By Bridgette Byrd O’Connor It’s that time of year again: the countdown to the final day of school. Maybe you're reading this while helping students wrap up final projects, proctoring exams, or tackling the grading that stands between you ...

Trevor Getz, OER Project Team Picture this: You’re a Viking, struggling to eke out a living on the shores of Greenland as a glacier slips closer to your house each year. You’re an Italian musician, and you’re holding one of the fin...

Fellow educators, Having been a part of the OER Project as both a teacher and staff member, I know firsthand how powerful the collaboration between classroom educators and OER Project materials can be for student learning. When I took the helm as dir...

By Molly Sinnott When you’re looking for a new coffee maker, you look to see what other consumers have said about the product, right? Is it intuitive to use? Is it built to last? And perhaps most importantly, does it make good coffee?  So ...

By Dr. Deb L. Morrison  Do you want to teach about climate change but worry about how parents may react?  You’re not alone.  Research tells us that approximately 30% of all teachers are concerned that parents may complain if thei...

By Bridgette Byrd O’Connor  We live in a world that bombards us with data. News organizations include charts and graphs as evidence to support their arguments. Politicians haul out poster-size charts when they debate bills. You can even si...

By Trevor Getz My favorite teacher in high school wasn’t actually my teacher. That is to say, when it came time for me to take AP® US history, I was assigned the boring instructor whose students always passed the test, rather than the guita...

By Jodi Pincus and Trevor Getz I don’t remember learning much about different occupations in high school. I also don’t remember learning career-readiness skills like résumé writing, job-hunting, or interview techniques. Mayb...

By Trevor Getz, OER Project TeamSan Francisco, USA We’re publishing this blog as part of an exciting announcement: a fully remodeled Climate Project is coming your way this April! We’re previewing the launch with a sneak peek at some of o...

By Rachel Phillips, Senior Measurement & Learning Lead, OER Project Research indicates that teachers are supplementing their primary curricula more than ever before. Eager to understand this growing trend in the profession, OER Project commi...

By Bridgette Byrd O’Connor, OER Project Team
Louisiana, USA

Since 1987, March has been celebrated as National Women’s History Month. In recognition, OER Project’s new Women in History: Political and Scientific Achievements hub page brings together a strong collection of lessons with articles, videos, and activities to inspire your students. But women’s history wasn’t always as widely recognized as it…

By Rachel PhillipsSenior Measurement & Learning Lead, OER Project Introduction Narratives are the heart of history. They are critical for history education because stories are one of the most powerful ways people learn. Stories build connections ...

By Trevor Getz, OER Project Team
San Francisco, USA

This is the final in a three-part series on the use of comics in the social studies classroom, focusing largely on Black creators and subjects, both in recognition of Black History Month and also to acknowledge the importance of celebrating diverse voices year-round. Originally published in February 2021, we think it makes for a great introduction to the genre. Click …

By Trevor Getz, OER Project Team
San Francisco, USA

This is the second in a three-part series on the use of comics in the social studies classroom, focusing largely on Black creators and subjects, both in recognition of Black History Month and also to acknowledge the importance of celebrating diverse voices year-round. Originally published in February 2021, we think it makes for a great introduction to the genre. Click …

By Trevor Getz, OER Project Team
San Francisco, USA

This is the first in a three-part series on the use of comics in the social studies classroom, focusing largely on Black creators and subjects, both in recognition of Black History Month and also to acknowledge the importance of celebrating diverse voices year-round. Originally published in February 2021, we think it makes for a great introduction to the genre. Click h…

By Sharon Cohen, WHP Teacher
Maryland, USA

In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, all kinds of women became active in the fight for change. WHP’s Revolutionary Women activity gives students a chance to engage with one of these revolutionaries and explore how they pushed the boundaries of the status quo.

As part of our new collection of lessons and resources on the Age of Revolutions, we’re re-surfacing some…

By Trevor Getz
San Francisco, USA

Editor's Note: We’re bringing you some historical holiday cheer and re-publishing this blog post alongside a new lesson plan on teaching change and continuity over time (CCOT). Visit our one-stop shop for all things CCOT to find an introductory lesson, a collection of teaching tools, advice from educators, and even a downloadable bookmark to help your students as they practice…

By Trevor Getz, OER Project Team
San Francisco, USA

Editor's Note: Farming vs. foraging—the debate lives on! The Agricultural (or Neolithic) Revolution marked a turning point in the history of humanity and shaped societies in every region of the world. And like most things in history, we can’t boil down this monumental event to simply “good” or “bad.” We’ve pulled together

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By Monica H. Green, Guest Expert Editor's note: We’re dusting off this "vintage" blog as part of our new collection of Sourcing lesson plans. This post explores some of the essential documents regarding the Black Death, and it makes a great pre...

By Bridgette Byrd O’Connor The Columbian Exchange was a monumental turning point in our history, so it’s no surprise that it’s likely a topic that appears somewhere in your course plan, whether you teach world or American history an...

The world has never been more wondrous or complex—or more fragile. Today's students of history need guidance to understand how climate, economics, and politics shape our world. These resources will help! www.youtube.com/watch--> Is the wo...

By Bennett Sherry Everything is awful When we’re asked, “Are things getting better?” a pessimistic quip is often our default response. Many people think things are even getting worse. Hans Rosling, the medical doctor and educator wh...

By Molly Sinnott Collective learning is a focal point in Big History and World History Project courses, in large part because it highlights for students our unique human ability to share, store, and pass on information. And it’s not difficult t...

By Bridgette Byrd O’Connor Now that the glow of spring break has faded, there’s probably one pressing concern on your students’ minds. No, not the start of summer break—it’s the AP exam. If you’re racing to get thr...

By Kristen Potter In the Climate Project, students research “big thorny” climate problems and then make plans to take action in their communities in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But which specific group of people do they ...