History is my passion; I love history! And yet, I really don't like textbooks. Here are 30+ ways to teach history without a textbook, from books to cooking, and more!
Students become stakeholders in the learning process WITHOUT having to dress up like Benjamin Franklin.
These engaging, science-backed activity ideas are a must for you high school social studies classroom. - Let's Cultivate Greatness
While teaching, we understand the importance of using high-quality resources in our lessons, especially when it comes to the fascinating world of Ancient Civilizations. However, finding reliable and free teaching resources can sometimes feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. But don't worry, fellow educators! We've done the work for you and curated a collection of eight fantastic free resources that will bring the wonders of the past to life in your classroom. From engaging reading passages to comprehensive curriculum maps, these incredible tools will make your Ancient Civilizations lessons truly memorable. So, let's embark on this journey together and explore the treasures of Ancient Civilizations with these amazing freebies!
Learn a variety of strategies on how to make history class engaging for students. Check out in this blog post.
Homeschool middle school history and have a fabulous time with the amazing tips!
Teaching historical thinking skills must be fun, engaging, and meaningful! This is how to do it!
I love review games in my US History class! Who doesn't enjoy their students reviewing content? Here's how you can play Jenga in your history classroom.
Teaching History Through Movies is a great way to make history come alive. This landing page tells how we do this, where to get & what movies we are viewing
History can be a very fascinating and exciting subject to study, but it can also be dry and boring if not done the right way. Most textbooks focus on teaching children the highlights and dates, but making history come to life is important. That’s why I encourage using living books to teach history. There are …
Teaching history doesn't have to just involve textbooks. Here is how you can teach history without textbooks or tests!
Learn about some of the incredible black makers and inventors in history with this list of fascinating books about black inventors and scientists!
How to make history fun with 60 Second Histories. These are short history clips that are now completely FREE over on Youtube!
Read both primary sources and classic living books with Beautiful Feet books Medieval history. Treachery, Bravery, True Love, and more.
History is my passion; I love history! And yet, I really don't like textbooks. Here are 30+ ways to teach history without a textbook, from books to cooking, and more!
Here is a collection of some great iPad apps we compiled specifically for history teachers. We have based our selection on World History collection in iTunes App Store and have also added some of our favourite titles from this category. We forget to hyperlink the visual but you can easily access apps pages by simply typing in the name of the app in Google search or any other search engine you use. This visual is also available in PDF format from this page.
Teach art history through children's literature with this huge book list organized according to art movement and free printable art timeline for kids!
History can be a heavy topic, and so can the games. Here'll you find some of the best games for gameschooling history, from preK to high school.
Free Ancient World History Curriculum Part 1: Ancient Civilizations/Old Testament Hi ! I'm so glad you're here ! START HERE! For an introducti ...
Finish out your history class with a bang with these creative end of the year games! They are a fun way to review history for kids, and many would work for a literature class as well. They are easily adapted for different age groups by requiring different levels of detail and complexity in their responses.…
Bring history alive with this fun hands-on history idea for World War II! Teach kids about making do with the ingredients you have by making ration cakes.
You can enjoy teaching high school history at home! Just follow these easy tips for an awesome and fun year studying history at home.
I randomly came up with this idea during the last week of school. One of my reading groups had finished their book and project before any of the other groups had finished. Instead of giving them a new book (there was only one week left), I quickly created this template and told them to pick an event in history and research it. I had one boy choose the Vikings, someone else chose the atomic bomb, a girl wanted the great depression, and another student picked the Korean war. I loved that everyone had such diverse topics. After they got started, I saw some great learning take place in my classroom! Because it's an inquiry-based activity, they generated their own questions. And because they got to choose their own topic, they were excited and felt ownership over the project. I plan on using this next year as a fun fast finisher activity. This list is something I quickly generated. {I know it is not all inclusive - if I left something off that you really want me to add on, please leave me a comment.} This would be fun to hang up somewhere in the back of the classroom so fast finishers can work on a project whenever they want. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD HISTORY DETECTIVES! * * * * * Want to hear some GREAT news? I am leaving next week on an 8 day history trip to Virginia where I get to study at the Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Institute! I also get to visit Jamestown and Yorktown. I'm so excited! I plan on posting lots of the things I learn, including pictures!
Ditch the test and create a writing-centered history classroom in which learning is more meaningful and teaching is actually easier.
Who run the world? Girls!
Hollywood has pushed out some impressive historical dramas. Here are some great quality historical movies for junior high and high school, under R.
Using primary sources to teach history can be challenging. Use these valuable tips to bring more primary sources into your teaching.
And it's one of my favorite projects that we do all year.
Hands-on activities for studying world history are the best way for your kids to get a deeper understanding of the country all around us.
Movies are a great tool for teaching history to middle and high achoolers! Here are my favorite medieval history movies.
Ditch the test and create a writing-centered history classroom in which learning is more meaningful and teaching is actually easier.
History can be a very fascinating and exciting subject to study, but it can also be dry and boring if not done the right way. Most textbooks focus on teaching children the highlights and dates, but making history come to life is important. That’s why I encourage using living books to teach history. There are …
As a classroom teacher, you often get hit with that question – usually within the first week of school by a student who “Does Not Want To Be Here”… and truthfully, how do you answer
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 →
I love incorporating history videos/documentaries into our studies!
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
Have you ever had that moment in class where you are introducing a DBQ essay and you realize your students are looking at you like you have three heads 👽? Not only do you realize that your entire lesson for the day is officially out the window, you also have to come up with something on the fly to walk your students through a DBQ and what it is. You have to remediate and you have no clue where to start. It can be a daunting task when you have a regular class, but you have ELLs, SpEd kids, and a group of 40 kids crammed in your room. Fear not! I am going to break down the DBQ essay process in this four-part blog series, and you will be able to get your students up to speed even if you are in the second semester and testing is around the corner. This four-part series will cover how to incorporate: 1) teaching students how to annotate 2) analyzing the DBQ itself 3) writing the DBQ essay 4) peer editing So let's jump in with annotating! Many students think that annotating is simply a skill used in ELA, but it is essential in the history classroom.When teaching students how to annotate a reading or a DBQ, you have to implement it consistently. That is where many teachers fall short (myself included!). They go over annotation, then forget about it after the lesson was over. Until it is a few weeks later and time to practice annotating again. They expect the students to magically remember what to do, but then the teacher gets mad at them self for not reviewing it. How can you be consistent? One way is to incorporate annotating into everyday activities. This can be done with warm-ups/bellringers, exit tickets, and homework. You want the students to be so used to annotating DBQs and readings that they start doing it in other classes. You want them to come up to you at school and tell you how they annotated something in their sleep. To start off practicing with your students, 1) pick 6-10 DBQs that pertain to a time period you (preferably) have already covered. The DBQs should be a picture of pictures and quotes/readings. 2) Cut them out and place them all on the same sheet of paper. Make it double-sided if needed. 3) make a copy for each student 4) As a class, go through the first document together. Explain what your expectations are when it comes to annotating (I like to color-code, personally). Are you lost as to what students need to know? Try out my Pre-AP/AP History Helper so students have a easy guide to reference! 5) Have students practice the second document with a partner, then review it together as a class. What did they get right? What was missed? 6) Allow students to complete the next few on their own, but also to check with a partner if they want. It makes the activity a little less overwhelming if they know they can ask a friend. It will probably being quite a painfully slow process at first. But if you spend the time to make sure that your students truly feel comfortable with annotating, it will pay off in the long run. But once again, BE CONSISTENT! Annotate at least three times a week. Next week, how to analyze the actual DBQ...
You can enjoy teaching high school history at home! Just follow these easy tips for an awesome and fun year studying history at home.
How is the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand connected to the current unrest in Iraq? According to this infographic from James Carson, founder and editor of the new website MadeFromHistory.com, the June 28, 1914 shooting...
Over 25 history board games to choose from for your homeschool or classroom, or as the perfect gift for the history lover in your life!
History can be a very fascinating and exciting subject to study, but it can also be dry and boring if not done the right way. Most textbooks focus on teaching children the highlights and dates, but making history come to life is important. That’s why I encourage using living books to teach history. There are …