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 [...] »

Evaluating the Validity of Information

Did the Chinese discover America before Columbus? How would or does this [...] »

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English Language Learners

Instructional strategies and resources for ELL
Why Did It Happen? Making Claims about Cause and Effect

A shift in writing is required, often using new language tools, when making [...] »

Talking History

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

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Teaching Guides

Explore new teaching methods and approaches
Four Reads: Learning to Read Primary Documents

Teach your students to read like a historian with this guided four-step [...] »

Students Working in Local Historic Preservation

Engage your students in preserving local history! Use this teacher's [...] »

Structured Academic Controversy (SAC)

Are classroom discussions about winning the argument or about understanding [...] »

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

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

Writing to Learn History: Annotations and Mini-Writes

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

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Ask a Master Teacher

Building Background Knowledge for English Language Learners
Photography, foreign language books at martin luther king memorial library in wa

How can we help our 5th-grade ELL students build background and make [...] »

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