Teaching history through primary sources

What advice would help a first-time history teacher make the subject interesting?

Use as much primary and archival material as possible, and reinforce it with quizzes that keep students engaged.

Students should have direct access to primary sources whenever practical. Archival material lets them encounter evidence before it is filtered through later historians' interpretations. That proximity makes historical problems feel more immediate and gives students something concrete to question. Quizzes, especially multiple-choice quizzes, can also keep a class engaged.