TEXAS: Decision Making in U.S. History

Author Kevin O’Reilly—an experienced, award-winning teacher—has students tackle fascinating historical questions that put them in the shoes of a range of people from the past, from the rich and famous to ordinary citizens. Most lessons include three types of reproducible handouts: the first clearly lays out the decision-making scenarios; the second provides "outcomes," describing the decisions that people in the past made; and the third presents related primary source readings and/or images accompanied by analysis questions. Detailed teacher pages not only give step-by-step instructions for implementing each lesson but also provide lists of key vocabulary terms and famous people, discuss specific decision-making skills emphasized in the lesson, offer troubleshooting tips, present ideas for post-activity discussions, and furnish lists of related sources. Each lesson can be done either as an in-depth activity requiring two full class periods, or as a "quick motivator" requiring only 20–30 minutes.