
Kate Harris
Social Studies teacher
Pittsburgh CAPA
Middle School (13 to 15 years old), High School (16 to 18 years old)
Teacher/Educator
Language Arts And English, Civics, Literature, Cultures, Economics, Social Studies, Geography, Writing, US History, Arts, Other
I'm a history-lover, art fan, and bookworm. I taught high school history (U.S. History and World Religions) for ten years in North Carolina, teach currently in Pittsburgh, PA, and am working to help teachers make the most of this new resource!
Kate Harris's collections
Socialism in the Gilded Age
<p><br><strong>Overview:</strong> When facing challenges in society, activists must determine not just what kinds of changes might need to be made, but how much change, and how fast. A study of the growing socialist and anarchist movement during the Gilded Age in the United States (with a focus on Pittsburgh), will help students analyze why some people might advocate for radical change while others fear it. Students will then apply their new understanding when discussing responses to current social movements. </p>
<p><strong>Questions for discussion throughout the lesson include:</strong></p>
<ol><li>What kind of change is/was needed? How might the answer to this question depend on your perspective (worker, farmer, politician, or business-owner?)</li><li>How much change is /was needed? How might the answer to this question depend on your perspective (worker, farmer, politician, or business-owner?)</li><li>Why might radical change be scary for some individuals but appealing to others? </li><li>What kinds of demands and strategies result in the most progress?</li></ol>
<p><strong>Pacing/curriculum: </strong>This lesson can be used when discussing the response of workers and the labor movement to Gilded Age industrialization, or as a point of comparison when studying the other social reform movements of the late 19th and early 20th century, Populism and Progressivism. Just prior to this lesson, students in my classroom would have been studying the problems of workers and city-dwellers during the Gilded Age and the rapid growth of industrialization.</p>
<p><br>The lesson is designed to be used during 1-2 70 minute class periods and can be implemented in an entirely remote learning environment. The first day could consist of the warm up around socialism, and the why did it appeal/why was it scary t-charts. The second day should focus on connections to today and the question of revolution vs. reform located in the second half of resources in the collection. <br></p>
<p>#civicdiscourse</p>

37
LGBT Rights and History
<p>This teaching collection contains resources to support a more inclusive United States history curriculum. It includes documents, videos, and websites related to the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans-, and other sexual minorities) movement. The collection is divided into the following themes:</p><p>-People</p><p>-Pride and Diversity of Experiences (reflecting a range of LGBT identities)</p><p>-History, Challenges, and Accomplishments</p><p>-Additional Resources</p><p>This is a work-in-progress based on the digitized materials within the Smithsonian Learning Lab's collection--it is not meant to be wholly definitive or authoritative. </p>

43
The Black Arts Movement
<p>"On the relationship between the Black Power and Black Arts movements, Larry Neal writes, “Black Art is the aesthetic and spiritual sister of the Black Power concept. … The Black Arts and the Black Power concept both related broadly to the Afro-American’s desire for self-determination and nationhood.” The artists within the Black Arts movement sought to create politically engaged work that explored the African American cultural and historical experience and transformed the way African Americans were portrayed in literature and the arts."</p>
<p>This topical collection includes background information as well as examples of poetry and art from the Black Arts Movement. Two excerpts from essays are also included. There are also some examples of works from artists who rejected the premise of the Black Arts Movement. </p>
<p>Students could use this collection as a starting point for further research or to create an illustrated timeline of the movement. Works could be analyzed for their reflection or rejection of themes like: black nationalism, self-determination, "the black is beautiful" movement, and liberation. Students could also evaluate the merits of the arguments for and against a "black arts movement" as articulated by Karenga and Saunders in the text excerpts.</p>
<p>This is a work-in-progress based on the digitized materials within the Smithsonian Learning Lab's collection--it is not meant to be wholly definitive or authoritative.<br /></p>

39
Six Degrees of Separation Example: Lincoln's Axe to William Jennings Bryan
<p>This is a finished version of the "Six Degrees of Separation" AP USH review activity, including annotations explaining the links between objects. This may be useful to share with students the first time you try the activity. Note that connections should be deeper than similarities or coincidental links; they should reflect a causal relationship. In addition, you might ask students to present some analysis of the resources they chose, identifying key details.</p>
<p>The original activity is available here: <a href="https://learninglab.si.edu/collections/six-degrees-of-separation-an-apush-review-activity/C1stNx2FioYNAkWP#r" target="_blank">https://learninglab.si.edu/collections/six-degrees-of-separation-an-apush-review-activity/C1stNx2FioYNAkWP#r</a><br /></p><p><em>#historicalthinking</em></p><p><br /></p>

6
What stories do artifacts tell?
<p>This student activity asks students to develop a story about a mystery artifact, editing and adjusting their narrative as they discover more information. Students will develop historical thinking skills while learning more about the experience of living in a specific time and place.</p>
<p>tags: Japan, internment, incarceration, Manzanar, World War II, World War 2, WW2, Executive Order 9066, Roosevelt, FDR</p>
<p><em>#historicalthinking</em></p><p><br /></p>

12
Sorting Activity New Deal Organizations: Relief, Recovery, or Reform?
<p>First, review the images in the collection and the information provided with each, then determine which New Deal organization it is representing. Think about whether that organization is a good example of relief, recovery, or reform. At the end of the collection, you will be asked to sort the images into categories and answer some evaluative questions.</p>
<p><br /></p>
<p>tags: Great Depression, FDR, Roosevelt, New Deal, Agricultural Adjustment Act, Tennessee Valley Administration, 1930s, sort</p><p><em>#historicalthinking</em></p><p><br /></p>

23