Until about 1966, the Civil Rights Movement led by Dr. King and the other national Black organizations focused on ending segregation, changing racist attitudes, advancing equality under the law, and securing the vote. Because of the system of Jim Crow laws, the Movement’s attention was largely on the South. Protests also highlighted economic inequalities and jobs and demanded government responses to effect change. In the “long hot summer” of 1967, over 20 uprisings and disorders took place in cities across the country. This prompted President Johnson to appoint a study commission led by former Illinois Governor Otto Kerner to examine these uprisings and make recommendations. Additional rioting occurred in 1968 in reaction to the assassination of Dr. King. The 1968 Kerner Commission report is a detailed, thoughtful, and clear-eyed analysis of these urban disorders with a comprehensive and bold set of recommendations for addressing systemic racism and its economic and social consequences.

Whether it be called the Civil War, the War between the States, the War of the Rebellion, or the War for Southern Independence, the events of the years 1861-1865 were the most traumatic in the nation's history. This curriculum unit will introduce students to several important questions pertaining to the war.

Although attention will be devoted to the causes and long-term consequences of the Civil War, this class will focus primarily on the war years (1861-1865) with special emphasis on the military and technological aspects of the conflict. Four questions, long debated by historians, will receive close scrutiny:

What caused the war?
Why did the North win the war?
Could the South have won?
To what extent is the Civil War America’s “defining moment”?

This course explores the causes, course, and consequences of the American Civil War, from the 1840s to 1877. The primary goal of the course is to understand the multiple meanings of a transforming event in American history. Those meanings may be defined in many ways: national, sectional, racial, constitutional, individual, social, intellectual, or moral. Four broad themes are closely examined: the crisis of union and disunion in an expanding republic; slavery, race, and emancipation as national problem, personal experience, and social process; the experience of modern, total war for individuals and society; and the political and social challenges of Reconstruction.

Using the American Civil War as a baseline, the course considers what it means to become “modern” by exploring the war’s material and manpower needs, associated key technologies, and how both influenced the United States’ entrance into the age of “Big Business.” Readings include material on steam transportation, telegraphic communications, arms production, naval innovation, food processing, medicine, public health, management methods, and the mass production of everything from underwear to uniforms—all essential ingredients of modernity. Students taking the graduate version must complete additional assignments.

Colosseum (Flavian Amphitheater, or Amphitheatrum Flavium), c. 70-80 C.E., Rome, an ARCHES video. Speakers: Dr. Bernard Frischer and Dr. Steven Zucker. Created by Steven Zucker and Smarthistory.

The Civil War is often considered the most transformative event in US history. But how much did it really change American national identity? In this video, Kim compares the relative significance of the effects of the Civil War on American values.

A century before the Civil Rights movement, this small town on Lake Michigan had racially integrated schools, churches, government, and civic organizations. Settled by Black and White pioneers in the mid-1800s, Covert Township worked across racial and ethnic lines at a time when doing so was widely rejected if not outright illegal. Learn the story of this remarkable community, told against the backdrop of Reconstruction’s overthrow in the South and worsening racial conflict in the North.When much of America was tearing itself apart and squandering the moral victories of the Civil War, this community nestled in the west Michigan wilderness came together — not as a utopian social experiment, but as ordinary people who relied on one another to solve the problems of ordinary life on the frontier, and whose legacy endures today in Covert and beyond. This little-known American story offers an example our country needs now more than ever.The Woodson Center's Black History and Excellence curriculum is based on the Woodson Principles and tells the stories of Black Americans whose tenacity and resilience enabled them to overcome adversity and make invaluable contributions to our country. It also teaches character and decision-making skills that equip students to take charge of their futures. These lessons in Black American excellence are free and publicly available for all.

In this activity students create a "magic lantern show," or presentation that illustrates how African American defined freedom for themselves after emancipation and the challenges and threats they faced. Students use primary sources from the Reconstruction period. This activity can accompany a viewing of the filmDr. Toer's Amazing Magic Lantern Show: A Different View of Emancipation.

When the news story broke that Virginia Governor Ralph Northam and other politicians wore blackface and Klan regalia while in school, institutions across the nation suddenly were confronted with their all too recent blackface past. Princeton Professor Rhae Lynn Barnes, the foremost expert on amateur blackface minstrelsy, has spent over a decade cataloging 10,000 minstrel plays and uncovered their prolific use on Broadway, in schools, the military, churches, political organizations, and even the White House. This webinar will help educators master the basic history of blackface in America, strategies to discuss this difficult topic with students, and ways to think about the incredible social, political, and economic power blackface held as America’s most pervasive entertainment form in the American North and West between the American Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement. By the end of this webinar, educators will be able to teach what a minstrel show was, how the genre developed, who participated in this form, how it was central to mass popular entertainment globally, they will be able to teach the construction of key stereotypes for minorities and women, and how it was pushed underground through a coordinated Civil Rights campaign after being openly celebrated for over a century.

A conversation with Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker in front of the Rosetta Stone, Egypt, Ptolemaic Period, 196 B.C.E., granodiorite, 112.3 x 28.4 x 75.7 cm (The British Museum). Created by Beth Harris and Steven Zucker.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Bone graft performance is one of the most important factors for successful glenoid reconstruction to treat anterior shoulder instability. Although distal tibial allografts are gaining popularity over the more commonly used coracoid autografts, many orthopedic surgeons remain concerned about the potential for decreased healing and increased resorption when using allograft bone. To address these concerns, researchers compared patient radiological outcomes in the context of both graft types following glenoid reconstruction to treat anterior shoulder instability with significant glenoid bone loss. Their results suggest that tibial allografts are a promising option to recreate glenoid bony morphology. To reach this conclusion, the team retrospectively reviewed the radiographic findings from 36 patients who underwent tibial allograft and 12 patients who underwent coracoid autograft procedures to manage anterior shoulder instability with glenoid bone loss..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Parents can do a lot to help kids get back on their feet after ACL surgery, from making sure they get the rest and nutrition they need to ensuring crucial physical therapy appointments are kept. A new study in The American Journal of Sports Medicine suggests a more personal investment might also be important to recovery. Researchers report that parents who donate a hamstring tendon for use as a surgical graft could improve their kids’ outcomes for years. Although hamstring tendon autografts are a common choice for ACL reconstruction, pediatric patients have unique characteristics that complicate this option. Taking a graft from a child still in development may cause persisting hamstring strength deficits and problems with walking and running. It’s also difficult to obtain a graft that’s large enough to prevent reinjury. These issues prompted researchers to take a closer look at how kids fare after ACL reconstruction using a graft donated from a parent..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of fatality and disability worldwide. Despite immense clinical efforts, treatments for TBI remain limited, and better understanding is needed. While most treatments have targeted neuronal cells, another cell type may also have an important role in TBI. Astrocytes, a subtype of brain-resident glial cells, help to control blood flow and maintain homeostasis in the central nervous system. These important cells have dual roles after TBI which must be better understood to improve treatment. During TBI, mechanical damage to neurons and blood vessels occurs instantly. This is followed by pathological processes - neuroinflammation and cell stress - mediated by astrocytes, among others. The astrocyte response is initiated to protect the central nervous system and promote wound healing but may become maladaptive over time as astrocytes can play bidirectional roles in plasticity and reconstruction after TBI..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

StoryWorks Theater’s Teaching the Constitution Through Theater develops inclusive and transformative educational theater experiences that provides students with the opportunity to examine our history and to foster a deeper understanding of the U.S. Constitution. Through content consistent with school curriculum standards, the program engages students in experiential learning and inspires them to ask complex questions about the historical underpinnings behind contemporary issues. The process creates pathways to civic engagement, creates lasting memories and instills a tangible sense of social belonging. Electionland is the story of the violent, highly partisan, disputed presidential election of 1876 and its consequences. The election takes place in the waning days of Reconstruction, as efforts to ensure Black Americans a role in political and economic life after the Civil War were unraveling in the face of growing public opposition and the resurgence of white political power in the South. In some parts of the former Confederacy, horrific acts of intimidation and violence, even murder, against Black voters marred the casting of ballots for the Republican party. On election night, it appeared that the Democratic candidate had won the popular vote. But Congress and the electoral college faced a difficult dilemma: how to turn an unfair election, when thousands were thwarted from voting, into a fair result. After three months of political maneuvering, backroom bargaining, and a Congressional process never used before or since, the Republican, Rutherford B. Hayes, became president by a single electoral vote.View the complete play Electionland on the StoryWorks Theater site. Implementation1. Electionland PerformanceClassroom watches a prerecorded, staged reading of the play Electionland, written by Jean P. Bordewich and Produced by StoryWorks Theater.2. Lesson Plan ActivitiesFollowing the six lesson plan structure, students will read aloud or act out scenes from the play. This participatory interaction with the text and the historical events promotes a high level of engagement from the students and encourages experiential learning. These activities directly correspond to scenes in the play and to specific content area standards. Throughout the curriculum, teachers will lead guided discussions and help to explain the historical context and theme of each scene. Students/actors will have the ability to share their experiences having portrayed these historical figures. Students/historians will have the unique opportunity to work with primary source materials to further their understanding of the complexities of the era and to gain insight into the critical political and legislative debates of the time. 

Why was the Emancipation Proclamation important? While the Civil War began as a war to restore the Union, not to end slavery, by 1862 President Abraham Lincoln came to believe that he could save the Union only by broadening the goals of the war. Students can explore the obstacles and alternatives America faced in making the journey toward "a more perfect Union."

When Reconstruction ended in 1877, southern whites used violence, economic exploitation, discriminatory laws called Black Codes, and political disenfranchisement to subjugate African Americans and undo their gains during Reconstruction. Kansas and other destinations on the Great Plains represented a chance to start a new life. Kansas had fought to be a free state and, with the Homestead Act of 1862, the region offered lots of land at low cost. As a result, between the late 1870s and early 1880s, more than 20,000 African Americans left the South for Kansas, the Oklahoma Territory, and elsewhere on the Great Plains in a migration known as the “Great Exodus.”