Lesson Plans - History Day - Government Information Resources

Educator Resources and Lesson Plans

Below is a list of lesson plans available from major Government Agencies. Also view the individual state guides.

Library of Congress

Blog: Teaching with the Library of Congress
The official blog of the teaching resources at the Library of Congress
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Site: "Discover and discuss the most effective techniques for using Library of Congress primary sources in the classroom. Teaching strategies, outstanding primary sources, lesson plans, teacher resources, and current thinking on effective classroom practice are all open for discussion."
"The Library of Congress has millions of primary sources available for free online. Teaching with primary sources is powerful way to help students engage with content, build their critical thinking skills, and construct knowledge."
Classroom Materials (Library of Congress)
Classroom Materials created by teachers for teachers, these ready-to-use materials provide easy ways to incorporate the Library’s unparalleled primary sources into instruction.
Getting Started with Primary Sources
From the Library of Congress Teachers Portal. Includes tools to help teachers - including classroom materials.
Teacher Programs - Library of Congress
The Library of Congress offers classroom materials and professional development to help teachers effectively use primary sources from the Library's vast digital collections in their teaching.
Teachers - Library of Congress
Site: "The Library of Congress offers classroom materials and professional development to help teachers effectively use primary sources from the Library's vast digital collections in their teaching."
Teaching with Primary Sources Partner Program
This program involves grants from the Library of Congress.
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Site: "The Library of Congress awards grants to a wide variety of organizations, including K-12 schools, universities, literacy organizations, centers, clubs, historical societies, museums, libraries, associations of home-schooling parents and caregivers, honor societies, and other community, civic, professional, state, regional, and national groups that expand the body of innovative strategies, tools, and materials for meaningful teaching and learning with Library of Congress materials."

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)

Civics for All of Us
Civics for All of US is a new education initiative by the National Archives that promotes civic literacy and engagement.
DocsTeach
This site provides a variety of activities using documents from the National Archives. These activities were created by educators. Docs Teach also provides thousands of primary sources for use in classroom activities.
The Center for Legislative Archives Educational Resources
The Center for Legislative Archives—part of the National Archives—maintains some of the most historically valuable documents created by the federal government: the records of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. Educators can use these historical documents to teach about representative democracy, how Congress works, and the important role Congress has played throughout American history.
National Archives Educator Resources
Includes several resources for educators including lesson plans for working with primary sources, professional development opportunities, and resources for distance learning.
National History Day Online Research Tools
NARA - National Archives. presented by time period.
Teacher Resources - National History Day
This is the National History Day Teacher Resources website

National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH)

Teacher's Guide: Preparing for National History Day
EDSITEment! teacher's guide, presented by annual theme.

National Park Service (NPS)

Resources for Students & Teachers Participating in National History Day
National Historic Trails are full of topics waiting to be researched! This guide provides a starting point for researching trails and trail sites.
Teaching with Historic Places
National Park Service (NPS): Teaching with Historic Places (TwHP) offers teaching tools and lesson plans to help educators engage young people with powerful stories representing America’s diverse history. Historic places in National Parks and in the National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places enliven history, social studies, geography, civics, and other subjects.

Smithsonian Institution

For Educators - Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution offers an extensive collection of online lesson plans, interactive activities, and multimedia materials, all tailored to various grade levels and subjects. Educators can access primary source documents, museum exhibits, and expert-curated content, allowing them to enhance their classroom instruction and engage students in rich, real-world learning experiences.

United States House of Representatives

Education - U.S. House of Representatives
Discover ways to bring history to life with featured materials, lesson plans, and resources which highlight the fascinating people and customs of the U.S. House of Representatives.

White House Historical Association

K-12 Education: Resources and Programs - White House Historical Association
Discover and share the rich history of the White House through the White House Historical Association’s K-12 education resources, programs, and partnerships. These offerings cover a wide range of topics throughout United States history. Want to be the first to know about updates and new K-12 education resources and programs? Sign up for our WHHA Education E-Newsletter by clicking the button below.
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Previous versions archived in WayBack Machine at https://web.archive.org/web/20240401000000*/https://www.whitehousehistory.org/rubenstein-center/k-12-education-resources-and-programs
White House Historical Association
The White House Historical Association is a private, nonprofit organization founded in 1961 by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy with a mission to protect, preserve, and provide public access to the rich history of America’s Executive Mansion.
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Previous versions archived in WayBack Machine at https://web.archive.org/web/20250215000000*/https://www.whitehousehistory.org/