran from its early dynasties to the present. Readings and activities help students understand the political and cultural conditions that led to the 1979 Revolution and its aftermath.
Workshops
Workshops
We offer workshops around the world to assist educators in implementing Choices materials in their classrooms.
New workshops added!
The Middle East: Questions for U.S. Policy
Students examine the role of oil in geopolitics, the issues between Israel and the Palestinians, the significance of the Iranian Revolution, and other historical issues that have shaped U.S. relations in the region.
May 3, 2019
May 3, 2019
May 7th, 2019 @ 7:30 PM
May 7th, 2019 @ 7:30 PM
Empirical Theater at OMSI
Empirical Theater at OMSI
1945 SE Water Ave
Free Admission and Free Parking
THE FUTURE OF EGYPT’S PAST: PROTECTING ANCIENT THEBES
THE FUTURE OF EGYPT’S PAST: PROTECTING ANCIENT THEBES
Dr. Kent Weeks and the Theban Mapping Project
Dr. Kent Weeks and the Theban Mapping Project
In 1978, the Theban Mapping Project (TMP) was an ambitious plan to record, photograph and map every temple and tomb in the Theban Necropolis (modern Luxor, Egypt) within a few years. However, it took nearly two decades before the enormous task was realized and the Atlas of the Valley of the Kings was published.
Dr. Weeks has guided the TMP on a sometimes surprising journey. In 1995, an effort to pinpoint where early explorers had noted an “insignificant” tomb led to the re-discovery of KV5. Recognized now as the tomb for sons of Ramesses II, it is the most important find since the discovery of Tutankhamen’s tomb.
Once primarily aimed at treasure, gold, jewels and mummies, today archaeology in the Valley of the Kings targets information, accessibility and protection. The TMP remains relevant, developing an online Egyptian Archaeological Database, a newly upgraded TMP website, and a program of local public education to encourage archaeological awareness, site conservation and site management, as well as continuing work in KV5.
May 2, 2019
May 2, 2019
BRI Lessons and Resources
BRI Lessons and Resources
The History of Immigration in the United States
In this lesson, students will study the nature of immigration and trace the history of immigration in the United States from its founding to the first half of the twentieth century. They will gain an understanding of the experience of immigrants in the 1800s, the factors that brought them to the United States, and the challenges they faced upon their arrival. Students will thus be better equipped to engage in the modern conversation on immigration in the United States.
Lee Yick: Equal Justice Under Law
In this lesson and narrative, middle and high school students will consider the actions of Chinese immigrant Lee Yick regarding the injustices of a discriminatory city ordinance in late nineteenth century San Francisco. They will consider ways in which they can promote or fight for justice in their own lives.
Immigration. It directly impacts thousands of communities and classrooms across the nation. It's also an issue that touches all parts of the American story. Unless your ancestors were brought to this country as enslaved people or were Native Americans, you and your students are either immigrants or the descendants of immigrants. We want to help you explore the history and current issues around immigration with your students.
We would like to invite you to join an important conversation with us on this topic during our next Tenth Period webinar, next Tuesday, May 7 at 4 p.m. ET.
During the webinar, we will be reviewing the lessons and activities from our own Immigration and Citizenship curriculum, one of the thirteen free resources available on Voices of History, and taking your questions. We would also like to hear your own experiences with teaching this topic.
Please join us live, or watch the recording later by registering HERE.
BRI News
BRI News
AP Prep Webinars Are Under Way
If your students are preparing for the AP Government or AP U.S. History exams and need some study tips, our free webinars are designed to help. Hosts Tom Richey and Paul Sargent are guiding students through the most important parts of each exam now through May 9. Visit the website to see the full schedule, view the recordings, or join in live.
Homework Help APUSH Prep Videos
Whether your students are preparing for the APUSH exam or their final exams in U.S. History, our Homework Help videos are great tools for review. APUSH students will want to view the thirteen videos in our APUSH series as well as the nine videos in our series on the economics requirements in the APUSH exam.
Educator Spotlight
Educator Spotlight
Meet Paul Maloy!
Paul Maloy has followed an unusual career path. Before becoming a middle school history teacher, he served in the Air Force and then worked in business and marketing management. He says, however, that he always loved reading and learning about history. Paul has been teaching for 14 years now, and he loves having the chance to make an impact on students. “The greatest achievement of my professional career,” Paul says, “Happens every time a student’s eyes light up, and they say, ‘I get it! I understand why that’s important!’”...Read More
Our Latest Poll: Immigration in Your Classroom
In our last poll, we asked how much of your curriculum incorporated Project Based Learning. 40 percent of you said it was 90 percent or more, 40 percent said it was 30-50 percent, and 20 percent of you told us it was 10-30 percent of your curriculum.
In our new poll, we want to know: On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being not difficult and 10 being extremely difficult, how difficult is it for you to address the issue of immigration in your classroom?
Featured Tweet
Immigrant Stories is a research and archiving project run by the Immigration History Research Center (IHRC) at the University of Minnesota. Immigrant Stories helps immigrants, refugees, and their family members create digital stories: brief videos with images, text, and audio about a personal experience. You can follow them @ImmigrantMN
March 28, 2019
March 28, 2019
NEW BOOK FROM RETHINKING SCHOOLS
NEW BOOK FROM RETHINKING SCHOOLS
Teaching a People's History
Teaching a People's History
of Abolition and the Civil War
of Abolition and the Civil War
Edited by Adam Sanchez
Teaching a People's History of Abolition and the Civil War is a collection of 10 classroom-tested lessons on one of the most transformative periods in U.S. history. These lessons encourage students to take a critical look at the popular narrative that centers Abraham Lincoln as the Great Emancipator and ignores the resistance of abolitionists and enslaved people.
The collection aims to help students understand how ordinary citizens ---- with ideas that seem radical and idealistic ---- can challenge unjust laws, take action together, pressure politicians to act, and fundamentally change society.
Testimonials
Testimonials
"A valuable blueprint for teaching the history of abolitionism and the end of slavery. . . . Coming at a moment of activism by modern descendants of the struggle for freedom, the book could not be more timely."
---- Eric Foner, DeWitt Clinton Professor Emeritus of History,
Columbia University
"By debunking the false history of lone great men and restoring the role of diverse coalitions of ordinary people working together to make extraordinary change, these lessons provide a factual basis for hope and inspiration amid oppressive circumstances."
---- Chenjerai Kumanyika, Assistant Professor of Journalism and Media Studies, Rutgers University
TEACHING ACTIVITY
TEACHING ACTIVITY
'If There Is No Struggle...': Teaching a People's History of the Abolition Movement
'If There Is No Struggle...': Teaching a People's History of the Abolition Movement
By Bill Bigelow
In this role play, students become members of the American Anti-Slavery Society, facing many of the real challenges to ending slavery.
Reconstruction Teach-In
Reconstruction Teach-In
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Join the Howard University School of Education, D.C. Area Educators for Social Justice (a project of Teaching for Change), and the Zinn Education Project on Saturday, April 13 for a teach-in on Reconstruction as part of the Teach Reconstruction campaign.
COORDINATED BY: Rethinking Schools & Teaching for Change
PO BOX 73038, WASHINGTON, D.C. 20056
202-588-7205 | zinnedproject.org
March 6, 2019
March 6, 2019
Islamophobia: A People's History Teaching Guide
Islamophobia: A People's History Teaching Guide
American Hate: Lessons from Survivors
American Hate: Lessons from Survivors
Two new lessons are available to help us challenge Islamophobia and rethink what we know about the history of Muslims in the U.S., including the fact that Islamophobia is rooted in a history of racism. In addition to narrative-changing content and inclusive teaching strategies, our lessons elevate the voices of activists building justice.
Black Athlete Protest
Black Athlete Protest
This new lesson raises awareness of hate crimes and their impact through the survivor testimonials included in American Hate: Survivors Speak Out, edited by Arjun Singh Sethi.
Black Muslims in the United States: An Introductory Activity
Black Muslims in the United States: An Introductory Activity
This interactive lesson introduces participants to Black Muslims in U.S. history through a meet-and-greet activity.
January 30, 2019
January 30, 2019
African Film Festival
African Film Festival
Learn more about the viewings, events, and speakers celebrating African film-making on the Film Festival website.
Professional Development Opportunities from Facing History
Professional Development Opportunities from Facing History
Please create a free account and register for these webinars:
Legacy and Memory: Rabbi Joseph Polak Reflects on Elie Wiesel
February 4, 2019 | Webinar
In the third installment of our “Teaching Night” series, author and Rabbi Joseph Polak will read several short passages from his poignant 2015 memoir, After the Holocaust the Bells Still Ring. Rabbi Polak will talk with Facing History facilitators and webinar participants to illuminate his book, a rich teaching resource for middle or high school students exploring themes of history, memory, and identity. For more information, register here .
Current Events in Your Classroom
February 6, 2019 | Webinar
Teaching current events can be challenging: the news cycle moves quickly, stories are complex, and the issues can spark strong emotions. But engaging students with current events is a crucial part of their development as informed and humane citizens in a democracy. Join us for this webinar to learn how you can make meaningful connections between current events and your curriculum. For more information, register here.
Eyes on the Prize in the Classroom: Voices from the Civil Rights Movement
February 12, 2019 | Webinar
Join us for an exclusive interview with Charles Mauldin, the Selma march's youth leader. In March 1965, Mr. Mauldin was just 17 years old when he took his place near the front of a line of marchers heading out of Selma, Alabama, with a demand for equal voting rights. In this webinar, we will be in conversation with Mr. Mauldin as he reflects on his experiences as a student activist and the power of young people to spark social change, both during the civil rights movement and today. For more information, register here.
December 15, 2018
December 15, 2018
Choices Program
Choices Program
U.S.-China TradeTensions: A Structured Academic Controversy
U.S.-China TradeTensions: A Structured Academic Controversy
In this free Teaching with the News lesson students will:
Consider the reasons for current trade tensions between the United States and China.
Identify and assess U.S. trade policy toward China.
Examine primary sources from U.S. officials, scholars, journalists, and business leaders supporting and opposing Trump administration trade policies with China.
Use active listening, critical thinking, and persuasive argument skills to explore, discuss, and evaluate arguments related to Trump administration trade policies with China.
Choices Program
Choices Program
China on the World Stage: Weighing the U.S. Response
China on the World Stage: Weighing the U.S. Response
Students explore the history of Western relations with China and consider the global impact of China’s economic growth, societal transformation, and increasing international involvement.
Choices Program
Choices Program
International Trade in a Globalized World
International Trade in a Globalized World
Students explore the controversies surrounding international trade and consider the issues that affect trade including globalization in the United States and abroad.
December 15, 2018
December 15, 2018
Oregon Historical Society
Oregon Historical Society
Family Day: A Celebration of Oregon's Immigrant Communities
Family Day: A Celebration of Oregon's Immigrant Communities
Featuring cultural dance, music, crafts, and hands-on activities for all ages.
Noon to 4:00 pm at O regon Historical Society. Free Admission. Click Here for More Information
Insert Picture OHS Immigrant Communities jpg (in Gayle_Website BLOG)
December 13, 2018
December 13, 2018
The Color of Law and the History of Housing Discrimination
The Color of Law and the History of Housing Discrimination
Dec 13 4:30-6:30 Portland Assoc of Teachers 345 NE 8th Portland
Dec 13 4:30-6:30 Portland Assoc of Teachers 345 NE 8th Portland
Featuring a workshop for teachers sponsored by Rethinking Schools and Zinn Education Project with support of Portland area teachers and Oregon Writing Project. The curriculum is based on Rothstein’s 2017 book, The Color of Law that documents how US cities became so racially divided as federal, state and local governments imposed residential segregation through a variety of polices. These policies concentrted disadvantage in Blck neighborhoods while subsidizing wealth accumulation in white neighborhoods. Facilitators will present a “work-in-progress” lesson and attendees will participate as students in the workshop. Snacks, beverages will be provided. Click Here to Register
December 7, 2018
December 7, 2018
The First Woman in Congress
The First Woman in Congress
Following this year’s midterm elections, a record 121 women will serve in the 116th United Sates Congress. Though some races are still being decided, this is a historic event coming 102 years after Jeannette Rankin, the first female member of Congress, was elected in 1916.
Best known for her votes against the United States’ participation in both World Wars, Rankin began her storied career of public service by serving as a member of the National American Woman Suffrage Association. She believed that women ought to vote, not only so they could be equal citizens with men, but also because she believed that female voters would be more likely to support peace.
In this e-Lesson, students will explore the life and career of Jeannette Rankin, the first woman elected to the U.S. Congress, in the context of the upcoming Congress which will have a record number of women representatives. Click HERE for Bill of Rights Institute Lesson
Nov 13, 2018
Nov 13, 2018
Bill of Rights Institute World War I Teaching Resources
Bill of Rights Institute World War I Teaching Resources
Have you seen our latest eLesson on the Treaty of Versailles?
Have you seen our latest eLesson on the Treaty of Versailles?
100 years ago, on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918, the guns on the Western Front fell silent for the first time in over four years. In this high school U.S. history lesson, students will learn more about the League of Nations and why President Wilson and Senator Lodge disagreed over whether America ought to have joined it.
The President as Commander in Chief: War and the Constitution
This activity from Documents of Freedom is ideal for Middle School Civics and High School Government teachers. Have students work in pairs, small groups, or as a large group. Have students analyze Handout A: War and the Constitution, in order to answer Critical Thinking Questions 1, 2, and 3 on
Handout A. Lead a discussion of these questions...Read More
John G. Pershing: Honoring the Fallen
John G. Pershing: Honoring the Fallen
In this lesson for middle and high school U.S. History, students will learn about the life and actions of John Pershing. They will learn through his actions how he sought to ensure the respect of his soldiers and the sacrifices they made on behalf of their country...Read more.
Facing History and Ourselves
Facing History and Ourselves
Introduce Schindler's List to a New Generation
The 1993 release of the Academy-Award-winning film Schindler’s List, was a watershed in public consciousness about the Holocaust. Twenty-five years later, Facing History is proud to unveil our new unit on teaching the film. Stay tuned for a new webinar on how to use the teaching guide in the coming days. Explore the resource
November 7, 2018
November 7, 2018
Choices Program Transgender Rights
Choices Program Transgender Rights
#Wont BeErased: Source Analysis
In this free lesson students will:
Read about transgender identity in the United States throughout history and today.
Review terminology necessary for discussing transgender identity and issues.
Analyze social media posts as sources about transgender identity in the United States today.
CLICK HERE for the FREE LESSON
Resource Guide: Transgender Identities and Rights
Resource Guide: Transgender Identities and Rights
A collection of resources that may prove useful to educators looking to learn more about transgender identity, discuss transgender identity in the classroom, and support transgender students.
CLICK HERE for the FREE RESOURCE GUIDE
October 25, 2018
October 25, 2018
The Haitian Revolution
The Haitian Revolution
Through readings, maps, and digital activities, students consider the development of the American colonial world and the legacies of one of the most successful revolts of enslaved people in world history. This teaching resource from the Choices Program at Brown University focuses on how Haiti became the first fully free society in the Atlantic world by abolishing slavery. Click here to Learn More
May 23, 2018
May 23, 2018
Many significant people and events in the history of the LGBTQ rights movement are often underrepresented in textbooks and K-12 curricula. In honor of Harvey Milk’s birthday this month, use this lesson from Facing History & Ourselves to help students learn about LGBTQ history spanning from the Roman Empire to the year 2016 by participating in a human timeline activity.
May 19, 2018
May 19, 2018
PSU students in the public history lab are doing amazing work to uncover histories of discrimination and exclusion that will be presented at the Vanport Mosaic
Sunday May 27 11:00 am-5:00 pm: Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center, 5340 N Interstate Avenue, Portland, OR 97217
Monday May 28 11:00 am -5:00 pm : Expo Center located at 2060 N Marine Drive, Portland, OR 97217
For a fully detailed outline of all the festival’s events, click here:
An Exploration of Restrictive Covenants & Residential Segregation in Portland
Learn more at restrictedpdx.wordpress.com
Racial covenants, deed restrictions, and redlining are all examples of systematic issues which have permitted discriminatory policies and realtor guidelines, giving rise to segregated spaces in the city of Portland. 2018 marks the 50th anniversary of the passage of the Fair Housing Act. This significant maker in our history has inspired our efforts to investigate how federal, state, and local policies have created and maintained residential segregation over time.
Students at Portland State University will continuously build upon the basis of this project with the guidance of Dr. Katy Barber while also having the unique opportunity to collaborate with the City of Portland and Vanport Mosaic to identify, collect, and interpret racial covenants and other racially-based restrictions on the purchase or use of a property.
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