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
American Presidents

Analyze letters written by America's presidents to learn more about these [...] »

Abraham Lincoln and the Jews

Students learn about the sixteenth president's relationship with Jewish [...] »

English Language Learners

Instructional strategies and resources for ELL
Increasing Participation in Whole-Class Discussions

English Language Learners often have difficulty contributing to class [...] »

Electronic Schoolhouse / La Escuela Electronica

Explore materials on the Latino experience in New York from 1861 to the [...] »

Teaching Guides

Explore new teaching methods and approaches
Incorporating 20th Century US Environmental History in the K-5 Classroom

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

Mystery Strategy for Elementary Students

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

Structured Academic Controversy (SAC)

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

Using Historical Ephemera in the Classroom

Ticket stubs. Report cards. Photographs. All of these things have historical [...] »

Writing to Learn History: Annotations and Mini-Writes

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

Ask a Master Teacher

Teaching the Declaration without Overwhelming Students
Lithograph, Portraits & autographs of the signers of the Declaration of Independ

Is the Declaration of Independence challenging for your students? Check out [...] »