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.
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.
"I Knew I Had to Give Him the Talk"
Mamie Till-Mobley shares an account of "the talk" she had with her son Emmett Till shortly before he journeyed from Chicago to Mississippi in 1955.
Segregation and Precipitating Events
This excerpt from an FBI investigation of the murder of Emmett Till describes some of the Southern norms that were created to enforce white supremacy.
Mississippi Miscegenation Laws
This document lists in chronological order the evolution of Mississippi miscegenation laws between 1865 and 1942.
The Brown Decision
This document gives students the immediate historical context of the Till murder by summarizing the segregationist reaction to the Brown decision and the emergence of White Citizens’ Councils in Mississippi.
Quotes from the Mississippi Constitutional Convention 1890
This source includes quotes from delegates at the 1890 Mississippi Constitutional Convention asserting the desire to create a government to uphold white supremacy.
5 Facts About Angel Island and Ellis Island, 1910-1940
This reading outlines 5 Facts About Angel Island and Ellis Island from 1910-1940.
Quotes from Historians Erika Lee and Judy Yung
This reading contains quotes from historians Erika Lee and Judy Yung detailing the differences between Ellis Island and Angel Island.
Immigrants’ Experience at Angel Island, 1910-1940
This reading provides a snapshot of a typical immigrants’ experience at Angel Island, 1910-1940.
Immigrants’ Experience at Ellis Island 1892-1921
This reading provides a snapshot of a typical immigrants’ experience at Ellis Island, 1892-1921.
Paper Sons and Daughters and the Complexity of Choices During the Exclusion Era
This reading details how and why some Chinese immigrants attempted to enter the country with fraudulent documents during the era of Chinese Exclusion.
Angel Island Poetry
This reading features poems that were carved into the walls of the immigration station by Chinese immigrant detainees.