I already have an associates in history and I am transferring to a state university. My plan is to get a bachelor's and then a masters in history. Afterwards I'll get my teaching license. Is this a sound plan?

Hi, I am currently a sophomore majoring in social studies education. I do wanna be a history teacher, but it seems like the job market is tough with history teachers. So I was thinking about doing double major in special ed or english ed. Which one do you think would be more beneficial in the job market? And can I still get certificates on english education without having to study them as my major? (because of all the field placement I would have, I don't think it's feasible to have three majors) Also I do have a concentration in ELL ed.

Hello all,

I am in quite a strange predicament. I am in my fifth year teaching (fourth year at current school) and I have a problem. The school that I am teaching at is a small private school (and getting smaller every year); this year I have a US History class with only 2 students. How do I go about teaching with such a small class? What do I do when one of the students is gone for a couple days?

Thanks for any advice.

I’m currently building a world history course and have a teacher textbook that I use to help structure my lessons. My biggest issue though is with creating quizzes and tests. I’m capable of writing my own questions, but it gets pretty tiresome. Any suggestions or resources any of you have? I have 6 preps, so “beg, borrow, and steal” is definitely the motto I live by.

Btw, the teacher textbook I have is the 2013 McGraw-Hill History of the World book with King Tut on the cover.

Edit for clarity: the teacher textbook does not contain any quizzes or questions.

Hello y'all,

In the age of AI, our school community has decided to ramp down the tech use. We are in a transition year where we are going to be shopping for a new 6-8 social studies curriculum, and a must-have is a physical textbook that goes with it (I know some are digital only). It would be MS World History (Ancient Civilizations such as Egypt, Rome etc.), MS US History (Age of Exploration until around the Cold War. We seperate it into two years).

Anyone have any recommendations? Currently we have HMH; I find it too content dense. There is too much of a focus on just drowning them in vocab, and there is no way to get through it all unless you make the whole thing a slog.

Hi, everyone! I’m in my senior year of college for Integrated Social Studies. During the fall I have to complete 100 hours of observation and plan/teach a KATE Step. I’ll be planning for and teaching the same class period everyday for 10 school days. Just looking for tips and/or advice!

Hi All, I’m looking for first week activities to do with an eighth grade US history class. I don’t want to dive straight into the curriculum, and would love any ideas or suggestions for what to do the first few days. Thanks!

Okay my brain needs a break please help.

2nd week in and I am already behind! I started with developing history skills and why/how to study history and going into world religions for unit 1. Basically just laying the foundation for the course for the most part.

I am getting used to the Cornell style of notes and such myself but I have 9th graders so they expect everything to be handed to them. I've previously just done fill-in the blank notes in the past few years and the students just don't grasp the concepts when I have the notes like that so I'm trying to switch to cornell in the hopes that it will get their brains working again...

Anyway I advised my students at the beginning of class that I wouldn't just be lecturing them and instead my intention was to have them create a dialog and discussion but I would lead them through it and they needed to listen in order to write down what needed to go in the notes. They didn't understand and hen I tried to break it down to explain further/ask questions they completely shut down. I won't lie I gave up and just put my teacher complete notes up and said copy it down.

I had planned an escape room on monday in order to review for their unit 1 test on tuesday but I'm skeptical that they will have understood enough for the activity or the test. I don't usually go back and reteach because we have so much material to get through.

I was talking with a mentor today and she suggested reteaching the lesson (it's a two day lesson though) giving the cornell prompts/questions on index cards first and have the kids pair up; give my lecture and have the students just listen; then have the students go over the index cards individually and together and try to answer the questions; give the lecture again and they correct their index card questions together; give the lecture again and have them fill in the cornell notes.

While I can understand the thought process I just keep thinking about it and how it seems like too much repetition and honestly I highly doubt these kids will do it. Not to mention I am also doing an interactive notebook so do I have them redo the notes completely? When I say they only copy from the slides I mean it. Copy, head down, copy, head down....

My question, I guess, is.... Do I go back and spend two days reteaching, doing those notes again, and spend the time with the index card repetition..... or do I take the L, press on, and try the cornell notes again on a new lesson? I know trying new things takes time and practice but I am frustrated as I have been trying to figure out a note system and this is going on year three. I have these students every single day for 80 minutes a day for the first semester. January brings a new set of kids... I want them to think but I also have 20 IEP/504/EL students throughout two different classes....

Hi everyone! Happy Self-Promo Saturday!

If you assign open educational resources (OER) or digital textbooks in your APUSH, dual-enrollment, high school, or college history courses, I wanted to share a free resource we at Audileo built to support student reading comprehension: 100% free, unabridged audiobook editions of leading open history textbooks.

Dense historical reading assignments can be a significant hurdle for students, especially auditory learners, students with IEP/504 accommodations, or high schoolers balancing demanding extracurricular schedules.

Audileo produced complete, high-quality OER audio companions that students can stream on demand directly from their phones or laptops with no paywalls and no sign-ups required.

Available Free OER History Audiobooks:

1. The American Yawp Audiobook Volume 1 (first edition)

2. The American Yawp Audiobook Volume 2 (first edition)

3. The American Yawp Audiobook Volume 1 (second edition, 2026)

4. The American Yawp Audiobook Volume 2 (second edition, 2026)

5. World History: Cultures, States, and Societies to 1500 Audiobook (UNG Press)

How Educators Use History Audiobooks in the Classroom:

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) & Accommodations: Provide instant audio reading support for IEP/504 students without needing clunky text-to-speech extensions.

Sub Plans & In-Class Listening: Play primary source analysis or chapter sections during quiet work time, primary source deep-dives, or group activities.

Commuter & Multitasking Study: Students can listen while commuting, riding the bus, doing chores, or following along with text visually to boost reading retention.

Where to Access:

You can stream or bookmark the complete audio chapters directly at Audileo.com or YouTube.

Feel free to link these audio companions in your Canvas, Google Classroom, Schoology, or course syllabus resource pages!

Quick Question for History Teachers:

What other open history textbooks, primary source readers, or OER history materials are you assigning in your classrooms this year? We're actively expanding our audio catalog for educators and would love your recommendations! Please write them in the comments.

Thanks for all the incredible work you do in your classrooms every day!

Hi everyone, I recently started a high school position this week after 18 years teaching middle school. We have 90 minute blocks and it's already starting to feel a little stale. I teach 9-11th graders U.S. history, world history, and government. Just have a few questions. What are your go to activities for these classes that students really engage with and what does your daily routine look like?

Thanks in advance!

Everything Policy publishes free, facts-forward course content for social studies, history, government, and civics classes. All of the content is available at everythingpolicy.filecamp.com.

Here's a list of the topics you'll find on our site. Each includes an on-level policy brief and discussion questions; many also have teacher background information and class active-learning exercises.

Analyzing Politics and Policy

Putting Facts First: A 360 Perspective on Policy

The Difference Between Facts and Opinions

The Problem with Simple Solutions to Policy Problems

Business and the Economy

Economic Policy

Economic Well-Being

Housing Affordability

Inflation

Minimum Wage

Offshoring

Section 230

Sovereign Wealth Funds

Trade

Unemployment

Unions

Where Are The New Jobs?

Constitution

Adam Smith

America’s 250th: Elbridge Gerry and Federalism

America’s 250th: George Washington and Political Parties

Bill of Rights/Selective Incorporation

Birthright Citizenship

Due Process

Equal Protection

Federalism

Freedom of Press

Freedom of Religion

Freedom of Speech

Is America a Democracy or a Republic?

National Service

Protest in America: Your Rights and Their Limits

Regulating the Internet: Section 230

Right to Bear Arms

Right to Privacy

Voting Rights Act

Crime and Law Enforcement

Crime Rates and Violent Crime

Police Misconduct

Trends in Urban Crime

Education

The Nation's Education Report Card

What if the Department of Education is Eliminated?

International Students and U.S. Education

College Debt Forgiveness

Standardized Tests

Vocational Education

School Funding

Energy and Environment

AI and Power Usage

AI Data Centers

Cap and Trade

Carbon Sequestration

Climate Change

Decarbonization

Electric Car Infrastructure

Energy Tax Credits

EVs: How Many Charging Stations

Fracking

Hurricanes and Climate Change

Regulating Carbon Dioxide

Renewable Energy

General Government

Bureaucratic Authority

Classified Documents

Epstein Files

Espionage Act

Federalizing the National Guard

Judicial Authority

Legislative Authority

Presidential Authority

Tariff Authority: President vs. Congress

What Does the Department of Education Regulate?

What Limits Are There On Executive Orders?

Healthcare

Healthcare for the Undocumented

Healthcare: Cost and Access

Hospital Closures

How Does Single Payer Vary Across Nations?

Long-Term Care for Seniors

Lowering Prescription Drug Prices

Medicaid Expansion

Medicaid Work Requirements

Medicare for All

PBMs and the Fight Over Drug Prices

Right to Try

Single Payer Health Care

Single Payer in the U.S: Veterans Administration Healthcare

The Debate Over Health Care Subsidies

What are the ACA Subsidies

What's Driving Higher Prescription Drug Prices?

Why Health Care Varies By State

Immigration

Authorized Immigration

Border Crisis

Border Policies

Border Security

Crime and Migration: A Closer Look

Criminalizing Immigration Policy

Do Non-Citizens Have Social Security Numbers?

Immigration and Crime

Refugees and Asylum

Sanctuary Cities

Sources of Immigration

Unauthorized Immigration

Where Do Migrants Live?

International Relations

U.S. Capture of Venezuelan President Maduro

U.S. Strikes on Iran

Legislative Politics

Congressional Lawmaking

Discharge Petitions

Polarization: How Representatives Talk About Each Other

Term Limits and Legislative Productivity

Why Are There So Few Moderates in Congress

Would Term Limits Impact Congressional Careers?

Media

Media Use

Digital Divide

Media Bias

Regulation of the Media

Politics and Elections

Ballot Harvesting

Counting Votes

Gerrymandering

How Many Americans are in Information Silos?

Mid-Cycle Gerrymandering

Nonpartisan Gerrymandering

Polling

Purging Voter Rolls

The 2026 Midterms

The SAVE Act

Voter ID

Voting Outside the Polling Site

When Will We Know Who Won The 2024 Election?

Why Two Political Parties?

Social Policy

Abortion

DEI Initiatives and Air Traffic Control

Taxing and Spending

Balanced Budget

Can Presidents Refuse To Spend Appropriated Funds?

Changes in the 2025 Budget Reconciliation Bill

Defense Spending

Deficit Cutting Proposals: Introduction

Deficit Cutting Proposals: Republicans

Deficit Cutting Proposals: Problem Solvers Caucus

Deficit Reduction Proposals: Democrats

Discretionary Spending

Domestic Spending

Entitlements

Government Shutdown and TSA

Government Shutdown: What Representatives are Saying

Government Shutdowns: What, How, Why

National Debt

USAID and Staff Reductions

What is Doge Doing?

What the 2025 Reconciliation Bill Means

Hi everyone, we’re testing an idea for a free Classroom Pack, but before building it I want to better understand what teachers already do.

When you need to teach terms like provisional ballot, canvass, certification, or undervote, how do you handle it now?

Do you make your own vocabulary sheets, build slides, use Quizlet, pull definitions from different sources, or simply explain terms as they come up?

The idea we’re testing would let teachers choose only the election terms they need and turn them into a ready-to-use pack with:

• plain-English, source-backed definitions;
• short quizzes or activities;
• printable or projectable formats;
• no student login.

The goal is simple: less time building vocabulary resources from scratch.

We’ve made a concept preview here:

Preview the Classroom Pack concept

What I’d really like to know:

What do you use now, and what part of preparing election vocabulary takes more time or effort than it should?

And if your current method already works well, tell me that too. That’s just as useful before we decide what to build.

Thanks!

Teachers, can this help you?

Since it’s Self-Promo Saturday, I wanted to share something I personally built.

It is an iOS app called Worldly Geography, a free iPhone geography game built around the idea that before we can understand the history of the world, we need a mental picture of where "the world" actually is.

The main game gives you a blank world map and a timer, and you type as many of the 196 countries as you can remember. As you name them, they fill in on the map. There are also flag and capital games, a slower learning mode organized by continent, and multiplayer where two people compete to name countries first. Every day, you learn about one countries language, government, and culture.

I originally built it because learning the world map had a surprisingly large effect on how I understood history, politics, international news, and other cultures.

But I'm not a teacher, so I'm curious, could something like this actually be useful in a classroom or even homework? The kids love it at home, and don't even realize that they are learning. Because its multiplayer, it brings out a healthy competitive nature in them.

If any of you try it out, I would love to know, could you see students using it as a warm-up, challenge, review activity, or something else? And more importantly, what would it need to have for you to realistically use it with students?

I'd love feedback from teachers.

The app is called Worldly: Geography Map Wiz on the App Store. It's 100% free. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/worldly-geography-map-wiz/id6743803487

The redesigned Timelines Game is now faster, cleaner, and much more interactive. The new UI makes placing events on the timeline smoother with improved drag-and-drop, clearer insertion zones, better card animations, flexible game lengths, and a streamlined leaderboard. After finishing a game, you can also review your mistakes directly on the timeline, with missed cards visually highlighted for quick learning and replay.
It’s FREE to play — up to 5 cards without logging in, and unlimited games once you log in.
https://history-maps.com/timelinesgame

I’ve been looking at ways of making Tudor history a bit more active for children rather than relying mainly on facts and worksheets.
I put together some ideas for using drama to explore the Tudors, including getting children into role and looking at historical events from different perspectives.
Thought it might be useful for anyone teaching the Tudors or looking for ways to combine history and drama.

https://dramastartbooks.com/2026/08/24/teaching-the-tudors-through-drama-tudor-plays-for-children/

Hello everyone, 

5th year teacher, but first year teaching United States history for 8th graders. I was hoping to get some help with finding materials, units, lessons, or all of the above for the American Revolution! 

Thank you in advance!

Help! I am a 4th year teacher but new to my district. I’m having trouble wrapping my mind around how to teach and organize the combo class I was given. If anyone has any experience or ideas please throw em at me!!

It is an alternative high school setting, I’ll be teaching high-risk 10-12th graders. We are Standards Based. I’m teaching 3 sections of a combo class that is US History and Government. HOWEVER, not every student is enrolled in both courses. Some are in both, some are in History, and some are in Government. I have four 50 minute class periods per week, Wednesday is for students ti catch up on work and no new content is delivered.

How would you structure this?