PBS American Experience: Vietnam Online
From PBS
This site looks at a war that continues to influence our thinking on military and foreign policy issues. Find a timeline, who's who, maps, personal essays, and key documents, including letters from Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy promising U.S. help against the Communist threat. Learn about U.S. involvement in Southeast Asia, a "time of confusion" at home, war powers and the Constitution, the media's role, the Cold War, and the war in pop songs. |
Timelines of America's Wars
From History.com
These timelines illustrate the conflicts that the United States engaged in from the 18th century to the 21st century. |
 |
The Treaty of Versailles
From ABC-CLIO
"Why did the Treaty of Versailles fail to maintain peace in Europe? How did such factors as reparations against Germany, lack of solidarity among victors, territorial disputes, and economic crises contribute to the onslaught of World War II? Marking the 90th anniversary of the armistice of the Paris Peace Conference of 1919, ABC-CLIO offers a timely opportunity to explore the landmark interwar years, one of the most influential periods in world history." |
![]() |
WWII slave soldiers reunite after 64 years, prepare for honors
From CNN
Story Highlights:
Samuel Fahrer, Sidney Lipson reunite six decades after surviving Nazi camp
They join with other survivors in Florida to be honored for the first time by the Army
They were held at a camp called Berga an der Elster, part of infamous Buchenwald
Prisoners endured forced labor, beatings and terrible living conditions
Here you can find "awesome primary source accounts about Americans soldiers' time spent at Berga an der Elsta (slave labor camp for military prisoners of war), part of Buchenwald." This website was recommended by Sally Wallace, Kennedy Middle School. |
Images and Audio About the Loss of a Brother
From CNN
"A flash media slide show where Tony Acevedo, the medic who kept the diary, relates to the brother of one of the soldiers who died, how his brother died. Very moving." This website was recommended by Sally Wallace, Kennedy Middle School. |
Lesson Plans - Rebuilding Iraq
From Scholastic
"Students will explore the history of America's conflict with Iraq, using a time line dating back to Saddam Hussein's rise to power." Created in March 2003, this would give students a different perspective.
|
Opposing Views of Vietnam
From Discovery Education
"Students will understand the following:
1. Richard Nixons policies concerning the Vietnam War in 1969, including 'Vietnamization.'
2. The main arguments of Vietnam veteran John Kerry and the Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW) in 1971 in opposition to the continuation of the war.
3. The fact that civilians held a variety of opinions regarding the war, some agreeing more with Nixon and the official United States government position and some siding with Kerry, the VVAW, and other antiwar groups." A lesson plan for grades 9-12. |
Conflict on the Homefront: Wisconsin During World War I
From the Wisconsin Historical Society
"In times of war American ideals of civil liberty and national security often clash. The resulting tension has brought out both the best and worst in Americans. Students will learn firsthand how the people of Wisconsin experienced the tension and conflict of wartime emotions from the posters, documents, photographs, and newspaper articles in this unit. Inspired by a temporary exhibit at the SHSW Museum, Conflict on the Homefront: Wisconsin During World War I will help you engage your students in complex thinking and analytical skill-building activities." |
 |
The Beginning of the Conflict (The American Civil War)
From Hot Chalk
"The goal of this lesson is to give the students a feel for the people behind the American Civil War and the beginning of the conflict." This lesson plan references Colonel Elmer Ellsworth, of Rockford, pictured here. |
![]() |
The United States Enters the Korean Conflict
From the National Archives
This lesson plan comes from the National Archives Teaching with Documents series. "When North Korean troops invaded the South, the Truman administration seized upon the opportunity to defend a noncommunist government from invasion by communist troops. Determined not to 'lose' another country to communism, and interested in shoring up its anticommunist credentials, the Truman administration found itself defending a nation a world away from U.S. soil. Yet Truman's response was not merely a response to internal pressure. The invasion of South Korea made Truman genuinely fearful that the Soviet Union and China intended to expand the sphere of communism throughout Asia." |
Lincoln Goes to War
From Edsitement
"This lesson plan explores the decision-making process that precipitated the Civil War, focusing on deliberations within the Lincoln administration that led to the Confederate attack on Fort Sumter in April 1861. Students first review the situation that Lincoln inherited when he took office in March 1861, and summarize his views on the critical issues before him as reflected in his First Inaugural Address. Then students examine the conflicting recommendations that Lincoln received from his cabinet as he formulated a response to the Confederate demand that federal troops evacuate Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina. Working with primary documents, students argue the risks and benefits of the options Lincoln had before him, re-enacting the debate among his cabinet members, and then, based on Lincoln's final decision, seek to determine what he thought was ultimately at stake. Finally, students investigate the Confederate contention that, by attempting to secure Fort Sumter, Lincoln provoked the South to defend itself and thus ignited the Civil War. Looking back at the words Lincoln addressed to the secessionists in his First Inaugural Address - 'We must not be enemies' - students consider whether or not his actions bore out those sentiments." |
Activities for High School Students
From the Teachable Moment
This site contains resources for the following:
Current Domestic Issues
War, Peace, Terrorism & Other Global Issues
The Middle East
Nuclear Weapons & Other Related Issues
Teaching Strategies |
The Revolutionary War
From Discovery Education
"Students will understand the following:
1. One way to learn about the past is to read historical novels.
2. Some people take one side or another in a war or other conflict; some people find themselves caught in the middle."
For Grades 6-8
|
Civil War History
From the National Register of Historic Places
"Teaching with Historic Places has posted on the web the following lesson plans that consider a variety of important themes in Civil War history. These lessons, based on sites listed in the National Register of Historic Places, are free and ready for immediate classroom use by students in history and social studies classes." |
Lesson Plan: The Civil War Soldier's Experience
From the University of Pittsburg
For "Grades 7-12: Compare the motives for fighting and the daily life experiences of the Confederate soldiers, the Union soldiers and African-American soldiers of both sides. (Examining Historical Perspectives) When finished with this lesson, students should be able to:
Discuss the daily lives of Union and Confederate soldiers
Identify the impact of conscription on the war
Identify the reasons why common soldiers went to war
Discuss the reactions of soldiers to war
Identify the reasons why common soldiers went to war
Discuss the reactions of soldiers to war" |
War of 1812
From 42explore2
Intriguing websites for teens, kids, and teachers, along with a vocabulary list! This site poses three questions to explore:
"Imagine if the British Had Won! The outcome of the War of 1812 is still debated today. Some call it the 'war nobody won.' Consider what the effects would have been if the British had decidedly won the war. Present the major changes that you envision occurring.
Compare and Contrast the War of 1812. Select another war and analyze both conflicts to identify ways in which they were similar and ways that they were different. Present the results of your study.
Did Native Americans Lose? Many people believe that Indians were the 'big losers' of the War of 1812. Agree or disagree? Explain why?" |
Submarines: A Heated Competition in a Cold War
From National Geographic
"During the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union stood on opposite sides of a conflict. Each side felt threatened by the other's political ideologies or beliefs, and both prepared for war. The buildup of nuclear-powered submarines by both sides illustrates a key component of this conflict: competition. In this lesson students will discuss the concept of competition while considering the disaster that befell the Soviet Union's first nuclear-powered ballistic-missile submarine, K-19. They will explore their ideas about competition by adopting the perspective of K-19's captain and creating a log of the submarine's first mission." |
Lesson Plan on Child Soldiers
From the United Nations
"This lesson presents an overview of where, why, how, and in what conditions children are used as child soldiers. Students will identify the physical and emotional challenges that child soldiers face. Students will study the efforts by the international community to eliminate children from armed conflict and strategies they are using to integrate children back into their communities." |
War Through the Ages
From Mr. Donn
Always a reliable resource, Mr. Donn shares lesson plans and activities for teaching about war, conflict, and terrorism. |
Learn About the Coming of the Civil War
From Digital History
"Learn why the bonds that had held the country together for seven decades had begun to unravel." A substantial resource! |
Is There Any Such Thing as a Just War? Examining War and Morality
For Grades 10-12
"Should wars ever be fought? Are there ever circumstances that call for the use of deadly force? These questions have plagued humankind for all of its existence. Different people have different individual beliefs about war, and some of these beliefs change based on circumstance. Even religions, which value peace and human life, find justification for war in certain circumstances." "The focus of the lesson will be on examining the morality and justification of wars." |
|
