The NHD Topic Tree Conflict & Compromise in History Have students who are stuck selecting a topic? Want to provide a little passive inspiration? Grown an NHD Topic Tree in your classroom! Each branch is a different area of history Each leaf is a different topic idea and leading question When a student wants to use that topic, tell him or her to just pick the leaf off the tree You can use the topics we have brainstormed or use the blank page to create your own ideas. Try asking students to contribute ideas to the NHD Topic Tree as well!
Ellis Island and Angel Island were both immigration stations that controlled the flow of immigrants in and out of the US. Take a closer look at one of these locations in history. Poli cs & Government In the 1900s, Harvey Wiley and the Poison Squad ate common food additives in order to show serious health effects. How did the work of this team change food safety? During the Boston Tea Party, the Sons of Liberty stood up against the British Tea Act of 1773. How did this event escalate cries for revolution? Daniel Ellsberg released the Pentagon Papers in 1971 to expose government action during the Vietnam War. How did the public respond to this leaked information? The Bracero Program started in 1942 as a way to bring contract laborers into the US for reasonable wages and decent living conditions. Was it fair to all people involved? Executive Order 9981 desegregated the US military. What was military service like before and after the order for servicemen of color? The Dust Bowl brought advances in industry into conflict with environmental impacts. How did farming change after this? Rural & Agriculture After several bands of Ojibwe challenged the government for regulation of hunting and fishing rights, the Wisconsin Walleye War followed. How did this conflict play out on WI lakes? During the mid-1800s, the Grange Movement brought farmers together to advance their collective interests. What did this group fight for and why?
Mendez v. Westminster (1947) challenged forced segregation of Mexican students into separate schools. What impact did this case have on the Civil Rights movement? Educa on Sesame Street used educational goals to determine content in children s TV. What were the goals of the program? American Indian boarding schools sought to assimilate students by forcing them to abandon their cultures. How did opinions change over time? Newsboy s Strike of 1899 won fair compensation for child laborers through a youth-led campaign. What were child labor conditions like at the time? Labor History Cesar Chavez brought nationwide attention to the plight of farmworkers through labor organization and boycott. What were conditions like for farmworkers? The Haymarket Massacre took place when labor protestors, police, and violence met in 1886 Chicago. What were the demands of the protesters? The Endangered Species Act of 1973 was passed to protect plants and animals in danger of going extinct. What impact did this act have on a particular species? Environment Love Canal was a NY neighborhood whose environmental pollution so harmed residents that the government intervened. What legislation was passed in response? Started as a teach-in for the environment, Earth Day has grown into a yearly event. How did this fit into the environmental movement?
The 1965 book Unsafe at Any Speed exposed manufacturer reluctance to improve safety in cars because of loss of profits. How did this book change safety? Science & Industry Through beauty products for black women, Madame CJ Walker became one of the wealthiest AfricanAmerican businesswomen of the time. How did she advance social causes? In 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded in front of America only 73 seconds after take-off. What impact did this have on future missions and safety protocols? In the State of MN v. Philip Morris, plaintiffs argued that the company hid information about the harms of tobacco. How did this case bring new information about tobacco to the public? Health & Medicine Eastern State Penitentiary was a prison built on the idea of solitary confinement and sought to reform rather than punish. How did it influence other prisons? Before a vaccine, Americans lived in fear each summer of the spread of Polio, a disease that could paralyze and kill. How was the vaccine help defeat this disease? Langston Hughes was an African-American activist and author who wrote during the Harlem Renaissance. How did his writings influence perceptions of AfricanAmericans? Art & Literature Many African-Americans who came North during the Great Migration were influenced by The Chicago Defender. How did the paper motivate them to move? From 1961-1982, The Catcher in the Rye, was the most censored book in America's public schools and libraries. Why was this book censored as much as it was?
During the 1936 Olympics in Nazi Germany, African-American sprinter Jesse Owens won four gold medals. How did the German government respond to the victories? Sports & Pop Culture Boxer Muhammad Ali refused to fight in the Vietnam War because of his religious beliefs. How was Ali s career affected by his protest? The National All-American Girls Professional Baseball League put women on the field to replace men fighting in WWII. How did the league affect public perception of women? During the 1919 World Series, a group of eight players from the Chicago White Sox intentionally lost games for their own benefit. How did the public respond to this scandal? In 1985, the RIAA introduced the Parental Advisory label on certain recordings that contained explicit language. How did musicians respond to this label? The National Audubon Society worked to stop the killing of endangered birds, the feathers of which were popular among women s fashion. How did this affect fashion? Elvis Presley s dancing on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1956 shocked some viewers. How did Elvis performance affect his career? The Hollywood blacklist was a list of accused Communist actors and directors that studios refused to hire. How was the movie industry affected by this list? During WWII, Walt Disney created propaganda films for the US government. How did Disney s films affect the war effort?
In the late-1800s, journalist Nellie Bly went undercover to report on the conditions of those living in a women s mental institution. What did Nellie Bly uncover? Fights for Rights In 1950, Harry Hay formed the Mattachine Society, one of the first gay rights organizations in the US. What role did it have in the movement? The Equal Rights Amendment, proposed in1923, sought to end legal distinctions between men and women, and still hasn t passed. What obstacles have supporters faced? The 1990 Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act enforced the return of cultural items from museum collections. How did the act impact museums and tribes? In 1991, four Los Angeles Police Department officers violently beat a man named Rodney King in 1991. What were the effects of the not guilty verdict? Frederick Douglass was a prominent African-American abolitionist who wrote about his experiences while enslaved What effects did his work have on perceptions of slavery? In 1943, white soldiers and Mexican-American youths clashed in the Zoot Suit Riots. What effects did they have on relations between the US and Mexico? During WWII, the US sent Japanese-Americans to internment camps. Fred Korematsu sued. What was the result of the court case Korematsu v. United States? Abington v. Schempp declared school-sponsored Bible reading unconstitutional in public schools. How did the public respond to this ruling?
In 1944, the US government passed the G.I. Bill, which provided benefits to WWII veterans. How has the G.I. Bill affected the lives of veterans? War & Military History The Buffalo Soldiers were a regiment of African Americans in the US Army that fought during the 1900s. What is the legacy of this regiment? When the government passed laws in 1863 that allowed men to be drafted into the Union, massive draft riots broke out across New York City. What was the impact of these riots? The Mexican-American War took place after the US annexed Texas in the mid1800s. How did it affect relations between the US and Mexico? At the height of the Cold War, the Soviet Union placed nuclear missiles on Cuba in order to deter a US attack. How did the US respond? During WWII, the US assembled a team of scientists to construct nuclear bombs, two of which were dropped on Japan. What impact did the Manhattan Project have on war? Your Ideas