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Welcome to Teaching Materials

To engage with a source, ask, "What do I know, what do I want to know, and what have I learned?"

Applying KWL Guides to Sources with Elementary Students

In Teaching Guides

Take a variety of perspectives into account before moving past the first Thanksgiving.

What Really Happened? Comparing Stories of the First Thanksgiving

In Lesson Plan Reviews

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 analyzing challenging text and understanding what they read. Suggested teaching strategies bring these exercises into the classroom.

Summarizing and Paraphrasing

In English Language Learners

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

Three Perspectives on Native American Removal and Westward Expansion

Check out this lesson on arguments surrounding the 1830 forced removal of [...] »

Abraham Lincoln

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

English Language Learners

Instructional strategies and resources for ELL

Talking History

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

Uncovering Human Agency

Use this strategy to help students discover historic actors—the people, [...] »

Teaching Guides

Explore new teaching methods and approaches

Well-behaved Women [and Men] Seldom Make History

Help your elementary school students get more out of historical biographies [...] »

Free Speech Teaching Guide 4: Mandel v. Kleindienst (1972): Censorship via Visa

This guide traces the history of ideological visa denial to explore [...] »

Document-Based Whole-Class Discussion

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

Historical Agency in History Book Sets (HBS)

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

Interpreting Political Cartoons in the History Classroom

Political cartoons are often conceptually complex, but offer valuable [...] »

Ask a Master Teacher

Stop and Source!

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

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