Welcome to Teaching Materials

Cutting through New York from the ocean to the Great Lakes, the Erie Canal changed lives.

Building the Erie Canal
In Lesson Plan Reviews

From chanting to formal essay framing—discover creative ways to frame ELL instruction.

The Struggle for Time: Using Persuasive Essays to Teach Elementary History
In English Language Learners

Documents are riddled with difficult vocabulary. Don't be afraid to adapt texts.

Adapting Documents for the Classroom: Equity and Access
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
Civilian Conservation Corps

Examine the role of African Americans in the Civilian Conservation Corps [...] »

Civil Rights and Incarceration

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

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English Language Learners

Instructional strategies and resources for ELL
Life, Liberty and Property: What’s the Big Idea?

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

SQ3R: Survey, Question, Read, Review, Recite

Learn about SQ3R, a note-taking system for English Language Learners to help [...] »

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Teaching Guides

Explore new teaching methods and approaches
Applying KWL Guides to Sources with Elementary Students

To engage with a source, ask, "What do I know, what do I want [...] »

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

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

Well-behaved Women [and Men] Seldom Make History

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

Using Blogs in a History Classroom

Setting up and maintaining a blog for your classroom is easy (and typically [...] »

Four Reads: Learning to Read Primary Documents

Teach your students to read like a historian with this guided four-step [...] »

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Ask a Master Teacher

Meshing History and Montessori Method
Photo, "Montessori en famille, vie sensorielle," 2007, valilouve, Flickr, cc

In the Montessori philosophy, which prioritizes creativity, how can you best [...] »

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