Teaching US History with Howard Zinn

By Richard Byrne

A People’s History of the United States is frequently used by U.S. History teachers in my school and in schools around the country because Zinn tells the history of the United States in a story that it is often different from that told in textbooks. A People’s History of the United States gives students an alternative perspective on history.

The Zinn Education Project is a website designed to help teachers use A People’s History of the United States in their classrooms. The Zinn Education Project provides complete lesson plans for use in elementary school, middle school, and high school settings. In some cases the lesson plans include document excerpts and references to A People’s History of the United States. You can search for lesson plans by time period, theme, or by student reading levels.