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.
Angel Island Immigration Station: Exploring Borders and Belonging in US History
This 5-7 day C3-aligned inquiry explores the compelling question “How does the history of the Angel Island Immigration Station help us understand how borders are erected, enforced, and challenged?”
Staging the Compelling Question
Students are introduced to the themes of the compelling question by exploring the concept of borders and learning about the Chinese Exclusion Act.
Supporting Question 1: The History of the Angel Island Immigration Station
Students explore the supporting question “How did the Angel Island Immigration Station both reflect and enforce borders within American society?”
Supporting Question 2: The Impacts of Detention on Immigrants and Their Descendants
Students explore the supporting question “How did border enforcement at the Angel Island Immigration Station impact immigrants and their descendants?”
Supporting Question 3: Navigating the Borders of National Belonging
Students explore the supporting question “How does the history of immigration through Angel Island help us understand how we create and challenge borders today?”
Please Ring the Bell for Us
This cartoon, by Francis Knott for the Dallas Morning News, was published on July 7, 1939. It accompanied an editorial that described admitting refugee children to the United States as an “act of simple humanity."
"Home" by Warsan Shire
British-Somali poet Warsan Shire gives voice to the experiences of refugees in this poem about "home."
Laundrymen and Movies
Learn about the prejudice, stereotypes, and victimization Chinese and Chinese Americans faced in the US in the 1920s.
Migration Isn't Going to Stop: Salvadorans Join New Caravans Excerpt
In this excerpt from an Al Jazeera article, individuals from El Salvador describe the conditions that pushed them to migrate to the United States.
5 Facts About Angel Island and Ellis Island, 1910-1940
This reading outlines 5 Facts About Angel Island and Ellis Island from 1910-1940.
5 Facts About Angel Island and Ellis Island, 1910-1940 (en español)
This reading outlines 5 Facts About Angel Island and Ellis Island from 1910-1940. This resource is in Spanish.