Betty Boop for President

This adorable 1932 video depicts Betty Boop running for president against “Mr. Nobody”.

The two candidates sing their campaign promises, which provides much fodder for class discussions on elections.

There is even a scene showing the two parties in Congress disagreeing about each issue raised.

The only cautionary moment is at about the 3 minute mark when the Republican elephant calls the Democratic donkey an “ass”. Depending on the maturity of your class this may not be appropriate, unless it discussed beforehand to place it in context.

For more resources on teaching about the 1930s check out our The Great Depression and the New Deal PowerPoint.

For more resources on teaching government check out our PowerPoints:

• The Judiciary
• The Presidency
• The Congress
• The Bureaucracy
• Constitutional Underpinnings

MLK Day 2013

In honor of the Civil Rights Movement and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. we are posting this short clip containing a portion of the famous “I Have a Dream” speech at the March on Washington in 1963.

For more information on this era check out our PowerPoint presentations:

• The 1950s
• The Civil Rights Movement
• 1960s

 

Pearl Harbor film

This Castle Film was shot after the attack on Pearl Harbor. It begins with a helpful map of the harbor’s location and shows the devastation on the seaplane base, destroyer USS Shaw, battleship USS Utah and the USS Arizona.

For more resources on teaching the WWII era check out our:

US History PowerPoints

• Causes of World War II
• World War II

World History PowerPoints

• Europe Between the Wars
• World War II

Classroom History Games

• Causes of World War II: Part 1
• Causes of World War II: Part 2
• Causes of World War II: Part 3

Film Collection, 1940s:  Historic Film Collection, Part 3

The Selma Story

The 1950s and 60s are filled with tragic events during the Civil Rights Movement.

The March on Selma is no exception; an event that began as a peaceful march to bring attention to the lack of African American voters in the area (less than 5% of eligible Black voters in Selma in particular) ended in violence.

The region was chosen by the SNCC and SCLC since the sheriff in Selma was notorious for violent reactions to protestors and they hoped to bring national awareness; needless to say the situation escalated.

For more resources on this era check out our US History PowerPoints:

• The 1950s
• The Civil Rights Movement
• 1960s

World War I trench warfare

World War I trench warfare was a devastating experience for most soldiers. Much of a unit on this topic is spent exploring the daily lives of soldiers in the trenches.

This quick clip could be used in several ways: asking students to document what they see as a reporter, describing how they believe the soldiers feel, writing a letter home as a soldier based on what is in the video, writing a journal entry, etc.

For more WWI resources check out our:

Film Clips: Historic Film Collection, Part 1

US History PowerPoint   World War I

World History PowerPoint World War I

Classroom History Game: Critical Decisions of Woodrow Wilson

WWII Eastern Front newsreel, 1941

This 1941 newsreel has 3 segments: “Nazis war on Russia, Soviet ambassador speaks, and US stars back war loans”.

The 4 minute format allows for a quick view on any given day during a unit on WWII. The footage gives the viewer a sense of battle conditions and even shows parachuters jumping off of plane wings.

For more WWII resources check out our:

1940s Historic Film Collection

US History PowerPoints:

• Causes of World War II
• World War II

World History PowerPoints:

• Europe Between the Wars
• World War II

Classroom History Classroom Games

• Causes of World War II: Part 1
• Causes of World War II: Part 2
• Causes of World War II: Part 3

Model T Ford 1910

This 1910 Model T Ford movie clip is a wonderful slice of history as it shows the assembly line as well as a driving demonstration that will make your students laugh. Since it’s only a minute in length it’s just a fun way to break up a lesson.

For more historical film clips check out our Film Libraries: http://multimedialearning.org/HistoricFilms.php

For more on this era check out our PowerPoints:

• America Becomes a World Power: Imperialism
• Immigration & Urbanization
• The Progressive Era
• World War I
• 1920s

Classroom history games:

• Critical Decisions of Theodore Roosevelt
• Critical Decisions of Woodrow Wilson
• American Immigration Game
• The Great Crash Stock Market Game
• Famous Presidents Game, Part 2: Arthur to Reagan

JFK’s inauguration

Historic films clips, when used properly, can help students better grasp important moments.

Given the technology that exists today, namely PowerPoint and Keynote, it is possible now to embed these films within presentations and spark an interest in students that otherwise might be passive viewers.

For more film clips that are organized and categorized, check out our:

• Historic Film Collection, Part 1
• Historic Film Collection, Part 2
• Historic Film Collection, Part 3
• Historic Film Collection, Part 4

Teaching the American West

Annie Oakley, a dynamic woman who achieved and overcome much in her six decades, is a great figure to introduce to students when teaching a unit on Western History.

Often overlooked, western history is filled with countless stories that students would be excited to learn about.

For more resources please checkout our PowerPoints:

Westward Movement

The West: Miners, Ranchers, Farmers, and Native Americans

Our classroom history games:

• Famous Inventors Game
• American Economy 1823-1860
• Chisholm Trail Game

The History of the US Calvary

The Department of Defense created this video in 1964 using various images to weave the history of the US Calvary.

The video allows for discussion on several levels, depending on the focus in your classroom. We broke it into two parts below, each has the same opening.

For more resources on US military history check out our America’s Smaller Wars PowerPoint.

Several of our Classroom History games cover battles in US and World history as well.