Welcome to Teaching Materials

Use this essay on Jewish immigration to flesh out a unit on the Civil War or immigration.

Divining America: Religion in American History
In Lesson Plan Reviews

Documents are riddled with difficult vocabulary. Don't be afraid to adapt texts.

Adapting Documents for the Classroom: Equity and Access
In Teaching Guides

Help students understand the how religious beliefs shaped Americans' understanding of the Civil War using sheet music from the Library of Congress. 

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

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
Decoding U.S. Foreign Policy: The Iran-Contra Affair

Through the lens of documents concerning the Iran-Contra Affair, this lesson [...] »

Jamestown: The Starving Time

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

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English Language Learners

Instructional strategies and resources for ELL
Life, Liberty and Property: What’s the Big Idea?

Explore a lesson, designed especially for English Language Learners, that [...] »

Uncovering Human Agency
Photography, My Desk, 15 March 2006, Flickr CC

Use this strategy to help students discover historic actors—the people, [...] »

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Teaching Guides

Explore new teaching methods and approaches
Writing to Learn History: Annotations and Mini-Writes

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

Well-behaved Women [and Men] Seldom Make History

Help your elementary school students get more out of historical biographies [...] »

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

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

1916 Children's Code of Morality: A Guide for Pre-Service Teachers

Primary sources from the Library of Congress help students explore a [...] »

Concept Formation

In order to understand topics, you must first understand concepts. Learn all [...] »

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Ask a Master Teacher

The iPad: A Digital History Gateway

Can iPads open an exciting new world filled with digital textbooks and [...] »

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