Best practice in teaching American History is a two-pronged approach: a high quality curriculum with highly engaging instruction. Muir (2001) showed that good learning experiences: create strong relationships; involve hands-on, active work; adjust for differences in learning styles; make learning interesting; allow students choices; make connections to previous knowledge, the students lives, and the real world; and put learning into context. The National Standards for History describe the kinds of content, activities, and historical thinking students should be involved. Students engaged in standards-based work will draw upon skills in the following five interconnected dimensions of historical thinking: (1) Chronological Thinking; (2) Historical Comprehension; (3) Historical Analysis and Interpretation; (4) Historical Research Capabilities; and (5) Historical Issues-Analysis and Decision-making. Real historical understanding requires that students have opportunity to create historical narratives and arguments of their own. Historical understanding also requires that students thoughtfully read the historical narratives created by others. Well-written historical narratives are interpretative, revealing and explaining connections, change, and consequences. They are also analytical, combining lively storytelling and biography with conceptual analysis drawn from all relevant disciplines. Such narratives promote essential skills in historical thinking. (Contains 18 online resources.)