DECISION MAKING IN U.S. HISTORY

$341.40

   Order Code: ZP351CD   
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Challenging scenarios and rich content put students in the shoes of decision-makers throughout U.S. history—building empathy, sharpening critical thinking, and strengthening understanding of civic and historical complexity.

Author Kevin O’Reilly—an experienced, award-winning educator—draws students into powerful moments from America’s past, where they must wrestle with real historical choices made by a wide range of people.

Each lesson immerses students in a pivotal U.S. history event, from the American Revolution to the Great Depression to the rise of industrial America. They confront key dilemmas: Should colonists support rebellion? Should a 13-year-old factory worker demand better conditions? Should a senator back war?

Lessons are flexible and classroom-ready—use them as two-period deep dives or as 20–30 minute “quick motivators.”

Detailed teacher pages:

  • provide step-by-step instructions for implementing each lesson;
  • list key vocabulary terms and historical figures to highlight;
  • emphasize the decision-making skills targeted in each activity; and
  • offer ideas for follow-up discussions.
  • Each lesson also includes three reproducible student handouts:

  • The first clearly lays out the decision-making scenarios.
  • The second provides “outcomes,” describing the decisions that people in the past made.
  • The third presents related primary source readings and/or images accompanied by analysis questions.
  • Students don’t just learn what happened—they wrestle with why it happened and what it meant for the people involved. The result? Deeper engagement, sharper thinking, and a better grasp of U.S. history’s human side.

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    Copyright

    2007–09

    Size

    8½" x 11"

    Publisher

    Social Studies School Service

    Pages

    Approximately 150 pages each

    Grade

    8–12

    Sample pages from The Gilded Age