Welcome to Teaching Materials

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

Well-behaved Women [and Men] Seldom Make History
In Teaching Guides

To engage with a source, ask, "What do I know, what do I want to know, and what have I learned?"

Applying KWL Guides to Sources with Elementary Students
In Teaching Guides

Thesis statements form the backbone of history essays and DBQs.

Stating Your Case: Writing Thesis Statements Effectively
In Teaching Guides

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
The Progressive Era

Explore the ins and outs of turn-of-the-century labor law, business, housing [...] »

Marbury v. Madison

Constitutional or not? Read about this 1803 landmark court case deciding [...] »

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English Language Learners

Instructional strategies and resources for ELL
Uncovering Human Agency
Photography, My Desk, 15 March 2006, Flickr CC

Use this strategy to help students discover historic actors—the people, [...] »

Great Unsolved Mysteries in Canadian History
Great Unsolved Mysteries in Canadian History

Explore mysteries in Canadian history in both French and English.

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Teaching Guides

Explore new teaching methods and approaches
Stating Your Case: Writing Thesis Statements Effectively

Thesis statements form the backbone of history essays and DBQs.

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Teaching with Timelines
Image, Squared Circles-Clocks, 25 Oct 2006, Leo Reynolds, Flickr CC

Construct an ongoing, shared classroom timeline in middle and elementary [...] »

What Is an "Inquiry Lesson"?

Hypothesize, test, and acknowledge how sources form different "pictures of [...] »

Document-Based Whole-Class Discussion

Classroom discussions need not be argumentative and unproductive. Discover a [...] »

Incorporating 20th Century US Environmental History in the 6-12 Classroom

This guide consists of curated primary and secondary sources to help [...] »

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Ask a Master Teacher

Resources for Units on Early American Government
Print, Paul Revere's Ride, 1913, New York Public Library

When unit planning is daunting, look to exceptional examples online.


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