Resource Library
Find compelling classroom resources, learn new teaching methods, meet standards, and make a difference in the lives of your students.
We are grateful to The Hammer Family Foundation for supporting the development of our on-demand learning and teaching resources.
![A group of high school students sit at desks in conversation.](/sites/default/files/styles/scale_480/public/2023-10/AdobeStock_254378868.jpg?itok=f6YAphey)
Introducing Our US History Curriculum Collection
Draw from this flexible curriculum collection as you plan any middle or high school US history course. Featuring units, C3-style inquiries, and case studies, the collection will help you explore themes of democracy and freedom with your students throughout the year.
Universe of Obligation
Students learn a new concept, "universe of obligation," and use it to analyze the ways that their society designates who is deserving of respect and caring.
![A chalkboard with a hand-drawn Universe of Obligation diagram of concentric circles on it.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-06/IMG_8783.jpg?h=1f7c1d57&itok=ENXxhHAU)
The Weimar Republic
Students reflect on the idea of democracy as they analyze the politics, economics, and culture of Germany during the period of the Weimar Republic.
![A crowd of women standing in line at a polling station in the Weimar Republic in 1919, the first year women were allowed to vote.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-05/Ch04_Image12_Medium_res.jpg?h=7627bb82&itok=YljeUuli)
Youth and the National Community
Students learn about the experiences of people in Nazi Germany through a variety of firsthand accounts and identify the range of choices that they faced.
![A group of boys in Hitler Youth uniforms walk through a field](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-06/Hitler_Youth_Hiking_FH229449.jpg?h=827069f2&itok=WJHEgqaR)
World War I and Its Aftermath in Germany
Students begin the unit's historical case study by exploring the brutal realities of World War I and the impact of the armistice and the Treaty of Versailles.
![photo of WWII soldiers walking on beach](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-06/HumanRights_1914_Germaninfantryonthebattlefield_FH249299.jpg?h=1fe31e6b&itok=AuQVRbED)
Introducing Agency
Students explore the concept of agency, both in literature and in life, and examine the societal forces that play a role in an individual’s agency.
![Two Volta Elementary School students work at their desks.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2023-07/Chicago_Classroom_2019_%20FH2101627.jpg?h=56d0ca2e&itok=Pd3sRqZO)
Agency, Choice, and Action
Students apply their thinking about power and agency to an analysis of four personal narrative essays written by young people.
![Uniformed students work together in class.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-07/Chicago_Classroom_2019_FH2101464.jpg?h=0f4230fa&itok=eqY000u8)
Understanding and Assessing the UK’s Democracy
Use this lesson to deepen students’ understanding of the concept of democracy, provide a framework for assessing a democracy’s health, and explore the strengths and weaknesses of the UK’s parliamentary democracy.
![A birds eye view of London, United Kingdom.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-09/paul-silvan-Nv1-l_xZnV4-unsplash_banner.jpg?h=79aa1f20&itok=EZyyAjHN)
Connecting to the Past
Students read personal essays that illuminate how the choices made by our families and previous generations influence who we are today.
![One student talks while others listen.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-07/SL_190523_0544.jpg?h=0f4230fa&itok=sAQTnjrF)
Finding Your Voice
Students reflect on what "American" means to them and are introduced to the idea that the United States is the product of many individual voices and stories.
![The “Flag of Faces” exhibit at the Ellis Island Immigration Museum features a mosaic of individual portraits.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-07/Flag_of_Faces_Medium_res.jpg?h=7fb2964e&itok=NLw_pw22)
Identity and Choices
Students consider their own agency in creating their identities through choices made about who we are and how we present ourselves.
![Bayeté Ross Smith’s 2010 series "Our Kind of People" examines how clothing, ethnicity, and gender influence our ideas about identity, personality, and character.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-06/2010_OurKindofPeoplecombined_FH2170284.jpg?h=52649bae&itok=_jsHfuii)
Identity and Labels
Students analyze a cartoon and a short video that prompt reflection on the ways we use labels, stereotypes, and assumptions to identify each other.
![A man and woman warm up for a run on an outdoor trail.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-06/2022_WhatKindofAsianAreYou_FH2170285.jpg?h=ae1281eb&itok=Bd0IyTwf)