250 to 250:148. Soo Locks, Narrated by Lauren Westphal

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Soo Locks, Narrated by Lauren Westphal

Lauren Westphal is a proud Yooper born and raised in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. She is a producer and an independent media strategist. Here, Westphal tells how the Soo Locks unlocked Michigan's iron riches, becoming the "Linchpin of the Great Lakes" that fed America's steel mills and westward expansion.

In 1844, William Burt found a lot of iron in Michigan.

• Iron is used to make steel.
• Ships could not carry the iron because the St. Marys River had dangerous rapids.
• In 1855, the Soo Locks opened.
• Soo Locks are called "Linchpin of the Great Lakes."
• The locks helped ships travel between Lake Superior and Lake Huron.
• Ships carried iron to steel factories.
• The iron helped build railroads and buildings.
• During World War II, most American iron ore traveled through the locks.
• Today, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers takes care of the Soo Locks.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz:

• N-400 Part 4. Where do you live?
• USCIS 100:92. Name one state that borders Canada.
• USCIS 128:118. Name one example of an American innovation.
• Read: Where is Canada? 
• Write: Canada is north of the United states. 

Family Fun:

• Adventures in Northern Michigan: 20 Things about the Soo Locks
• eek! Environmental Education for Kids: Cargo in the Great Lakes: Iron ore and more (plus many activities)
• Land & Line: Why Michigan Holds America’s Steel Industry Together
• Michiganology: Michigan Iron Ore
• National Museum of the Great Lakes: Illustrated History of the Soo Locks
• Sault St Marie: Soo Locks
• PBS World Greatest Cruises: Exploring the Great Lakes on a Expedition Cruise (Soo Locks minute 15:43)
• USACE: US Army Corps of Engineers | Soo Locks | Water Safety coloring book
• USACE Detroit: New Lock at the Soo: Unlocking the Great Lake | History of the Soo Locks (Vintage Version)
• USACE Learning Center: Brief History of Sault Ste. Marie and the Soo Canal
• Upper Pennisula: The Soo Locks: Connecting Lake Superior to the World for Over 150 Years
• uscitizenpod: Soo Locks Centennial single issue coloring page

250 to 250:147. Ellen Ochoa, Narrated by Hope Delgado

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Ellen Ochoa, Narrated by Hope Delgado

Hope Delgado is the Program and Content Associate at Made By Us, a national network of more than 750 museums, historic sites, libraries, and archives working to connect young people with history and civic participation. Delgado profiles Ellen Ochoa, the engineer who became the first Hispanic woman in space in 1993, and later the first Hispanic director of NASA's Johnson Space Center.

Ellen Ochoa was an American astronaut and engineer.

• In 1993, she became the first Hispanic woman in space.
• She traveled on the space shuttle Discovery.
• She studied the Sun and Earth's atmosphere.
• She traveled into space four times.
• She worked on the International Space Station.
• In 2013, she became the first Hispanic director of NASA's Johnson Space Center.
• She inspired women and Hispanic students to study science  and technology.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz:

• N-400 Part 3:01. Are you Hispanic or Latino?
• USCIS 100:53. / 128:67.  What is one promise (two promises) you make when you become a United States citizen?
• USCIS 128:68.   How can people become United States citizens?
• USCIS 128:118. Name one example of an American innovation.
• Read: What is the largest state? 
• Write: California is the largest state and has the most people. 

Family Fun:

• Air and Space Museum: Making History Aboard Discovery
• Discovery West Bend: A Conversation with Dr. Ellen Ochoa, NASA Astronaut and Former Director of the Johnson Space Center
• Florida's Space Coast: Ellen Ochoa | U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame
• NASA: Hispanic American Month Profile: Dr. Ellen Ochoa
• NMAH: Ellen Ochoa: Beyond the Barrier | Emily Key
• National Archives DocTeach: Mission Specialist Ellen Ochoa Playing Flute Aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery 4/17/1993 | video
• New Mexico Museum of Space History: First Latina Astronaut - Ellen Ochoa
• PBS News Hour: Story of Ellen Ochoa
• Untold History: Ellen Ochoa: The First Female Hispanic Astronaut
• USPTOvideo: Women in Innovation: NASA’s Dr. Ellen Ochoa
• uscitizenpod: Ellen Ochoa 1 | 2 coloring pages
• Weather Channel: Hispanic Heritage Month: Dr. Ellen Ochoa Profile

250 to 250:146. Wilma Mankiller, Narrated by Julie Reed

updated

 

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Wilma Mankiller, Narrated by Julie Reed

Julie Reed is a citizen of the Cherokee nation, Native American historian, author, and professor whose reflective essays include a widely syndicated piece about Wilma Mankiller, the first female principal chief of Cherokee Nation. 

those who get up every morning and stand for something larger than themselves."

In Cherokee society, women had important roles in families and communities.

• Wilma Mankiller was born in 1945 in Tahlequah, Oklahoma.
• In the 1950s, the U.S. government moved her family to San Francisco.
• She became active in the American Indian Movement.
• She supported the Native American occupation of Alcatraz Island.
• In the late 1970s, she returned to Oklahoma.
• She worked to help the Cherokee Nation.
• In 1985, she became the first woman elected Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation.
• She worked to improve schools, health care, and water.
• She helped make the Cherokee government stronger.
• Mankiller believed people should work together to help others.
• She said, "The most fulfilled people are those who get up every morning and stand for something larger than themselves."

POP Interview and Civics Quiz:

• N-400 Part 2:05: Are you male or female?
• USCIS 100:43. / 128:61. Who is the Governor of your state now?
• USCIS 100:87. / 128:117. Name one American Indian tribe in the United States.
• Read: What right do American Indians have?
• Write: American Indians have the right to live in freedom.

Family Fun

• CW4W: The Cherokee Word for Water trailer | channel | Charlie Soap's background video (Wilma Mankiller's husband) | presentation | wiki page | Mankiller-Soap Water Act (2022)
• Cherokee: Cherokee Nation government | Cherokee History | Cherokee Language
• Cherokee Nation: History Presentations playlist  | Children Stories playlist
• Cherokee Phoenix: CN officially opens Mankiller Capitol Park with ceremony | video
• Cynthia M. Ruiz- Cherokee Name:Lion Mother: Keep Our Stories Alive is an Award-winning documentary about Cherokees in Los Angeles (20 minutes)
• The Conversation: Wilma Mankiller, first female principal chief of Cherokee Nation, led with compassion and continues to inspire today
• Everyday Heroes: Wilma Mankiller: Trailblazer of the Cherokee Nation
• KQED Arts: Native American Occupation of Alcatraz Captured in Rare Footage
• Katie Couric Media: Wilma Mankiller | First Female Chief of the Cherokee Nation | #SeeHer Story
• NPS: Native American Occupations of Alcatraz | Alcatraz Island Junior Ranger Activity Book
• New York Historical Society / Untold Hisory: Wilma Mankiller (WAMS E41)
• Osiyo TV: Gina Olaya, A Living Legacy (Wilma Mankiller's daughter) 
• Ou : GaDuGi: Coming Together For All (English)
• uscitizenpod: Wilma Mankiller 1 | 2 coloring pages
• National Congress of American Indians: The Wilma Mankiller Fellowship Program
• Vision Maker Media: Mankiller (trailer) | full documentary
• Writing Out Loud: Wilma Mankiller

250 to 250:145. Mayo Clinic, Narrated by Dr. Stephen Ray Mitchell

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Mayo Clinic, Narrated by Dr. Stephen Ray Mitchell

Dr. Stephen Ray Mitchell is an award-winning medical expert who currently serves as the Joseph Butenas Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics and Dean Emeritus for Medical Education at Georgetown University School of Medicine. Dr. Mitchell has chaired the North American Liaison Committee for Medical Education (LCME) and has led accreditation visits to over 20 other Medical Schools. He tells the story of the founding of the Mayo Clinic, which pioneered many hallmarks of modern health care.

In 1883, a tornado hit Rochester, Minnesota.

• The Mayo family were doctors who helped injured people.
• They opened a small hospital in a dance hall.
• The Mayo doctors worked with Mother Alfred Moes and the Sisters of St. Francis to open a permanent hospital.
• This hospital became the famous Mayo Clinic.
• Mayo Clinic doctors worked together to help patients.
• They used X-rays and patient records.
• Today, the Mayo Clinic is famous for medical care and research.
• Dr. William Mayo believed patients must always come first.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz:

• N-400 Part 2:11. Do you have any physical or mental impairment that prevents you from demonstrating your knowledge of the English language or civics requirements for naturalization? 
• N-400 Part 9:33. Are you unable to take the Oath of Allegiance because of a physical or developmental disability or mental impairment?
• 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: Name one right in the Bill of Rights. 
• Write: Freedom of speech is a right. 

Family Fun:

• ABC 6 News - KAAL TV: Women's History Month: The women of Mayo Clinic
• Andrew Tyberg: Mayo Clinic’s history (History Day 2014-15)
• Augustine Langford: The Patient Comes First: The Mayo Clinic And Its Unified Medical Record
• Mayo Clinic: website | History and Heritage | Contributions to Medicine | Peregrine Falcon Activity Pages | Heritage Films (all): Born in a Storm |  Leap of Faith | Healing Hands | playlist of previews 
• Minnesota PBS: Minnesota's Deadliest Tornadoes
• Minnesota Digital Library: Origins of the Mayo Clinic
• National Library of Medicine: The Origins and Evolution of the Mayo Clinic from 1864 to 1939
• National Postal Museum: 5c Doctors Mayo single | more
• PBS and Ken Burns: The Mayo Clinic: Faith - Hope - Science (stream or borrow video from your local library)
• PBS Learning Media: Mayo Clinic (several clips and lessons)
• Your Very Favorite: Health Matters! Coloring and Activity Book (80-pages) 

250 to 250:144. Woodlot Revolt, Narrated by Paula Peters

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Woodlot Revolt, Narrated by Paula Peters

Paula Peters is a journalist, educator and activist. A citizen of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, she travels internationally to speak and educate on the true Wampanoag story. Here she tells the story of the 1833 Woodlot Revolt, in which Wampanoag activists were arrested but the Wampanoag achieved a period of self-rule until 1870.

The Wampanoag are Native Americans from Massachusetts.

• In 1621, they welcomed the Pilgrims.
• Over time, white settlers took much of their land.
• In 1663, the Wampanoag received land in Mashpee.

In 1833, white settlers cut down trees on Wampanoag land without permission.

• The Wampanoag stopped settlers from taking wood. 
• Their protest was called the Woodlot Revolt.
• The Wampanoag won the right to govern themselves for a time.

In 2007, the U.S. government officially recognized the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz:

• N-400 Part 4. What county do you live in?
• USCIS 100:59. / 128:74.   Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?
• USCIS 100:61. Why did the colonists [Wampanoag] fight the British [colonists]?
• 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:

• Colonial Society of Massachusetts: “We, as a tribe, will rule ourselves”:
• Mashpee’s Struggle for Autonomy, 1746–1840
• GBH and Mass Humanities: 250 Years of Fighting for Freedom: The Mashpee Wampanoag Story | Promises of the Revolution Pt. I
• Mashpee TV: Thanksgiving from Wampanoag Youth
• Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe: Government Departments | Timeline | Understanding the Mashpee Sovereignty Struggle
• Mass Moments: May 21, 1833 Indians in Mashpee Demand Self-Government
• NMAI: Wampanoag Perspectives: First Thanksgiving: How has the story been told and why does it need to change?
• Teach US History: A Description of the Mashpee Revolt by William Apess
• USCIS: Thanksgiving 1 - Pilgrims and American Indians - Beginning Level Lesson Plan | Handouts | Answers
• uscitzenpod: Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe coloring page
• WBNERR: Mashpee Wampanoag Cultural Resources

250 to 250:143. Mount St. Helens Eruption, Narrated by John Ebel

 

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Mount St. Helens Eruption, Narrated by John Ebel

Professor John Ebel is a highly regarded senior scientist at the Weston Observatory at Boston College whose expertise has made him the go-to source for media reporting on earthquakes in New England and around the world. He explains what happened in 1980, when Mount St. Helens erupted in the most destructive volcanic event in American history.

On May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens erupted in Washington State.

• It was the most destructive volcanic eruption in U.S. history.
• Part of the mountain fell, causing a huge explosion.
• Hot ash and rocks covered forests and nearby land.
• Volcanic ash rose more than 11 miles into the sky.

57 people died, including scientist David Johnston.

• Scientists learned more about volcanoes and how forests grow again after eruptions.
• Harry Truman, a man who lived near the mountain, refused to leave.
• He said, “If the mountain goes, I'm going with it.”
• Truman died in the eruption and became a local legend.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz:

• N-400 Part 09:37. If the law requires it, are you willing to do work of national importance under civilian direction?
• USCIS 100:53. What is one promise you make when you become a United States citizen?
• USCIS 128:70. What is one way Americans can serve their country?
• Read: When is Memorial Day? 
• Write: Memorial Day is in May. 

Family Fun:

• High Country News: Life After Lava
• History: The Largest Eruption in American History | How the Earth Was Made (S2, E10)
• King 5 Seattle: Scientist killed in Mount St. Helens eruption remembered 40 years after deadly blast | Mount St. Helens environment recovering 45 years after eruption
• Mount St Helens Institute: LIVE Volcano Cam
• National Postal Museum: Mount St. Helens Postage Stamp
• Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture: Behind the scenes: Mt St Helens and the story of David A. Johnston
• PBS News Hour: What scientists have learned from Mount St. Helens’ devastating eruption, 45 years later
• Smithsonian: Footage of the 1980 Mount St. Helens Eruption
• USDA Forest Service: Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument
• USGS: Mount St Helens | Science Career Activity Books 1, 2 | I Am A...Volcanologist | Volcanologist coloring page
• Video from Space: Mt. Saint Helens from space! Before and after eruption - 1973 to 2019

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