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
Three Perspectives on Native American Removal and Westward Expansion

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

Theodore Roosevelt and the 1912 Election

Students learn more about the larger than life figure of Theodore Roosevelt [...] »

English Language Learners

Instructional strategies and resources for ELL
Summarizing and Paraphrasing
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 [...] »

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 [...] »

Teaching Guides

Explore new teaching methods and approaches
Document-Based Whole-Class Discussion

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

Tramping Through History: Crafting Individual Field Trips

Go forth, and contextualize! Give students the opportunity for solo [...] »

Stating Your Case: Writing Thesis Statements Effectively

Thesis statements form the backbone of history essays and DBQs.

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

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

Rethinking "Westward Expansion": A Guide for Preservice Teachers

Help students reconsider the how the expansion of the United States from [...] »

Ask a Master Teacher

Picturing the American Revolution
Cartoon, American Revolution Names, 5 August 2008, Jimmie, Flickr CC

Looking for a creative way to teach the American Revolution to struggling [...] »