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Social Studies

To order any of the educational publications not marked digital only, e-mail ordernie@tampabay.com. You must include the following information:


50+ Years of Fair Housing: Past, Present and Future in the City of Tampa

50+ Years of Fair Housing: Past, Present and Future in the City of Tampa
This publication is not available in print.

Grade levels: Middle and High school

It has been more than 50 years since the signing of the Fair Housing Act of 1968. Behind this act was a struggle for what is right. The act provided for equal housing opportunities regardless of race, religion, gender or national origin. The passing of this law gave hope for residential desegregation across the United States. Learn about this struggle and the progress that has been made in this 50 year time span in the City of Tampa.

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All Aboard: Tampa Bay's Railroad History

All Aboard: Tampa Bay's Railroad History
This publication is not available in print.

Grade levels: Elementary and Middle school

Railroads were integral to the development of the Tampa Bay region as an economic center, transportation hub and tourist destination. Prior to the 1880s, much of Tampa Bay was rural, sparsely populated frontier, and Port Tampa was just a small harbor for local fishermen. All Aboard illustrates the immense social and economic impact that the railroad has had on our region, discusses the past, present and future of rail technology and fosters discussion about potential future rail development in Tampa Bay. All Aboard was created in partnership with the Friends of Tampa Union Station and the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners.

This publication is not available in print.

Click here to download the publication


All About the Benjamins: Understanding the Value of Thrift

All About the Benjamins: Understanding the Value of Thrift
This publication is not available in print.

Grade levels: Middle and High school

As Benjamin Franklin once said, "an investment in knowledge always pays the best interest". This financial literacy publication will educate students about Benjamin Franklin and Thrift Week through engaging stories that illustrate key economic concepts, provocative questions to debate and discuss, helpful tips for personal money management and newspaper activities. All About the Benjamins was created in partnership with The James Madison Institute.

This publication is not available in print.

Click here to download the publication


Alternate Times: Exploring Science Fiction Literature

Alternate Times: Exploring Science Fiction Literature
This publication is not available in print.

Grade level: High school

Science fiction is a literature of imagination, of ideas and thought experiments, of “what if.” Setting a story in an unfamiliar environment allows authors to explore the potential consequences of political, social, technological and ecological change; of issues such as war, terrorism, climate change, pandemics and overpopulation; and the possible effects of these on individuals and society. Alternate Times: Exploring Science Fiction Literature introduces students and teachers to this vibrant and diverse genre. This publication was produced in partnership with the Altrusa International of Tampa Bay Wilma B. Hogan Foundation, the Catalina Marketing Charitable Foundation, the Frank E. Duckwall Foundation and the University of South Florida Humanities Institute.

This publication is not available in print.

Click here to download the publication
Click here to visit the writing contest website


Anatomy of the Tampa Bay Times

Anatomy of the Tampa Bay Times

Grade levels: Elementary, Middle and High school

This poster illustrates the different elements typically found on Page One and inside the Tampa Bay Times.

Click here to download the publication


At the Crossroads of Freedom & Equality: Florida's Journey from Separate toward Equal

At the Crossroads of Freedom & Equality: Florida's Journey from Separate toward Equal
This publication is not available in print.

Grade levels: Middle and High school

Discrimination is defined as the unfair treatment of a person, racial group or minority based on prejudice. Decades of not treating people with equality and respect spawned the civil rights movement. The Civil War ended in 1865. Yet it took black Americans many decades and a long difficult fight to get what Abraham Lincoln had intended them to have: equality. This supplement, created in partnership with the Altrusa International of Tampa Bay Wilma B. Hogan Foundation, the Frank E. Duckwall Foundation and the Florida Humanities Council, explores the larger issues of intolerance, prejudice, racism and stereotyping in the context of Tampa Bay's past and present.

Click here to download the publication
Click here to download the pre survey.
Click here to download the post survey.
Click here to visit the City of St. Petersburg African-American Heritage Project.


Black History
Times photo

Black History Month

Grade levels: Elementary, Middle and High school

Black History Month is officially celebrated in the month of February. However, throughout history, in every month, generations of African Americans struggled with adversity to achieve full citizenship in American society. The credible resources on this page will help teachers and students learn more about this rich history. Decades of not treating people with equality and respect spawned the civil rights movement. The Civil War ended in 1865. Yet it took black Americans many decades and a long difficult fight to get what Abraham Lincoln had intended them to have: equality. Learn more with the informational texts referenced.

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Celebrate Freedom

Celebrate Freedom

Grade levels: Middle and High school

What would Thomas Jefferson say if he could see the United States today? Each year, students in the state of Florida are expected to recite a key passage from the Declaration of Independence and to spend at least three hours in the classroom studying this important document. Celebrate Freedom carefully examines this key passage, helping students better understand its meaning and why it is still important to us today. Celebrate Freedom was created in partnership with The James Madison Institute.

Click here to download the publication.
Complete the teacher feedback survey
Complete the student pre/post test


Charting the Land of Flowers: 500 Years of Florida Maps

Charting the Land of Flowers: 500 Years of Florida Maps
This publication is not available in print

Grade levels: Middle and High school

Maps are as old as language. Mapmakers communicate information with pictures that tell stories. For millennia, maps have shaped how we see the world, leading us to new places and ideas. Science, technology, culture, economics, politics, art, history – all of these can be found in maps. This publication, produced in partnership with the Tampa Bay History Center and the Florida Humanities Council, is based on the exhibit of the same name that will be featured at the History Center from September 21, 2013 - February 16, 2014 and focuses on maps as informational text

Digital edition only. Click here to download the publication


Danny Dollar Millionaire Extraordinaire: The Lemonade Escapade

Danny Dollar Millionaire Extraordinaire: The Lemonade Escapade
This serial story is available in the digital edition

Grade levels: Elementary, Middle and High school

Danny Dollar Millionaire Extraordinaire: The Lemonade Escapade by Ty Allan Jackson, along with the teaching guide and student activities will help you teach your students the basics of finance and financial literacy. In addition it will help expose students to the concepts of entrepreneurship, overcoming obstacles and following their dreams. Log into the Newspaper in Education digital edition of the Times, and click on Special Sections on the menu on the right to read the book.

Click here to download the Teacher Guide and student worksheets


Democracy Reignited

Democracy Reignited

Grade levels: Middle and High school

Democracy requires sharing power with people you may not know, trust or agree with. Of course, there is a diversity of thought and ideals. The American Experiment is aspirational and assumes that the optimism of the human spirit propels people forward. The ultimate questions are: What does it take for a free people to govern themselves? Are we up to the task? Learn about the origins of the American experiment and what it takes to be an engaged citizen in this publication, produced in partnership with Florida Humanities.

Click here to download the publication
Click here to download the publication (Spanish)
Click here to download the publication (Haitian Creole)
Click here to download the Teacher Guide
Click here to take the Teacher Survey
Click here to take the Student Pre/Post Test
Click here to download Florida Standards Updated 2021


Famous Americans
Eleanor Roosevelt visits with Mary McLeod Bethune (1937). Credit: State Archives of Florida

Famous Americans

Grade levels: Elementary and Middle

America wouldn’t be where it is today without the influential men and women who lead their lives trying to make a difference, through leadership, inventions, writing and entrepreneurship. Check out this teacher guide, created by the New York News Publishers Association and additional resources for your classroom. These activities are suggestions for how to bring the lessons of these historical figures into the present and make them relevant to our lives today. These lessons were generally created for students in grades 4-8 but can be narrowed or expanded to accommodate the needs of each instructor’s class and grade level. Feel free to modify these activities or to create your own.

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Flight 2014: Celebrating 100 Years of Commercial Aviation

Flight 2014: Celebrating 100 Years of Commercial Aviation
This publication is not available in print.

Grade levels: Middle and High school

On Jan. 1, 1914, a small biplane piloted by aviation pioneer Tony Jannus lifted from the water in downtown St. Petersburg, Fla., with one paying passenger. Twenty three minutes later, the plane landed in Tampa, Fla., launching the world’s first regularly scheduled commercial airline flight and flying into the annals of aviation history. Flight 2014 celebrates the centennial of Jannus’ historic flight and explores the history of aviation, the science and technology of flight, and the impact of aviation on our world.

This publication is not available in print.

Click here to download the publication


Floridians at War

Floridians and War

Grade levels: Middle and High school

Today’s students will become tomorrow’s voters and leaders, responsible for making decisions about when and how the United States should become involved in conflict or war. They must be prepared to understand the causes, history, geography, politics and consequences of conflict and war and how they relate to local, national and global issues in our increasingly interconnected world. While governmental institutions declare war, it is the average citizen who fights. This publication, sponsored by a grant from the Florida Humanities Council in partnership with the Armed Forces History Museum, takes a look at war and conflict through the eyes of those who served in those wars and conflicts.

Click here to download the publication
Click here to download the pre/post student survey
Click here to download the teacher survey


Floridians at War

From The Scrub to The Twist
This publication is not available in print.

Grade levels: Middle and High school

Central Avenue has a special place in Tampa’s history, particularly for the African-American community, and the Perry Harvey, Sr. Park, located at 900 E. Scott St., is a place where generations can come together to share in that history, to learn and enjoy. Central Avenue was the heart and soul of a community flourishing with leadership, entrepreneurship, strength and courage. The area was settled after the Civil War, when freed slaves relocated to an area northeast of downtown Tampa called The Scrub. Over time, the neighborhood of The Scrub developed a vibrant business district, and became a cultural mecca of sorts for a number of black musicians. The area was booming, but began to decline with urban renewal and integration. This supplement, created in partnership with the City of Tampa, Tampa Bay History Center and the Florida Humanities Council explores the rich cultural history from The Scrub to The Twist to Perry, Harvey, Sr. Park.

This publication can be used in conjunction with At the Crossroads of Freedom & Equality: Florida's Journey from Separate toward Equal.

Click here to download the publication
Learn more about Perry Harvey, Sr. Park
Tampa Bay History Center Central Avenue Contest page
Chitlin' Circuit playlist on Spotify


Genocide in the 20th and 21st Centuries

Genocide in the 20th and 21st Centuries

Grade levels: High school

In 1994, the Florida Legislature passed the Holocaust Education Bill (SB 660), which amended Section 233.061 of the Florida Statutes (Chapter 94-14, Laws of Florida), relating to required instruction. The law requires all school districts to incorporate lessons on the Holocaust as part of public school instruction. In 2020, the legislature passed HB 1213, enhancing this mandate and designating the second week in November as “Holocaust Education Week.” This curriculum supplement examines the cultural, religious, societal, historical, economic and political factors that lead to genocide through the lens of survivors. This publication was produced in partnership with Florida Humanities.

Click here to download the publication
Click here to download the teacher guide
Click here to download the pre and post tests
View the recording of the Genocide in the 20th and 21st Centuries reception
View the reception presentation
View the reception photo gallery
View the student art/poetry contest winners


History of Chocolate

History of Chocolate

Grade levels: Elementary, Middle and High school

This supplement traces the history, cultural significance and economic impact of chocolate from ancient Mesoamerica to the present day and uses primary sources to explore a fascinating chapter in 17th-century Florida history. History of chocolate was created in partnership with American Heritage Chocolate.

Click here to download the publication
Click here to download the teacher guide


High Five

Interpreting photos as informational text

Grade levels: Elementary, Middle and High school

All Eyes Photo Blog


Pathways to Understanding (MS)

Pathways to Understanding: Exploring Muslim Cultures in Tampa Bay (2015)
This publication is not available in print

Grade levels: Middle and High school

Pathways to Understanding presents an overview of Muslim culture, busts some myths about Islam and Muslims, and explores the causes and consequences of Islamophobia, prejudice and discrimination. The goals of Pathways include fostering understanding of the immense diversity and depth of Muslim cultures around the world and promoting meaningful interactions between Muslim and non-Muslim communities in Tampa Bay. Pathways was created in partnership with Community Tampa Bay, the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art’s Building Bridges Program.

Click here to download the publication


Pathways to Understanding (MS)

Pathways to Understanding: Creating Community through Allyship (2020)

Grade levels: Middle and High school

Pathways to Understanding presents an overview of Muslim culture, busts some myths about Islam and Muslims, and explores the causes and consequences of Islamophobia, prejudice and discrimination. The goals of Pathways include fostering understanding of the immense diversity and depth of Muslim cultures around the world and promoting meaningful interactions between Muslim and non-Muslim communities in Tampa Bay. Pathways was created in partnership with Community Tampa Bay, the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art’s Building Bridges Program.

Click here to download the publication.


Remembering 9/11: 20 Year Anniversary

Remembering 9/11: 20 Year Anniversary
This publication is not available in print.

Grade levels: Middle and High school

This publication, created by the Washington Times and History Channel explores the tragic events that took place in American on September 11, 2001. On that date, militants associated with the Islamist extremist group al Qaeda hijacked four airliners and carried out suicide attacks against targets in the United States. Two of the planes were flown into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, a third plane hit the Pentagon just outside Washington, D.C., and the fourth plane was crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Nearly 3,000 people were killed during the attacks, including more than 400 police officers and firefighters and 246 passengers and crew on the four planes. This was the most deadly terrorist attack in U.S. history

Click here to download the publication.


Slavery & Human Trafficking

Slavery & Human Trafficking

Grade level: High school

The United States Department of Homeland Security defines human trafficking as the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act. Every year, millions of men, women, and children are trafficked worldwide – including right here in the United States. The 2018 United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime’s Global Report on Trafficking in Persons shows that trafficking is happening all around us as the number of persons trafficked within their own country has doubled in recent years to 58 percent of all detected victims. In 2018, Florida again ranked third in the nation in the number of cases reported to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, according to the Pasco Commission on Human Trafficking. This crime can happen in any community and victims can be any age, race, gender or nationality. Traffickers. Learn more with the informational texts referenced.

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Tall Ships St. Pete

Tall Ships St. Pete

Grade levels: Middle and High school

Learn about maritime history and careers through the lens of historic tall ships in this publication created in partnership with Tall Ships St. Pete and Tall Ships America.

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Women's History
AP Photo

Women's History

Grade levels: Elementary, Middle and High school

Women’s History Month is a celebration of women’s contributions to history, culture and society. Women’s History Month began as a national celebration in 1981 when Congress authorized and requested the President to proclaim the week beginning March 7, 1982 as “Women’s History Week." Throughout the next five years, Congress continued to pass joint resolutions designating a week in March as "Women’s History Week." In 1987 after being petitioned by the National Women’s History Project, Congress which designated the month of March 1987 as “Women’s History Month." Between 1988 and 1994, Congress passed additional resolutions requesting and authorizing the President to proclaim March of each year as Women’s History Month. Since 1995, Presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama have issued a series of annual proclamations designating the month of March as “Women’s History Month.”

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