Our ten award-winning documentaries explore the central role of working women and men in U.S. history. These accessible and exciting programs have withstood the test of time and continue to engage students in middle school through college level classes. Each documentary has a downloadable Viewer’s Guide that is written for student readers. It introduces the main topics, events, and composite characters that help to dramatize the historical themes in many of the programs.

Historical Understandings for Becoming American:

• Debates over immigration centered on the tension between the need for labor and anxiety over immigrants’ political, racial, and cultural qualifications for citizenship
• Immigrants used a variety of strategies to survive in new circumstances and challenge discrimination

Colonial New York

October 22, 2007 at the Brooklyn Museum

Reading: “The Island,” from Russell Shorto, The Island at the Center of the World: T

History faculty from across the 17 City University of New York campuses created and classroom-tested these twelve teaching modules, guided by historian David Jaffee with assistance from ASHP/CML. The inquiry-based activities feature online archival materials such as presidential audiotape excerpts, 1930s photographs and folk music, and nineteenth-century religious tracts.

We invite any questions or comments you may have about our work or website. If you have questions about specific programs please email us. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, phone numbers will be inactive until further notice.

General Inquiries - David Scheckel, 212-817-1980

Internships – Donna Thompson Ray, 212-817-1963