NHD Teacher Resources

5 students on stage acting out their historic performance.

Classroom Tools and Support

The N.C. History Day team is here to help teachers overcome barriers to engage students with the National History Day program or participate in competitions. Below are some ways we can help, but we encourage you to reach out to us if you have need supplies, have concerns about contest travel, or other barriers in participation. Contact us at nchistoryday@dncr.nc.gov or call the state coordinator, Karen Ipock, at 252-639-3545.

Sample NHD Classroom Plan

A sample 5-12 week NHD classroom plan with resources.

Free Video Software

Learn about the free video editing access we can provide to NC teachers and their documentary students.

Free Website Builder

NHD provides a free, safe, and secure website building platform for teachers and website students.

Classroom Visits

Whether virtual or in-person, a N.C. History Day team member can visit you! Click here to email us a visit request.

Teacher Resource Books

Guide to Student Research & Historical Argumentation

This open-access teacher guide filled with hints, tips, and activities to encourage student inquiry and historical research.

Revolutionary Ideals

A lesson book created by NHD teachers that explores the founding ideals of the revolutionary era in American history.

Because the Color of Our Skin: 400 Years of African American History

A collection of essays and lessons designed to provide teachers new ideas and and resources for research to engage students with African American history in the classroom.

Building a More Perfect Union

This lesson plan book highlights different perspectives and our nation's continued efforts to create a more perfect union throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

Building a More Perfect Union Part II

A continuation in the series to highlight the continued historical efforts of our nation to create a more perfect union.

Herstory: Women in America, Lesson Activities

This resource encourages teachers to integrate the story of women into American history from colonial America through recent history.

U.S. History in Global Perspective

This guide helps educators examine and teach U.S. History in a global context.

Teaching the Civil War in the 21st Century Booklet

This book includes essays from renowned Civil War historians that challenge us to think about, teach about, and research the Civil War.

Great War, Flawed Peace, and the Lasting Legacy of World War I

Lesson plans designed to help students understand wartime experiences as well as the lasting legacies of World War I.

Upcoming NHD® Professional Development and Program Opportunities

Back to School Night: A Teacher Webinar

Attention teachers: Join the National Archives to explore National History Day! You’ll be introduced to NHD, learn more about the 2025 theme, and discover how National Archives resources can play an important role in student projects. Registration is required for this free webinar on Wednesday, October 23 at 8pm EST.

Young People's Continental Congress

NHD® invites a NC student-teacher team to explore the history of our nation's founding while connecting with peers from across the country. Participants will engage in an online program series before visiting Philadelphia from July 13-19, 2025. Travel costs are covered, and teams must apply by November 1, 2024.

A Teacher's Reflection

A North Carolina Teacher's Reflection on NHD and the Sacrifice for Freedom® Program