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
Building the Erie Canal

Cutting through New York from the ocean to the Great Lakes, the Erie Canal [...] »

Discovering Angel Island: The Story Behind the Poems

Learn about the experiences of immigrants detained at Angel Island and how [...] »

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 [...] »

Scaffolding with Graphic Organizers

Graphic organizers are helpful for students with limited English proficiency [...] »

Teaching Guides

Explore new teaching methods and approaches
Free Speech Teaching Guide 4: Mandel v. Kleindienst (1972): Censorship via Visa

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

Incorporating 20th Century US Environmental History in the 6-12 Classroom

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

Webquest, Inquiry, and Lincoln’s Views on Technology

Searching for new, exciting ways to engage your students in the classroom? [...] »

Interpreting Political Cartoons in the History Classroom

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

History of Higher Education: A Guide for Pre-Service Teachers

Help students understand the different types of universities and colleges in [...] »

Ask a Master Teacher

The Progressive Era: A Group Effort
Political Cartoon, Golfing Season, May 1, 1924, NARA

Provides a comprehensive list of websites and strategies to creatively [...] »