Learning Resources

Exhibition Self-Guide

A self-guide to The Price of Freedom: Americans at War

Use this guide to enhance your visit! It highlights the service and sacrifice of generations of American men and women, provides an exhibit overview, and directs you to activity stations in the exhibition. This document is in PDF format and requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.

For Visiting School Groups

The Museum invites students to connect with people, ideas, and events of the past through an exciting array of standards-based programs. Visit our School Visits page for more informaiton.

Gallery interpreters will be stationed throughout the exhibition and in a special interactive area in the War of Independence section on a regular basis.

For In-Classroom Learning

The Price of Freedom: Americans at War teacher’s manual

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Supporting Videos and Individual Lessons

• War of Independence
• Wars of Expansion
• The Civil War
• World War II
• Cold War/Vietnam
• September 11 and Its Aftermath

Supporting Materials and Worksheets

Section I - War of Independence

PDFs

• Lesson 1: Lexington and Concord -- Historical Interpretation
• Lesson 2: Who's In Camp?
• Lesson 3: General George Washington, Military Leader
  • First Person Account: Lydia Post

Section II - Wars of Expansion

PDFs

• Lesson 4: Conflicting Voices of the Mexican War
  • First Person Account: Jose Maria Tornel y Mendivil, Mexican Secretary of War
  • First Person Account: George Ballentine, English volunteer for the United States
  • First Person Account: Juan Batista Vigil y Alarid, acting governor of New Mexico
  • First Person Account: Ulysses S. Grant, American soldier
• Lesson 5: Two Perspectives on the Battle of Little Bighorn/Greasy Grass

Section III - The Civil War

• A Civil War Mystery Posters
• Civil War Teaching Poster PowerPoint
• Lesson 6: John Brown's Legacy
• Lesson 7: Women's Role in the War Effort
  • First Person Account: Eugenia Phillips
• Lesson 8: Comparing Confederate and Union Soldiers
  • First Person Account: Spotswood Rice

Voices of Bull Run Unit

• Unit Overview
• 2-Minute Audio Tour of the Resource
• Object-Analysis Minilesson

"Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!"

• Theater, Leadership, and Local Stories Project Guide
• Theater, Leadership, and Local Stories Extra Handouts

Section IV - World War II

• Lesson 9: Mobilizing Children
  • World War II Cartoons
• Lesson 10: Changing Gender Roles on the Home Front
  • World War II Overview: North Atlantic and North Africa
• Lesson 11: Battle of the Bulge -- Americans Respond to a German Surprise
  • European Theater during WWII

Section V - Cold War/Vietnam

• Lesson 12: The Cuban Missile Crisis
• Lesson 13: POW's
• Lesson 14: The Soldier's Experience - Vietnam versus World War I
  • World War I Overview
  • First Person Account: Hal Moore
  • First Person Account: Fred Castleberry
  • First Person Account: Clarence Sasser
  • Vietnam Documentary footage of the Huey

Section VI - September 11 and Its Aftermath

• Lesson 15: Students' Response to 9/11 - A Documentary Report
• Curators_Challenge.pdf

Supporting Images and Worksheets

Download creative and engaging strategies to help students learns how wars have been defining moments in both the history of the nation and the lives of individual Americans. For grades 5�12. These documents are in PDF format and require Adobe Acrobat Reader.