Welcome to Teaching Materials

This guide consists of curated primary and secondary sources to help students connect environmental history to broader themes in twentieth century US history. 

Incorporating 20th Century US Environmental History in the K-5 Classroom
In Teaching Guides
Photography, Schenectady, New York., June 1943, Philip Bonn, LOC

Engrain the APPARTS strategy into young students, and they'll be well on their way to AP-level performance.

APPARTS Strategy: Origins and Implementation
In Ask a Master Teacher
Photo, Salvage. . . , Howard Liberman, 1942, NY Public Library

Standardization is a fairly new concept in education.

Tennessee's Social Studies Curriculum
In Ask a Master Teacher

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
Abraham Lincoln

This lesson leads students to see how Lincoln's life in Springfield [...] »

A Look at Slavery through Posters and Broadsides

How to identify the author, audience, date, and message of historical [...] »

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English Language Learners

Instructional strategies and resources for ELL
Historical Thinking Matters
Historical Thinking Matters

Primary sources in both English and Spanish on the Spanish American War, [...] »

SQ3R: Survey, Question, Read, Review, Recite

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

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Teaching Guides

Explore new teaching methods and approaches
Document-Based Whole-Class Discussion

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

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

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

Tramping Through History: Crafting Individual Field Trips

Go forth, and contextualize! Give students the opportunity for solo [...] »

Applying KWL Guides to Sources with Elementary Students

To engage with a source, ask, "What do I know, what do I want [...] »

Free Speech Teaching Guide 1: The Birth of the Modern First Amendment and How Oliver Wendell Holmes Changed His Mind

This guide focuses on the history of free speech in one crucial year ( [...] »

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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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