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Department of State

New Jersey Historical Commission

The Hon. Tahesha Way, Lt. Governor and Secretary of State
Ellis Island

Materials for Teachers

Revolution NJ | NJ Women Vote | It Happened Here | Field Trips | History Kids | Electronic NJ | Around & About NJ | NJ Legacy | NJ History Partnership | Topical Guide

Revolution NJ

Educators can now access professional development opportunities and teaching resourcess from Revolution NJ, New Jersey's initiative to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026. Members of the public can also access a state-wide survey of K-12 social studies education in New Jersey, coordinated by Revolution NJ in 2020: www.njsocialstudies.org.

NJ Women Vote Video Series

Beginning in 1776 and concluding in the 1964, the NJ Women Vote video series demonstrates that the struggle for the right to vote is as relevant now as it was nearly 250 years ago. Over the course of five, 90-second installments, the series explores the changes to voting rights in New Jersey over time, noting who determined the limits of suffrage, and how those who were denied the franchise sought to secure it. It also highlights leading voices in New Jersey’s suffrage movements, and interrogates the challenges that racism, sexism, and classism presented in the fight for the ballot. The series was sponsored by NJ Women Vote: The 19th Amendment at 100 with support from the Alice Paul Institute and Middlesex County, NJ.

NJ Women Vote Series Video Archive

It Happened Here: New Jersey

New Jersey proudly celebrated its 350th anniversary throughout 2014. To ensure the commemoration’s legacy lived on for years to come, the New Jersey Historical Commission, along with its partners in education and media, joined forces to create “It Happened Here: New Jersey”* – an invaluable educational resource and accompanying video series.

From the innovations of Edison to the historic Revolutionary War victories of General George Washington and the Continental Army to trailblazers such as Paul Robeson and Alice Paul and so much more, the lessons are conveniently aimed at a diverse student population ranging from elementary to high school. Better yet, the educational resources have been meticulously constructed to meet the latest statewide curriculum standards.

Educational Resources
It Happened Here: New Jersey Video Archive
Series Credits

* “It Happened Here: New Jersey” was made possible through a grant from the New Jersey Council for the Humanities

Announcing a New Guide to New Jersey Field Trips in History and Social Studies

Attention New Jersey educators! NJHC is now offering a free, comprehensive guide to New Jersey’s field trips in history and social studies.

Historic sites and museums across the state submitted information on tours, education programs and exhibits for K-12 field trip groups.

Organized county-by-county, it is our hope this guide will aid educators in finding the perfect trips to supplement social studies and history curriculum. Each entry includes contact information and material regarding programs, education content and site logistics. The document will be updated periodically with new information and new sites.

Thank you for utilizing this guide as a resource when planning school field trips!

New Jersey Field Trips in History and Social Studies

New Jersey History Kids

An interactive, multimedia website for students in grades K-4, incorporating the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards.

NJ History Kids Website

Electronic New Jersey

Beginning in February 2011, the former Electronic New Jersey website is now the centerpiece of the New Jersey Digital Highway's Educators Portal. Containing 23 curriculum units about New Jersey history and its relationship to major themes in U. S. And global history, Electronic New Jersey provides students and teachs with access to content, instructional activities and assessments using source materials drawn primarily from the Rutgers University special collections and university archives, along with other New Jersey repositories and containing links to selected high quality online learning sites, such as the National Archives and the American Memory Project of the Library of Congress.

Electronic New Jersey

Around and About New Jersey

These teacher's guides were produced in connection with the Around and About New Jersey television series, eight, fifteen minutes programs, intended for elementary school students. However, they can be used independently from the television programs. Each guide contains a summary of the topic, suggested lessons and activities, primary source documents, maps, and illustrations.

Teacher Guides

New Jersey Legacy

New Jersey Legacy Teachers Guide

The following teacher's guides were produced in connection with the New Jersey Legacy televisions series, which traces the history of New Jersey from 1609 to the present. However, they can be used independently from the television programs. The guides are intended for middle and high school students. Each guide contains a summary of the topic, suggested lessons and activities, primary source documents, maps, and illustrations.

New Jersey Legacy Teacher's Guides

New Jersey History Partnership Project

New Jersey History Partnership Proect

The following interactive, multimedia website was produced by the New Jersey History Partnership Project, a collaboration of the Montville Township School District, Kean University, and the New Jersey Historical Commission. Funded by a Teaching American History grant from the U.S. Department of Education, it is intended for middle and high school students. The website contains topic summaries, suggested lessons and activies, bibliographies, primary source documents, maps, and illustrations on three units: the American Revolution, the Market Revolution, and the Progressive Era.

New Jersey History Partnership Project

A Topical Guide to Materials for Teaching New Jersey History

The following guide begins with an brief essay by David Steven Cohen on Why Teach New Jersey History. The guide itself is divided into two parts. Part I is organized by topics and includes materials suitable for use in kindergarten through fourth grade. Part II is organized chronologically and by topic. Each topic is subdivided into two sections: (a) materials suitable for use in grades 5 though 8 and (b) materials suitable for use in grades 9 through 12.

Topical Guide

 

 


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