When we study America’s past, recurring themes and issues inevitably surface. These common threads provide the organization for the activities that follow. The educator is encouraged to draw out commonalities and relate them to events today in the community, the nation and throughout the world. The impact of past events highlighted in American Defenders of Land, Sea & Sky can be found daily in the print and broadcast media. Examples of history being repeated are also abundant. What we learn from our past and present will help us predict and influence our future.

The topics, activities and resources suggested in the guide are appropriate for a broad range of grade levels. The goal of this web site is to stimulate the educator’s creativity in presenting a host of issues that relate to the National Historic Landmarks and other great places featured in American Defenders of Land, Sea & Sky.

It is expected that the educator will select and, when necessary, adapt the activities and discussion to fit the level of knowledge and abilities of the young people using the site. Many activities offer opportunities to integrate history with other subject areas, for example, geography, language arts and technology. These connective subject areas are provided in brackets at the end of each activity.