New & Noteworthy

Touching on Vietnam

Thirty-five years ago in Vietnam on April 29, 1975, Irving Berlin's seasonally uncharacteristic "White Christmas" hit the airwaves via Saigon's Armed Forces Radio. The musical selection was a pre-arranged code to initiate a massive, dramatic evacuation of the city. Now, as then, the meanings and implications of the war in Vietnam are complex and unresolved. Discover resources and teaching models here.

Elementary

Finding Local History Resources

Learning history through a local lens can be an engaging and powerful way to study the past. Use the Museum and Historic Sites search to locate institutions near your community or read this Ask a Master Teacher response to discover resources that will help you create local history curricula. Read more here.

Middle

Primary Sources Online! Mexican-American War and the Media

More than 5,500 transcribed newspaper articles related to the Mexican-American War represent five newspapers from the U.S. and England. The contrast between coverage of the war in the U.S. and England is particularly striking. Read more here.

High

Beyond the Textbook: Huey Long

During the Great Depression and New Deal, Louisiana governor and then U.S. Senator Huey Long (1893–1935) promised an end to poverty. How did he plan to realize this ideal, and what effect did he have on other politicians at the time? Compare and contrast what textbooks, primary sources, and historians say here.

Historical Thinking

Teaching American History

So What is Historical Thinking Anyway?

We hear the phrase “historical thinking” all the time, but what exactly is historical thinking? Watch “What is Historical Thinking” in the Introductory Videos section of the newly redesigned teachinghistory.org. The video covers important elements of historical thinking, such as examining multiple perspectives and understanding historical context. Watch the video here.

Teaching and Learning Cleveland is Not Just for Clevelanders

The Cleveland-based TAH Grant, Constructing, Consuming, and Conserving America (CCC) offers teachers hands-on experience in archives, museums, historical societies—and on the web. The searchable exhibits on the grant’s website, Teaching and Learning Cleveland, include annotated photographs, maps, census data, and oral histories posted with inquiry-based questions for the classroom. Explore here.