Updated 8-17-19

United States History

Featured Resources

1492-1789

To access these resources, teachers and students can either create an account on the C-SPAN Classroom website or can use the following shared log-in credentials:

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Chronological Resources: 1492-1789

Early Exploration, Native Americans and Colonization

Bell Ringer: Pueblo Tribes and the Wupatki National Monument (7:30)
Lesson Plan: Early Explorers and Expeditions (8 Clips)

Bell Ringer: Chumash Indians in Southern California (6:09)

Bell Ringer: Francisco Vazquez de Coronado (5:51)
Bell Ringer: Spanish Explorer and Conquistador Juan Ponce de Leon (3:36)
Bell Ringer: Spanish Settlement of St. Augustine in 1565 (6:45)
Bell Ringer: Iroquois Nation (7:49)
Bell Ringer: The Thirteen Original Colonies (4:08)
Bell Ringer: Massachusetts Colony's Body of Liberties and Due Process Rights (6:18)
Bell Ringer: Jamestown (6:32)
Bell Ringer: Pocahontas (5:36)
Bell Ringer: The African Slave Trade and the Middle Passage (6:27)
Bell Ringer: Early Treaties with Native Americans (4:06)
Bell Ringer: Pocahontas, Algonquian Indians, and Jamestown (7:58)
Bell Ringer: Individual Rights and the Early American Colonies (3:36)
Bell Ringer: The Religious Beliefs of Puritans in New England (5:08)
Bell Ringer: Roger Williams and the Founding of Rhode Island (2:48)
Bell Ringer: Bacon's Rebellion (6:18)
On This Day: Salem Witch Trials (5 Clips)
Bell Ringer: Explorer Robert de La Salle (9:59)
Lesson Plan: Predecessors to the Bill of Rights (6 Clips)
Bell Ringer: James Oglethorpe and the Georgia Colony (6:24)
Bell Ringer: The Fur Trade (9:19)

French and Indian War Resources (1754-1763)

Video Clip: Colonization and the Causes of the French and Indian War (5:55)
Video Clip: Native Americans and the French and Indian War (4:39)
Bell Ringer: The Days Before the French and Indian War (9:36)
Video Clip: Military Tactics During the French and Indian War (2:16)
Bell Ringer: French and Indian War (4:45)
Video Clip: British Perspectives of The French and Indian War (4:38)
On This Day: The End of the French and Indian War (5 Clips)
Lesson Plan: The Impact of the French and Indian War (8 Clips)

Revolutionary War Resources (1775-1783)

Bell Ringer: Pre-Revolutionary America (3:03)
Bell Ringer: The Stamp Act (1:41)
Bell Ringer: Boston Tea Party Debate (11:53)
Bell Ringer: The Quebec Act (1:52)
Lesson Plan: Events Leading to the American Revolution (10 Clips)
Bell Ringer: First Continental Congress (5:56)
Bell Ringer: The Beginning of the Revolutionary War (13:02)
Bell Ringer: The Importance of Thomas Paine (2:54)
Video Clip: The Purpose of the Declaration of Independence (2:15)
Lesson Plan: The Influence of the Declaration of Independence on the Constitution (6 Clips)
Bell Ringer: Battle of Trenton (13:30)
Bell Ringer: Washington Crossing the Delaware (8:52)
Bell Ringer: The Importance of the Battles of Saratoga (2:17)
Bell Ringer: Benedict Arnold and the American Revolution (4:23)
Bell Ringer: Battle at Guilford Courthouse (10:26)
On This Day: The British Surrender at Yorktown (6 Clips)
Bell Ringer: Legacy of the American Revolution (2:24)
Lesson Plan: The Revolutionary War (9 Clips)

Articles of Confederation Resources (1777-1786)

On This Day: Continental Congress Adopts the Articles of Confederation (3 Clips)
Bell Ringer: The Northwest Territory (4:12)
Video Clip: The Articles of Confederation and Shay's Rebellion (5:05)
Lesson Plan: The Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation (8 Clips)

Constitutional Convention and the Ratification Resources (1787-1788)

Lesson Plan: The Constitutional Convention (8 Clips)
Bell Ringer: Drafting the Preamble of the Constitution (1:30)
Bell Ringer: We the People (2:14)
Bell Ringer: NJ and VA Plans and the Constitutional Convention (4:21)
Bell Ringer: Judicial Appointment Process (5:23)
Bell Ringer: Benjamin Franklin and the Constitutional Convention (3:20)
Bell Ringer: The Slave Trade Compromise (3:08)
Bell Ringer: The Constitutional Convention and the Power of Impeachment (1:20)
Video Clip: Delegates to the Constitutional Convention (8:33)
Bell Ringer: Dissenters at the Constitutional Convention (4:58)
Lesson Plan: The Federalist Papers (3 Clips)
Bell Ringer: The Bill of Rights (7:01)

Additional U.S. History Featured Resources:

1492-1789 U.S. History Resources

1789-1877 U.S. History Resources

1877-1945 U.S. History Resources

1945-Present U.S. History Resources

Biographical U.S. History Resources

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Criminal Justice and Rights of the Accused:

Lesson Plan: Rights of the Accused (3:34)
Lesson Plan: The Public Defender System and Right to an Attorney (6 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Jury Trials in Criminal Cases (5 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Senate Debate Analysis- Due Process Rights (3 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Gideon V. Wainwright (10 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Miranda v Arizona (7 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Gregg v. Georgia (11 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Korematsu v United States (6 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Mapp v Ohio (8 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Katz v. United States (8 Clips)
Video Clip: What is Obstruction of Justice? (3:28)
Video Clip: The Difference Between Collusion and Conspiracy (3:09)
Video Clip: Timbs v. Indiana and the 8th Amendment (4:13)
Video Clip: Flowers v. Mississippi and the Use of Race in Jury Selection(2:19)
Video Clip: Senate Passes Criminal Justice and Sentencing Bill 87-12(4:21)
Video Clip: President Trump Remarks on Prison Sentencing Reform Bill(4:23)
Video Clip: Gun Violence and Prison Reform (3:54)
Video Clip: Myths and Misconceptions about Federal Criminal Justice(3:54)
Video Clip: Shon Hopwood on his Experiences in Prison (6:12)
Video Clip: Mass Incarceration and the Criminal Justice System (4:44)
Bell Ringer: Criminal Prosecution and the Rule of Law (3:31)
Bell Ringer: The Writ of Habeas Corpus and the Constitution (2 Clips)
Bell Ringer: Due Process Protections and Imprisonment (3:18)
Bell Ringer: Juvenile Incarceration and Criminal Justice Reform (7:38)
Bell Ringer: Prosecuting Federal Hate Crimes (5:06)
Bell Ringer: Problems with the Plea Bargain Process in the United States(2:30)
Bell Ringer: Mental Illness and the U.S. Prison System (4:47)
Bell Ringer: Civil Asset Forfeiture (2:41)
Bell Ringer: The History of the 4th Amendment (4:56)
Bell Ringer: Constitutional Protections against Searches Seizures (7:21)
Bell Ringer: Intelligence Gathering and Civil Liberties (2:06)

For additional resources visit the Individual Rights and Liberties Featured Resources page.

Discussion-Based Lesson Plans:

Lesson Plan: Improving How Congress Works (12 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Evaluating America's Best and Worst Presidents (6 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Should the Federal Minimum Wage Be Raised? (5 Clips)
Lesson Plan: The Future of Social Security (9 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Foreign Interference in U.S. Elections (9 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Student Civic Engagement (9 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Trade Policy: Tariffs and Free Trade (9 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Presidential Pardons (11 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Political Polarization (7 Clips)
Lesson Plan: The State of Modern News Media (7 Clips)
Lesson Plan: The Removal of Confederate Statues (8 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Constitutional Rights of Corporations (6 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Advocating for a Cause (6 Clips)

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New and Topical Resources:

Video Clip: Historians' Rankings of the Best and Worst Presidents (5:39)
Video Clip: New Report on the Future of Social Security and Medicare(2:46)
Video Clip: Should a citizenship question be added to the 2020 census?(1:33)
Video Clip: Justice Breyer on Packing the Court and Term Limits (3:07)
Video Clip: The Difference Between Collusion and Conspiracy (3:09)
Video Clip: What is Obstruction of Justice? (3:28)
Video Clip: Attorney General Barr on the Mueller Report Release (7:06)
Video Clip: Rep. Nadler on the Mueller Report Release (4:07)
Video Clip: Does age matter for presidential candidates? (3:51)
Video Clip: Health Care and "Medicare For All" Proposals (4:18)
Video Clip: The Arrest of Wikileaks Founder Julian Assange (3:46)
Video Clip: Education Secretary DeVos on Priorities for the 2020 Budget(5:42)
Video Clip: College Transparency and Student Outcomes (4:26)
Bell Ringer: Executive Privilege (5:06)
Bell Ringer: Tax Refunds and Withholdings (2:15)
Lesson Plan: The Future of Social Security (9 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Overview of the Census (9 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Historical Campaign Announcement Analysis (10 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Evaluating America's Best and Worst Presidents (6 Clips)

On This Day in History - May:

May 1, 1958- Law Day (5 Clips)
May 5, 1987- Iran-Contra (6 Clips)
May 5, 1862- Cinco de Mayo (5 Clips)
May 6, 1882- Chinese Exclusion Act (5 Clips)
May 7, 1915- The Sinking of the Lusitania (7 Clips)
May 8, 1945- Victory in Europe Day (3 Clips)
May 10, 1869- Transcontinental Railroad (3 Clips)
May 12, 2004- Release of Abu Ghraib Photos (4 Clips)
May 14, 1804- Lewis & Clark Expedition (3 Clips)
May 16, 1918- The Sedition Act of 1918 (3 Clips)
May 17, 1968- The Catonsville 9 (5 Clips)
May 17, 1954- Brown v. Board of Education (9 Clips)
May 18, 1917- Selective Service Act (2 Clips)
May 21, 1881- Clara Barton and the American Red Cross (4 Clips)
May 22, 1856- The Caning of Charles Sumner (2 Clips)
May 23, 1934- Criminals Bonnie and Clyde Ambushed and Killed (2 Clips)
May 24, 1883- Brooklyn Bridge Opens (3 Clips)
May 27, 1937- The Golden Gate Bridge Opened (2 Clips)

AP U.S. Government and Politics Review Resources

Save the date and tune-in to C-SPAN on Saturday, May 4 from 9:00 - 10:00am ET as teachers Dan Larsen and Andrew Conneen from Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Illinois join us for our 11th annual Cram for the Exam program to help A.P. Government and Politics students around the country prepare for their upcoming exam.

Dan and Andrew will discuss the exam, preview sample questions, and make suggestions as to what students should be studying. They will also respond to student questions asked via telephone and social media.

During the program, students may Tweet questions they'd like answered to @cspanwj, or Facebook, or via email journal@c-span.org.

Students may also call-in during the program but please know that due to the volume of calls, not all will make it on air.

Student Only Phone Numbers:

Eastern and Central States: 202-748-8000

For more information about Andy and Dan, as well as additional review resources, visit their CitizenU website.

CitizenU is a political club dedicated to mentoring, tutoring and welcoming those who may be new to "inside the Beltway" stories and talk. Join the 2 Teachers as they help train a new platoon of young citizens. Learning about the government and politics is, after all, not a class but a lifestyle.

Previous Cram for the Exam programs can also be found here:

We hope your students will also find the following activities and resources beneficial as they review:

Lesson Plan: AP Government Key Terms Review (Unit by Unit)
Featured Resources: AP U.S. Government and Politics Key Terms
Featured Resources: AP U.S. Government and Politics Units
Featured Resources: Required Documents and Supreme Court Cases

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Password: C-SPANCLASSROOM

LESSON: Should the legislative filibuster rule be eliminated in the Senate?

The filibuster in the Senate is used to delay or block action on most legislation through unlimited debate. Because of this, the Senate currently requires a supermajority of 60 votes for most legislation to pass.

In response to the increased use of filibusters and the elimination of filibusters for judicial nominations, there has been a call for the elimination of the filibuster when passing legislation.

This deliberation has students learn about the history of the filibuster and how it has been used. Using this information, students will answer the question: Should the legislative filibuster rule be eliminated in the Senate?

Additional Deliberations:

AP U.S. Government and Politics Review Resources

In preparation for AP U.S. Government and Politics exam, C-SPAN has aggregated the following resources to help your students review.

Featured Resources: AP U.S. Government and Politics Key Terms
Featured Resources: AP U.S. Government and Politics Units
Featured Resources: Required Documents and Supreme Court Cases

Previous Cram for the Exam programs can also be found here:

Judicial Branch and Supreme Court Cases

Lesson Plan: 2018-2019 Supreme Court Oral Arguments (1 Clip)
Lesson Plan: AP Government Supreme Court Cases Review (15 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Constitutional Role of the Federal Court System (6 Clips)
Lesson Plan: The Steps in a Supreme Court Case (5 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Federalist 78 (1 Clip)
Lesson Plan: Marbury v. Madison (4 Clips)
Bell Ringer: The Early Supreme Court (2:51)
Bell Ringer: The Federal Court System (6:38)
Bell Ringer: U.S. Court of Appeals (2:06)
Bell Ringer: Elected vs. Appointed Judges (5:03)
Bell Ringer: Disagreements on the Supreme Court (2:11)
Bell Ringer: The Legitimacy of the Supreme Court (4:39)
Bell Ringer: The Living Constitution vs Originalism (4:01)
Bell Ringer: Justice Sotomayor on Supreme Court Decisions (1:39)
Bell Ringer: Justice Kagan on Constitutional Interpretation (4:45)

For additional resources, visit our Judicial Branch and Supreme Court Casespage.

On This Day in History - April

April 1, 1945- World War II- Battle of Okinawa (6 Clips)
April 3, 1948- Marshall Plan (4 Clips)
April 4, 1968- The Assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (8 Clips)
April 5, 1856- Booker T. Washington (3 Clips)
April 6, 1917- US Enters into World War I (7 Clips)
April 7, 1922- Teapot Dome Scandal (2 Clips)
April 9, 1865- General Lee's Surrender at Appomattox (5 Clips)
April 11, 1970- Apollo 13 (5 Clips)
April 15, 1865- President Abraham Lincoln's Assassination (4 Clips)
April 17, 1961- Bay of Pigs Invasion (6 Clips)
April 19, 1995- Oklahoma City Bombing (5 Clips)
April 20, 2010- Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill (6 Clips)
April 22, 1970- Earth Day (4 Clips)
April 26, 1986- Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Disaster (5 Clips)
April 27, 1773- The Tea Act (4 Clips)

Sunday, March 24, 2019

C-SPAN Classroom has aggregated a number of our bureaucracy and regulation resources as well as some of our 20th century U.S. history content.

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Password: C-SPANCLASSROOM

Bureaucracy and Regulation

Lesson Plan: Examples of Regulatory Agencies (9 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Overview of the U.S. Census (9 Clips)
Bell Ringer: The Department of Veterans Affairs (4:26)
Bell Ringer: The Department of Health and Human Services (3:13)
Bell Ringer: The Department of Housing and Urban Development (3:35)
Bell Ringer: The Department of Agriculture (5:33)
Bell Ringer: The Role of the Secretary of State (2:18)
Bell Ringer: The Role of the Environmental Protection Agency (2 Clips)
Bell Ringer: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (4:23)
Bell Ringer: The Small Business Administration and Entrepreneurship(5:05)
Lesson Plan: The Role of Bureaucracy in Policy-Making (6 Clips)
Bell Ringer: Costs and Benefits of Regulations (2 Clips)
Bell Ringer: Regulatory Agencies and Shrinking the Executive Branch(4:35)
Bell Ringer: The Use of Executive Orders and Regulation to Enact Policy(2:54)
Bell Ringer: Regulation and the Congressional Review Act (3:18)

For additional resources on the federal bureaucracy and regulations, visit our Federal Bureaucracy and Regulation Featured Resources page.

20th Century U.S. History

Bell Ringer: Theodore Roosevelt and Progressive Era (4:35)
Lesson Plan: WWI: U.S. Military in France in 1918 (4 Clips)
Lesson Plan: The Great Migration (9 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Women's Suffrage and the 19th Amendment (9 Clips)
Bell Ringer: The Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act and the Great Depression (2 Clips)
Lesson Plan: The New Deal (6 Clips)
Lesson Plan: World War II (10 Clips)
Bell Ringer: The Taft-Hartley Act (2 Clips)
Lesson Plan: The Korean War (8 Clips)
Lesson Plan: The Red Scare and McCarthyism (7 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Major Events of the Cold War (14 Clips)
Bell Ringer: The Bay of Pigs Invasion (7:11)
Lesson Plan: The Vietnam War (10 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Key Events of the Civil Rights Movement (15 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Voting Rights Marches in Selma (3 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Politics in 1968 (20 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Watergate Scandal and Investigation (9 Clips)
On This Day: OPEC Oil Embargo (5 Clips)
Bell Ringer: Iran Hostage Crisis (7:29)
On This Day: Fall of the Berlin Wall (5 Clips)
Bell Ringer: Operation Desert Storm (7:11)
Bell Ringer: The Impeachment and Trial of President Bill Clinton (2 Clips)

For additional U.S. history resources, visit our U.S. History Featured Resources page.

Sunday, January 27, 2019

In preparation for Black History Month, C-SPAN Classroom has aggregated a number of our resources relating to the history of African-Americans in the United States. Explore our C-SPAN Classroom Lessons and Bell Ringers to learn more about this history.

Want your students to view our Lessons and Bell Ringers at home or on their individual devices? Consider creating a generic class account, or use the following shared log-in credentials:

Username: students
Password: C-SPANCLASSROOM

Black History Month

Bell Ringer: The African Slave Trade and the Middle Passage (6:27)
On This Day: The Haitian Revolution of 1791 (4 Clips)
Bell Ringer: Solomon Northup: 12 Years a Slave (8:24)
Bell Ringer: The Nat Turner Rebellion (5:50)
Bell Ringer: The Domestic Slave Trade (3:35)
Video Clip: Harriet Tubman's Life and Legacy (4:01)
Lesson Plan: Dred Scott v Sandford (6 Clips)
On This Day: Emancipation Proclamation (4 Clips)
On This Day: Juneteenth (2 Clips)
Bell Ringer: Life and Legacy of Frederick Douglass (10:24)
Bell Ringer: 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments (4:36)
Bell Ringer: Beale Street and Memphis (8:05)
Lesson Plan: Plessy v. Ferguson (8 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Booker T. Washington (4 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Langston Hughes (5 Clips)
Bell Ringer: W. E. B. Du Bois (5:06)
Lesson Plan: The Great Migration (9 Clips)
Bell Ringer: Origins of the NAACP (3:53)
On This Day: Jesse Owens Wins First of Four Gold Medals (4 Clips)
Bell Ringer: African Americans in WWI (9:54)
Bell Ringer: The Tuskegee Airmen (6:47)
Lesson Plan: Key Events of the Civil Rights Movement (15 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Brown v. Board of Education (9 Clips)
On This Day: Little Rock Nine (4 Clips)
Bell Ringer: Emmett Till's Kidnapping and Murder (8:51)
Bell Ringer: The 1963 March on Washington (11:49)
Lesson Plan: Dr. King's Letter from Birmingham Jail (7 Clips)
Video Clip: President Johnson Signs Civil Rights Act of 1964 (3:08)
Lesson Plan: Voting Rights Marches in Selma (3 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Civil Rights Movement: Sit-Ins (4 Clips)
Bell Ringer: Voting Rights in the South and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (4:33)
Lesson Plan: Last Days of Martin Luther King, Jr. (3 Clips)
On This Day: Black Panther Party (4 Clips)
Bell Ringer: The Origins of the Black Lives Matter Movement (3:05)

For additional resources, visit our Black History and Civil Rights Featured Resources page.

Updated 11-27-18

Happy Thanksgiving!

Video Clip: The History of Thanksgiving (5:02)
Author Melanie Kirkpatrick talked about the history of Thanksgiving in America, including President Abraham Lincoln's proclamation in 1863 during the Civil War making it a national holiday.
Video Clip: 1619 Thanksgiving at Berkeley, Virginia (12:22)
In 1619, 35 English settlers arrived in Berkeley, Virginia, upriver from Jamestown. We talked to Graham Woodlief, descendant of the group's leader, Captain John Woodlief, about how these colonists celebrated the first English Thanksgiving in America.
Video Clip: Thanksgiving Turkey Pardon (1:54)
At an annual White House Event, President Trump pardoned the national Thanksgiving turkey.

VIDEO: Interview with Justice Sotomayor (24:00)This past weekend, C-SPAN's BookTV talked to Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor about her childhood and path to the High Court. Thank you to all of the students from across the country who submitted potential questions for the interview.

Thanks to the following students whose questions were asked of Justice Sotomayor during the interview:

As you return from Thanksgiving break, don't forget that we now have content organized by various topics and themes. From the required cases and documents in the A.P. Government and Politics redesign, to chronological listings of our U.S. History resources, our Featured Resources page may offer a simple way to start your search of our library of available resources.

2018 AP U.S. Government Key Terms- A list of key terms with C-SPAN clips explaining or exemplifying the term.
2018 AP U.S. Government and Politics Units- Resources organized by 2018 redesigned units and enduring understandings.
2018 AP U.S. Government and Politics Documents and Court Cases- Resources on the documents and Supreme Court cases required for the 2018 redesigned AP Government and Politics exam.
U.S. History- Resources organized thematically and chronologically.
Constitutional Foundations and Principles of Government- Featuring resources on the founding documents and constitutional principles.
Campaign and Elections- Resources organized by categories relating to: types of elections, voting trends, campaign tools, fundraising and historical examples.
Media and the Press- Featuring resources organized into categories such as journalism, history of the press and social media.
Political Ideology and Political Parties- Resources relating to political ideology and the history and actions of political parties.
Interest Groups and Campaign Finance- Featuring content organized by categories including interest groups and campaign finance.
Comparative Government- Featuring resources with overviews of types of government and examples of how countries around the world implement these governments.
Legislative Branch- Resources categorized by legislative structure, process and current/historical examples.
Executive Branch- Resources organized by presidential power, roles and current/historical examples.
Judicial Branch and Supreme Court Cases- Featuring resources organized by judicial structure, process and history. This section also includes resources on landmark Supreme Court cases.
Geography and AP Human Geography- Geography resources organized by the five themes of geography and the seven units found in the AP Human Geography course.
Foreign Policy- Resources organized by foreign policy philosophies, tools and current/historical examples.
Federal Bureaucracy and Regulation- Featuring resources organized by the structure and function of the federal bureaucracy and the impact of regulations.
English and Literature- Resources categorized by author, literary history and analysis.

Veterans Day

November 11, 2018, marks the centennial of the armistice that ended the fighting in World War I. Ahead of Veterans Day, below you'll find resources from throughout U.S. military history as well as the Great War.

Want your students to view C-SPAN Classroom's Lessons and Bell Ringers at home or on their individual devices? Consider creating a generic class account, or use the following shared log-in credentials:

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Password: C-SPANCLASSROOM

General Military Overview Resources:

Bell Ringer: The History and Evolution of Veterans Day (5:32)
Bell Ringer: The Department of Veterans Affairs (4:26)
Bell Ringer: World War I Cemeteries (5:10)
Bell Ringer: American Military Welfare Programs (12:01)
Lesson Plan: The Selective Service Act and Military Conscription (7 Clips)

Chronological Military History Resources:

Lesson Plan: Events Leading to the American Revolution (10 Clips)
Lesson Plan: The Revolutionary War (9 Clips)
Bell Ringer: The Quasi-War (3:38)
Lesson Plan: The War of 1812 (10 Clips)
Lesson Plan: The Mexican-American War (8 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Civil War Era and the Constitution (6 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Civil War Battles (20 Clips)
Bell Ringer: Civil War Medicine and Disabled Veterans (11:31)
Lesson Plan: The Spanish-American War (9 Clips)
Lesson Plan: World War I (9 Clips)
Lesson Plan: World War I: U.S. Military in France in 1918 (4 Clips)
Bell Ringer: Military Aviation during World War I (3:40)
Bell Ringer: World War I: General John J. Pershing and War Tanks (3:31)
Bell Ringer: World War I: Battle of Saint-Mihiel (6:56)
Lesson Plan: World War II (10 Clips)
Video Clip: World War II Veterans on Combat Experiences (3:16)
Bell Ringer: The Battle of Midway (11:41)
Bell Ringer: World War II: Battle of the Bulge (9:59)
Bell Ringer: The Battle of Iwo Jima: Oral History (8:06)
Bell Ringer: The Tuskegee Airmen (6:47)
Bell Ringer: General Douglas MacArthur and World War II (4:34)
Video Clip: End of World War II Newsreel (4:20)
Lesson Plan: The Korean War (8 Clips)
Lesson Plan: The Vietnam War (10 Clips)
On This Day: Operation Desert Shield and the Gulf War (5 Clips)
On This Day: Iraq War (8 Clips)
Bell Ringer: The War on Terror (4:14)

(Updated 10-24-18)

LESSON: Should your state modify its voter registration laws and methods for submitting a ballot?

The Constitution gives the states the power to determine the "Times, Places, and Manner" of elections. With this constitutional authority, states have the ability to create different laws concerning voter registration and methods of voting. This deliberation has students explore state voting and registration laws across the country and compare them to their own state's laws. Topics included in this deliberation relate to voter registration, early voting, voting by mail and voter identification policies. Students will use this information to address the deliberation question: Should your state modify its voter registration laws and methods for submitting a ballot?

Additional Deliberations:

As we near the 2018 midterm elections on November 6, C-SPAN continues to air key House, Senate and gubernatorial debates as the battle for control of Congress unfolds. In addition to C-SPAN Classroom's midterm-related lessons and resources featured below, C-SPAN's Campaign 2018 website chronicles all of our coverage and will provide local election results as they are decided. The Campaign 2018 website also features an interactive map with candidate biographies, state demographics and data from past elections.

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Featured C-SPAN Classroom Resources: Campaigns and Elections

Video Clip: Factors influencing Voter Turnout in Midterm Elections (3:59)
Video Clip: Youth Voter Trends in the 2018 Midterm Elections (4:58)
Video Clip: Women and the 2018 Midterm Elections (4:43)
Video Clip: African-American Voters and the 2018 Midterms (4:02)
Video Clip: The Kavanaugh Confirmation Vote and Close Senate Races(1:48)
Video Clip: Super PAC Spending in the 2018 Midterm Elections (3:49)
Video Clip: Competitive Races in the Senate and the House (3:08)
Video Clip: Midterm Elections and the President (2:24)
Video Clip: Polling Data and the 2018 Midterm Elections (4:34)
Video Clip: Republican Messaging for the 2018 Midterm Elections (3:39)
Video Clip: Democratic Messaging for the 2018 Midterm Elections (5:04)
Lesson Plan: 2018 Midterm Elections: Competitive Senate Races (12 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Political Party Strategies in the 2018 Midterm Elections (9 Clips)
Lesson Plan: 2018 Midterm Elections Debate Analysis (1 Clip)

19th Century U.S. History Resources .

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Lesson Plan: The Significance of Chief Justice John Marshall (7 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Marbury v Madison (4 Clips)
Lesson Plan: The Louisiana Purchase (8 Clips)
Lesson Plan: The War of 1812 (10 Clips)
Lesson Plan: McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) (4:34)
Bell Ringer: The Missouri Compromise (5:33)
Bell Ringer: The Corrupt Bargain of 1824 (2:17)
Bell Ringer: Nullification Crisis (1:54)
Lesson Plan: Andrew Jackson and Limited Federal Government? (5 Clips)
Lesson Plan: The Underground Railroad (7 Clips)
Lesson Plan: The Mexican-American War (8 Clips)
Lesson Plan: The California Gold Rush (6 Clips)
Bell Ringer: The Domestic Slave Trade (3:36)
Bell Ringer: Bleeding Kansas (7:11)
Lesson Plan: Major Events Leading to the Civil War (9 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Reconstruction Era (9 Clips)
Bell Ringer: The Sherman Anti-Trust Act (2:41)
Lesson Plan: The Gilded Age (7 Clips)
Lesson Plan: The Spanish-American War (9 Clips)

Our "On This Day in History" section of the website is designed to provide teachers with video resources to help students better understand significant events throughout U.S. history.

Each event features several short video clips that help set the stage by providing context through archival footage and witness testimony (where available), utilizing C-SPAN's unique access to historical newsreels, vignettes, oral history and expert analysis.

Looking for additional historical content to support your curriculum? C-SPAN Classroom has over 1,200 history resources that you can search by topic, place, person or keyword.

On This Day in History in October:

October 15, 1966: Black Panther Party (4 Clips)
October 16, 1859: John Brown's Raid on Harpers Ferry (3 Clips)
October 17, 1979: The Department of Education is Established (4 Clips)
October 17, 1973: OPEC Declares Oil Embargo (4 Clips)
October 18, 1962: Cuban Missile Crisis (6 Clips)
October 19, 1781: The British Surrender at Yorktown (6 Clips)
October 26, 2001: U.S.A. P.A.T.R.I.O.T. Act (6 Clips)
October 28, 1886: Statue of Liberty (3 Clips)

Sunday, September 23, 2018

Our newest featured resources section contains key terms included in the A.P. Government and Politics class. For each term we have created a Bell Ringer containing C-SPAN video defining or exemplifying the concept and questions relating to how that term or concept is used. These terms are organized alphabetically and can be used to introduce these key terms, or as a review.

Want your students to view our Lessons and Bell Ringers at home or on their individual devices? Consider creating a generic class account, or use the following shared log-in credentials:

Username: students
Password: C-SPANCLASSROOM

Featured Resources: 2018 AP U.S. Government and Politics Key Terms
Below are some examples of resources featured on the site.

Bell Ringer: Attack Ads (7:37)
Bell Ringer: Cooperative Federalism (3:19)
Bell Ringer: Ex Post Facto Law (4 Clips)
Bell Ringer: Filibuster (2:05)
Bell Ringer: Hate Speech (1:21)
Bell Ringer: Limited Government (2:02)
Bell Ringer: Ratification (5 Clips)
Bell Ringer: Social Contract (1:03)
Bell Ringer: The Supremacy Clause (2 Clips)

Each week we also highlight new and featured content on the C-SPAN Classroom homepage.

Looking for additional content not currently highlighted? Try searching our thousands of ready to go resources by topic, place, person, or keyword for content to supplement your curriculum.

New and Topical Resources:

Video Clip: Bob Woodward on Using Anonymous Sources (3:39)
Video Clip: Trump Administration Refugee Cap Reduction (3:38)
Video Clip: Justice Ginsburg on Unconscious Bias and Discrimination(4:31)
Video Clip: President Trump's Tariffs on Chinese Goods (2:45)
Video Clip: NAFTA Renegotiation and Deadlines (5:30)
Video Clip: Senators React to Judge Kavanaugh Allegations (4:03)
Video Clip: The Importance of Governor Races in the 2018 Election (1:45)
Video Clip: 2018 Midterm Elections: Competitive Senate and House Races (3:08)
Lesson Plan: 2018 Midterm Elections: Competitive Senate Races (12 Clips)
Lesson Plan: The Civil War Through American Art and Literature (10 Clips)
Bell Ringer: The Causes of the 2008 Financial Crisis (4:06)
Bell Ringer: The Sovereignty of the European Union (2:50)

C-SPAN's BookTV marks its 20th anniversary this year. To honor this anniversary we have collected some of our resources relating to books and literature below.

English and Literature Resources:

Bell Ringer: Shakespeare and Loss (1:12)
On This Day: Publication Of Uncle Tom's Cabin (3 Clips)
Bell Ringer: Ralph Waldo Emerson (5:46)
Bell Ringer: Thoreau's Walden Pond (9:02)
Bell Ringer: O. Henry (8:10)
Bell Ringer: George Orwell (1:27)
Bell Ringer: The Life and Legacy of William Faulkner (7:43)
Lesson Plan: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Letter from a Birmingham Jail (7 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Justice Sonia Sotomayor: Impact of Books on Her Life (7 Clips)

Additional English and Literature resources can be found on our Featured Resources site.

Hazleton Area High School

Gifted Program

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Early Exploration, Native Americans and Colonization

French and Indian War Resources (1754-1763)

Revolutionary War Resources (1775-1783)

Articles of Confederation Resources (1777-1786)

Constitutional Convention and the Ratification Resources (1787-1788)

Additional U.S. History Featured Resources: