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 [...] »

Causation: The War of 1812 and the Star-Spangled Banner

A great way for students to learn more about the War of 1812 and our nation' [...] »

English Language Learners

Instructional strategies and resources for ELL
Reframing English Language Development
The storming of Chapu[ltepec] Sept. 13th [1847]

Discover how to teach English learners history and historical thinking.

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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 [...] »

Teaching Guides

Explore new teaching methods and approaches
Crop It

Use this four-step learning routine to deeply explore visual primary sources [...] »

Using Blogs in a History Classroom

Setting up and maintaining a blog for your classroom is easy (and typically [...] »

What Is an "Inquiry Lesson"?

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

Housing and Houselessness: A Guide for Pre-Service Teachers

Help students understand the how policy and structural forces have shaped [...] »

Ask a Master Teacher

National History Day in Kentucky
photograph, Hand painted mural promoting the revolution in Havana Cuba, Jan 2010

NHD is a great way to get students to interact with history. KY teachers [...] »