The War of 1812 Teacher Pass

Spoiler alert: it happened in 1812.

When teaching history, it's easy to skip straight from 1811 to 1813. But there's a whole year in there and a whole war—albeit an uncreatively named one (and one that actually lasted until 1815). So before you skip over The War of 1812, let us help you teach it.

In this guide you will find

  • lessons that analyze historical documents and iconic images.
  • essay questions that dig deeper than "In what year did the War of 1812 begin?"
  • resources illustrating the long-lasting implications of the war, from the phrase caveat emptor to Dolley Madison's contributions (which didn't involve baked goods).

With our guide, teaching the War of 1812 doesn't have to be a losing experience.

What's Inside Shmoop's History Teaching Guides

Shmoop is a labor of love from folks who love to teach. Our teaching guides will help you supplement in-classroom learning with fun, engaging, and relatable learning materials that bring history to life.

Inside each guide you'll find quizzes, activity ideas, discussion questions, and more—all written by experts and designed to save you time. Here are the deets on what you get with your teaching guide:

  • 3-5 Common Core-aligned activities (including quotation, image, and document analysis) to complete in class with your students, with detailed instructions for you and your students. 
  • Discussion and essay questions for all levels of students.
  • Reading quizzes to be sure students are looking at the material through various lenses.
  • Resources to help make the topic feel more relevant to your 21st-century students.
  • A note from Shmoop's teachers to you, telling you what to expect from teaching the topic and how you can overcome the hurdles.

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