Visit Clearinghouse Lesson Plan Reviews!

Ten vetted lesson plans are now posted in the Teaching Materials section of the Clearinghouse. From the Lewis and Clark Expedition, to Indian Removal, to the Debate over Formation of the League of Nations, to Japanese Internment during World War II, these vetted lesson plans model various approaches to teaching with primary and secondary resources in grades K–12.

Before each is published, historians, experienced teachers, and education scholars endorse the choice. They evaluate how well the selected lesson reflects the latest research on teaching and learning history, whether the lesson is applicable to diverse classroom settings, and if it reflects the kinds of tasks historians actually do. We also send the lessons to teachers to ask how they would use the lessons and what changes they would make to suit their classrooms. Evaluative commentary and a rubric then summarize the strengths of each lesson.

We add new lesson plans to the Clearinghouse regularly. We hope classroom teachers find the models helpful in designing and adapting their own curriculum. Login and use the comment form to let us know if and how they are (or are not) useful to you!