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
Messages of Houses and Their Contents, 1780-1820

Examining changes in early American homes helps interpret the past. It [...] »

A Look at Slavery through Posters and Broadsides

How to identify the author, audience, date, and message of historical [...] »

English Language Learners

Instructional strategies and resources for ELL
Bracero History Archive
Bracero History Archive

Explore resources on the Bracero guest worker program from the mid-20th [...] »

Talking History

Students shy or hesitant to speak up? Check out these tips to get students [...] »

Teaching Guides

Explore new teaching methods and approaches
Historical Agency in History Book Sets (HBS)

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

Interpreting Political Cartoons in the History Classroom

Political cartoons are often conceptually complex, but offer valuable [...] »

Free Speech Teaching Guide 2: Brandenburg v. Ohio (1969): Defining and Arguing Hate Speech

This teaching guide includes a structured guide to explaining the case [...] »

Crop It

Use this four-step learning routine to deeply explore visual primary sources [...] »

Native Women and Suffrage - Beyond the 19th Amendment: A Guide for Pre-Service Teachers

Using primary sources from the Library of Congress, help students reconsider [...] »

Ask a Master Teacher

Tackling Tough Topics
Print, A Good month's business, c. 1918, Library of Congress

Race, ethics, stereotyping—all are thorny issues integral to our history. [...] »