We’ve just returned from the Long Island Council for the Social Studies 2013 conference, where our director, Cheryl Miller, led a session introducing our website and teaching resources as well as a (very quick!) close reading seminar on the Gettysburg Address. We had a terrific time — it’s always great to meet with dedicated and engaged educators.
By Anne Continetti
Download the full lesson as a PDF.
Course | U.S. History/A.P. U.S. History, 9–12
Context | This lesson can be used during a unit on the Civil Rights Movement or in remembrance of the March on Washington or Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday holiday.
By Anne Continetti
Download the full lesson as a PDF.
Note: This lesson should be used after “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness: A Lesson on the Declaration of Independence.”
Course | US History, US Government (AP or non-AP), Civics, Women’s History, Grades 11–12
Length | This lesson is designed for a 45-minute class period. Extension activities are included at the end of the lesson.
Objective | Students will … Read more »
By Anne Continetti
Download the full lesson as a PDF.
Course | US History, US Government (AP or non-AP), Civics, Grades 11–12
Length | This lesson is designed for a 60-minute class period. Extension activities are included at the end of the lesson.
Objective | Students will be able to: understand the meaning and central ideas of the Declaration of Independence; cite textual evidence to analyze this primary source; … Read more »
By Anne Continetti
Download the full lesson as a PDF.
Overview | The Gettysburg Address has been memorized, recited, and admired. Countless readers have discussed its rhetorical devices, literary merit, and political reception. But few have attended to the thought of Lincoln’s speech and the deeper purposes that it serves.
People do recognize that this funeral oration, honoring Union dead in the battle that marked a turning point in the war against Southern rebellion, was even … Read more »
By Anne Continetti
Download the full lesson as a PDF.
Course | US History, US Government (AP or non-AP), Civics, Grades 11–12
Context | This lesson can be used during a unit on the First Amendment, the Supreme Court, or symbols of the United States.
Objective | Students will be able to: understand the meaning of one central idea of the First Amendment (symbolic speech); cite textual … Read more »
We’re excited to introduce a new contributor to the WSPWH website: Anne Continetti!
Anne is a history teacher at the Madeira School in McLean, Virginia, and she will be creating classroom-ready lesson plans and activities that are based on WSPWH materials and aligned to the Common Core standards. Anne teaches AP US Government and Politics, Modern World History, and Comparative Religious Ethics. She graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a degree … Read more »
Distinguished scholar-teachers Amy and Leon Kass demonstrate how short stories, speeches, and songs can be used to enhance civic education and how a pedagogical approach that stresses learning through inquiry can make primary sources come alive for students of all ages.
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“What a wonderful collection of American songs, speeches, and stories. It should be valuable for teachers, students, parents, and readers of all kinds.”
— Diane Ravitch