The Teaching American History Project: Lessons for History Educators and Historians

The premise of the Teaching American History (TAH) project―a discretionary grant program funded under the U.S. Department of Education’s Elementary and Secondary Education Act― is that in order to teach history better, teachers need to know more history. Unique among professional development programs in emphasizing specific content to be taught over a particular pedagogical approach, TAH grants assist schools in implementing scientifically-based research methods for improving the quality of instruction, professional development, and teacher education in American history.

Illustrating the diversity of these programs as they have been implemented in local education agencies throughout the nation, this collection of essays and research reports from TAH participants provides models for historians, teachers, teacher educators, and others interested in the teaching and learning of American History, and presents examples of lessons learned from a cross-section of TAH projects. Each chapter presents a narrative of innovation, documenting collaboration between classroom, community, and the academy that gives immediate and obvious relevance to the teaching and learning process of American history. By sharing these narratives, this book expands the impact of emerging practices from individual TAH projects to reach a larger audience across the nation.

Rachel G. Ragland is Assistant Professor of Education at Lake Forest College. She currently serves as the Director of Clinical Partnerships for the Education Department and is a national co-editor for the H-NET Humanities and Social Sciences Online Discussion Network on Teaching American History. She was Assistant Academic Director for the Model Collaboration: Rethinking American History TAH grant from 2001-2004 and a TAH grant reviewer in 2007.

Kelly A. Woestman is Professor of History and History Education Director at Pittsburg (KS) State University. She has written or co-written twelve Teaching American History grants, and has served as Project Director for 5 grants in Kansas and as external evaluator for TAH grants in Missouri, New Mexico, Colorado, and Maryland. A founding editor of the H-TAH list community, she was elected President of H-Net Humanities and Social Sciences Online (www.h-net.org) for 2009.