250 to 250:135. I.M. Pei, Narrated by Billie Tsien

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Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: I.M. Pei, Narrated by Billie Tsien

Billie Tsien is a renowned Chinese-American architect, co-founder of Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects, National Medal of Arts recipient, and lead designer behind the Obama Presidential Center. Tsien profiles architect I.M. Pei, whose bold geometric designs—from the National Gallery's East Wing to the Louvre pyramid—helped define American modernism.

I. M. Pei was a famous American architect.

• He was born in China and moved to the United States to study architecture.
• He designed modern buildings using simple shapes and lines.
• In 1955, he started his own architecture company.
• He designed homes, office buildings, museums, and government buildings.
• His famous buildings include the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library in Boston and Dallas City Hall in Texas.
• He designed the East Building of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
• He also designed the famous glass pyramid at the Louvre Museum in Paris, France.
• His buildings helped change the look of modern cities.
• Pei believed that buildings reflect how people live.
• Pei said, "Architecture is the very mirror of life."

Family Fun:

• The 60 Minutes Interview: I.M. Pei
• Archistudent: I. M. Pei: The Architect Who Changed Modern Architecture Forever
• Biography: I.M. Pei
• I.M. Pei Foundation: Documentary about I.M. Pei's architecture, philosophy and his impact on the world
• NPA: Who Is I. M. Pei? 10 Things to Know
• NPG: In Memoriam: I.M. Pei
• PBS American Masters: I.M. Pei | full documentary
• Showcase: Immortal Designs of I.M. Pei
• US Moderninst: I.M. Pei

250 to 250:134. Robert “Fighting Bob” La Follette, Narrated by Ben Wikler

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Robert “Fighting Bob” La Follette, Narrated by Ben Wikler

Ben Wikler‬ is an American political organizer and New York Times best-selling author who served as the chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin from July 2019 to July 2025. Ben’s latest book This Is The Plan: How to End America's Meltdown and Save Democracy is now available. Wikler profiles Robert "Fighting Bob" La Follette, the Wisconsin reformer who battled corporate power and drove some of the Progressive Movement's greatest victories.

Robert “Fighting Bob” La Follette wanted the government to help all Americans.

• He worked to protect workers from powerful businesses.
• He was the governor of Wisconsin and a U.S. senator.
• He supported workers’ rights and women’s right to vote.
• He wanted fair taxes and fair elections.
• He believed the government should be open and honest.
• He promoted the Wisconsin Idea, which brought government leaders, workers, and university experts together to solve problems.
• His ideas helped create new laws, including Social Security and the New Deal.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz:

• N-400 Part 4:02. Is your current physical address the same as your current mailing address?
• USCIS 100:20. / 128:23. Who is one of your state’s U.S. Senators now?
• USCIS 100:23. / 128:29. Name your U.S. Representative.
• USCIS 100:43. / 128:61. Who is the Governor of your state now?
• Read: How many senators do we have? 
• Write: We have 100 senators.   

Family Fun: 

• Dissent: La Follette’s Wisconsin Idea
• JDog Productions, LLC: "Fighting Bob" LaFollette profile
• LOC: La Follette's autobiography; a personal narrative of political experiences
• Lund Travel Adventures: Robert La Follette National Statuary Collection part 97 of 100
• NGA: Gov. Robert M. La Follette
• PBS Wisconsin Education: Belle Case La Follette: Ballots and Bloomers
• The Progressive: The Birth of the Wisconsin Idea
• US Capitol Historical Society: Lessons From the Gilded Age: What Can Be Applied Today? with Dr. Nancy Unger
• US House: LA FOLLETTE, Robert Marion
• US Senate: Robert La Follette: A Featured Biography
• UW: Robert M. La Follette School of Public Affairs
• uscitizenpod: Robert La Follette coloring page

250 to 250:133. Treaty of Portsmouth, Narrated by John Palfrey

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Treaty of Portsmouth, Narrated by John Palfrey

John Palfrey, recognized as one of the Best Leaders in America by U.S. News & World Report, is an American educator, legal scholar, and author who serves as the president of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. He is the great-grandson of President Theodore Roosevelt, who won the Nobel Peace Prize for brokering the Treaty of Portsmouth.

From 1904 to 1905, Russia and Japan fought a war over land in East Asia.

• In 1905, President Theodore Roosevelt helped the two countries meet for peace talks.
• Russia and Japan signed the Treaty of Portsmouth to end the war.
• In 1906, Roosevelt won the Nobel Peace Prize.
• He was the first American to win this prize.
• Some people disagreed with the award because Roosevelt had supported a war in the Philippines.
• The Nobel committee gave Roosevelt the Peace Prize because he helped end the war.
  

POP Interview and Civics Quiz:

• N-400 Part 9:10. Have you EVER received any weapons training, paramilitary training, or other military-type training?
• USCIS 100:41. Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the federal government.  What is one power of the federal government?
• USCIS 128:58. Name one power that is only for the federal government.
• Read: What are the colors of the flag?
• Write: The colors of the flag are red, white, and blue.  

Family Fun:

• DNA Info: Natural History Museum Unveils $2.5M Restored Teddy Roosevelt Murals | mural photo
• History: Russo-Japanese War
• LOC: Scenes and Incidents, Russo-Japanese Peace Conference, Portsmouth, N.H.
• MHS: President Theodore Roosevelt and the 1905 Treaty of Portsmouth
• Mr. Beat: (The Philippine-American War) The War Your American History Teachers Probably Didn't Tell You About
• National Postal Museum: Gifts of Friendship (dual issue)
• PBS/Ken Burns: Theodore Roosevelt Wins Nobel Peace Prize | lesson plan
• Portsmouth Peace Treaty: Theodore Roosevelt's Nobel Peace Prize | Memorial Cherry Trees
• State: The Treaty of Portsmouth and the Russo-Japanese War, 1904–1905
• uscitizenpod: Portsmouth Treaty 1 | Portsmouth 2 (with TR) | Portsmouth 3 (mural) coloring pages
• VOA News: Washington's Cherry Trees a Symbol of Harmony Between US, Japan

250 to 250:132. Julia Child, Narrated by Jacques Pépin

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Julia Child, Narrated by Jacques Pépin

Jacques Pépin is a legendary chef, culinary educator, PBS television host, and author whose work revolutionized American home cooking. He is best known for starring with his dear friend and fellow icon, Julia Child, in the Emmy-winning TV series Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home. In 2016 he and his family created the Jacques Pépin Foundation, which is dedicated to improving lives through culinary education. Here, Pépin celebrates Julia Child’s enthusiasm for making fine cuisine accessible to all. ‪

Julia Child loved French food.

• She wanted Americans to learn about French cooking.
• She wrote a cookbook called Mastering the Art of French Cooking.
• At first, a publisher said the book was too difficult.
• The book was published in 1961 and became a bestseller.
• In 1962, Julia Child started a TV show called The French Chef.
• The show was on television for 10 years.
• Julia made cooking and baking fun and exciting.
• She taught millions of people how to cook and try new foods.
• She encouraged people to learn from their mistakes in the kitchen.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz:

• N-400 Part 9:08. Have you ever served in the military or were a member on a paramilitary group?
• USCIS 100:53. / 128:67.  What is one promise (two promises) you make when you become a United States citizen?
• USCIS 128:106. Why did the United States enter World War II?
• Read:  When is Thanksgiving? 
• Write: Thanksgiving is in November.  

Family Fun:

• Bio: Julia Child - Journalist & Chef | Mini Bio
• CIA: Julia Child: Cooking Up Spy Ops for OSS
• GBH: Separating Fact vs. Fiction in the Life of Julia Child
• HBO Max: Julia playlist
• Julia Child: Mastering the Art of French Cooking
• Julia Child Foundation: timeline | Boeuf Bourguignon recipe and much more!
• Julia Child on PBS: full episodes
• Leite's Culinaria: Julia Child’s Easy Scrambled Eggs (Great for Kids)
• Monday Mandala: Kitchen Coloring Pages
• NMAH: Julia Child's Kitchen | Behind-the-Scenes: Twenty Years of Julia Child’s Kitchen
• NWHM: Julia Child and the Chemistry of Cooking
• National Postal Museum: Forever Celebrity Chefs: Julia Child single
• PBS: How Julia Child Empowered Women in the Kitchen and Beyond
• PBS Food: The Best of Julia Child playlist
• Sony Pictures: JULIE & JULIA - Official Trailer
• WGBH: The Julia Child Project: The Cold War, France, and the Politics of Food

250 to 250:131. Stamp Act, Narrated by Joanne Freeman

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Stamp Act, Narrated by Joanne Freeman

Dr. Joanne B. Freeman is an award-winning historian, who studies the politics and culture of America's past to better understand our history.  She is Professor of History and American Studies at Yale University. Freeman recounts how the 1765 Stamp Act sparked colonial protests over "taxation without representation" that helped set the stage for revolution.

In 1765, Britain needed money after the French and Indian War.

Britain passed the Stamp Act.

• The law put a tax on printed materials.
• Many colonists believed the tax was unfair.
• They protested against “taxation without representation.”
• Colonial leaders met in New York to discuss their rights.
• Colonists also boycotted British goods.
• In 1766, Britain ended the Stamp Act.
• The protests helped unite the American colonies.
• This helped lead to the American Revolution.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz:

• N-400 Part 9:03. Do you currently owe any overdue Federal, state, or local taxes in the United States?
• USCIS 100:61. Why did the colonists fight the British?
• USCIS 128:70. What is one way Americans can serve their country?
• USCIS 128:71. Why is it important to pay federal taxes?
• USCIS 128:77. Name one reason why the Americans declared independence from Britain.
• Read:  Why do we pay taxes? 
• Write: We pay taxes for the government.  

Family Fun:

• American Battlefields Trust: Stamp Act of 1765
• Gilder Lehrman: Stamp Act, 1765
• JYF Museum: What was the Stamp Act?
• MHS: Stamp Act (1765)
• Michael Zoeller: British Taxes and American Boycotts
• NPS: Anger and Opposition to the Stamp Act
• National Postal Museum: One Minute Wonders: The Stamp Act | Forever Repeal of the Stamp Act single
• PBS and Ken Burns: The American Revolution | How the Stamp Act Lit the Flame of the American Revolution clip
• PBS Learning Media: The Stamp Act: Part 1 | Part 2 
• uscitizenpod: Bostonians Reading the Stamp Act 1765 | Repeal of the Stamp Act 1766 | No Stamp Act Teapot coloring pages

250 to 250:130. Native American Code Talkers, Narrated by Latham Nez

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Native American Code Talkers, Narrated by Latham Nez

Latham Nez is a contemporary Navajo artist, jewelry creator and cultural advocate from New Mexico best known as the grandson of the late Chester Nez, the last surviving member of the original 29 Navajo Code Talkers. Nez remembers the Native American Code Talkers, whose Indigenous languages became unbreakable codes that helped win both World Wars.

Native American code talkers served in both World Wars.

• They used their Native languages to send secret messages.
• The enemy could not understand their messages.
• Code talkers came from many Native American tribes.
• Choctaw code talkers served in World War I.

Navajo and Comanche code talkers served in World War II.

• During World War II, Navajo code talkers served in the Pacific. 
• Chester Nez was one of the first 29 Navajo code talkers.
• Comanche code talkers served in the D-Day invasion (Normandy, France).
• Their work helped win the wars.
• Their languages are important parts of Native American life and culture today.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz:

• N-400 Part 9:25. Have you ever served in the U.S. military?
• USCIS 100:53. / 128:67.  What is one promise (two promises) you make when you become a United States citizen?
• USCIS 100:78 / 128:100. Name one war fought by the United States in the 1900s.
• USCIS 100:87. / 128:117. Name one American Indian tribe in the United States.
• Read: Who lived here first? 
• Write: American Indians lived here first.  

Family Fun:

• American Legion National Headquarters: Chester Nez: The Last of the Original Navajo Codetalkers
• LOC: Navajo Code Talkers: A Guide to First-Person Narratives in the Veterans History Project | Chester Nez
• Lowell Milken Center: Meet the Hero: Chester Nez
• NMAI: Why We Serve: Native American in the US Armed Forces: Code Talkers | Code Talking: Intelligence and Bravery | Native American Code Talkers: A Lasting Legacy | NK360: CodeTalkers
• National WWII Museum: American Indian Code Talkers
• National Veterans Memorial and Museum: National Navajo Code Talkers Day
• Partnership with Native Americans: Navajo Code Talkers Day: The Life and Legacy of Chester Nez
• Smithsonian: The Unbreakable Navajo Code | Breaking Barriers: Navajo Code Talkers
• Stamp Our Story: Navajo Code Talkers
• US Mint: Code Talker Medals (Wikipedia collection)
• uscitizenpod: Comanche | Choctaw | Navajo Code Talker coloring pages

250 to 250:129. Hockessin Colored School 107, Narrated by Senator Chris Coons

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Hockessin Colored School 107, Narrated by Senator Chris Coons

Senator Chris Coons of Delaware is an American lawyer and former Chair of the Senate Ethics Committee, who is recognized for his work in legislature and oversight. Coons tells how Shirley Bulah's walk to a segregated school led to a Delaware ruling that helped pave the way for Brown v. Board of Education. 

Shirley Bulah was a Black student in Delaware.

• She walked to a Black school every day.
• School buses took white children to a white school.
• Shirley’s family wanted her to have equal treatment.
• Lawyer Louis Redding helped the family.
• He fought against separate schools for Black and white children.
• In 1952, a Delaware court ruled in favor of Shirley and other Black students.
• The Delaware case later became part of Brown v. Board of Education.
• In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional.
• The decision helped open public schools to students of all races.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz: 

• N-400 Part 9:7. Have you EVER ordered, incited, called for, committed, assisted, helped with, or otherwise participated in intentional harm or suffering to any person becaue of their race, religion, national origin, membership in a particular group, or political opinion?
• 100:84 / 128:112.   What did the civil rights movement do?
• Read: Why do people want to be citizens?  
• Write: Washington was the first U.S. president. 

Family Fun:

• 107c: The One-Room School That Helped Change America
• Avalon: Interview with Louis L. Redding
• DPM: New monument commemorates Delaware's role in Brown v. Board of Education
• Delaware Dept of Ed: From RunaRound to Remedy (or Bulah to Brown) (lesson plan)
• Delaware Hisorical Society: Journey to Freedom: The African American Experience in Delaware | Belton and Bulah VS. Gebhart: The Fight to End School Segregation in DE
• NAAHC: Separate Is Not Equal - Brown v. Board of Education: Shirley Bulah
• NPS: Belton (Bulah) v. Gebhart | Oral History Interview with Shirley Bulah Stamps
• National Trust for the Preservation of Historic Place: How Black Women Changed the Face of Education in America
• VOA Learning English: Brown v. Board of Education Helps Launch Civil Rights Movement
• Southern Delaware Alliance for Racial Justice: The Journey: From Shirley Bulah to Ruby Bridges
• uscitizenpod: Shirley Bulah | Public Education coloring pages
• WHYY: Delaware schools that helped end segregation are now part of a national historic park

250 to 250:128. Fort Mose, Narrated by Chip Storey

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Fort Mose, Narrated by Chip Storey

Charles "Chip" Storey is a board member and historian for the Fort Mose Historical Society. The society advocates for public education and historical accuracy on the nation's first legally sanctioned free Black settlement. Storey tells the story of Fort Mose, the first legally sanctioned free Black community in America, founded by fugitives from slavery in Spanish Florida.

In 1693, Spain offered freedom to enslaved Africans who escaped to Spanish Florida.

• Many escaped from the British colonies and traveled to St. Augustine.
• They agreed to serve Spain and become Catholic.
• In 1738, they built a community called Fort Mose.
• Fort Mose was the first legal community of free Black people in what became the United States.
• The people built homes, farmed, and formed a militia.
• In 1740, they helped fight British soldiers at the Battle of Bloody Mose.
• Fort Mose continued until 1763, when Spain gave Florida to Great Britain.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz: 

• USCIS Part 4:02: Where else have you lived in the past 5 years?
• USCIS 100:60. What group of people was taken to America and sold as slaves?
• USCIS 128:75. What group of people was taken and sold as slaves?
• Read: What do people want?
• Write: People want freedom and independence.

Family Fun:

• ARC GIS: Couriers of Change: People who made a difference in St. Johns County, Florida story map (scroll for Katherine and Henry Twine of Fort Mose)
• Black Catholic Messenger: Reconstructed Fort Mose, first free Black settlement in America
• Bitter Southerner: First Foridians: Fort Mose
• Fort Mose Historical Society: website | Flight to Freedom Learning Resource KWL Chart | YouTube channel
• Florida State Parks: History of Fort Mose
• NPS: Fort Mosé | Story Time: Fort Mose and the Story of the Man who Built the First Free Black Settlement in Colonial America | Castillo de San Marcos National Monument and Fort Mose
• PBS: Fort Mose: America's First Free Black Community
• PBS Learning Media: Francisco Menendez and Fort Mose | Secrets of Spanish Florida: A Secrets of the Dead Special
• The Why of History: Why did Spain give up Florida?
• uscitizenpod: Fort Mose Walkway to Freedom coloring page

250 to 250:127. Washington’s Letter to Newport’s Hebrew Congregation, Narrated by Laura Freedman Pedrick

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Washington’s Letter to Newport’s Hebrew Congregation, Narrated by Laura Freedman Pedrick

Laura Freedman Pedrick formerly served as a trustee of St. George’s School, and on the Board of Governors at Newport Hospital. She is a current board member of the Newport String Project. Pedrick recounts George Washington's 1790 letter to Newport's Hebrew congregation, a founding promise of religious liberty that "gives to bigotry no sanction."

In 1790, President George Washington visited Newport, Rhode Island.

• Moses Seixas was a leader of the local Jewish community.
• Seixas wrote a letter to Washington about religious freedom.
• Washington wrote a letter back to the Jewish community.
• He said the U.S. government should not support religious hate or persecution.
• He wanted Jewish Americans to live in peace and safety.
• Washington’s letter supported religious freedom for all Americans.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz: 

• N-400 Part 9:7. Have you ever stopped someone from practicing their religion?
• USCIS 100:10. What is freedom of religion?
• USCIS 128:65. What are three rights of everyone living in the United States? 
• Read: Who was the first president? 
• Write: Washington was the first U.S. president. 

Family Fun:

• 92Y: Premiere: Premiere: George Washington and the Pursuit of Religious Freedom
• Braid Stories: George Washington's Letter to the Hebrew Congregation of Newport RI
• JA: Moses Seixas (1744–1809)—The Promise of Liberty
• Founders Online: George Washington to the Hebrew Congregation in Newport, Rhode Island, 18 August 1790
• Loeb Jewish Portraits: Moses Benjamin Seixas
• NPS: Touro Synagogue National Historic Site
• National Postal Museum: 20c Touro Synagogue single
• LOC: “To Bigotry No Sanction, To Persecution No Assistance”
• OLL: Revisiting Washington’s Letter to the Hebrew Congregation of Newport
• Reclaim Hosting: Washington's National Tours (interactive map)
• Religion in America: The Seixas Family and Civic Life in the New American Republic
• Timeless Reader 1: George Washington's Letter to the Jews of Newport - 1790 - Moses Seixas, Warden
• TSF: George Washington's Letter
• uscitizenpod: The Touro Synagogue coloring page