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
Divining America: Religion in American History

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

Marbury v. Madison

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

English Language Learners

Instructional strategies and resources for ELL
America's Heritage: An Adventure in Liberty
The Prayer at Valley Forge by Arnold Friberg

Find lessons about American heritage and the responsibilities of American [...] »

SQ3R: Survey, Question, Read, Review, Recite

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

Teaching Guides

Explore new teaching methods and approaches
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 [...] »

Truth in Transit: Crafting Meaningful Field Trips

Leave your students with intellectually and emotionally significant memories [...] »

Mystery Strategy for Elementary Students

Using the premise of a mystery, elementary students act as history [...] »

Immigration from Asia Post-1970: A Guide for Pre-Service Teachers

Help students understand recent immigration history by exploring photographs [...] »

Rethinking "Westward Expansion": A Guide for Preservice Teachers

Help students reconsider the how the expansion of the United States from [...] »

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. [...] »