Foundation News
Happy back-to-school season! As we enter the 2026-2027 school year, we invite teachers and students to explore the many free classroom-ready resources the Gilder Lehrman Institute has to offer.
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Explore the Gilder Lehrman Citizenship Hub ahead of Constitution and Citizenship Day on September 17. The hub includes customized versions of the US naturalization exam for K–12 students and learners of all ages.
Students can watch short videos on various questions and test their knowledge by grade level. Each version of the test is available on Kahoot!
Free lesson plans aligned with history and civics standards are available for grades 3–5 and 7–12.
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Students can learn about America's founding era with the Hamilton Education Program Online (EduHam)! This free site offers an engaging, easy-to-use way for students and teachers to explore American history through the arts. It includes primary source documents related to Alexander Hamilton, the American Revolution, and the founding era of the United States.
Participants in grades 6–12 are eligible for our national competition and lottery by submitting an original creative piece on a topic from the founding era. The competition closes on December 15, 2026, and the lottery closes on February 15, 2027.
Twenty winners will be invited to New York City for an all-expenses-paid trip, including a performance of HAMILTON, in spring 2027.
>> Register for the Hamilton Education Program Online
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Our Declaration at 250 Hub provides teachers with interactive resources to teach the Declaration of Independence. The hub includes an online exhibition, the annotated Declaration of Independence, videos, infographics, historical documents, and additional resources we've gathered from across the Gilder Lehrman website. We've added grade levels to each section to make them easier to navigate.
>> Explore resources related to Declaration of Independence
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The Gilder Lehrman Institute's AP African American Studies Guide is a centuries-spanning, expert-led, document-based exploration of Black history.
Resources include
- Essays on Black internationalism, Black feminism, and African Americans in the Seminole Nation
- Videos on slavery and freedom in Brazil, the history of the National Urban League, and housing discrimination
- Videos from partners at Annenberg Classroom and the UNLADYLIKE2020 series
>> Explore the AP African American Studies Guide
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Our AP US History Study Guide provides students and teachers with numerous materials to prepare for the AP US History (APUSH) exam, including
- Custom videos for each of the College Board's AP historical periods, with links to essays and other resources for further study
- Interactive features, including historical timelines
- Essays and videos by renowned historians that illuminate key concepts
- Primary sources relating to each period, including letters, diaries, maps, photos, and books
>> Explore the AP US History Guide
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History U allows high school students to explore a wide range of American history topics with top scholars—completely free of charge.
Each History U course includes video lectures led by acclaimed and award-winning historians, short quizzes, primary and secondary source materials, and a certificate of completion. Check out the latest course geared towards AP studies.
>> Explore all History U courses
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Stay tuned for more learning opportunities this fall. Have questions? Email us at education@gilderlehrman.org.
