, ▁three ▁major ▁develop ments ▁have ▁res h aped ▁the ▁landscape ▁for ▁K - 1 2 ▁history ▁education ▁and ▁have ▁created ▁the ▁conditions ▁for ▁significant ▁adv ances ▁in ▁history ▁teaching ▁and ▁learning . ▁First , ▁the ▁emer gence ▁of ▁the ▁Internet ▁and ▁the ▁World ▁W ide ▁Web ▁has ▁brought ▁un pre ced ented ▁resources ▁and ▁possibilities ▁to ▁the ▁computers ▁of ▁the ▁nation ' s ▁history ▁teachers . ▁Second , ▁a ▁body ▁of ▁serious ▁scholar ly ▁research ▁in ▁history ▁education ▁– ▁and ▁the ▁learning ▁sciences ▁more ▁generally ▁– ▁has ▁begun ▁to ▁ill uminate ▁how ▁students ▁actually ▁learn ▁history . ▁Finally , ▁the ▁Department ▁of ▁Education ' s ▁Te aching ▁American ▁History ▁( TA H ) ▁program ▁has ▁inv ested ▁more ▁than ▁$ 9 0 0 ▁million ▁in ▁history ▁education ▁– ▁the ▁largest ▁federal ▁inf usion ▁of ▁resources ▁ever ▁devoted ▁to ▁impro ving ▁the ▁teaching ▁and ▁learning ▁of ▁history . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁the ▁favorite ▁proposal ▁of ▁U . S . ▁Senator ▁Robert ▁By rd , ▁and ▁its ▁gr ants ▁are ▁called ▁" By rd ▁gr ants ." ▁ ▁Due ▁to ▁these ▁adv anc ements , ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Department ▁of ▁Education ▁announced ▁a ▁call ▁for ▁propos als ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁to ▁address ▁the ▁building , ▁popul ating , ▁and ▁maintain ing ▁of ▁a ▁central ▁website ▁for ▁K - 1 2 ▁American ▁history ▁educ ators , ▁fund ed ▁under ▁the ▁Te aching ▁American ▁History ▁Grant ▁program ▁( TA H ). ▁George ▁Mason ▁University ' s ▁Center ▁for ▁History ▁and ▁New ▁Media ▁was