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
Labor Unions in the Cotton Mills

Introduce students to the importance of oral history while simultaneously [...] »

Building the Erie Canal

Cutting through New York from the ocean to the Great Lakes, the Erie Canal [...] »

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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 [...] »

Why Did It Happen? Making Claims about Cause and Effect

A shift in writing is required, often using new language tools, when making [...] »

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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 [...] »

Comanche Nation and "Manifest Destiny": A Guide for Pre-Service Teachers

Help students better understand the history behind the term "Manifest [...] »

Four Reads: Learning to Read Primary Documents

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

Writing to Learn History: Annotations and Mini-Writes

A pen or pencil in your student's hand is an excellent tool for teaching [...] »

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

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

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Ask a Master Teacher

Lower Level Learners: Teaching Their Way
Photo, building blocks, January 15, 2008, zeitengewimmel, Flickr, cc

Regularly assess student understanding, and revise your lesson plans to [...] »

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