Historical Figures Teaching Resources

Expand your students' knowledge of famous historical figures from United States history and from around the world with biographical teaching resources created by teachers for teachers.

Explore the real-life experiences of politicians, Civil Rights leaders, explorers, and other famous people from history with writing activities about influential figures, biographical worksheets, constructed responses, crossword puzzles and more explorations into the lives of some of history's best-known figures.

Is this your first year incorporating historical figures into a lesson plan? Or maybe you're just looking for a refresher? Take a peek at a primer from our teacher team, including a list of some of the many important historical figures featured in this collection.

Why Is It Important to Learn About Historical Figures?

When students learn about the various historical figures who have made a mark in the nation's and world's history, they develop a better understanding of the relationships between individual people and society as a whole. Learning about famous people from throughout history also helps them to connect to the past as they look at history through the lens of real-life experiences.

Famous Historical Figures in This Collection

This collection of teaching resources includes activities, instructional slide decks, and more educational resources to help students learn about important figures from the days of the 13 colonies to more modern times, including:

• Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
• Captain Meriwether Lewis and Lieutenant William Clark
• Ruby Bridges
• Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall
• Various US presidents
• Jane Addams
• Sojourner Truth
• Alexander Hamilton
• The Navajo Code Talkers
• Amelia Earhart
• Neil Armstrong
• Sally Ride
• Sir Edmund Hillary
• And many, many more