Modern History Second Semester Curriculum Package: Hands-On History for Teens

Continue your students’ journey through modern history from the 1920s to the 1970s.

This half-semester-long package includes six themed boxes filled with creative, hands-on activities, lesson plans, reading lists, and educator resources for everything you need to bring modern history to life for students in grades 7th through 12th. 

Perfect for homeschool families, classrooms, co-ops, and history clubs, this curriculum helps learners understand history in a meaningful, memorable way.

What’s Inside?

This package includes six exciting boxes, each focusing on a key chapter of modern world history. Each box contains age-appropriate activities, educator resources, and everything you need for an immersive lesson:

1. 1. 1920s: Finding Meaning: Explore colonial resistance movements in Ireland and India. Learn about the Lost Generation and political movements of the 1920s that set the stage for World War II and beyond. Explore how printing was used for political propaganda. Follow the Great Migration and Harlem Renaissance. Discover Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. 
   2. 1930s: Life On Screen: Learn about the Golden Age of Cinema both in the U.S. and across Europe as well as how race impacted film. Watch newsreels and learn about types of propaganda. Explore the causes of World War II. Discover Indonesian history and culture. Examine the Great Depression and the New Deal. 
   3. 1940s: Resist!: Explore World War II with a focus on resistance. Learn about spycraft and codebreakers. Focus on the Pacific Front and cultural differences between Japan and the U.S. Learn about the internment of Japanese Americans. Understand the homefront in the U.S. including rationing. Explore the Great Retreat from China to Taiwan. Examine primary sources to better understand the rise of the nuclear era.  
   4. 1950s: Rebuild!: Explore the post-World War II world and learn about how Europe, Japan, and the USSR rebuilt after the war. Examine Cold War rensions and revolutions in Latin America. Explore consumerism and suburban life in the U.S. Understand what partition means and the impacts in India, Pakistan, Israel, and Palestine. Learn about Black artists, the Highway Men, in Florida. 
   5. 1960s: Voices Of Change: Explore the tumultuous mid-century world and learn about the civil rights movement from bus boycotts to Black Panthers. Better understand Vietnam’s push for independence and how the U.S. became involved. Follow the Space Race to the moon. See how the Congo moved from colony to independence. Dive into the Chinese Cultural Revolution under Mao. Explore gay liberation and the Stonewall Uprising. 
   6. 1970s: Fight For Rights: Learn about women’s liberation. Investigate worldwide environmental movements. Follow the twentieth-century history of Iran. Explore the collapse of the Portuguese empire. Learn about the rise of video games. Discover the American Indian Movement. 

Why Choose our Modern History Curriculum Package?

This secular, hands-on history curriculum engages students with creative projects, meaningful stories, and thoughtful discussions. Teens learn by crafting, building, cooking, and imagining, all while building a deeper connection to the people and cultures that shaped the modern world.

Everything you need such as supplies, directions, and background information is included so you can focus on teaching while your students experience history firsthand.

Product Details

• Includes six themed boxes with lesson plans, reading lists, and educator resources
• Covers a half semester of modern history from the 1920s to the 1970s. 
• Designed for students in grades 7–12 or 13+ (Youth) and 16+ (Young Adult version).
• Secular, inclusive, and adaptable for homeschool, classroom, or group learning
• In your first box you will receive a welcome packet with introductory materials including a timeline, time traveling journal, educator guide, comic, and coloring page. Young adult boxes will also receive an arts and entertainment journal.
• Please see our FAQs for additional information

Introduce your students to the people, places, and stories that shaped world history with the Modern History Second Semester Curriculum Package for a creative, hands-on way to explore world history. Order today and spark their love of learning!

*In stock boxes will ship in approximately three weeks. For the status of a particular box, please email hello@historyunboxed.com.

Please note that if any items are missing from your order due to low stock, a Note to Buyer will be included on your order and tracking number stating which items will ship separately when available. This will apply to both UPS and USPS tracking numbers!

Are you purchasing for a classroom, large family, or co-op? Please contact us for special pricing on orders of 5+!

Are you ordering with charter funds? Check out our charters page for more information!

Our high-quality hands-on history kits bring civilizations to life for learners of all ages.  Each history box has everything you need for engaging history lessons. Our boxes can serve as a stand-alone history curriculum or paired with traditional social studies curricula.

Looking for group lessons? Check out our History-To-Go kits!