Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

The "Headlines and Heroes" blog from the Library of Congress shines a spotlight on Belva Lockwood, an extraordinary woman who broke barriers as a suffragist, lawyer, and the first woman to officially run for President of the United States. Through this blog, you can explore Lockwood's remarkable journey, highlighting her fight for women's rights and her candidacy in the 1884 and 1888 presidential elections. The blog not only dives into Lockwood's achievements and challenges but also showcases a collection of historical documents, photographs, and newspaper clippings that bring her story to life. Clicking on the images and links will open historical documents.

tag(s): primary sources (117), womenchangemaker (37), womens suffrage (52)

This site helps people learn about Shirley Chisholm's significant role in American politics and how she broke new ground for women and people of color in government. The site from the National Women's History Museum tells the story of an important woman in politics. It talks about her life from the beginning, how she became the first African American woman in the U.S. Congress, and her presidential run in 1972. The page shows how she worked hard for education and jobs for minorities.

tag(s): black history (133), pioneers (9), politics (118), women (151), womenchangemaker (37)

This academic toolkit contains curated lesson plans, student resources, and research links related to the U.S. Army. Lesson plans are available for history, math, science, language, and art relating to the history of different eras of the Army. Browse the educator resources by era, subject, and field trips. The student section includes project starter ideas organized by era, beginning with the Revolutionary War and continuing through the War on Terror in the 21st century. Research resources include books, primary source documents, and training publications.

tag(s): 1700s (36), 1800s (75), 1900s (72), 20th century (62), american revolution (82), civil rights (209), civil war (139), cold war (30), national anthem (3), vietnam (38), war of 1812 (15), world war 1 (77), world war 2 (161)

Naval History and Heritage Command contains various information about the U.S. Navy, including information about the history of the Navy, links to Navy-related blogs and articles, archival records, and much more. Use the dropdown links at the top of the page to access content with labels, including research, collections, and museum links. Browse topics such as notable ships, people, and exploration and innovation. Use the site's search bar to find information on any navy-related topics.

tag(s): korea (21), navy (8), vietnam (38), world war 1 (77), world war 2 (161)

These lesson plans provide directions and instructional materials for students to learn about Eleanor Roosevelt using photographs and cartoons. Lessons should take two forty-five-minute class periods. All resources are included; however, some links to the National Archives don't work. Visit the National Archives: Educator Resources, reviewed here to search and find the document analysis worksheets shared in the lesson. Sample rubrics for the thematic essay are provided as an assessment for the lesson.

tag(s): 1900s (72), comics and cartoons (55), primary sources (117), roosevelt (15), women (151), womens suffrage (52)

This short biography of Patsy Mink highlights her accomplishments and lifelong advocacy for women's equity. This article includes information about her family history, ways she fought racial discrimination, successful elections, and how she introduced and co-authored the legislation known as Title IX, The Patsy Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act. Also included is a YouTube video featuring Patsy Mink. If your district blocks YouTube, then the video may not be viewable.

tag(s): biographies (94), heroes (24), politics (118), women (151)

New American History offers free digital media resources for teaching American History for middle and high school teachers, along with a few resources for upper elementary-level educators. The included content focuses on connecting America's past to the present; find much of this content under the tabs at the top of the site to journalism, audio, video, and maps resources. Use the link on the home page to find the search tool to find resources. The filters include options to search by term, learning topic, reading level, grade level, standards, and learning strategies. Lesson plans include all information and resources for teachers, and most have a link to a student version.

tag(s): american revolution (82), black history (133), branches of government (65), civil rights (209), civil war (139), colonial america (95), colonization (21), constitution (96), elections (82), emancipation proclamation (13), environment (252), great depression (30), immigrants (34), immigration (68), inequalities (25), native americans (109), primary sources (117), racism (79), segregation (18), underground railroad (15), womens suffrage (52), world war 1 (77), world war 2 (161)

The Teaching of the Bill of Rights podcast is shared on Sound Cloud, reviewed here by the Lou Frey Institute and features a discussion with national civic education coordinator Kathleen Munn from the National Archives. The episode shares a conversation about teaching the Bill of Rights using primary source documents found in the archives and how archivists use primary source documents to ground discussions of the Bill of Rights through the actions of real people. Ms Munn also shares teaching ideas such as using Venn Diagrams to help students understand abstract concepts of rights and limits using student rights in the classroom and how they overlap with the Bill of Rights document.

tag(s): bill of rights (33), podcasts (108), primary sources (117), professional development (385)

Retro Report is an independent, non-profit newsroom sharing over three hundred videos and lessons focusing on bringing history to life for students. Browse through the home page to explore by subject or periods including America's Rise to Power 1890-1945, The Postwar Era 1945- 1980, and The Modern Era 1980- present. Visit the link on the home page to explore all topics, then use the options to search for specific terms, filter options by type of activity, or select from tagged subjects and topics. Another helpful option is the collections; choose this link to find collections curated for AP classes, topics such as 9/11 and The Supreme Court, and current topics including political ads and extremism. The lesson plans include links to all materials, including handouts, videos, and primary source documents. Lessons also correlate with Social Studies and Common Core Literacy Standards. The videos are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable.

tag(s): 20th century (62), advanced placement (26), bill of rights (33), black history (133), civil rights (209), cross cultural understanding (173), cultures (180), difficult conversations (57), drugs and alcohol (28), environment (252), freedom of speech (14), media literacy (109), native americans (109), news (229), politics (118), primary sources (117), psychology (65), sept11 (18), supreme court (27), terrorism (41), world war 1 (77), world war 2 (161)

Class Companion offers the power of AI (artificial intelligence) to provide assignments and feedback for written tasks. Import assignments using any of three methods - import a project from your device's documents using copy and paste, create a task from scratch, or use an assignment from Class Companion's library. Choose from the essay or short response format. Class Companion analyzes the text and allows teachers to customize options before assigning them to students; options include a selection of rubrics, questions about the piece, and the number of attempts students have to submit a correct response. Students access Class Companion by the provided link shared from your account. As students complete the activities, Class Companion provides feedback on their responses.

tag(s): artificial intelligence (177), assessment (147), differentiation (84), feedback (12), writing (325)

Ed ucation 4 Democracy provides videos and resources for educators who want to teach their students about democracy. The website includes lesson plans, articles, and videos on various topics related to democracy, such as Civic Investigation and Research (analyzing evidence), civic engagement (discussion and deliberation), government, and social justice. The website's resources are engaging and informative and can be used to help students develop a deeper understanding of this critical topic.

tag(s): branches of government (65), politics (118), social media (48), video (266)

Civic Life provides educators with digital storytelling lesson plans easily adaptable to civics and social studies curriculums. Compelling Interviews for Civic Engagement includes four fifty-minute lessons that guide students toward researching and sharing a chosen social issue. Using the Citizen and Filmaker lesson plan, students practice writing in collaborative groups to understand the connection between "citizen" and "filmmaker." Registration is required to access Civic Life's teaching materials.

tag(s): branches of government (65), communities (35), digital storytelling (154), elections (82), literacy (122), media literacy (109)

This article highlights the firsthand accounts and narratives of formerly enslaved individuals to shed light on their experiences and the impact of the announcement of the Emancipation Proclamation. It shares how the transmission of the news of freedom was delayed, along with the reactions and celebrations of the newly freed enslaved people. The article includes many links to primary source materials, including an extensive collection of stories from "Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers' Project, 1936 - 1938."

tag(s): black history (133), civil rights (209), civil war (139), Juneteenth (22), primary sources (117), slavery (79)

This article discusses several lenses for teaching Juneteenth and recognizing the challenges those fighting injustices face. Focus topics include Culture as Resistance, Understanding Emancipation, Backlash to Freedom, and American Ideals. Within each subject, the author discusses why each perspective is relevant to student understanding of the importance of Juneteenth as part of American history. No account is required to read this article on Learning for Justice; however, free registration allows readers to bookmark the report as a favorite and add it to a learning plan.

tag(s): black history (133), civil rights (209), civil war (139), Juneteenth (22), racism (79), slavery (79)

iCivics features a video entitled "Patsy Mink: Changing the Rules," which tells the story of Patsy Mink, a Japanese-American woman who became the first woman of color in Congress and worked tirelessly for civil rights and equal opportunities for women. The video provides an engaging and informative introduction to the life and legacy of Patsy Mink. In addition, they have included a lesson plan that contains discussion questions, activities, and additional resources to help teachers incorporate the video into their curriculum. Create a free account to download teacher resources.

tag(s): civil rights (209), congress (40), politics (118), women (151)

Visit this site to access resources for teaching about Columbus/Indigenous Peoples' Day through various perspectives. Resources include links to a primary source document from 1585, videos, guided readings and essays, and lesson plans. Free registration is required to access all of the materials provided.

tag(s): columbus day (8), cultures (180), explorers (64), native americans (109), primary sources (117), westward expansion (39)

C-Span Classroom offers free, video-based classroom materials for teachers. Browse the links on the site to find Bell Ringers, Lesson Plans, and additional teaching resources. Under Topics (on the far right top menu) are other tools including a Constitutional Clips video series, Classroom Deliberations based upon current issues, and On This Day in History featuring significant historical events using video clips.

tag(s): branches of government (65), civil rights (209), constitution (96), declaration of independence (16), elections (82), electoral college (22), environment (252), journalism (74), nasa (30), STEM (297), supreme court (27), video (266)

This seven-lesson curriculum uses primary source documents to teach students about the efforts of individuals and groups, from colonial times through the present, working to ensure the ideals of the Declaration of Independence with a focus on civil rights issues. Beginning with the Declaration of Independence and ending with current times, each lesson includes objectives, links to resource materials, and extension activities. Free registration is required to access all materials in the lesson plans. In addition, registration allows members to save their favorite activities to a personal library, share a link to your LMS (Learning Management System), and add lessons to custom playlists.

tag(s): 1700s (36), 1800s (75), 1900s (72), 20th century (62), bill of rights (33), civil rights (209), declaration of independence (16), martin luther king (45), primary sources (117), slavery (79)