Programs & Events

History School

History School is back for another semester of fun! Since launching in April 2020, 5200 students have participated in 22 courses with our award-winning teachers. We are pleased to offer free courses this summer for elementary, middle, and high school students. 

Master teachers will present lessons anchored in primary source documents, many from the Gilder Lehrman Institute’s collection of more than 75,000 American history artifacts. The goal is to engage students and excite them about history so that they leave each lesson more knowledgeable about a new idea, theme, document, or pivotal moment in history.

The Gilder Lehrman History School is hosted on the video conference system Zoom. See the list below for classes, dates, and times. Registration will open on Wednesday, May 26 and close Monday, July 12. For more information, please email historyschool@gilderlehrman.org. 

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Summer 2021 History School Class Schedule

Course Class Overview Audience

Hamilton Cast Read Along with Keisha Rembert (2019 Illinois History Teacher of the Year)

Hamilton cast members read children’s books on American history topics and themes with a history teacher. 
  • Course Length: 8 weeks
  • Weekly Time Commitment: 30 minutes
  • Recordings will be posted on the course page on Fridays at 2:00 p.m. ET / 11:00 a.m. PT starting June 25, 2021
 Elementary-age students and families

History Camp: Life in Colonial Times with Stacie Christenson (2020 Idaho History Teacher of the Year)

Students will explore what life was like for people in the colonial era. The master teacher will discuss topics including the differences between the thirteen colonies, colonial fashion, food, recreation, and different day-to-day experiences of the eighteenth century.
  • Course Length: 6 weeks
  • Weekly Time Commitment: 60 minutes
  • Dates: June 30–August 11, 2021
  • Day/time: Wednesdays at 4:00 p.m. ET / 1:00 p.m. PT

No class on July 21

 Upper elementary students (3rd–5th grade)

Immigration and the American Story with Jermain Corbin 

The United States is a nation of immigrants, and immigration has always been part of the American experience. Students will watch six 30-minute lecture videos by Professor Vincent Cannato, University of Massachusetts Boston, at their own pace and join live sessions with a master teacher to delve deeper into the content.
  • Course Length: 6 weeks
  • Weekly Time Commitment: 90 minutes
  • Dates: June 28–August 9, 2021
  • Day/time: Mondays at 3:00 p.m. ET / 12:00 p.m. PT

No class on July 5

 Middle and high school students (6th–12th grade)

History in the Making with Mandel Holland and Gena Oppenheim 

The Gilder Lehrman Collection is proud to launch History in the Making to create a preserved collection of the stories of our community during this historical era. We invite you to participate in writing our current history by joining our curator to learn historical context related to different topics and sharing your experiences with us.
  • Course Length: 6 weeks
  • Weekly Time Commitment: 90 minutes
  • Dates: June 29–August 3, 2021
  • Day/time: Tuesdays at 3:00 p.m. ET / 12:00 p.m. PT
 Middle and high school students (6th–12th grade)

The Global Cold War with Daniel Jocz (2018 California History Teacher of the Year)

Students will dive deeper into Cold War topics they may be familiar with, and approach them through an international lens to discuss the significance of each event to the study of history and contemporary events.
  • Course Length: 6 weeks
  • Weekly Time Commitment: 60 minutes
  • Dates: June 29–August 3, 2021
  • Day/time: Tuesdays at 4:00 p.m. ET / 1:00 p.m. PT
 Middle and high school students (6th–12th grade)

APUSH: The Remix with Corey Winchester (2020 Illinois History Teacher of the Year)

This course will be a combination of self-paced videos and live sessions using the last two semesters of APUSH to provide content lectures. Live sessions will offer students the opportunity to ask the master teacher questions based on the content covered that week.
  • Course Length: 6 weeks
  • Weekly Time Commitment: 120 minutes
  • Dates: July 1– August 5, 2021
  • Day/time: Thursdays at 3:30 p.m. ET / 12:30 p.m. PT
 High school students (9th–12th grade)

AP US Government and Politics: Foundational Documents with Kevin Cline (2016 National History Teacher of the Year)

The AP US Government and Politics test requires strong knowledge of nine documents considered to be foundational to American government. This class will focus on in-depth study and discussion of those nine documents in an effort to increase knowledge and confidence in this aspect of the AP course.
  • Course Length: 6 weeks
  • Weekly Time Commitment: 60 minutes
  • Dates: June 28– August 9, 2021
  • Day/time: Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. ET / 1:00 p.m. PT

No class July 14

High school students (9th–12th grade)

Attending a Class

Registration will open on Wednesday, May 26 and close Monday, July 12. Parents/guardians and students over 13 will be able to register on the class page. For students under 13, parents/guardians must register students.

Other than the Hamilton Cast Read Alongs, all sessions will be live, on Zoom. Registered students will be added to the course's online learning community before the first session. This will provide access to Zoom links, class recordings, and recommended resources. Class recordings will not be posted online, students must be registered for the course to access them.

Protecting Privacy and Keeping Students Safe on Zoom

The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History is committed to making  History School a secure experience. In order to safeguard our program we have elected to put the following safety features into each History School class.

  • The chat feature will be monitored.
  • Cameras will automatically turn off.
  • Microphones will automatically turn off.
  • Gilder Lehrman staff will monitor each session.

If you have any questions or concerns about safety and security, please email us at historyschool@gilderlehrman.org