U.S. History

Over two million Muslims from around the world travel to Mecca each year for the Islamic pilgrimage known as Hajj. How does this experience change their lives? This video from Religion & Ethics Newsweekly follows American Muslim Abdul Alim Mubarak as he experiences Hajj for the first time.

Learn about the techniques gold miners used to collect gold ore from the area around South Pass City, as well as the hazards they faced during the mining process. 

In the accompany lesson plan (found in the Support Materials), students will watch a video that explains the mining process and hazards, and then create caution signs to show their understanding of the challenges the miners faced. Finally, the students will take part in a collaborative STEM challenge to build a working hoist using a limited amount of supplies. 

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 

• Students will develop grade level appropriate speaking and listening skills, as described by the standards. 
• Students will understand how technology impacted the mining process of early gold miners, as well as the hazards the miners faced. 
• Students will define a design problem and use limited resources to solve it. 

Learn about the life and accomplishments of the famed mountain man, Jim Bridger, through this collection of videos, images, and activities.

The image of American Indians on horseback is iconic, but indigenous populations didn’t actually encounter horses until the 15th century, when Europeans ironically brought them to America as weapons of conquest. The Comanche adopted the horse as an important ally to help protect their way of life. Comanche used the horse to hunt and for strength in battle, and on horseback Comanche were able to remain mobile enough to avoid the impact of European diseases. But in 1875 the U.S. began targeting these horses, which were by then integral to Comanche identity.

Despite the European conquest the Comanche are still here, with 15,000 members, and the spirit of the horse remains sacred.