Welcome to Best Practices
Spotlight on Elementary Education
Example of Historical Thinking
What do these letters from a women's rights activist reveal about social [...] »
Jefferson, surprised by the Louisiana Purchase? Maybe not. Historian Leah [...] »
Analyzing a massive primary source? Divide it up! Teachers at the [...] »
Donald A. Ritchie, Historian of the U.S. Senate, asks how a political [...] »
Smithsonian Barbara Clark Smith looks at what a colonial newspaper article [...] »
Teaching in Action
Discover the multiple strategies 5th-grade teacher Jennifer Brouhard uses in [...] »
Eighth-grade teacher Amy Trenkle keeps students on-task before, during, and [...] »
Using Primary Sources
National Park Service lesson plans, teaching materials, and vibrant images [...] »
Teach students how to utilize primary sources with this game from [...] »
Teaching with Textbooks
Turn your students into 'master chefs' by using learning menus that allow [...] »
Show your students how to challenge the authority gap between the textbook [...] »
Class discussion and personal inquiry builds an interactive relationship [...] »
Help students identify with the past via children who lived through the [...] »
Make the most of your textbook—engage students in close reading and analysis [...] »