Welcome to Teaching Materials

Spotlight on Elementary Education

History is made by those who are unafraid to push the envelope and redefine the society in which they live. Encourage your students to examine the men and women who worked to make America what it is today with this creative activity. FIND OUT MORE »

Lesson Plan Reviews

Evaluate key elements of effective teaching Watch the INTRODUCTORY VIDEO
Prequel to Independence

Teach your students about causality with this useful activity.

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Civil Rights and Incarceration

What were the consequences of and motivations for Japanese American removal [...] »

English Language Learners

Instructional strategies and resources for ELL
Summarizing and Paraphrasing
Photo, Year 3~Day 106 +77/365 AND Day 837: U.S. History, Old Shoe Woman, Flickr

Paraphrasing and summarizing exercises help ELL students improve at [...] »

Life, Liberty and Property: What’s the Big Idea?

Explore a lesson, designed especially for English Language Learners, that [...] »

Teaching Guides

Explore new teaching methods and approaches
Comanche Nation and "Manifest Destiny": A Guide for Pre-Service Teachers

Help students better understand the history behind the term "Manifest [...] »

Well-behaved Women [and Men] Seldom Make History

Help your elementary school students get more out of historical biographies [...] »

Historical Agency in History Book Sets (HBS)

Looking for ways to use fiction in your elementary history curriculum? Read [...] »

Stating Your Case: Writing Thesis Statements Effectively

Thesis statements form the backbone of history essays and DBQs.

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History of Higher Education: A Guide for Pre-Service Teachers

Help students understand the different types of universities and colleges in [...] »

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Using Visual Fine Arts to Enrich Understanding
Poster, Clough, S.T., 1938, 4300 Euclid, Library of Congress

The socio-cultural impact of historic events or time periods and the [...] »