History Education Articles for Teachers - Page 3

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 framers of the ...

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’s fear. Here are so...

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 of creative...

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 accomplishments after her...

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, I’m n...

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 l...

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 Genre...

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 ...