Welcome to Teaching Materials

Spotlight on Elementary Education

History is made by those who are unafraid to push the envelope and redefine the society in which they live. Encourage your students to examine the men and women who worked to make America what it is today with this creative activity. FIND OUT MORE »

Lesson Plan Reviews

Evaluate key elements of effective teaching Watch the INTRODUCTORY VIDEO
My Piece of History

Even the recent past was very different from the present. Students analyze [...] »

Woman Suffrage and the 19th Amendment

Relive the dream of the women's vote through roleplay or interfacing with [...] »

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English Language Learners

Instructional strategies and resources for ELL
Scaffolding with Graphic Organizers

Graphic organizers are helpful for students with limited English proficiency [...] »

Talking History

Students shy or hesitant to speak up? Check out these tips to get students [...] »

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Teaching Guides

Explore new teaching methods and approaches
Using Old Maps as Tools to Explore Our World

Maps show far more than how to go from point A to point B! Discover how to [...] »

Using Blogs in a History Classroom

Setting up and maintaining a blog for your classroom is easy (and typically [...] »

Stating Your Case: Writing Thesis Statements Effectively

Thesis statements form the backbone of history essays and DBQs.

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Incorporating 20th Century US Environmental History in the K-5 Classroom

This guide consists of curated primary and secondary sources to help [...] »

Using Historical Ephemera in the Classroom

Ticket stubs. Report cards. Photographs. All of these things have historical [...] »

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Ask a Master Teacher

Building a Class on Native American History
Photo, "2007 Powwow," Cynthia Frankenburg, Smithsonian, Flickr Commons

Museums, colleges, and tribes are invaluable for gathering course-building [...] »

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