6-8 Resources

Pre-1865

An American Family: The Beecher Tradition
Picture of the Beecher family c.1850. Taken by Mathew Brady, New York.

Did you know that Harriet Beecher Stowe's family was also involved in[...] »

Civil War's Causes: Historians Largely United on Slavery, But Public Divided
Albumen print on carte-de-visite, Civil War Union officers in tent, 1862, Flickr

Major historic events are always shrouded in controversy. Check out this[...] »

Post-1865

What Does It Mean to Be an American?

An 8th-grade teacher asks: Was early 20th-century America a "melting pot" or[...] »

African-American Perspectives: Pamphlets from 1818-1907
Wood engraving, American Sketches:..., Nov. 18, 1876, Illustrated London News.

Pamphlets and documents from 1875 to 1900 highlight African American leaders[...] »

Classroom Tools

Historical Thinking & Literacy

Deciphering Primary Source Documents
Letter, Handwritten letter signed by Victor Séjour, Victor Séjour, NYPL Digital

Create scaffolding and careful preparation of documents to promote student[...] »

Using Technology

Kidblog

Set up and moderate an entire elementary class's worth of blogs at once.


[...] »