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Help students reconsider the how the expansion of the United States from 1865 to 1890 was perceived by Native peoples in the west using primary sources from the Library of Congress.

Rethinking "Westward Expansion": A Guide for Preservice Teachers

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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 connections with our social studies curriculum?

Building Background Knowledge for English Language Learners

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Photo, "The Browning school. . . ," March 1915, Lewis Wickes Hine, LoC

Looking for history right where you are. You'd be surprised how inspiring local history can be.

History is All Around Us

In Ask a Master Teacher

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

Labor Unions in the Cotton Mills

Introduce students to the importance of oral history while simultaneously [...] »

Organizing History Through Images

In this lesson, students will organize photographs both chronologically and [...] »

English Language Learners

Instructional strategies and resources for ELL

Hispano Music & Culture of the Northern Rio Grande

Explore the music of Spanish-speaking residents of rural Northern New Mexico [...] »

Summarizing and Paraphrasing

Paraphrasing and summarizing exercises help ELL students improve at [...] »

Teaching Guides

Explore new teaching methods and approaches

Webquest, Inquiry, and Lincoln’s Views on Technology

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

History of Education and Indigenous Americans: A Guide for Pre-Service Teachers

Help students reflect on the purpose of learning history and of education in [...] »

Free Speech Teaching Guide 3: The Problem of National Security Secrets

This guide explores the relationship between secrecy and the First Amendment [...] »

Structured Academic Controversy (SAC)

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

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

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

Ask a Master Teacher

APPARTS Strategy: Origins and Implementation

Engrain the APPARTS strategy into young students, and they'll be well on [...] »

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