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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
Civil Rights and Incarceration

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

The Boston Massacre: Fact, Fiction, or Bad Memory

Help students think about where evidence for history comes from.

[...] »

English Language Learners

Instructional strategies and resources for ELL
Summarizing and Paraphrasing
Photo, Year 3~Day 106 +77/365 AND Day 837: U.S. History, Old Shoe Woman, Flickr

Paraphrasing and summarizing exercises help ELL students improve at [...] »

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 [...] »

Teaching Guides

Explore new teaching methods and approaches
Concept Formation

In order to understand topics, you must first understand concepts. Learn all [...] »

Truth in Transit: Crafting Meaningful Field Trips

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

1916 Children's Code of Morality: A Guide for Pre-Service Teachers

Primary sources from the Library of Congress help students explore a [...] »

Structured Academic Controversy (SAC)

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

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

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

Ask a Master Teacher

Building a Class on Native American History
 Photo, "2007 Powwow," Cynthia Frankenburg, Smithsonian, Flickr Commons

Museums, colleges, and tribes are invaluable for gathering course-building [...] »