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
Decoding U.S. Foreign Policy: The Iran-Contra Affair

Through the lens of documents concerning the Iran-Contra Affair, this lesson [...] »

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
Bracero History Archive
Bracero History Archive

Explore resources on the Bracero guest worker program from the mid-20th [...] »

Life, Liberty and Property: What’s the Big Idea?

Explore a lesson, designed especially for English Language Learners, that [...] »

Teaching Guides

Explore new teaching methods and approaches
Incorporating 20th Century US Environmental History in the K-5 Classroom

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

Using Historical Ephemera in the Classroom

Ticket stubs. Report cards. Photographs. All of these things have historical [...] »

Internationalizing History

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

Truth in Transit: Crafting Meaningful Field Trips

Leave your students with intellectually and emotionally significant memories [...] »

9/11 and Commemoration: A Guide for Pre-Service Teachers

Help students understand the events of 9/11 and how such events are [...] »

Ask a Master Teacher

Realizing the Value of Primary Sources
Lithograph, "Charles Frohman presents. . . ," 1900, Metropolitan Printing, LoC

When you just can't get your students to care what the Founders, or anyone [...] »