History Read Alouds

Hi teacher friends! It’s Emily from Polka Dots Please. I’m super excited to be teaming up to share some fabulous books for teaching little ones about history! Here’s my recommended list of history read alouds for the primary classroom.

This book teaches about segregation and the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement through the eyes of Rosa Parks. Moments throughout Rosa’s life are depictedwith colorful illustrations, kid-friendly language, and lots of dialogue. I
especially love using this book because helps little ones develop empathy for
Rosa and understand the feelings behind the Civil Rights Movement.

Use for teaching: Civil Rights, equality, African American history

dialogue, character development

Grab I am Rosa Parks here.

Do you have brothers and sisters? Guess what- EVERY single president did too! You can read so many other fun facts about our presidents in the book So You Want to be President? Little ones will love learning how they are similar and different than our most famous leaders.

Use for teaching: Presidential history, compare/contrast

Grab So You Want to Be President? here

Holidays are always a time for families to gather together. This book shows how one family worked together to create a cozy Thanksgiving Dinner in the past. Little ones can compare and contrast this gathering with their own family traditions.

Use for teaching: Thanksgiving, family traditions, compare/contrast, poetry, rhyming

Grab Sharing the Bread here

What would
school have been like 100 years ago? Find out and share the answers with your
little learners! This fun read aloud teaches all about what day to day life was
like for kids and grown-ups 100 years ago.

Use for
teaching: American history, compare/contrast, questioning

Grab …If You Lived 100 Years Ago here

I created these response sheets that can be used with any history book! You can use them to write questions before you start a new topic. Try using them to record new things you have learned or write questions to ask a famous person from history. The thought bubbles are perfect for words or pictures so they fit the needs of many different learners. You can download the boy and girl version for free here.