Online Educational Resources

Online Teacher Professional Development Lectures

Since the onset of the pandemic, Humanities Texas has held free online professional development institutes and webinar series for Texas teachers covering topics in U.S. history, Texas history, and English language arts. Faculty lectures from these programs are now available online, featuring content-based instruction from leading scholars in their fields and the valuable question-and-answer sessions that followed each presentation.


Teaching Shakespeare with Bard in the Borderlands Part 2 (Fall 2023 Webinar)

On December 5, 2023, Humanities Texas held a webinar for English language arts teachers on strategies for teaching William Shakespeare’s works and the rich tradition of repurposing his plays to reflect the histories and lived realities of the U.S.-Mexico borderlands.


Social Annotation Tools for Writing Instruction (Fall 2023 Webinar)

On November 8, 2023, Humanities Texas held held a webinar introducing a variety of social annotation tools for research and writing instruction at the secondary level.


Implementing Oral History Projects (Fall 2023 Webinar)

On October 30, 2023, Humanities Texas held follow-up session to ‘Using Oral History in the Classroom’ in which they explored in greater depth how to guide students through oral history projects in the secondary-level classroom.


Using ChatGPT and AI in the Writing Classroom (Fall 2023 Webinar)

On October 11, 2023, Humanities Texas held a webinar on strategies to help teachers and students navigate the new technologies of ChatGPT and AI.


Teaching the U.S. Constitution (2023 Online Series)

In September and October 2023, Humanities Texas held a series of 90-minute webinars for social studies teachers on teaching the U.S. Constitution.


Teaching Phillis Wheatley Peters (Fall 2023 Webinars)

On September 20 and 27, 2023, Humanities Texas held a series of 90-minute webinars focusing on the historical, literary and cultural contexts of Phillis Wheatley Peters’s major works.


National History Day Webinars with TSHA (Fall 2023 Webinars)

On September 18 and October 16, 2023, Humanities Texas held a series of 90-minute webinars introducing teachers to the National History Day program and helping teachers guide and engage students in research using primary sources.


Teaching Film (Summer 2023 Webinar)

On July 24, 2023, Humanities Texas held a webinar for English language arts teachers on strategies for teaching film at the secondary level.


Using Oral History in the Classroom (Summer 2023 Webinar)

On July 19, Humanities Texas held a webinar introducing secondary-level social studies and English language arts (ELA) teachers to oral history methods, projects, and assignments.


Teaching Nonfiction (Summer 2023 Webinar)

On July 10, 2023, Humanities Texas held a webinar for English language arts (ELA) teachers on strategies for teaching nonfiction.


Teaching Short Fiction (Summer 2023 Webinar)

On July 6, 2023, Humanities Texas held a webinar for English language arts teachers on strategies for teaching short fiction at the secondary level.


“I Hear America Singing”: Poetry, Patriotism, and These United States (2023 Online Webinar)

In April 2023, Humanities Texas held a webinar for English language arts teachers on understanding and teaching a diverse set of patriotic poems.


Teaching the Speeches of Barbara Jordan (2023 Online Webinar)

In March 2023, Humanities Texas held a webinar for Texas teachers on teaching the speeches of Barbara Jordan, focusing on their historical context and the rhetorical strategies deployed.


Teaching the Speeches of Ronald Reagan (2023 Online Webinar)

In February 2023, Humanities Texas held a webinar for Texas teachers on teaching the speeches of Ronald Reagan, focusing on their historical context and the rhetorical strategies deployed.


The American Civil War: History, Literature, and Culture (2023 Online Workshop)

In February 2023, Humanities Texas held a one–day workshop for Texas teachers on teaching the history, literature, and culture of the American Civil War.


Reconstruction and the Remaking of Texas (2023 Online Series)

In January and February 2023, Humanities Texas held a series of 90-minute webinars for Texas and U.S. history teachers on Reconstruction, offering new assessments of the era and providing a collection of curriculum materials geared toward bringing innovative perspectives into the classroom.


Teaching the Speeches of Martin Luther King Jr. (2022 Online Webinar)

In November 2022, Humanities Texas held a webinar for Texas teachers on teaching King's most significant oratorical works—including his "I Have a Dream" speech—focusing on their historical context and the rhetorical strategies deployed.


Teaching the Speeches of Abraham Lincoln (2022 Online Webinar)

In November 2022, Humanities Texas held a webinar for Texas teachers on teaching Lincoln's most significant oratorical works—including his first and second inaugural addresses and the Gettysburg Address—focusing on their historical context and the rhetorical strategies deployed.


Teaching Slavery and Reconstruction with the Last Seen Project (2022 Online Webinar)

In September 2022, Humanities Texas held a webinar to introduce teachers to the Last Seen project and accompanying resources available for classroom use.


The Making of Mexican Texas, 1820–1830 (2022 Online Webinars)

In September and October 2022, Humanities Texas held a series of webinars for Texas teachers on the profound changes that remade Texas during the collapse of the Spanish Empire and the creation of the Mexican nation.


Using Digital Humanities in the Classroom (2022 Online Webinars)

In July 2022, Humanities Texas held a two-part webinar for ELA and social studies teachers introducing a variety of digital humanities resources.


Teaching the Transformation of Texas, 1930–1945
(2022 Online Series)

In the spring of 2022, Humanities Texas held a series of webinars for Texas history teachers on how the profound changes of the Great Depression, the New Deal, and World War II remade the state during the 1930s and 1940s.


Teaching U.S. History with Primary Documents, 1963–2000
(2022 Online Series)

In the spring of 2022, Humanities Texas held a series of webinars for history teachers on teaching primary documents that are crucial to understanding U.S. history in the final decades of the twentieth century.


Teaching The Great Gatsby (2022 Online Webinars)

In March and April 2022, Humanities Texas held two webinars for English language arts teachers on teaching F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby and additional short stories.


Teaching the Civil Rights Movement (2022 Online Series)

In January and February 2022, Humanities Texas held two 75-minute webinars for social studies and English Language Arts teachers on teaching the civil rights movement.


Teaching About American Indians in Texas (2021 Online Series)

In the fall of 2021, Humanities Texas held a series of 90-minute webinars for Texas history teachers on teaching about American Indians in Texas.


Teaching America's Founding Documents (2021 Online Series)

In the fall of 2021, Humanities Texas held a series of 75-minute webinars for history and government teachers on teaching America's founding documents.

Teaching Edgar Allan Poe (2021 Online Series)

In the fall of 2021, Humanities Texas held two 75-minute webinars for English Language Arts teachers on the poetry and short stories of Edgar Allan Poe.

The Court and the Constitution (2021 Online Series)

In the fall of 2021, Humanities Texas held a series of 75-minute webinars for history and government teachers focusing on landmark Supreme Court cases in U.S. history.

Teaching Media Literacy (2021 Online Series)

In the fall of 2021, Humanities Texas held five 75-minute webinars for social studies and English Language Arts teachers on teaching media literacy.

Teaching Frederick Douglass (2021 Online Series)

In November 2021, Humanities Texas held two 75-minute webinars for social studies and English Language Arts teachers on the life and works of Frederick Douglass.

American Society During the Early Republic (2021 Online Institute)

From July 5–9, 2021, Humanities Texas held an online professional development institute for Texas teachers exploring diverse perspectives on American life during the years immediately following the American Revolution.


Teaching the Texas Revolution (2021 Online Institute)

From July 12–16, 2021, Humanities Texas held an online professional development institute for Texas teachers on teaching the Texas Revolution.


Teaching Writing at the Secondary Level (2021 Online Institute)

From July 12–16, 2021, Humanities Texas held an online professional development institute for Texas teachers on engaging students in the writing process and developing students’ fundamental writing and communication skills through dynamic, project-based assignments.


Teaching Texas History (2020–2021 Online Series)

In fall 2020 and spring 2021, Humanities Texas held a weekly series of 75-minute online webinars covering critical topics in the first half of the state's seventh-grade Texas history curriculum through the outbreak of the Texas Revolution.


The Making of Modern America (2020-2021 Online Series)

In fall 2020 and spring 2021, Humanities Texas held a weekly series of 75-minute online webinars for eleventh-grade U.S. history teachers, covering topics on America in the first half of the twentieth century.


Shaping the American Republic (2020-2021 Online Series)

In fall 2020 and spring 2021, Humanities Texas held a weekly series of 75-minute online webinars for eighth-grade U.S. history teachers, covering topics on the Early American Republic and the Constitution.


Teaching and Understanding Literature (2020-2021 Online Series)

In fall 2020 and spring 2021, Humanities Texas held a weekly series of 75-minute online webinars for English language arts teachers, providing resources and strategies that help students to become better readers of fiction, poetry, and expository prose.


Teaching African American History (2020 Fall Online Workshops)

In fall 2020, Humanities Texas held professional development webinars for secondary-level social studies teachers focused on helping students better understand African American history.


Founding a New Nation (2020 Online Institute)

From June 15–19, 2020, Humanities Texas held an online professional development institute for Texas teachers covering U.S. history during the founding period.


The Cold War (2020 Online Institute)

From June 22–26, 2020, Humanities Texas held an online professional development institute for Texas teachers covering the Cold War.


Texas as a Borderland, 1820–1835 (2020 Online Institute)

From July 6–10, 2020, Humanities Texas held an online professional development institute for Texas teachers covering Texas history during the 1820s and early 1830s.


Teaching the American Literary Tradition (2020 Online Institute)

From July 6–10, 2020, Humanities Texas held an online professional development institute for English language arts teachers focused on the American literary tradition.


Teaching Literature (2020 Online Institute)

From July 13–17, 2020, Humanities Texas held an online professional development institute for English language arts teachers on teaching literature at the secondary level.


Questions about Online Resources

Call 512.440.1991 or email education@humanitiestexas.org.

Digital Repository

Additional faculty lectures are available in our Digital Repository, a searchable and ever-expanding online repository including materials from all Humanities Texas programs. Contents include historical documents, works of art, video recordings, audio recordings of our Texas Originals radio program, and countless other resources.