Welcome to Teaching Materials

Setting up and maintaining a blog for your classroom is easy (and typically free)!

Using Blogs in a History Classroom
In Teaching Guides
Passport, Of Helga Rome, Signed 1937, JWA Commons, Flickr Commons

Vocabulary legends, guiding questions, and teamwork are all good solutions.

Bridging the Language Barrier
In Ask a Master Teacher
Digital image, black and white, Spy Shadow, 2010

Paring down a larger idea to answer one specific question.

Researching for a Research Topic
In Ask a Master Teacher

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
Building the Erie Canal

Cutting through New York from the ocean to the Great Lakes, the Erie Canal [...] »

Prequel to Independence

Teach your students about causality with this useful activity.

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English Language Learners

Instructional strategies and resources for ELL
Scaffolding with Graphic Organizers

Graphic organizers are helpful for students with limited English proficiency [...] »

Reframing English Language Development
The storming of Chapu[ltepec] Sept. 13th [1847]

Discover how to teach English learners history and historical thinking.

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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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Students Working in Local Historic Preservation

Engage your students in preserving local history! Use this teacher's [...] »

Historical Agency in History Book Sets (HBS)

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

Adapting Documents for the Classroom: Equity and Access

Documents are riddled with difficult vocabulary. Don't be afraid to adapt [...] »

Incorporating 20th Century US Environmental History in the K-5 Classroom

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

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Ask a Master Teacher

North Carolina History+Technology
Photography, Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey: NC, 2 March 2010

Incorporating technology is an excellent way to engage students and deepen [...] »

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