I’ve built history simulations for years, first as massive PowerPoints and now as interactive web pages. This post explains what I look for in a good simulation, its limits, and how my students live through the Reformation as a prince, peasant, printer, nun, or priest.
AP Comparative Government and Politics Resources
I’ve been teaching AP Comparative Government long enough now that I feel confident sharing my resources. This year, one of my focuses has been streamlining my slide decks with Claude so each unit has a more consistent design. Less time fighting with formatting, more time on content and enrichment resources. The tricky thing about this … Continue reading AP Comparative Government and Politics Resources
Finding AP World Primary Sources While Exploring Xi’an
I did not expect much from a museum famous for its 8,000 horse tethering posts. But tucked inside its relocated Ming and Qing buildings were a 1910 calligraphy piece criticizing the examination system and a wall of Cultural Revolution plaques quoting Mao, both with real potential for AP World lessons.
Proving the Earth Isn’t Flat: A 9th Grade DBQ Inquiry
I opened the school year by asking 9th graders to prove or disprove the flat earth myth. The hinge of the whole inquiry is a fabricated 1828 source that some textbooks still reference without knowing it's fiction. Four days later, every student had a full DBQ, a writing sample, and (I hope) a little more suspicion toward a good story.
Getting Interdisciplinary Help for History Day Topics
I asked my colleagues for topic ideas outside the usual History Day suspects. Here's what they gave me, and how I turned it into posters for my students.
Reclaiming Inquiry and PBL with National History Day
Inquiry and PBL get thrown around so often they've lost meaning for a lot of teachers. This post digs into what these strategies actually require when done well, using National History Day as a working example. Resources are linked.
Unplugging Note-Taking in AP World
My strongest students have organized their notes on their own for years. Many of them were already using analog notebooks even though I provide everything digitally. That told me something.
Yes, We’re Doing Historiography in High School
Historiography is often treated as a university-only exercise, but it belongs in the high school classroom. When taught intentionally, it helps students see history as an interpretive discipline, strengthens historical thinking and argumentation, and invites students to engage historians as participants in an ongoing conversation rather than distant authorities.
Games and Simulations in Social Studies
Games and simulations give students something traditional instruction can’t: the chance to step inside a system and make meaningful decisions with real consequences. When used intentionally, whether to model abstract concepts like legitimacy or to explore content-rich scenarios like diplomacy, state-building, or economic behavior, games transform learning from something students receive to something they actively experience, question, and apply.
National History Day Resources
This post highlights ongoing efforts to expand and improve National History Day (NHD) resources in China. From teacher workshops on historical thinking to new classroom tools and an upcoming resource booklet, it reflects a commitment to helping educators and students engage deeply with inquiry, research, and the process of doing history.