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
Civilian Conservation Corps

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

Propaganda and World War II

Help students understand wartime propaganda with this excellent lesson plan [...] »

English Language Learners

Instructional strategies and resources for ELL
SQ3R: Survey, Question, Read, Review, Recite

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

Supporting Text Comprehension and Vocabulary Development Using WordSift
screen shot-wordshift home page

Help English learners understand basic concepts with this interactive tool [...] »

Teaching Guides

Explore new teaching methods and approaches
Students Working in Local Historic Preservation

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

Religion and the Civil War: A Guide for Pre-Service Teachers

Help students understand the how religious beliefs shaped Americans' [...] »

Concept Formation

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

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

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

What Is an "Inquiry Lesson"?

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

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 [...] »