Welcome to Teaching Materials

Lithograph, Declined with Thanks, 1900, John S. Pughe, LOC

Develop an engaging unit on American Imperialism that streamlines State Standards and Performance Objectives.

Teaching Imperialism: Incorporating Learning Activities and State Standards
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Cigarette card, Long John Silver, New York Public Library

Look for school districts and teachers' shared lists.

Seeking U.S. History Books for 9th and 11th Graders
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Textbooks may be fantastic, but curriculum is even better.

Picking Civics Textbooks
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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
Jamestown: The Starving Time

Only 60 settlers out of 600 survived the winter of 1609–1610 in Jamestown [...] »

Civil War Photos: What Do You See?

Analysis of photographs of Civil War artillery broadens students [...] »

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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.

[...] »
America's Heritage: An Adventure in Liberty
The Prayer at Valley Forge by Arnold Friberg

Find lessons about American heritage and the responsibilities of American [...] »

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Teaching Guides

Explore new teaching methods and approaches
Using Blogs in a History Classroom

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

Stop Action and Assess Alternatives

Teach students to explore contingency with this great lesson plan idea.

[...] »
The Research Paper: Developing Historical Questions

Research papers are not an archaic form of assessment. Learn how to help [...] »

Historical Agency in History Book Sets (HBS)

Looking for ways to use fiction in your elementary history curriculum? Read [...] »

Incorporating 20th Century US Environmental History in the 6-12 Classroom

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

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Ask a Master Teacher

Teaching with Lectures and Documents
Photo, students IV, May 1, 2007, Aaron TD, Flickr

Using a variety of instructional strategies in your classroom makes good [...] »

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