Lessons deal with important topics during America’s period of expansion, both as a country and a world power, between 1877 and 1898. The violence of the Homestead Steel Strike, the attempts to exclude Chinese immigration, the establishment of the Salvation Army to serve the poor of America’s large urban centers, the role of women in the workforce of the west, and the annexation of Hawaii are examined. One lesson deals with P. T. Barnum and the circus, examining the beginnings of promotional strategies. Another lesson deals with different interpretations of events in the west and examines excerpts from a soldier’s journal. The Battle of the Little Big Horn is seen from the perspective of a Native American. Other lessons deal with the capture of the outlaw John Wesley Hardin by the Texas Rangers, the experience of African-American soldiers in the Spanish-American War, and the assassination of President James A. Garfield.

Academic activities include essay writing, journaling, interpreting photographs and drawings, preparing presentations, role-playing, letter writing, and interpreting documents.