resources for educators

The Portal to Texas History

Featured Resources

primary sources adventures

Primary Source Adventures

Each Primary Source Adventure incorporates primary source materials brought together to spark interest and get young minds thinking about history in a new way. All lessons include an introduction to the materials and links to learning resources to help teachers prepare. Try browsing by time period.
Primary Source Sets

Primary Source Sets

The resources in this primary source set are intended for classroom use. Sets of selected primary sources on specific topics, available as easy-to-print PDFs and downloadable links.
my texas note book

My Texas History Notebook

These lessons engage students through activities and group-oriented projects. The activities include creating maps, conducting debates, and acting out skits on important historic events. Some of the lessons bridge contemporary issues with historical events, such as the lessons Branches of State Government and Immigration to Texas.
newspaper

Newspaper Narratives

Newspapers are a rich source of information that help us reconstruct and interpret the past. Whether reading about an immigrant family’s adjustment to their new home in America, discovering the many causes and outcomes of the Civil War, or reading about daily life in the nineteenth century, historical newspapers help students relive the past.
Trading Card

Texas History Trading Cards

Texas History Trading Cards highlight the achievements of prominent men and women who helped shape Texas history. Students use the playing cards to take on the identity of a famous Texan and trade them. The cards include what Texan students need to know for TEKS requirements.
History Snapshots

History Snapshots

History Snapshots dynamically connect students with history through images that document a slice of life from the past. What was a dollar worth in 1900? What equipment did the U.S. Cavalry carry when mobility meant travel by horse? What was happening during the flu pandemic of 1918? These brief activities will help students discover answers.

Portal Posters

The Portal team developed a wonderful series of posters that highlight the resources we offer. Print your own 8.5" x 11" for display in the classroom.