Attention, educators! Join the National Archives and Presidential Libraries this summer for free, online and onsite professional development opportunities. Learn about topics such as Presidential Character and Decision Making, the Bill of Rights and the Constitution, and the Three Branches. Review the opportunities and learn more on the Education Updates blog.
Whether you are a teacher or a learner in an online or in-person environment, the National Archives has an abundance of resources for students and educators.
Our Educator Resources webpage contains information and resources on working with primary sources, free distance learning programs, professional development, civic education, and more. Our standards-based, interactive programs can accommodate students connecting from home or the classroom. Learn more and sign up on our Distance Learning Programs page.
Kid Detectives: History Camp at the National Archives (Ages 11–15)
Join us for Kid Detectives: History Camp! Discover how your family’s past connects to American history during this exciting and fun week at the National Archives. Work with other kid detectives and the National Archives Education staff to sleuth out your history using the resources of the National Archives!
Camp meets July 11–15, 11 a.m.–12 noon each day online.
Curious about the most viewed and sought out documents in the holdings of the National Archives? Explore the Milestone Documents website! This newly redesigned website features digitized primary source documents that highlight pivotal moments in the course of American history or government.
The website organizes the documents by historical era, and features an interactive timeline to explore documents chronologically. Each document has historical context, a transcript, links to images in our Catalog, as well as a link to DocsTeach, NARA's online tool for teaching with documents, where you can find teaching activities that incorporate the document.
History Hub has featured a variety of questions related to many of the Milestone Documents, including the Louisiana Purchase, the Homestead Act, the 19th Amendment, and Executive Order 9066, resulting in the internment of persons of Japanese origin during World War II.
Bring history to life with DocsTeach! DocsTeach is the online tool for teaching with primary sources from the National Archives. Access hundreds of ready-made online activities for students. And find thousands of primary source documents on a variety of topics in American history and civics. You can search by era, thinking skill, activity type, or grade level. You can even select documents and teaching activities based on popular topics such as National History Day, Rights in America, and the Records of Congress.
Get ready for National History Day 2023!
The 2023 National History Day Theme is “Frontiers in History: People, Places, Ideas.” Use this special DocsTeach page from the National Archives to help your students prepare for National History Day 2023. Find primary sources for possible topics, resources, and choose teaching activities to get them thinking about frontiers in history.
Frontier themes feature prominently in many History Hub questions, including themes around Exploration and Expansion, Civil Rights, and Space Exploration:
Do you know a student who needs some volunteer hours? Our Citizen Archivist program may just work for them. This volunteer opportunity is best suited to those in 8th grade and above, where participants can find a variety of records to tag and transcribe. While we are unable to certify volunteer hours, school programs regularly accept work in the Citizen Archivist program.
Visit our Resources page for how-to instructions and videos before you begin to participate.
Visit our FAQ page to learn more about tracking your volunteer hours.
Are you a teacher interested in using the Citizen Archivist program in your classroom? Contact us for more information and guidance: citizenarchivist@nara.gov
Bureau of Indian Affairs School Newspapers 1960-1970
Help us transcribe school newspapers from Bureau of Indian Affairs schools throughout Alaska. The newspapers include news about school activities such as sports; dances; special projects by different classes; and programs including plays, 4-H club events, and student council affairs. You should not try to recreate the layout of the newspaper, just capture the text in a logical fashion. Every word you transcribe helps to make these records more searchable and accessible online. Get started transcribing!
Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, 1793 - 1999, Newspapers, 1960 - 1970, Newhaven thru Nunupitchuk. National Archives Identifier 72036898 page 3
