Edith Morton

My Motto--
Educate to Liberate....Teach to Transform

A Note to My Critics--
My AP, history, ELA and social studies resources along with many activities and teacher tools represent decades of classroom instruction, curriculum and courseware development and teacher coaching in several states, schools, grade levels and content areas. As a recent retiree I faced letting my prior work go to waste or updating and sharing it with other teachers. I've opted to update and provide them completely free for teachers. Because I retired prior to the advent of AI, I've learned about how to integrate it effectively and ethically in the classroom.  Obviously, this is new to me, so it continues to be a work in progress with ongoing revisions and improvements.  Please peruse, modify and use any of my resources and share them with your colleagues. I recognize that offering free resources to educators may be perceived as a challenge to those who sell similar materials, which may explain recent criticism directed at my work, particularly by some older men who perceive themselves as experts in certain areas of AP. Recently, I have also been accused of relying on AI to develop these resources. I take that kind of accusation very seriously. This content is my own, created through decades of experience in curriculum development and updated for current use. I encourage anyone with concerns to review the terms of use page and to exercise caution before suggesting otherwise. Please remember that these resources are shared to support teachers, not to be claimed or misrepresented as someone else’s work.

"Combatting Misinformation with Reliable Content" 

As a professional educator, I spent decades developing curriculum and courseware within my areas of expertise, always maintaining an online presence. I hold several certifications in four states including New Mexico, Texas, Virginia and Washington. I have worked in various school districts as an ELA, Social Studies and AP classroom teacher, an AP Facilitator for HISD's Virtual School, a curriculum developer, a literacy coach and a teacher technologist.  I was also a courseware developer for the Houston Independent School District Virtual School.  I've worked extensively with APEX Learning and created online courseware supporting teachers of AP and regular courses for grades 6-12.  Since retiring, I've continued these activities, along with writing historical fiction novellas, short stories and a slavery textbook. Everything is available at no cost. My goal is to provide free, engaging and quality content for teacher use. The US history and Slavery sites both include books I have written. All are available free in PDF format. However, because some teachers prefer the Kindle version, I've linked those as well. The cost is $1.99, the lowest price I could charge due to Amazon rules. However, once purchased, each can be shared unlimitedly. The Advanced Placement units and lessons follow the College Board curriculum CEDs, and the other lessons follow Common Core.

During my teaching career I worked in Northern New Mexico, Southern New Mexico, Washington State, Texas and Virginia. I taught in seven High schools, four middle schools, developed courseware for a Virtual School and facilitated APEX Learning AP courses. Every shift meant at least one new prep and four to five new preps at several of the high schools. Thus, over the decades, I personally developed the courses represented on my site. I never taught some of the electives on this site.  However, those I created remain within my certification area and are based upon Common Core Standards. My site includes all of this content.

About My Website.....

My Purpose--
The current state of our country inspired me to begin creating free content for teachers using my credentials and skills to turn out this site.  I’m convinced that education is both an ethical responsibility and a powerful tool for protecting our democracy by promoting truth, justice, and compassion in society. By teaching critically, fostering empathy, and encouraging activism, education counters harmful distortions of facts and builds a more equitable and inclusive world.  Following my retirement, I began reading extensively including works by Jim Wallis.  He inspired me to think about how I might use my decades of teaching experience, curriculum and skills to combat the current tide of alternative facts and outright misinformation.  He is a writer, teacher, preacher and justice advocate who, like my great grandfather, James Kline during his union leadership, promotes a form of the social gospel.  He is a New York Times bestselling author, public theologian, preacher and commentator on ethics and public life.  He is the inaugural holder of the Chair in Faith and Justice and the founding Director of the Georgetown University Center on Faith and Justice. In 2022, Washingtonian magazine named Wallis one of the 500 most influential people shaping policy in DC.  He emphasizes ethics in education and the importance of teaching the truth to combat distortions of foundational teachings.  He makes the following points:  
1. Teaching the Truth as a Moral Imperative

• Education plays a vital ethical role in combating falsehoods, especially distorted religious ideologies like the "false white gospel" that prioritize wealth, power, and individualism over justice and compassion.
• Truth-telling in education promotes integrity, especially focused on liberation, justice, and solidarity with the marginalized.

2. Promoting Critical Thinking and Literacy

• Education cultivates critical thinking, helping individuals analyze and question manipulative interpretations of primary sources.
• Promoting literacy, fostered through education, enables people to understand documents within a historical and cultural context, highlighting themes of justice, acceptance, and inclusion.

3. Social Justice as a Core Educational Ethic

• Teaching social justice equips individuals to recognize and resist systemic injustice—such as racism, economic inequality, and exclusion.
• Truth in education fosters empathy by exposing learners to the lived experiences of marginalized communities, building solidarity and moral responsibility.

4. Empowerment Through Knowledge and Action

• Education empowers individuals to advocate for change, participate in activism, and engage with policies that advance justice.
• It provides tools for community organizing, political dialogue, and storytelling to challenge harmful narratives and create inclusive communities.

5. The Role of Educators in Society

• Teachers can guide others to grow in ways that are grounded in truth and compassion.
• Education is seen not just as transmission of facts but as moral formation—helping students become agents of justice.

As previously stated, my resources, built upon decades of experience, are completely free for teachers.  You’re welcome to peruse, modify and use any of my resources.  I hope this content is helpful.  Thank you for visiting my site.
Best,
E. Morton
Professional Educator

As an aside, I also began a diet several years ago and tracked my progress in a blog.  I was very successful, losing nearly fifty pounds, and so far, I've maintained this loss.  My blog includes recipes and scientific information that I gleaned over time that eventually culminated in my success.   Feel free to access in at POSH APPETIT - Home.  ​