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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
John F. Kennedy and Service

Students learn about John F. Kennedy and his ideas about service as a prompt [...] »

Midnight Ride of Paul Revere: Fact, Fiction, and Artistic License

Did Revere's ride really look like that? Use historical documents to analyze [...] »

English Language Learners

Instructional strategies and resources for ELL
The Struggle for Time: Using Persuasive Essays to Teach Elementary History

From chanting to formal essay framing—discover creative ways to frame ELL [...] »

Talking History

Students shy or hesitant to speak up? Check out these tips to get students [...] »

Teaching Guides

Explore new teaching methods and approaches
Writing to Learn History: Annotations and Mini-Writes

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

Document-Based Whole-Class Discussion

Classroom discussions need not be argumentative and unproductive. Discover a [...] »

What Is an "Inquiry Lesson"?

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

Four Reads: Learning to Read Primary Documents

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

Stating Your Case: Writing Thesis Statements Effectively

Thesis statements form the backbone of history essays and DBQs.

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Ask a Master Teacher

Stop and Source!
Photographic print, Johnie William Bumgarden and his family, May 1912, Lewis Wic

Students get more out of historical photographs when they take the time to [...] »