Discover Inspiring Stories

This lesson plan explores how the reintroduction of buffalo to the Native peoples helps them reclaim their identity, culture, and traditions. Tribes have an inherent right to reintroduce and manage buffalo on their reservations to preserve their way of life.

Your students will learn about winter counts, which are a pictographic record of historical events for a tiospaye (community). Many Plains Indians used the winter count to preserve history. Significant events are recorded for future generations. During this lesson, your students will create a class winter count, learn about nature dyes, and compare their drawings to original images.

HOMEFRONT: SOUTH DAKOTA STORIES is a World War II oral history collection that follows the theme of “What was it like for you?” WWII Veterans shared their stories with us, and we are honored to share them with you.

In this lesson plan, your students will learn about how the Japanese military sent thousands of large balloons toward the United States during WWII. They used air currents to move the balloons from Japan to the shores of the United States. The balloons carried bombs and fire-starting devices. Your students will learn about one such device found in rural South Dakota.

Explore the roots of country music in PA with untold regional stories of the state’s role in the creation of a uniquely American form. Plus, explore how the genre is thriving and inspiring a new generation of musicians and fans.

The Three Mile Island accident on March 28, 1979 is still considered the worst at a U.S. nuclear plant in history. This documentary details what happened inside the containment building at TMI on March 28, the chaos, confusion, miscommunication and fear in the area surrounding the plant afterwards and the legacy of TMI after the accident.

The Vietnam War…In Central Pennsylvania, many supported America’s involvement. Many others did not. At the end of the war, veterans, activists and refugees all had one thing in common… They all had a story to tell. This program is proudly featured as part of the PBS Stories of Service Wavelength Series.

"It is the handsomest building I ever saw," said Theodore Roosevelt in his speech inaugurating Pennsylvania's State Capitol Building. Conceived by architect Joseph Huston in 1901, the seat of the Commonwealth's government conjures up images of romantic palazzos in Florence. Visitors to the Capitol find numerous works of art worthy of nobility, earning it the moniker "Palace of Art."

A historic look at how Pennsylvania's natural resources helped transform the state into an industrial powerhouse. With economic booms and revolutions in natural resource extraction, came an environmental price. Pennsylvanians set about restoring the state's environmental riches and in the process helped shape the national conservation and environmental movements of the twentieth century.

In December 1775, William “Billy” Flora, a free Black man from Portsmouth and member of the 2nd Virginia Regiment, performed a heroic act during the Battle of Great Bridge. Holding off British forces long enough for Patriot reinforcements to arrive, Flora helped secure a key victory that drove Governor Dunmore from Virginia and shaped the Revolution’s course. Discover Hampton Roads’ unsung heroes whose actions helped spark the American Revolution.

The Williamsburg Bray School, founded in 1760, is the oldest surviving building built to educate Black children in America. Its lessons reveal deep contradictions—teaching skills and faith while reinforcing enslavement. Today, the school stands as a site of resilience, memory, and critical reflection on America’s complex history. Discover Hampton Roads’ unsung heroes whose actions helped spark the American Revolution.

Archaeologists uncovered the foundations and burial ground of First Baptist Church, founded in 1776 by free and enslaved Blacks in Williamsburg. Once hidden beneath asphalt, the site now reveals a powerful story of faith, resilience, and historic justice, restoring this community to its rightful place in the American narrative. Discover Hampton Roads’ unsung heroes whose actions helped spark the American Revolution.

During the Revolutionary War, Elizabeth Bennett Young risked everything to save her county’s records from destruction at the hands of the British. Her bravery preserved vital Isle of Wight history, which continues to tell the story of her and her neighbors 250 years later. Discover Hampton Roads’ unsung heroes whose actions helped spark the American Revolution.

Michael Twitty, a James Beard Award–winning writer, explores the deep roots of American history, through food. During his time in Colonial Williamsburg, the culinary historian used dishes like sweet potato pumpkin and black-eyed peas, to reveal how food carried culture, resilience and identity, shaping Southern and American traditions and connecting past to present. Discover Hampton Roads’ unsung heroes whose actions helped spark the American Revolution.

James Armistead Lafayette, an enslaved man turned double agent, risked his life to spy on the British, delivering crucial intelligence to the Marquis de Lafayette that led to victory at Yorktown. His bravery earned him freedom, a pension, and enduring recognition as one of America’s unsung Revolutionary heroes. Discover Hampton Roads’ unsung heroes whose actions helped spark the American Revolution.

In 1776, hundreds of formerly enslaved men joined Lord Dunmore’s British forces on Gwynn’s Island, seeking freedom through war. Stricken by smallpox and starvation, they endured fierce cannon fire from Patriot troops under General Andrew Lewis. The British were forced to retreat, making a pivotal turn in the conflict and a huge moment in Virginia’s Revolutionary War history. Discover Hampton Roads’ unsung heroes whose actions helped spark the American Revolution.

A captivating exploration of Grace Sherwood, the “Witch of Pungo,” whose 1706 witchcraft trial became legend in Virginia Beach. Using historic documentation, author Scott Moore lays out the facts, and then explores the lore, to reveal how the story has evolved, from accused witch to symbol of resilience, becoming the region’s enduring folk hero.

America’s forgotten founder, George Wythe, signed the Declaration of Independence and mentored Thomas Jefferson. He was America’s first law professor—a brilliant scholar whose influence shaped a nation. His tragic end reads like a modern-day true crime story. Discover Hampton Roads’ unsung heroes whose actions helped spark the American Revolution.

The Civic Season Pavilion inside the Smithsonian National Museum of American History features a 28-foot mural inviting visitors to add their wish for America’s future, as we approach the U.S. 250th birthday. The letters will be collected into a time capsule and stored in the Smithsonian archives to be opened in 2075. Education resources available at https://www.pbs.org/newshour/classroom/daily-news-lessons/2025/07/the-smithsonian-is-creating-a-time-capsule-of-hopes-and-wishes

President Donald Trump went to Iowa on Thursday to start the countdown to the nation’s 250th Independence Day next year. To mark the anniversary, the nonpartisan Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress is looking at 250 years of U.S. innovation. John Yang speaks with Glenn Nye, the center’s president and CEO, about the project. Education resources available at https://www.pbs.org/newshour/classroom/daily-news-lessons/2025/07/what-the-us-has-accomplished-in-250-yea