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 [...] »

Messages of Houses and Their Contents, 1780-1820

Examining changes in early American homes helps interpret the past. It [...] »

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English Language Learners

Instructional strategies and resources for ELL
World Digital Library
World Digital Library home page

Use this tool to translate primary source material!

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Using Primary Sources with English Language Learners

Primary source analysis activities can help include English Language [...] »

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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 [...] »

Document-Based Whole-Class Discussion

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

1916 Children's Code of Morality: A Guide for Pre-Service Teachers

Primary sources from the Library of Congress help students explore a [...] »

Writing to Learn History: Annotations and Mini-Writes

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

Internationalizing History

Discover the resources you need to "globalize" your U.S. history lesson [...] »

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Ask a Master Teacher

Data on Students' Knowledge of American History
Colored professional students and graduates in 1896-97, New York Public Library

Finding solid data on student learning in history can be a challenge. Here [...] »

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