Students do research to explore four important events and eras in twentieth-century American history. Then, they create a timeline and summary of these events. Next, they choose the event or era that they believe is most influential. Finally, they create a quiz for classmates on the content learned in the experience.
Students read an introduction explaining that twentieth-century U.S. history is closely connected to issues in society today and review the lesson objectives. They view a photograph of Martin Luther King Jr. and respond to a word cloud prompt by sharing a word or short phrase about what comes to mind when they think of him.
Teacher MovesPresent the overview and objectives of the experience. Facilitate a brief discussion of student word cloud responses, prompting students to share what they know about Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement, and emphasize that this era is one of several important twentieth-century events they will study. Organize students into small groups before moving on.
Working in small groups, students research four major twentieth-century U.S. events and eras—the Civil Rights Movement, United States in World War II, the Great Depression, and United States in World War I—using provided links such as Civil Rights Movement, United States in World War II, The Great Depression, and United States and World War I as starting points. They create a timeline, either digitally or on paper, that sequences these events and includes brief summaries and key individuals or groups. Groups then review other groups’ timelines, discuss similarities and differences, and revise or add details to their own timelines as needed.
Teacher MovesClarify expectations for the research and timeline, suggesting that students may use the provided resources or extend their research if time allows. Circulate to support groups in identifying accurate dates, key figures, and major developments for each event or era. Lead a whole-class comparison of timelines to ensure students have captured essential details, and consider having groups create physical timelines or posters to display in chronological order. Transition students from group work to individual work for the remaining scenes.
Individually, students write a paragraph on a shared discussion wall explaining which of the four events or eras they believe was most influential in shaping the United States today, supporting their position with evidence from their research. They then read classmates’ posts and respond to at least two, ensuring that at least one response engages with a different position by asking a question or offering a positive, constructive comment.
Teacher MovesRemind students to use evidence from their research to support their claims and to respond respectfully and thoughtfully to peers. Monitor the discussion wall, highlighting strong examples of reasoning or use of evidence, and share an interesting or exemplary response with the class to prompt further discussion about differing perspectives on historical influence.
Students reflect on what they have learned about key twentieth-century U.S. events and eras and create a five-question quiz for their classmates that reviews the most important content from the experience. They design short-answer or multiple-choice questions, avoiding trick questions, and either post the quiz directly to the discussion wall or share a link to a quiz created with an external tool.
Teacher MovesExplain the options for creating and sharing quizzes and clarify that questions should focus on key events, eras, and concepts from the lesson. After quizzes are posted, have students exchange and take one another’s quizzes. Facilitate a debrief discussion about which historical information appeared most often and how these events connect to contemporary issues and problems in U.S. society.
Students complete the exit quiz by answering all the questions.
Teacher MovesFacilitate the assessment and use student data to evaluate understanding, address misconceptions, and identify areas for growth.
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