Skip to Main Content

Topic Guides - Social Studies

This how-to guide helps students and their parents navigate resources connected to Social Studies topics.

Search Terms

Specific key words or phrases are necessary to find information in databases or the library catalog. We recommend: 

  • American Civil War
  • Reconstruction
  • World War I
  • World War II
  • The Great Depression
  • The New Deal
  • Jazz Age
  • Trail of Tears
  • Manifest Destiny
  • Civil Rights Movement

Search Strategies

  • You can use names of important historical figures (e.g. Martin Luther King Jr., Eleanor Roosevelt) and events, such as wars (e.g. Korean War, Vietnam War, Desert Storm) as search terms in databases.
  • You can use these search terms to find books in the library catalog and eBooks or eAudiobooks in the eLibrary.
  • To narrow your search, type two terms into a search bar in this format: "Term 1" AND "Term 2". This search will only provide resources that include both terms. Combine any two search terms from the box into a database search bar to see what you find. 
  • Find more database search tips on the Debate Issues & Paper Topics guide, in the Database Search Tops box. 

Standards and Knowledge Building

This guide is connected to the following Colorado Academic Standards 

  • Key concepts of continuity and change, cause and effect, complexity, unity and diversity, and significant ideas in the United States from Reconstruction to the present.
  • Analyze continuity and change in eras over the course of United States history.

This guide will support students by building further knowledge in: 

  • Finding primary and secondary sources related to U.S. History.
  • Different library resources –what they are and how they are useful for understanding and analyzing U.S. history.
  • How to effectively find information in these sources using search terms.

Contact

Profile Photo
Mikaela Fortune
Contact:
5550 N. Union Blvd.
Colorado Springs, CO
80918
(719) 531-6333

Welcome to the U.S. History Topic Guide!

Databases

Databases are subject-specific search engines that provide access to journal articles and other reliable resources. The following PPLD databases are recommended for students studying U.S. History:

Reference Materials

Reference materials are things like encyclopedias and handbooks that provide quick facts and summaries of different subjects. The following encyclopedias and dictionaries in the PPLD catalog support the study of U.S. History:

Reference materials are things like encyclopedias and handbooks that provide quick facts and summaries of different subjects. The following books in the PPLD catalog support the study of U.S. History:

Explore (multimedia and recommended websites)

You can use trusted, online sources to find information. For more information on reliable, online sources, please visit PPLD’s Debate Issues & Paper Topics guide. PPLD recommends:

Use these multimedia sources to watch or listen to information on this topic.