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
Messages of Houses and Their Contents, 1780-1820

Examining changes in early American homes helps interpret the past. It [...] »

Jamestown: The Starving Time

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

English Language Learners

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

SQ3R: Survey, Question, Read, Review, Recite

Learn about SQ3R, a note-taking system for English Language Learners to help [...] »

Teaching Guides

Explore new teaching methods and approaches
Using Old Maps as Tools to Explore Our World

Maps show far more than how to go from point A to point B! Discover how to [...] »

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

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

Crop It

Use this four-step learning routine to deeply explore visual primary sources [...] »

Using Blogs in a History Classroom

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

Religion and the Civil War: A Guide for Pre-Service Teachers

Help students understand the how religious beliefs shaped Americans' [...] »

Ask a Master Teacher

Building a Class on Native American History
 Photo, "2007 Powwow," Cynthia Frankenburg, Smithsonian, Flickr Commons

Museums, colleges, and tribes are invaluable for gathering course-building [...] »