Loving v. Virginia

By now, I'm sure most are aware that the Loving story has been made into a movie.  This past weekend, it premiered at the Virginia Film Festival, and was featured in an article in our local paper.  For many of the students in localities around me, the incidents in this case took place in a neighboring county, making it a great way to introduce relevancy.  There are a number of great resources out there, some of which have been highlighted on this blog in the past.  If you are in a different part of the country, it might be worth looking into whether any similar cases went before courts in your area, and having a discussion comparing them.

The Movement to End Child Labor in the U.S.

The Movement to End Child Labor in the U.S.

While you probably haven't made it to the Progressive Movement yet, this set of pictures by Lewis Hine on child labor in the Washington Post looks like an interesting discussion piece and another great way to include primary documents in your classroom.  It might also be interesting to compare/contrast Hine's photography approach with Dorothea Lange and her pictures of migrant farmers during the Great Depression.  Some great discussion topics could stem from these pictures involving discussion on labor laws, childrens' rights, the role of the media in shaping public opinion - all of which would be great ways to tie in the past to the present.