250 to 250:142. Battle of Fallen Timbers, Narrated by Wes Siler

 

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Battle of Fallen Timbers, Narrated by Wes Siler

Wes Siler is an independent journalist who has spent the last 24 years writing about the intersection of public lands, conservation, and politics. He's currently building a new Substack newsletter about those topics, and you can help him along by subscribing to that. He tells the story of the brief battle that forced Native American displacement from most of modern-day Ohio, opening it to white American settlement.

After the Revolutionary War, many Americans wanted to move west.

• Native Americans fought to protect their land.
• On August 20, 1794, American soldiers fought Native Americans near Toledo, Ohio.
• This fight was called the Battle of Fallen Timbers.
• General Anthony Wayne led the American soldiers.
• The American soldiers won the battle.

In 1795, the Treaty of Greenville opened Native American land to American settlers.

• The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 banned slavery and allowed new states in this area.
• However, the United States took land from Native Americans.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz:

• N-400 Part 4. What is your home address?
• USCIS 100:59. / 128:74.   Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?
• USCIS 100:87. / 128:117. Name one American Indian tribe in the United States.
• Read: Who lived here first?  |  What country is north of the United States?
• Write: American Indians lived here first.  |  Canada is north of the United States. 

Family Fun:

• Army Historical Trust: The Battle of Fallen Timbers, 20 August 1794
• Cherokeephil: The Battle of Fallen Timbers - Ohio - 1794
• Fallen Timbers Battlefield Preservation Commission: From Fallen Timbers to the Treaty of Greenville | Anthony Wayne: Remembered Today as a General. Forgotten Role? A Diplomat.
• From Fort to Port: Fort to Port Histories - Episode 3: The Natives of Northwest Ohio
• Metro Toledo Paks: Fallen Timbers Battlefield & Ft. Miamis
• Midstory: The Forgotten History of Ohio’s Indigenous Peoples | We've always been here: Indigenous Invisibility
• NPS: Fallen Timbers Battlefield and Fort Miamis National Historic Site
• National Postal Museum: Battle of Fallen Timbers Issue | 3c Northwest Ordinance of 1787 Sesquicentennial map single | Anthony Wayne Post Office Mural
• PBS Origins: The Forgotten War They Don’t Teach You About
• Redoubt Productions: Fallen Timbers: How The U.S.A. Conquered Ohio
• uscitizenpod: Northwest Ordinance of 1787 coloring page

250 to 250:141. Lemon Grove, Narrated by Marianna Vinson

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Lemon Grove, Narrated by Marianna Vinson

Marianna Vinson is a first-generation Mexican-American educator. The Superintendent of the Lemon Grove School District, Vinson formerly served as the Deputy Director for the Office of English Language Acquisition at the U.S. Department of  Education. In 1931, the San Diego County Superior Court ruled that the segregation at Lemon Grove violated California law.

In 1931, Mexican-American families in Lemon Grove, California, fought for equal education.

• The school board wanted Mexican-American children to attend a separate school.
• The parents believed all children should have equal rights.
• They took the school board to court.
• On March 30, 1931, Judge Claude Chambers ruled that separate schools were against California law.
• The Mexican-American families won their case.
• Their victory helped fight racial segregation in schools.
• In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court also ruled against school segregation in Brown v. Board of Education.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz:

• N-400 Part 7: Where have you attended school full time or part time for the past 5 years?
• USCIS 100:02. What does the Constitution do?
• USCIS 128:10. Name two important ideas from the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.
• USCIS 100:37. / 128:51. What does the judicial branch do?
• Read: What country is south of the United States? 
• Write: Mexico is south of the United States. 

Family Fun:

• ABC : How Lemon Grove fought school segregation 23 years before Brown v. Board of Education
• Astra Publishing: The story behind Without Separation by Larry Dane Brimner, illustrated by Maya Gonzalez
• Cool San Diego Sights! Lemon Grove Mural
• KPBS: Lemon Grove honors 95th anniversary of landmark school desegregation case | Lemon Grove mural preserves nearly-lost history of 'José Crow' segregation
• LA Tmes: Saving a lasting reminder of Mexican American school segregation (Blackwell, TX)
• Lemon Grove Historical Society: The Lemon Grove Incident
• Monday Mandala: Lemon coloring pages
• PBS: The Lemon Grove Incident (1985) directed by Frank Christopher
• Tanya Golash-Boza: The Long Battle to End Racial Segregation in Schools
• The San Diego Union-Tribune: The Lemon Grove Incident
• UCTV: The Lemon Grove Incident and the Making of a History Professor with Luis Alvarez 
• US Courts: Moments in History: Mendez v. Westminster
• US Dept of Ed: The Unheralded History of the Lemon Grove Desegregation Case
• uscitizenpod: Lemon Grove Incident coloring page
• Zinn Education Project: Jan. 5, 1931: Lemon Grove Incident

New Resources for KYR and Naturalization

updated 11/17/2026 11:30 am PST

Know Your Rights Fall 2026: A Handout for ESL Teachers Prepared by the Refugee Concerns Interest Group (RC-IG), CATESOL · catesolrc@catesol.org and Marc Santamaria, Immigration Attorney and ESL Teacher · marc@usimmigrationplan.com  (new resource)

• Google Doc https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NnpYOJKBXP65R9DPBzOFWecqyP2rFbWLy4TvHm PQ1h4/edit?usp=sharing

• PDF https://drive.google.com/file/d/1l-OwzjHt8fOhC_e3Ogw-g_iKPiYZOJ-T/view?usp=sharing

09/30 CASAS EL Civics Network Meeting.  The latest news from CASAS (Citizenship Preparation: (0:17:43) plus a great presentation about presentation by Woodland Adult Education Team on their experience using COAAP 48.6 (AI COAAP): (0:23:22).  Full Recording.  Past meetings playlist. Sign up for future meetings: https://caadultedtraining.org/ . Online.
 
10/07 CIV-IG post Immigration and Naturalization Resources (new resource--below are important updates from ILRC) https://mms.catesol.org/members/forum/forum2.php?r=Y

• ILRC Know Your Language and Disability Rights in Immigration Encounters https://www.ilrc.org/community-resources/know-your-language-and-disability-rights-immigration-encounters

• ILRC Changes in the USCIS Policy Manual Affecting Naturalization: Neighborhood Investigations https://www.ilrc.org/resources/changes-uscis-policy-manual

• ILRC Character Reference for Naturalization https://www.ilrc.org/resources/character-reference-naturalization

• ILRC Comment Opposing Proposed Rule Raising Naturalization Application Fee https://www.ilrc.org/resources/comment-opposing-rule-naturalization

The Denaturalization Defense Clearinghouse connects those who need denaturalization representation with pro bono attorneys who have been trained by the ILRC and other experts in how to defend these cases.  https://denatzprobono.com/  (new resource)

10/17 Immigrant Student Safety Action Plan by Carol Basilio, SDCCE (new resource) https://sway.cloud.microsoft/u1ryN4xJmlcvGnZ3?ref=Link&loc=play
 
10/21 10 am PST Adult Citizenship Educator Collective presents “The English Tests Required for Naturalization.” (online)
Registration: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/6N1bLaewSUCwqgu4nmxq6w#/registration
 
11/05 11:30 PDT HACE presents: “Diversifying Resources to Support Citizenship Programs” (online)
Registration: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2003359321660?aff=oddtdtcreator
 
11/06-08 CATESOL 2026 at Santiago Canyon College, Orange.  Featuring several workshops by CIV-IG and RC-IG members (I will post the schedule soon).  In person!
Registration: https://www.catesol.org/catesol26_registration.php

12/08-09 2026 National Immigrant Inclusion Conference (NIIC) (Los Angeles!) is the nation’s largest gathering of the entire sector working on behalf of our country’s immigrants and refugees and the annual gathering of NPNA’s network.  In person!
Registration: https://niic.org/register-niic

250 to 250:140. Head Start, Narrated by Jill Biden

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Head Start, Narrated by Jill Biden

Dr. Jill Biden is a highly regarded educator and former First Lady and Second Lady of the United States of America. Dr. Biden is a strong advocate for education, early learning initiatives, military families, and women’s health. Here, her history of Head Start reminds us that participation improves children’s language, literacy, and social skills.

Head Start helps young children from low-income families.

• President Lyndon B. Johnson started the program in 1965.
• Head Start has helped more than 40 million children.
• It helps children learn and get ready for school.
• It provides healthy food and health care.
• It helps families find housing and jobs.
• Children learn reading and language, and social skills.
• Head Start gives children a better start in life.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz:

• N-400 Part 6. What are the ages of your children?
• USCIS 100:55. What are two ways that Americans can participate in their democracy?
• USCIS 128:69. What are two examples of civic participation in the United States?
• Read: When is Thanksgiving? 
• Write: Thanksgiving is in November. 

Family Fun:

• Administration for Children and Families: Office of Head Start
• Biden White House: Official Biography of First Lady Dr. Jill Biden
• Epic: Headstart-preschool  digital and book list
• HeadStart.gov: Programs, Locations, and more | Curriculum
• Connecticut Office of Early Childhood: The Story About Head Start on Housing
• Lauren C: History of Head Start
• Monday Mandala: Coloring Pages for Toddlers 
• National Head Start Association: 50 Years of Opportunity: Head Start's History | NHSA in the (language) Classroom playlist | Get a Head Start with the Smithsonian and YouTube Playlist
• National Postal Museum: 29c Dr. Allison Davis single (Head Start theoretician) | 32c Helping Children Learn single
• PBS News Hour: What’s the legacy of Head Start 50 years on?
• USA.gov: Get help with child care costs and learn about Head Start
• USCIS: Families Learning Civics Together Toolkit
• uscitizenpod: Helping Children Learn coloring page

250 to 250:139. Wright Brothers Narrated by Governor Josh Stein

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Wright Brothers Narrated by Governor Josh Stein

Josh Stein is the Governor of North Carolina. A lifelong public servant, he previously served in the state Senate, as Senior Deputy Attorney General for consumer protection, and as Attorney General. Governor Stein celebrates the Wright brothers, whose 12-second flight at Kitty Hawk in 1903 launched the age of aviation. ‪

Orville and Wilbur Wright were brothers from Dayton, Ohio.

• They owned a bicycle shop.
• They believed people could fly in airplanes.
• They studied and tested airplanes for many years.
• On December 17, 1903, they made the first successful powered airplane flight.
• The flight took place near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
• Their airplane flew 120 feet in 12 seconds.
• During World War I, airplanes became more advanced.
• Over time, airplanes became bigger, faster, and safer.
• Airplanes made it easier for people to travel and move goods around the world.

Interview and Civics Quiz:

• I-9 Documents that Establish Identity: Do you have Driver's License or ID card issued by a State? Is your license or ID card REAL ID compliant?
• USCIS 100:64. There were 13 original states.  Name three.
• USCIS 128:118. Name one example of an American innovation.
• Read: What state do you live in?
• Write: I live in California (I live in . . . Alaska, Delaware, New Mexico, New York, Washington).  

Family Fun

• AOPA: Visit the Wright Cycle shop and National Museum - National Aviation Heritage Area
• FAA:    STEM Education Resources | Flight Path to America's 250th playlist
• NPS: Wright Brothers National Memorial
• National Air and Space Museum: The Wright Brothers & The Invention of the Aerial Age
• National Postal Museum: Air Stamps–Pilots and Aviation Pioneers
• PBS: The Wright Stuff | Orville and Wilbur | Flying a 1902 Wright Brothers Glider in Kitty Hawk 
• US Mint: North Carolina "First in Flight" Quarter coloring page
• UVU: Animated History of Aviation

250 to 250:138. Tlingits, Narrated by Rosita Worl

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Tlingits, Narrated by Rosita Worl

Dr. Rosita Worl is a Tlingit American anthropologist, educator, and president of the Sealaska Heritage Institute recognized as an expert in Southeast Alaska Native culture and history. Worl introduces the Tlingit people, "People of the Tides," who have stewarded Southeast Alaska's coasts since time immemorial and fought to defend Indigenous rights.

The Tlingit people live in Alaska and the Yukon.

• Their name means “people of the tides.”
• They get food from the sea.
• Russians came in 1741. Spanish people came in 1775.
• Many Tlinglit suffered and died from diseases and violence, yet the Tlinglit people resisted and survived.
• Later, the United States took their land.
• In 1912, they helped start the Alaskan Native Brotherhood to work for Native people’s rights.
• Today, the U.S. government recognizes Tlingit and Haida tribes.
• They have lived there for thousands of years.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz:

• N-400 Part 4. What is you current mailing address (Safe Mailing Address, if possible)?
• USCIS 100:59. / 128:74.   Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?
• USCIS 100:87. / 128:117. Name one American Indian tribe in the United States.
• Read: Who lived here first?  |  What is the largest state? 
• Write: American Indians lived here first.  |  Alaska is the largest state. 

Family Fun:

• 850 Nations: Tlingit: The Lords of the Mist | The People of the Tides
• AJ+: What People Get Wrong About Alaska Natives Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4
• American Indian Magazine: Restoring Balance: A Two-Decade Effort Shepherds Dozens of Tlingit Objects Home
• NMAI: Tlingit
• National Postal Museum: 15c Pacific Northwest Indian Masks block of four | Forever Skateboard Art: Tlingit Athabascan Salmon Design by Crystal Worl single
• Huna Heritage Foundation: Step into History: The Alaska Native Brotherhood & Sisterhood
• NPS: Sitka NHP | Junior Ranger Activity Book   | Alaska Native Brotherhood Hall National Historic Landmark
• Sealaska Heritage Institute: Sharing our Stories: Voices on the Land playlist
• Smarthistory: The story of the Oyster Man, a Tlingit totem pole | Indigenous Americas playlist (includes several videos about Tlingit and Haida art)
• Tlingit and Haida: Goverance
• Tlingit Language: Early Learning Activity and Coloring Pages

250 to 250:137. Norman Rockwell, Narrated by Kahlil Greene

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Norman Rockwell, Narrated by Kahlil Greene

Kahlil Greene, the “Gen-Z Historian,” is a well-known digital educator, Peabody Award winner, and two-time Emmy nominee with an audience of over 50 million views across TikTok, Instagram, and author of “History Can’t Hide” on Substack. Greene profiles illustrator Norman Rockwell, whose beloved images of everyday American life evolved to confront war, civil rights, and the nation's conscience. 

Norman Rockwell was a famous American artist.

• He painted pictures of everyday life.
• His pictures showed families, friends, and communities.
• In 1943, he painted The Four Freedoms.
• These paintings helped raise money during World War II.
• Later, he painted pictures about civil rights and equality.
• He supported equal rights for all Americans.
• He believed people had the right to know what their government was doing.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz:

• N-400 Part 6. What is your child's current legal name, date of birth, and place of birt?
• USCIS 100:06. One is one right or freedom from the First Amendment?
• USCIS 100:80. / 128:105. Who was President during the Great Depression and World War II?
• USCIS 100:83. / 128:109. During the Cold War, what was one main concern of the United States?
• Read: Who has freedom of speech?
• Write: People who live in America have freedom of speech.

Family Fun:

• Google Arts and Culture:  Norman Rockwell in the age of the Civil Rights Movement
• Learn from Masters: Norman Rockwell: A collection of 337 paintings (HD)
• National Postal Museum: American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell | Norman Rockwell's Art | Rockwell's Four Freedoms
• New York Times: Updating Norman Rockwell’s ‘Four Freedoms’ for a Modern, Diverse America
• Norman Rockwell Museum: Imagining Freedom (virtual exhibition: cost $5)   | Prints (gallery) | YouTube channel | U.S. Naturalization Ceremony at Norman Rockwell Museum
• Roosevelt House: Reimagining the Four Freedoms
• Shawn Greiner: Norman Rockwell's Political Art
• Smart History: Rosie, the Riveter
• Smithsonian Magazine: A 21st-Century Reimagining of Norman Rockwell’s “Four Freedoms”
• Stories Behind Art: More Than Nostalgia: The Hidden Depths of Norman Rockwell’s Art!
• uscitizenpod: Rockwell's Four Freedoms coloring page

250 to 250:136. Edward R. Murrow, Narrated by Scott MacFarlane

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Edward R. Murrow, Narrated by Scott MacFarlane

Scott MacFarlane is Anchor of Scott MacFarlane Reports and Chief Washington Correspondent for MeidasTouch Network. MacFarlane has earned 20 Emmy and Edward R. Murrow awards and the Anna Quindlen Award for excellence in journalism from the Child Welfare League of America. Edward R. Murrow was a radio and television newscaster whose unflinching reports set the standard for American broadcast journalism.

Edward R. Murrow was a famous radio and TV news reporter.

• He started working for CBS in 1935.
• During World War II, he reported from London during German bombing attacks.
• His reports helped Americans understand the war.
• After the war, he created a TV news show called See It Now.
• In 1954, he reported on Senator Joseph McCarthy.
• McCarthy accused many Americans of being communists.
• Murrow criticized McCarthy for using fear against people.
• His reports helped Americans question McCarthy's actions.
• Murrow believed reporters should tell the truth, even about powerful people.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz:

• N-400 Part 9:05. Have you ever been a member of, or connected with, any Communist or totalitarian party anywhere in the world?
• USCIS 100:06. One is one right or freedom from the First Amendment?
• USCIS 100:83. / 128:109. During the Cold War, what was one main concern of the United States?
• Read: Name one right in the Bill of Rights. 
• Write: Freedom of speech is a right. 

Family Fun:

• Bill of Rights Institute: Edward R. Murrow: In His Own Words lesson plan
• CBS: Harvest of Shame (Murrow's 1960 documentary abdout the condition of farmeworkera)
• CFR: Edward R. Murrow Press Fellowship
• CNN: Who was Edward R. Murrow?
• News Active 3: Good Night and Good Luck...The Story of Edward R. Murrow (1975)
• Magnolia Pictures: Good Night, and Good Luck: Live From Broadway trailer
• Newseum: 'Edward R. Murrow' Video Lesson
• Parker Beverly: NHD Documentary 2019 - Voice of America: Edward R. Murrow
• Retro Report: The Cold War on TV: Joseph McCarthy vs. Edward R. Murrow | Retro Report
• TED-ed: What is McCarthyism? And how did it happen? - Ellen Schrecker
• Tim Weiskel: Edward R. Murrow playlist
• Today in Civil Liberties History: March 9, 1954: Edward R. Murrow Exposes Sen. Joe McCarthy
• uscitizenpod: Edward R. Murrow coloring page
• VOA Learning English News: Edward R Murrow, 1908-1965: Famous Radio/Television Reporter | video