History Resources: Books / Articles

The Declaration of Independence illustrated by Sam Fink is VERY useful when teaching students about the grievances that led colonists to break free from British rule. I've shown the students the illustration first to ask them to describe what colonists might have been fighting against - and THEN we read segments of the document.

Down and Out in the Great Depression is a collection of letters written by people during this time in US History. My students really connected to the letters from this book that we examined - not only did this increase student engagement but it deepened their understanding of the topic.

Speeches that Changed the World - Excellent collection of key speeches accompanied by brief historical background. In a similar vein Letters of a Nation is also a great collection of engaging primary source documents.

My personal "History Superhero" is Howard Zinn. If you are looking to build background or experience a fresh perspective on historical events - A Peoples History of the United States is a must.

If you're looking for ways to support literacy in Social Studies you should read through Laura Robb's Teaching Reading in Social Studies, Science and Math.