Best Practices | TeachingHistory.org

Welcome to Best Practices

An 8th-grade class analyzes letters about the Emancipation Proclamation.

Prologue to Studying the Emancipation Proclamation

In Teaching in Action

What does architecture say about the past and the present? TAH teachers learn strategies for close examination of buildings in Washington, DC.

Reading Place with the National Building Museum

In Examples of Historical Thinking

Whitman Ridgway outlines some of the context in which the Bill of Rights was created and arguments surrounding its creation.

Bill of Rights

In Examples of Historical Thinking

Spotlight on Elementary Education

Oral histories and interviews are a unique form of historical documentation. This guide by Linda Shopes offers an overview of the various ways oral history can be integrated into classroom discussions. Though some of the techniques will have to be adapted for elementary students, the ideas Shopes presents are extremely useful. FIND OUT MORE »

Example of Historical Thinking

Scholars, students, and teachers model historical thinking

Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address

Teaching the Reconstruction? Ford's Theatre's Sarah Jencks leads teachers [...] »

Japanese American Internment: Executive Order 9066

How did the World War II internment of Japanese Americans happen? Historian [...] »

FDR's Second Inaugural Address

What is the key line in Franklin D. Roosevelt's second inaugural address? [...] »

Primary Sources as Windows into the Past

Excite students by introducing them to primary sources that answer questions [...] »

A Close Look at the World War II Memorial

Historian Christopher Hamner introduces educators to the World War II [...] »

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Teaching in Action

Teachers demonstrate promising teaching practices

Massive Resistance through Political Cartoons

Watch 4th-graders analyze cartoons about Virginia and Brown v. Board of [...] »

Integrating Language Arts and History

Elementary teacher Karen Eanes hooks her students with engaging historical [...] »

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Using Primary Sources

Strategies for analyzing primary sources

Interactivity

Teach students how to utilize primary sources with this game from [...] »

Making Sense of Maps

What questions should you ask when viewing maps as historical evidence?
[...] »

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Teaching with Textbooks

Techniques for promoting historical inquiry

The Grammar of History Textbooks, Part I: Language Analysis

The language of history textbooks challenges English language learners and [...] »

Questioning Textbook Authority

Show your students how to challenge the authority gap between the textbook [...] »

The Grammar of History Textbooks Part II: Questioning the Text

Turn your textbook into a conversation by scanning its language for biases [...] »

Learning Menus: Textbooks a la Carte

Turn your students into 'master chefs' by using learning menus that allow [...] »

Building a Conversation between Textbooks, Students, and Teachers

Class discussion and personal inquiry builds an interactive relationship [...] »

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