Browse best practices

Alamance County Historical Museum

Learn about the history of Alamance County on a field trip to this museum.

American Indians in North Carolina

In this course you'll explore American Indian history in North Carolina from the earliest evidence of human habitation in the state through first contact with Europeans, the Trail of Tears, the Great Depression, the Civil Rights Movement, and into the present day.

Format: article/online course

American Indians in North Carolina: Online course syllabus

Syllabus for the online course "American Indians in North Carolina" which explores Native American history in North Carolina from the earliest evidence of human habitation in the state through first contact with Europeans, the Trail of Tears, the Great Depression, the Civil Rights Movement, and into the present day.

Format: syllabus

American Indians in the United States

This online course examines American Indian history in the United States from the earliest evidence of human habitation through first contact with Europeans, conflicts in the West, World War II and other key events in 20th century U.S. history, the American Indian rights movement, and into the present day.

Format: article/online course

CareerStart lessons: Grade eight

This collection of lessons aligns the eighth grade curriculum in math, science, English language arts, and social studies with potential career opportunities.

Format: (multiple pages)

Cherokee language recordings

In Teaching about North Carolina American Indians, page 3.4

While many North Carolina students have heard languages from some parts of the world spoken in the context of their daily lives – Spanish, French, or Chinese, for example – they may not have heard American Indian languages and, as a result, do not know...

Format: bibliography/teacher's guide

By Myrtle Driver, Kevin Norris, and Kathryn Walbert.

Intrigue of the Past

Lesson plans and essays for teachers and students explore North Carolina's past before European contact. Designed for grades four through eight, the web edition of this book covers fundamental concepts, processes, and issues of archaeology, and describes the peoples and cultures of the Paleoindian, Archaic, Woodland, and Mississippian periods.

Format: book (multiple pages)

North Carolina history: Grade 4 educator's guide

This educator's guide provides teaching suggestions designed to facilitate using the digital North Carolina history textbook with fourth-grade students.

Format: (multiple pages)

The search for El Dorado

The legend of El Dorado predates the arrival of Spaniards in South America. The Chibcha people of present-day Colombia apparently performed an annual ritual where the leader was coated in fine gold dust, which he then washed off in a lake during a solemn ceremony....

By William M. Wisser.

Shadows of a people: Introduction

In Intrigue of the Past, page 4.1

Lessons in this part stand alone, yet link to and expand on some tidbit in Chapter 3. They focus emphasize that the “Indians” Columbus met were not frozen in time as many people even today believe. Their history is one of time passage, of journeys, of adaptations, of settling, of interactions, of conflict—everything that is the fabric of life.

Teaching about Thanksgiving

Resources and activities to help you bring historical accuracy, cultural sensitivity, and a broader context to discussions about the quintessentially American holiday.

Format: article

By Kathryn Walbert.

The Trail of Tears comprehension quiz

Comprehension quiz to accompany The Walking Classroom The Trail of Tears lesson plan.

Format: document/worksheet

Two worlds: Educator's guide

Lesson plans and activities to be used with "Two Worlds: Prehistory, Contact, and the Lost Colony" -- the first part of a North Carolina history textbook for secondary students.

Format: book (multiple pages)

Resources on the web

The Museum of the Native American Resource Center

Online exhibits include contemporary art, music, interviews, artifacts, and prehistoric tools and weapons. Special focus is given to the Lumbee of Robeson County, North Carolina. (Learn more)

Format: website/general

Provided by: University of North Carolina at Pembroke

Tracking the Buffalo: Stories from a Buffalo Hide Painting

Students follow the guidelines and take a journey through the process of discovery as they complete this an activity centered around understanding the painting on a buffalo hide. As they examine a buffalo hide, answer the questions, and consider the clues,... (Learn more)

Format: website/activity

Provided by: Smithsonian Institution