teaching history

Teach politics in class and live to tell about it. Ideas for middle and high school social studies teachers.

Say hi to our wonderful guest blogger, Alicia Christian, aka The Elementary Professor! Vocabulary practice is something teachers are always trying to increase. Now, with more reading in the content areas, it has become critically important for students to have a well-developed vocabulary to both understand a subject and to increase fluency while reading about it. But what can we do to give students repeated experiences with

I’ve been using a Word Wall with my high school students for 9 years now, and the results have been incredible. How: I have 90-minute classes, so I’m able to give my students 8-10 minutes of free reading time each day. I put this time at the BEGINNING of the class for several reasons. 1. ... Read More about How and Why to Use Word Walls with Older Students

My murder mystery lesson is by far my students’ favorite – and for good reason! They get to be a part of the story, walk around and engage with classmates, and compete to see who can solve the mystery first! Here’s a link to my classroom mystery resources via TeachersPayTeachers, or read on to learn … Continue reading

Active Listening during Reflection Sessions

Centers aren't just for elementary school. 8 tips for setting up centers in social studies for secondary teachers. Ready, set, go!

Interpreting history can seem like a daunting task for students, but with a few creative tools and ideas, teachers can bring historical events and people to life. I love providing students with an interconnection to the people who shaped our country. Our history is on-going and by studying our past, we can hopefully learn

FREE STATIONS | 7 WAYS TO STEP AWAY FROM THE LECTURE PODIUM & REVITALIZE YOUR SOCIAL STUDIES CLASSROOM

This is cotton gin from the colonial history. In 1794, U.S.-born inventor Eli Whitney patented the cotton gin, a machine that revolutionized the production of cotton. Mostly by greatly speeding up the process of removing seeds from cotton fiber. For his work, he is credited as a pioneer of American manufacturing.

Browse over 50 educational resources created by Captivating History in the official Teachers Pay Teachers store.

boston massacre web quest. THIS IS AMAZING! I wish I had found this weeks ago :(

This product includes 100 journal prompts on the U.S. Government!

Check out these 4 (not so obvious) ways to give your instruction, especially your whole-group lessons, a boost!

I can explain how freed Blacks were prevented from exercising their newly won rights. This product includes five Black Codes "posters." Two papers listing the common Black Codes and three listing some of the specific state codes (South Carolina, Mississippi, and Louisiana). Each page lists some of ...

One of the great mysteries of teaching a class like history, is how to get your students involved and interested in the material. Although the trend is towards “group work” which, in all honesty, tends to lead to “group-think”, there are other ways to get your students out of their chairs, and yourself away from… Continue reading →