History Education Articles for Teachers

Margaret Thatcher was a leader who stirred up strong emotions. While many people loved her, many also intensely disliked her. However, even her strongest detractors agree that she changed England’s economic and political scene with her bold policies when she served as Prime Minister from 19...

Times have changed, especially with regard to society's views about women. If you look at the list of the 50 Most Powerful Women in Business published by Fortune Magazine, women run some of the largest companies in the United States. These companies include IBM, Hewlett-Packard, and Pep...

While the work of the American Red Cross is depended upon, it is not always fully understood. Until you need the organization’s services, you may not come into contact with volunteers, or know of its important role in our communities. Using a series of classroom activities, you can help stu...

Each February, people in the United States take some time to recognize Black History Month. To that end, we might see some thematic decorations in schools, and libraries might prominently feature books related to African-American history; however, there are still unanswered questions: Should w...

The question of whether homework assignments actually improve student learning has been debated for quite some time. Some teachers feel that homework is more work than it's worth; especially when it is done incorrectly and thus, requires additional re-teaching. Some parents feel frustrated dealin...

Reading is more than merely correctly pronouncing words on a page. Reading is understanding and analyzing those words in a meaningful way. In order to foster critical-thinking skills, readers need to be aware of both direct and indirect comprehension questions. Most children can easily answer the...

Whether it be the long winter break or all the festivities during the cold months, the winter season is a great time to sharpen those pencils and crack open the journals. Motivate your writers by offering them creative writing prompts and some helpful tips.  Imagine Winter Escapades Use th...

The first step to reading is mastering the sound/symbol relationship between the letters on the page and the sounds they represent. Mastering the alphabetic principle and building a strong foundation in phonemic awareness is essential for pre-reading. Although there are plenty of letter-tracing o...

As a teacher, by the time November rolls around I am feeling a time crunch. The things I want to cover seem to get squeezed out by the topics that I must cover. For instance, I love to give classes a chance to discuss current issues, celebrations, hot topics in the media, or even a new CD by a po...

Current event discussions are a great way to help students to make meaningful connections between content and real-world issues. Since all subjects have real-world application potential, it is not difficult to make those connections apparent to our future problem-solvers of America. Since our na...

“I like Ike” was the motto that swept the United States in 1953 when Dwight D. Eisenhower won the presidency by a landslide. This popular president led the United States from 1953 to 1961. Historically, many look back to him as a great leader in World War II, and a unifying, poli...

Early readers are often intrigued by classic picture books such as No David and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom because of the vivid and interesting illustrations coupled with fun, kid-friendly language. Parents and teachers know these books as fun read alouds, but in actuality they can serve as a strong...

However unfair it seems, certain people and people groups get all the attention. Napoleon Bonaparte, Montezuma, and Christopher Columbus are recognized by almost every student. Likewise, students are familiar with the contributions of the Mayans, Incas, and most notably, the Aztecs. In order to u...

November’s presidential election provides the perfect backdrop for studying our nation’s past leaders. Instead of cracking open a history book, try cracking open your piggy bank and taking a look at the faces staring back at you.  Saying No to Kings and Yes to Eagles The f...

Progression rather than regression was the ultimate summer reading goal. However, the truth is that many children will have regressed in their overall reading abilities before September. The old saying “If you don’t use it, you will lose it” perfectly illustrates every teacher&r...

There’s something about Machu Picchu that makes even the most couch-bound adventurer want to don his Indiana Jones outfit and set out for Peru with a backpack and a load of enthusiasm. While you can’t take this journey with your class, you can explore Peru with them by using a variety...

Laurence Yep writes in his novella, Hiroshima, "This...will make thousands of people sick. Many will die later that day. More will fall ill and die in a year. Some will die in five years, or twenty. People are still dying today." While this book was written for elementary school-aged ch...

When Sally Ride, the first American woman astronaut, passed away, much talk focused on her heroism. She succeeded in a field dominated by men. Though a Russian woman had gone to space 20 years prior, Ride’s space shuttle flight in 1984 was historic. In my opinion, Ride’s accomplishmen...

The countdown to the Olympic Games is at an end. This weekend, the world will start watching the best athletes from every nation compete in a variety of events including swimming, water polo, soccer, and diving. While there are those who don’t consider the Olympics must-see television,...

While July is typically reserved for lazing by the pool instead of planning for the next school year, I couldn’t help but think of this month’s namesake, Julius Caesar. Of course, Caesar accomplished much more than reforming the calendar, and thus wrote himself a lasting page in the history books...

If you have ever worked with children, you know that dealing with bodily fluids and functions is just part of your daily routine. For those of us on the front lines of the classroom, we know that the term Teacher is all encompassing; the definition one who teaches can never suffice. Among a multi...

“The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding, go out to meet it.”  - Thucydides Courage Under Fire One may wonder if the young soldiers of Operation Overlord fully comprehended what lay before them as the land...

May 17th marks the anniversary of our Supreme Court's unanimous Brown v. Board of Education decision. Educators do not have to wait until then to discuss this excellent example of how united voices can bring change. I like to use the Brown case as one example of why we need to be aware of those i...

One of the least discussed topics for study in most American classrooms is the artistic and cultural accomplishments of the people of Mexico. However, it is important to highlight the achievements of Mexican artists, musicians, philosophers and leaders to help envelop a diverse and worldly educat...

In February, we recognize Black History Month. Below are descriptions and suggested activities for three books that aim to bring alive the extraordinary past and present of African Americans. Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave by Laban Carrick Hill Reading Level: 1st - 5th Grade Ge...

The French Realist movement is one of most well-known. French realism represents a time and a place that is significant culturally and historically. The second half of the 19th century in France was characterized by the push for democratic reform in the wake of yet another age of imperial rule. W...

The work of Impressionist painter Edouard Manet is among the most representative of that era. His work is an important statement on 19th century French culture, industrialism, politics and war. Manet was seen as highly controversial during his time. It is important that students to understand why...

The work of Impressionist painter Claude Monet is among the most beloved of his era. His work evokes an entirely different feeling than that of his contemporaries based on his interpretation of light and how it affected his subjects. There are a variety of ways you can teach students about Monet ...

The 19th Century featured the Industrial Revolution, the American Civil War, the invention of psychoanalysis, the Impressionist Movement and a proliferation of a host of other changes and advances. One way to help students learn about these times is by having them learn about the individuals who ...

Especially for students living in modern-day America, which is characterized by freedom and protected by the Constitution, it is difficult to understand life in an oppressive dictatorship. Students should learn about the limits on civil rights and freedoms, as well as the excessively harsh punish...