Teaching with Documents from the National Archives

The Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights…and billions—yes, billions—of other textual records along with millions of photographs, hundreds of thousands of reels of motion pictures, audiotapes, maps, and architectural drawings—these are the holdings of the National Archives.

The National Archives preserves and makes available the permanently valuable records of our federal government, and educators can put these records to work in the classroom to help students grasp, appreciate, and enjoy the lessons of United States history. During Teaching With Documents From the National Archives, the Archives education staff demonstrate how teachers can keep students engaged while presenting the lessons that our nation’s documents can teach. These educators also share the documents they love to teach with as well as how the National Archives web site and its teaching activities are correlated to the National History Standards, National Standards for Civics and Government, and cross-curricular connections. Teaching with the primary documents from the National Archives will encourage a varied learning environment for teachers and students alike.