29 results
Grade Level: High School
Discipline: Arts and Humanities; Civics and Government; History
Historical Period: The Emergence of Modern Pennsylvania - 1901-1928; The Great Depression and World War II - 1929-1945; Post-WWII Pennsylvania - 1946-1974; Contemporary Pennsylvania - 1975 to Present
In 1911 Pennsylvania became the first state to pass a film censorship law, creating the Pennsylvania Board of Motion Picture Censors. In this lesson, students will analyze primary source documents of the 1920s to find the roots of film censorship and understand how Pennsylvania led the way in this movement. Afterward, they will analyze actual government documents that banned a film in Pennsylvania and compare and contrast their earlier findings to the modern-day rating system used for films.
Grade Level: High School
Discipline: Arts and Humanities; Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening; History
Historical Period: The Great Depression and World War II - 1929-1945; Post-WWII Pennsylvania - 1946-1974
In this high-school level lesson, students will look at the relationship between Pennsylvania railroads and World War II. Through the examination of photographs and informational readings of the Horseshoe Curve and the Third Reich sabotage effort, students will uncover the historical and strategic importance of the Horseshoe Curve. Then, using this new knowledge, they will construct a plan of action for the Department of Homeland Security on the appropriate security for railroads in the United States, particularly the Horseshoe Curve. Finally, students will create an appropriate memorial for Pennsylvania Railroad workers who lost their lives in World War II and compare their ideas to the powerful and emotionally compelling Angel of Resurrection memorial located at 30th Street Station in Philadelphia.
Grade Level: Elementary School
Discipline: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening; Health and Physical Education; History
Historical Period: The Emergence of Modern Pennsylvania - 1901-1928; The Great Depression and World War II - 1929-1945; Post-WWII Pennsylvania - 1946-1974; Contemporary Pennsylvania - 1975 to Present
This elementary-level lesson looks at the uses of baseball cards over time–from childhood games to collector's items to marketing tools for companies. Students use primary sources (1910 Honus Wagner baseball card and 1912 news article) to examine ethical implications in using baseball cards to market cigarette products to a younger people, and then write a persuasive letter arguing for the removal of baseball cards from cigarette packages.
Grade Level: High School
Discipline: Civics and Government; Economics; Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening; History
Historical Period: The Great Depression and World War II - 1929-1945
The struggles of Rural Electrification in Pennsylvania are exemplified through an incident in western Cumberland County that received national media attention as the "Battle of the Pole Holes."
Grade Level: Elementary School
Discipline: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening; Geography; History; Mathematics
Historical Period: Expansion and Reform - 1801-1855; Civil War and Reconstruction - 1856-1876; Development of the Industrial Pennsylvania - 1877-1900; The Emergence of Modern Pennsylvania - 1901-1928; The Great Depression and World War II - 1929-1945; Post-WWII Pennsylvania - 1946-1974
In this series of four lessons students use a brief history of the growth and decline of the anthracite region in the state to create a photograph and map "peak shaped" time line. The students will learn map and photo analysis strategies to "read" photographs and maps and use information from the brief history to match and write captions for the pictures. Then they will categorize each photograph and map into one of the following categories; beginnings, peak, and decline and place them accordingly on the time line for a visual depiction of the rise and fall of the anthracite industry.
Grade Level: High School
Discipline: Arts and Humanities; Civics and Government; Economics; Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening; History
Historical Period: The Great Depression and World War II - 1929-1945; Contemporary Pennsylvania - 1975 to Present
In this high-school level lesson students will investigate Pennsylvania's "artifacts" of two Depression-era New Deal Programs–the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Work Progress Administration's Federal Art Project–in order to gain an understanding of these programs" legacies. Students will use this knowledge in a creative writing assignment which asks them not only to demonstrate an understanding of these program legacies, but also to reflect upon how they will continue to honor and preserve these legacies today.
Grade Level: Elementary School
Discipline: Arts and Humanities; Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening; History
Historical Period: The Great Depression and World War II - 1929-1945; Post-WWII Pennsylvania - 1946-1974
Interviews and a video will help students gather insight about the opportunities created for black musicians in Pittsburgh at the Crawford Grill. Students will use this information to have a group discussion about the impact of the Crawford Grill on Jazz in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and the United States. Then students will create a detailed illustration of a busy scene at the Crawford Grill in the heart of the 1960s using information gathered.
Grade Level: Elementary School
Discipline: Economics; Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening; History
Historical Period: The Great Depression and World War II - 1929-1945
In this elementary lesson, students will analyze children's letters to Eleanor Roosevelt in order to better understand the effect of the Great Depression on individual's lives, particularly children. Students will work cooperatively using the knowledge they have learned to respond to the letters as Eleanor Roosevelt might have done.
Grade Level: Middle School
Discipline: Arts and Humanities; Economics; Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening; History
Historical Period: The Great Depression and World War II - 1929-1945
During World War II in the United States many African Americans found themselves divided between two wars: a war fighting fascism abroad as well as a war fighting racism at home. The "Double V Campaign" was launched by a prominent African American newspaper, the Pittsburgh Courier, wisely recognizing and politically combining these two struggles. In this lesson middle school students will explore specific examples of war propaganda and how some African Americans chose to handle the call for support during World War II.
Grade Level: Middle School
Discipline: Arts and Humanities; Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening; History
Historical Period: The Great Depression and World War II - 1929-1945; Post-WWII Pennsylvania - 1946-1974
Students will investigate the contributions of the Dorsey Brothers, Billy Eckstine and William Strayhorn to Swing Music.
Grade Level: Middle School
Discipline: Ecology and Environment; Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening; Geography; History; Science and Technology
Historical Period: New Nation - 1761-1800; Expansion and Reform - 1801-1855; Civil War and Reconstruction - 1856-1876; Development of the Industrial Pennsylvania - 1877-1900; The Emergence of Modern Pennsylvania - 1901-1928; The Great Depression and World War II - 1929-1945; Post-WWII Pennsylvania - 1946-1974; Contemporary Pennsylvania - 1975 to Present
Bituminous coal has been, and still remains, a crucial part of our daily lives–but do we ever think about it? It is a main source of electricity and has been used to fuel the manufacture of iron and steel. It also has played a part in the production of various items you may not associate with coal such as paint, plastics, rocket fuel, dishes, bricks, perfume, or even vitamins. Students will gain an appreciation of the many uses of bituminous coal and explore ways that this important resource is extracted from the ground. Students will then have the opportunity to create land formations displaying different types of coal mines using edible items.
Grade Level: Middle School
Discipline: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening; Health and Physical Education; History
Historical Period: The Great Depression and World War II - 1929-1945; Post-WWII Pennsylvania - 1946-1974; Contemporary Pennsylvania - 1975 to Present
In 1945 Pete Gray played in 77 games for the St. Louis Browns. He collected 51 hits, 8 for extra bases, and compiled a .218 batting average. As an outfielder, he made 162 put-outs, 3 assists, and 7 errors for a .959 fielding average. These statistics are not that impressive. What they don't tell us, though, is that Gray was the first one-armed man ever to play major league baseball. Students will learn about Pete Gray's achievement and the challenges of being a person with a physical disability by viewing films, photographs, and an empathy-building exercise. Through primary source quotations students will view multiple perspectives of Pete Gray's career: from the adversity Gray faced on his own team and to the celebration of his achievement today. Finally, the class will read excerpts of an interview of Pete Gray revealing his own perspective of his achievements. Students will synthesize the multiple perspectives they have been given, choose a quote that they believe best represents Pete Gray's career, and write a 200-word essay explaining their choice.
Grade Level: Elementary School
Discipline: Ecology and Environment; Geography; History; Mathematics
Historical Period: The Emergence of Modern Pennsylvania - 1901-1928; The Great Depression and World War II - 1929-1945; Post-WWII Pennsylvania - 1946-1974; Contemporary Pennsylvania - 1975 to Present
Students will discover the reasons for the fall and subsequent recovery of white-tailed deer population throughout Pennsylvania's history. This discovery will reflect changing culture, human population patterns, economic and technological advancements and social values. Students will evaluate the success of conservation efforts in regard to the white-tailed deer and apply it to other conservation efforts. They will then offer suggestions on how to solve the new problems caused by the "success" of conservation efforts.
Grade Level: Elementary School
Discipline: Civics and Government; Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening; History
Historical Period: The Emergence of Modern Pennsylvania - 1901-1928; The Great Depression and World War II - 1929-1945; Post-WWII Pennsylvania - 1946-1974; Contemporary Pennsylvania - 1975 to Present
In this elementary school lesson students will learn about one of the greatest athletes in Pennsylvania history, Native American Jim Thorpe. They will be challenged to create a persuasive pamphlet or letter to send to their Congressmen lobbying for Jim Thorpe to be named Greatest Athlete of the Century.
Grade Level: High School
Discipline: History
Historical Period: The Great Depression and World War II - 1929-1945; Post-WWII Pennsylvania - 1946-1974; Contemporary Pennsylvania - 1975 to Present
In 1945 Pete Gray played in 77 games for the St. Louis Browns. He collected 51 hits, 8 for extra bases, and compiled a .218 batting average. As an outfielder, he made 162 put-outs, 3 assists, and 7 errors for a .959 fielding average. These statistics are not that impressive. What they do not tell us, though, is that Gray was the first one-armed man ever to play major league baseball. Students will examine Pete Gray's major league career by studying primary source quotations and the statistics he compiled during his one season with the Browns. The class will be divided into two groups: one will defend the credibility of Gray's career; the other will try to prove that he did not belong in the major leagues. After being given time to gather evidence for their respective cases, the two teams will discuss the issue: "Did Pete Gray belong in the major leagues?"
Grade Level: Elementary School
Discipline: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening; Geography; History
Historical Period: New Nation - 1761-1800; Expansion and Reform - 1801-1855; Civil War and Reconstruction - 1856-1876; Development of the Industrial Pennsylvania - 1877-1900; The Emergence of Modern Pennsylvania - 1901-1928; The Great Depression and World War II - 1929-1945; Post-WWII Pennsylvania - 1946-1974; Contemporary Pennsylvania - 1975 to Present
In this elementary lesson students will explore daily life in a bituminous coal patch through many photographs and oral histories of the people who lived there. As a class, students will use these resources to create one poster describing life in a coal patch town. Then using the poster to inform their writing, students will also create a short story imagining themselves to be a part of a coal mining family in one of several historical situations.
Grade Level: High School
Discipline: Arts and Humanities
Historical Period: The Great Depression and World War II - 1929-1945; Post-WWII Pennsylvania - 1946-1974
Mary Lou Williams was one of the preeminent jazz composers, arrangers and pianists of the 20th century. She performed with many of the top musicians, influenced countless performers and achieved recognition in her own right. Despite these accomplishments, both she and her work were often slighted simply because of her gender. However, she persevered and is recognized today as a true equal in talent and accomplishment with the other jazz greats of the 20th century. The lesson will help students understand the development of Williams" music and also the place that Williams holds in American musical history.
Grade Level: Middle School
Discipline: Ecology and Environment; Geography; History
Historical Period: The Great Depression and World War II - 1929-1945; Post-WWII Pennsylvania - 1946-1974; Contemporary Pennsylvania - 1975 to Present
This lesson leads the student to discover the impact human activities have had on water quality in Pennsylvania over time. The teacher will review historical periods in regard to population density, changes in technology and tools and general land use patterns. Students will analyze these changes and determine the impact they have had on water quality. The students will also discover that a conservation movement began which initiated improvements in land use patterns and thus made progress toward better water quality. Students will read about the Honey Hollow Watershed project as a case study for the conservation movement.
Grade Level: Middle School
Discipline: Arts and Humanities; Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening; History
Historical Period: The Emergence of Modern Pennsylvania - 1901-1928; The Great Depression and World War II - 1929-1945; Post-WWII Pennsylvania - 1946-1974
In this lesson middle-school students will be introduced to the history of the Negro Leagues. Students will read personal interviews with former players to learn about segregation and to appreciate the passion these players had for the game of baseball.
Grade Level: Elementary School
Discipline: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening; History
Historical Period: The Emergence of Modern Pennsylvania - 1901-1928; The Great Depression and World War II - 1929-1945
In this elementary-level lesson, students will examine interesting primary resources of the objects, people, and subjects learned in one-room schoolhouses, then compare and contrast the experience of those schools with their own experiences in the average school of today.
Grade Level: Elementary School
Discipline: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening; History
Historical Period: Development of the Industrial Pennsylvania - 1877-1900; The Emergence of Modern Pennsylvania - 1901-1928; The Great Depression and World War II - 1929-1945; Post-WWII Pennsylvania - 1946-1974
In this lesson, students will learn the meaning of the word "onomastics." Referring to onomastics, students will learn about the origin of 3 baseball team names - Pittsburgh Pirates, Philadelphia Athletics, and Philadelphia Phillies. Students will then create team names and mascots for their own class, supporting their decisions with a clear explanation of the value of their choices.
Grade Level: High School
Discipline: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening; History
Historical Period: Civil War and Reconstruction - 1856-1876; Development of the Industrial Pennsylvania - 1877-1900; The Emergence of Modern Pennsylvania - 1901-1928; The Great Depression and World War II - 1929-1945
The phenomenon of the coal company town will be studied, showing the advantages and disadvantages for both the company and the employees.
Grade Level: High School
Discipline: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening; History
Historical Period: Development of the Industrial Pennsylvania - 1877-1900; The Emergence of Modern Pennsylvania - 1901-1928; The Great Depression and World War II - 1929-1945; Post-WWII Pennsylvania - 1946-1974; Contemporary Pennsylvania - 1975 to Present
This lesson plan focuses on several Pennsylvania boxers and considers the important ways in which factual and fictional accounts of boxers in the state have interacted to create a unique boxing history. The lesson then asks students to make a connection between the individual life experiences of these boxers and their boxing careers and to see their experiences in light of the American Dream.
Grade Level: High School
Discipline: Geography; History
Historical Period: Worlds Meeting-Beginnings to 1600; Colonization and Settlement - 1601-1760; New Nation - 1761-1800; Expansion and Reform - 1801-1855; Civil War and Reconstruction - 1856-1876; Development of the Industrial Pennsylvania - 1877-1900; The Emergence of Modern Pennsylvania - 1901-1928; The Great Depression and World War II - 1929-1945; Post-WWII Pennsylvania - 1946-1974; Contemporary Pennsylvania - 1975 to Present
Students will discover that Native American paths were the blueprints for modern transportation routes throughout Pennsylvania, and in particular, in crossing the Allegheny Mountains. They will analyze a series of maps to determine geographic barriers associated with crossing the mountains and will establish how Native Americans and later travelers overcame these barriers. Journal entries from a traveler will be read and analyzed to provide a first hand account of what it was like to travel across the Allegheny Mountains in the early 1800s. A historical overview of transportation will be provided and students will discover how geographic features provided the foundation for Native American paths, as well as modern transportation routes.
Grade Level: Middle School
Discipline: Arts and Humanities; Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening; History
Historical Period: The Emergence of Modern Pennsylvania - 1901-1928; The Great Depression and World War II - 1929-1945; Post-WWII Pennsylvania - 1946-1974; Contemporary Pennsylvania - 1975 to Present
Early public relations of railroad companies were often faced with significant challenges. People were not used to train travel and introducing change into society is difficult. In addition society held preconceived notions–many that were indeed correct–of train travel as dirty, dangerous, and inappropriate for women. Advertisers then had the task of changing public opinion about trains and making train travel appealing. In this middle-level lesson, students will look at types of early to mid twentieth century advertising (newspaper and magazine ads, postcard, calendar art, and a travel brochure) to assess the different ways advertisers "sold" the concept of railroad travel.
Grade Level: Elementary School
Discipline: Arts and Humanities; Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening; History
Historical Period: The Great Depression and World War II - 1929-1945
In this elementary level lesson students will learn about several Pennsylvanians" contributions to World War II through the creative process of designing a memorial. The class will explore the meaning and types of memorials. One example given includes a young Pennsylvanian who fought at Iwo Jima and is forever remembered in the United States Marines War Memorial. Then students will learn about and design a memorial for another deserving individual or group who contributed significantly to World War II.
Grade Level: Middle School
Discipline: Economics; Geography; History
Historical Period: Expansion and Reform - 1801-1855; Civil War and Reconstruction - 1856-1876; Development of the Industrial Pennsylvania - 1877-1900; The Emergence of Modern Pennsylvania - 1901-1928; The Great Depression and World War II - 1929-1945; Post-WWII Pennsylvania - 1946-1974
Choosing the correct site for the location of a settlement or manufacturing facility can be crucial to the success of the venture. This lesson leads students through the process of using maps to evaluate the site and situation for the location of the Pennsylvania Railroad shops. Students will also evaluate the success of the selection by analyzing growth of population and manufacturing in the city of Altoona, Pennsylvania and the surrounding region. Further evaluation will be made of changes that have occurred with the pullback and abandonment of the railroads.
Grade Level: High School
Discipline: Civics and Government; Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening; History
Historical Period: The Great Depression and World War II - 1929-1945
In this high school-level lesson, students will have the opportunity to look at World War II from the perspective of those who did not fight it. They will study conscientious objection–its background and variety, the experiences of several who chose it, and the rights associated with it. Students will use a variety of interesting primary and secondary resources as tools to explore this topic: a letter to the draft board, interviews of conscientious objectors, compelling photographs, the draft and final version of the Bill of Rights, and the Declaration of Human Rights (passed by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1948).
Grade Level: Middle School
Discipline: Civics and Government; Economics; Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening; History
Historical Period: The Great Depression and World War II - 1929-1945
During the Great Depression, Pennsylvania's coal miners were among many in the nation hard hit by unemployment and struggling to survive. In 1932 Schuylkill County–a county known for its anthracite coal beds–approximately half of its workforce was unemployed; 16,000 of these workers were miners. Without an established system of welfare and little opportunity to be employed in other jobs, many rural coal workers turned to bootlegging coal for survival. In this middle-school lesson students will learn about coal bootlegging through primary sources (photographs, magazine article). Students will then explore the ethical dilemmas and challenges this practice and its local acceptance placed on the notion of private property during this unique time in history.
