Created by the National Endowment of the Humanities, Edsitement serves as a gateway to humanities on the web. Under History and Social Studies, Edsitement links to K-12 lesson plans that are searchable by subject and grade level and are linked to primary source documents and supporting websites. Numerous resources are available to help you explore and celebrate African American history month.

This Annenberg Media video provides examples of two promising practices, such as helping students use textual evidence to support their claims and leading a productive discussion by asking open-ended questions and restating student answers (in this example, the subject for the discussion is a set of discriminatory Southern laws known as Black Codes).

Using a textbook passage and two primary sources, this lesson engages students in using historical evidence in order to critique a textbook passage. In this way, it also allows teachers to introduce the textbook as one source among many, rather than the final word on historical events. The simplicity and clarity of the lesson make it ideal for introducing both historical thinking in general and the Civil Rights movement specifically. Read a review of the lesson here.

Who says that elementary students can't think historically? A researcher from University of Maryland College Park challenged that assumption in a recent study. Through direct instruction in historical analysis skills, Bruce VanSledright's students not only showed marked improvements in their work but also became excited about a subject in which they had previously expressed little interest. Continue reading here.

Since the initiation of the Teaching American History (TAH) grant program in 2001, I have been fortunate enough to work as a lead/master teacher in 14 different states. The occasions to share lessons on Nat Turner's rebellion, Lowell Mills, and numerous other topics have placed me in contact with a diverse group of K–12 educators and forced me to consider many of the underlying assumptions and realities related to generating change in history instruction. Read more from Bruce Lesh here.

This symposium at the Library of Congress celebrates the 148th anniversary of Lincoln’s first inauguration and features six award-winning scholars: William Lee Miller, Presidential Morality During the Lincoln Administration; James M. McPherson, Lincoln as Commander-in-Chief; Douglas L. Wilson, Lincoln and the Power of Words; Lucas Morel, Lincoln and Race; Harold Holzer, Lincoln as President-Elect; and Elizabeth D. Leonard, Lincoln and Justice. Reservations are required. Click here for details.