October 16, 2006
TeachersFirst Creates Dates That Matter

NITV, Inc. the online learning innovator and creator of TeachersFirst, has added Dates that Matter, a new daily history-in-context teaching resource to the free site, the web’s premier online resource for K-12 teachers. Dates That Matter. http://www.teachersfirst.com/dtm/ provides a new perspective on history by placing each day-in-history event in broader context and explaining its long-term impact. History is a fabric woven of many events, and Dates That Matter helps students see the full tapestry.

Dates That Matter is designed as a history-in-context teaching resource for middle and high school teachers. While other web sites list key historical events for any given day, Dates That Matter is the only free history-in-context site that teachers can use to engage students in a fun quest to guess the day’s historical event – and then discuss why it matters today.

Teachers can use Dates That Matter in numerous ways, either in or outside of the classroom. Its format is simple: go to www.teachersfirst.com/dtm/ and the phrase Dates That Matter displays on a projector-ready screen. Click and a single sentence reveals something about the date. Students then click to see a sequence of thought-provoking questions to guide them to a greater understanding of interrelationships as they try to guess the actual event. When the historical event finally shows on screen, a further explanation, Why does it matter?, fills in the remaining context and offers reviewed links for students to learn more.