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Let students ‘do’ history for themselves.

Freelance writer Ken Olsen gives tips for teaching Lewis and Clark from a Native American perspective.

This middle school history teacher uses complexity—and all the uncertainty that comes along with it—as the starting point for his unit on the Middle East.

The Brown decision represents a symbol of the country we still seek to become.

In recent weeks, our country has been treated to an ugly reflection of itself. The controversy over the Islamic community center in New York City has been followed by a spate of anti-Muslim acts. They include the stabbing of a Muslim cabbie, attempted arson at a mosque in Tennessee and teens harassing Muslims at worship in upstate New York.

Years ago, I was inspired by Douglas Brinkley’s The Majic Bus: An American Odyssey. In it, Brinkley described how he taught history to college students. He took them to historical sites and had them speak with eyewitnesses. Wanting this, but not knowing how to pay for it, I looked inward. I realized that our high school campus was surrounded by history, just like every other place.

As an organization committed to justice and equity, the similarities between the Watts Riots and the riots in Ferguson, Missouri following Michael Brown’s death compel us to point out that we do not live in a post-racial world.

The Civil Rights Act outlawed hiring discrimination, segregated public schools and public spaces and discriminatory voter registration policies, paving the way for future civil rights legislation.