Welcome to Teaching Materials

Use this essay on Jewish immigration to flesh out a unit on the Civil War or immigration.

Divining America: Religion in American History
In Lesson Plan Reviews

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

Adapting Documents for the Classroom: Equity and Access
In Teaching Guides

Help students understand the how religious beliefs shaped Americans' understanding of the Civil War using sheet music from the Library of Congress. 

Religion and the Civil War: A Guide for Pre-Service Teachers
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 [...] »

Causation: The War of 1812 and the Star-Spangled Banner

A great way for students to learn more about the War of 1812 and our nation' [...] »

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English Language Learners

Instructional strategies and resources for ELL
Using Non-Linguistic Representations to Strengthen Historical Thinking

Discover alternatives to writing based student activities. Why not encourage [...] »

The Struggle for Time: Using Persuasive Essays to Teach Elementary History

From chanting to formal essay framing—discover creative ways to frame ELL [...] »

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Teaching Guides

Explore new teaching methods and approaches
What Is an "Inquiry Lesson"?

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

Religion and the Labor Movement: A Guide for Pre-Service Teachers

Engaging Library of Congress primary sources that connect religion and [...] »

Internationalizing History

Discover the resources you need to "globalize" your U.S. history lesson [...] »

Using Old Maps as Tools to Explore Our World

Maps show far more than how to go from point A to point B! Discover how to [...] »

Structured Academic Controversy (SAC)

Are classroom discussions about winning the argument or about understanding [...] »

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Ask a Master Teacher

Stop and Source!
Photographic print, Johnie William Bumgarden and his family, May 1912, Lewis Wic

Students get more out of historical photographs when they take the time to [...] »

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