Key Concepts in Historical Thinking
Improve your historical analysis skills by learning about different types of causes and evidence.
George Washington, A National Treasure
This website by the Smithsonian Portrait Gallery will help students analyze artistic works.
Analyzing Composition in Paintings
Incorporate art into lesson plans with this resource from The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Teaching with Monuments and Memorials
Every town has a scattering of historical markers and statues. Discover what they really mean!
George Washington: A National Treasure
What can you learn from the Lansdowne portrait of George Washington?
Teaching with Historic Places
Looking for new ideas on how to teach with the historic places in your community?
An Introduction to Historical Thinking and Reading
Watch this flash movie for a peek at how historians read and question sources.
Making Sense of Documentary Photography
Textbook illustrations are often overlooked as historical evidence.
Making Sense of American Popular Songs
Don’t overlook song as a way of understanding the past.
Making Sense of Advertisements
Advertisements have surrounded us for years. How can you interpret them? Where can you find them?
Making Sense of Letters and Diaries
Source and approach letters and diaries with historical thinking.
Making Sense of Numbers
Quantitative data, although seemingly daunting and impersonal, can help you understand the past.
Making Sense of Maps
What questions should you ask when viewing maps as historical evidence?
Making Sense of Films
Work with early twentieth-century film as historical evidence. What questions do you need to ask?