Articles

New Documentary Special and Digital Series Brings the Leadership Lessons of American Presidents and First Ladies to Life, Featuring Insights from Chief Justice John Roberts, Ken Burns, Sharon McMahon, Lonnie Bunch, Judy Woodruff, General Stanley McChrystal, and More ARLINGTON, VA; August 3, 2026 – PBS announced that IN PURSUIT: LESSONS OF AMERICAN LEADERSHIP, a new documentary […]

Last week, Retro Report hosted nearly 50 educators from across the nation through the Engaging With Revolutionary History fellowship program at the L.B.J. Presidential Library in Austin. Middle and high school educators gathered to learn from scholars, museum educators and the Retro Report education team as part of our American History and Civics – National Activities grant […]

Retro Report recently held its fifth annual Council of Educators Summit. Twenty-four teacher advisors from around the country gathered in New York on Monday afternoon, with some traveling from as far as Eastvale, California, and others from as close as Princeton, New Jersey.  Early the next morning, members of Retro Report’s education team, David Olson, […]

If you’re pregnant in the U.S. and search for help online, what paid ads are you likely to see?  According to one nonprofit’s analysis, you might be served an “overwhelming amount” of ads from adoption agencies in Utah. The state’s history of lax adoption regulations has made it an epicenter of a practice that’s been […]

Every year, interactive materials are among the most popular resources on the Retro Report website. This spring was no exception. Here are the interactive tools most frequently used in classrooms across the country so far in 2026, spanning U.S. History, Geography, Environmental Science and Government. Interactive Cold War Timeline This interactive timeline traces the tumultuous […]

Our student activities are inquiry-based, endorsed by teachers and are Google Docs, ready to be printed and shared with students. What’s not to love?  Here are the most popular student activities so far in 2026. They cover the Cold War, civil rights, U.S.-Iran relations and gerrymandering. Use the “Save Resource” feature on RetroReport.org to save […]

The end of the school year is a perfect time for self-directed learning. Check out these five films, each accompanied by a lesson with a project that you can use as a way to put students in charge. Healing the Ozone: First Steps Toward Success Lesson: Cabinet Simulation for Environmental Policy Students simulate a cabinet-level […]

The end of the school year in a U.S. History class can be an entertaining time. The Simpsons captured this well in a scene where children exit on the last day and the teacher calls out, “Wait a minute, you didn’t learn how World War II ended. We won!” The students then break into chants of “U.S.A.!”  […]

Earlier this month, Retro Report hosted a screening of the documentary “Free Joan Little” at the Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia in an event that examined the connections between criminal justice and civil rights. The prison, now a museum, was one of the nation’s first correctional institutions to implement solitary confinement and later, prison reform. […]

Help students understand the World War II era, both at home and abroad, with six videos and lessons that add context and new perspectives.  Videos are built on vivid archival footage and interviews with survivors, historical figures and experts. Beyond the Battlefield: Double V and Black Americans’ Fight for Equality A civil rights initiative launched […]