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Lawmaking for a New Nation - Library of Congress
Grades
9 to 12
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Early Congressional Journals - From the Library of Congress. This site offers access to journals of the first U.S. Congresses. These journals were the precursor to today's Congressional...more
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Early Congressional Journals - From the Library of Congress. This site offers access to journals of the first U.S. Congresses. These journals were the precursor to today's Congressional Record. Primary source material for study of the Federalist period.
In the Classroom
Use this site as a resource for finding primary sources that can be used in your classroom. One great way way to do so is through visual discovery, introducing the topic of the Continental Congress. Select 3-5 images from this site, choosing the most powerful and moving images. Placing the images on individual slides, allow students 1-2 minutes to observe each image. During that time period, students should be taking notes based on what they observe, predict and infer about each image. The more powerful and detailed the image is, the more information students can take out. After the class has observed all the chosen images, have a class discussion based on the notes students took. This is a great way to introduce content in a way that engages students and gets them thinking, as well as avoiding the typical lecture format. Your visual learners will appreciate this technique.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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The Seneca Falls Convention - Library of Congress
Grades
9 to 12
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This site offers this collection of newspaper clippings and other information about the famous 1848 women's rights convention. ...more
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This site offers this collection of newspaper clippings and other information about the famous 1848 women's rights convention.
In the Classroom
Introduce the copy of the Seneca Falls Declaration to students via projector before covering the topic deeper with the newspaper clippings hosted on the site. Assign cooperative learning groups a newspaper article, making sure that every group has a different article. Have students analyze their articles, preferably with the help of a guided worksheet. (For help making graphic organizers, try Graphic Organizer Maker, reviewed here. After students are done, have them present each of their articles, focusing on bias and perspective as well as facts covered in the story. This is a great way to teach students how to analyze and summarize as well as indirectly cover the important content. American History teachers will appreciate this one!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Frontier House - PBS
Grades
4 to 8
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What was life like for families in the western plains during the 1880s? Here's a site that follows a team recreating life on the prairie during that time period, complete ...more
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What was life like for families in the western plains during the 1880s? Here's a site that follows a team recreating life on the prairie during that time period, complete with activities for children. Users can read journal entries, and those with fast connection can watch video clips. This is a great "what was life like...?" site.
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Civil War Battlefields by State - National Park Service
Grades
6 to 12
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This useful listing from the National Park Service offers state-by-state summaries of important (and less important) Civil War battles. These include many skirmishes that never make...more
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This useful listing from the National Park Service offers state-by-state summaries of important (and less important) Civil War battles. These include many skirmishes that never make the history texts, but could have particular interest if they took place near your school. This site could also be useful for students working on research papers related to the Civil War.
In the Classroom
Introduce this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Then have students explore this site independently or in small groups. Have groups look for the closest battles to your state (that is if in the Continental US) and how the battle impacted the environment. If out of the continental US select an arbitrary state and do the same. Have students present to the class what they thought the most important nearby battle was and why. This activity is a good way for students to understand how the Civil war affected their local environment in a way make the subject more tangible.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Monticello Explorer - Thomas Jefferson Foundation
Grades
7 to 12
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This outstanding site takes visitors on an expansive tour of Jefferson's Monticello. Explore the 5,000 acre plantation with an interactive map, or navigate a three-dimensional recreation...more
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This outstanding site takes visitors on an expansive tour of Jefferson's Monticello. Explore the 5,000 acre plantation with an interactive map, or navigate a three-dimensional recreation of the house and learn about the people and objects that populated its rooms. Captions lead visitors through a house tour and description of domestic life in the historic home. Some of the "captions" are videos. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable.
In the Classroom
Introduce this site on your interactive whiteboard or with a projector to the class. Then have students break into small groups and use the Jigsaw strategy to divide up the task of exploring the site. Need a refresher for the Jigsaw approach? See Jigsaw Classroom, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Quilts and Quiltmaking in America - Library of Congress
Grades
6 to 12
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Used for more than warmth, quilts frequently told stories and histories. This Library of Congress site explains how and shows examples. ...more
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Used for more than warmth, quilts frequently told stories and histories. This Library of Congress site explains how and shows examples.
In the Classroom
This site is a great way to show that not all historical sources have to be text. In fact they can include art, oral communication, stories, and even quilts as we see in this site. Show some of the quilts on the projector and have students hypothesize what they're about or what they are trying to portray. Would be a great quick activity to get students thinking outside of the box in concern to sources.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Oklahoma
Grades
4 to 12
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Discover Historical information, Services, Agencies, Tourism, Jobs, Events and more at this Oklahoma state home page. ...more
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Discover Historical information, Services, Agencies, Tourism, Jobs, Events and more at this Oklahoma state home page.
In the Classroom
Introduce this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector when students are studying states and creating reports, then allow students to explore on their own. Create (or have a group of students create) a scavenger hunt to find information included on the site. To show what they have learned from this site, challenge students to create an online graphic to share using DesignBold, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Do I Have a Right? - iCivics Inc.
Grades
5 to 10
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In this interactive role playing game, students take on the role of a lawyer starting a law firm. Students take on cases, hire lawyers and try to grow their business. ...more
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In this interactive role playing game, students take on the role of a lawyer starting a law firm. Students take on cases, hire lawyers and try to grow their business. To be successful, they must understand constitutional amendments. Students can earn prestige points by successfully interacting with clients and winning cases. In order to have a thriving law practice, students have to hire lawyers that are familiar with various amendments. Lesson plans and after-activity PowerPoints are provided.
In the Classroom
This site is great way to review the amendments of the US Constitution. Make a shortcut to this site on classroom computers and use it as a center. Divide students into cooperative learning groups to explore the site. Working in groups have a class competition to see who can win the most cases and achieve the most prestige points. Afterward, have a discussion about the process each group used to build their law firm. This site does not have a save feature so the teacher should set a duration for play. Built in help makes this site useful for students who might need some additional guidance. Use the final score printout to assign your students a grade.To fully involve students in their "law firm," have them create a firm logo and "shingle" using an online graphics tool such as Supalogo, reviewed here. Print the logos for classroom decorations or have students upload them to law firm pages on on your class wiki.
This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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FDR and the Supreme Court - National Archives
Grades
9 to 12
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Franklin Roosevelt's plan to pack the Supreme Court was a landmark test of the Constitution's separation of powers. This lesson plan from the Library of Congress explores the implications...more
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Franklin Roosevelt's plan to pack the Supreme Court was a landmark test of the Constitution's separation of powers. This lesson plan from the Library of Congress explores the implications of Roosevelt's plan and asks students to argue both sides of the question.
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the free lesson plan and classroom activities hosted on this website! US history and government teachers will appreciate this one - just make sure to save it as a favorite to allow for easy retrieval later on.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Texas
Grades
4 to 12
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The state's home page. ...more
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The state's home page.
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Immigration History Firsthand - Library of Congress
Grades
4 to 8
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This unit is designed to help elementary students learn to use the Internet for research, as well as broaden their understanding of history. In the first lesson, students gather and...more
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This unit is designed to help elementary students learn to use the Internet for research, as well as broaden their understanding of history. In the first lesson, students gather and discuss personal artifacts to gain an understanding of what makes a "collection." During the second lesson, students use their local archives to discover how collections are organized, then try organizing some documents themselves. In the final lesson, students transition to a national topic and research the archives online. The gradual steps of the lesson help make it easier to search through the immense amount of material available online.
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the free lesson plans and activities offered by the Library of Congress! The lessons all come equipped with corresponding standards, so teachers can rest assured this is all valid information that will help satisfy their requirements.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Virginia
Grades
4 to 12
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The state's home page. ...more
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The state's home page.
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Tour the U.S. Capitol - US Government
Grades
6 to 12
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This site from the Architect of the U.S. Capitol offers historical information as well as a collection of photos showing key features. There is also an "interactive tour," but the ...more
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This site from the Architect of the U.S. Capitol offers historical information as well as a collection of photos showing key features. There is also an "interactive tour," but the site navigation is complex enough that you should probably do some serious previewing before turning students loose on this one.
In the Classroom
If teaching about initial plans for the construction of DC and how those developed, use the images from this site to compliment a class discussion or lecture. Within the teacher and students page, there are numerous images that detail L'enfant's original ideas for DC. Teachers can incorporate these in graphic organizers or even a slide-show over the interactive whiteboard.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Gettysburg National Military Park Virtual Tour - National Park Service
Grades
7 to 12
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The story of the decisive battle of Gettysburg is told through battle images, tactical diagrams, biographies and eyewitness accounts. Distinctive sections provide insight on each day...more
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The story of the decisive battle of Gettysburg is told through battle images, tactical diagrams, biographies and eyewitness accounts. Distinctive sections provide insight on each day of the battle and allow visitors to "tour" the actual sites involved in the conflict. Students can experience the historical value of primary source information when they click on "Voices of Battle" link, which includes reminiscences from those who witnessed the bloodshed. While this site provides a beautifully detailed account of the battle, students may become bogged down by the extensive text. Use as a resource for in-class research, or as the focus of a Web hunt activity.
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North Dakota - North Dakota.gov
Grades
4 to 12
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Find basic facts about the state of North Dakota. Especially helpful is the information included
"https://www.ndtourism.com/information/north-dakota-state-symbols", about the state's...more
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Find basic facts about the state of North Dakota. Especially helpful is the information included
"https://www.ndtourism.com/information/north-dakota-state-symbols", about the state's symbols. Be sure to explore the menu list at the bottom of the home page which includes information about the state's tourism, parks, arts & culture, and much more.
In the Classroom
Share this site with students researching information for state reports. Rather than having students create traditional reports, replace these by making them online! Use PicLits. Take student learning a step further by modifying and having students use a tool such as Zeemaps. This site allows students to create audio recordings AND choose a location on a map (Alabama) where the report takes place. Explore the site with students when learning about different states, ask students to tell what they know then compare it to information provided on the site.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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History Detectives - PBS
Grades
6 to 8
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Although this site is a companion to a PBS series by the same name, many of the activities can be used independently to tap into your students deductive reasoning abilities. ...more
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Although this site is a companion to a PBS series by the same name, many of the activities can be used independently to tap into your students deductive reasoning abilities. Prowl through the rooms of a virtual house to investigate clues and determine its age; open a time capsule to examine its contents and decide when it was originally buried; and learn about the many techniques used by historical sleuths, including forensic anthropology, DNA analysis, timber dating, and document examination. Some very creative interdisciplinary connections between science and historical research can be drawn from the resources on this site. Let your imagination run with this one!
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the free lesson plans and activities offered on this site. Some can actually be used for other subjects beyond history - for example, there is a lesson on how to interview eye-witnesses that would be useful in a writing or English class. There are also videos of the show that can pertain to a particular unit. A few exist on the civil war that would be great to play during a US history course to add more interest and intrigue to the study of the war. Save this site as a favorite to allow for easy retrieval of lesson plans and activities!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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War Letters - PBS
Grades
9 to 12
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Teach American history through the words of those who were there. This fascinating site focuses on personal narratives from men and women who captured the horror, sadness, and intensity...more
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Teach American history through the words of those who were there. This fascinating site focuses on personal narratives from men and women who captured the horror, sadness, and intensity of war. Experiences from the American Revolution to the Persian Gulf War are reflected in featured letters. Although this site is designed around a companion PBS special, much can be learned from the on-line materials without viewing the program. Visit the Teacher's Guide for suggestions on using personal narratives in history class. Other features include a gallery of wartime cartoons, an interactive timeline (1775-1994), and a military postal history trivia game.
In the Classroom
History, Civics, Economics and Geography teachers will love the free lesson plans and activities offered in the "Teacher Guide" section. Beyond that the site also offers games and movie clips that would help make the site a useful lecture supplement or learning center.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Budget Simulator - Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget
Grades
8 to 12
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So often we hear impassioned cries for causes that deserve more governmental funding. At the same time, we know that the government already spends more money than it has. A ...more
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So often we hear impassioned cries for causes that deserve more governmental funding. At the same time, we know that the government already spends more money than it has. A balanced federal budget seems little more than a fantasy. Do students think they can do better? This simulation exercise (it's too important a topic to refer to as a game), guides students through the difficult choices our governments needs to make if it is to balance the federal government. Cut the military? Cut healthcare spending? Cut services for the needy? Once you've made the choices, the simulator will deliver the outcome: were you able to balance the budget by cutting over $1.3 billion in spending?
In the Classroom
This would make a wonderful class team competition. Consider dividing the class into groups, or even pitting different sections of the same course against each other. Encourage the students not to breeze through the choices too quickly. The site might be useful for mature younger students if they have the attention span required to make careful and reasoned choices. Another option is to complete this activity as a class on an interactive whiteboard or projector.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Independence Hall - National Park Service
Grades
3 to 8
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This website provides information about Independence Hall. There are photos and brief descriptions of the State House (now Independence Hall). The website also provides details about...more
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This website provides information about Independence Hall. There are photos and brief descriptions of the State House (now Independence Hall). The website also provides details about the events that took place there.
In the Classroom
Share this and other sections of the TeachersFirst Colonial America tour as part of your study of the colonies so students can see what these historic locations look like today.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Digital Moving Images Collection - Early Motion Pictures - Library of Congress
Grades
7 to 12
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This site has film clips of American Factories, The McKinley Era, New York circa 1900, San Francisco before and after the earthquake, and other indexed historical early films. The clips...more
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This site has film clips of American Factories, The McKinley Era, New York circa 1900, San Francisco before and after the earthquake, and other indexed historical early films. The clips are long, so take a few minutes to download, but the results could illustrate a history lesson or a communications study. This site also links to Edison's early motion picture and sound recordings. Students can also use these for primary research for National History Day or other major projects.
In the Classroom
Use this site as an anticipatory set or "activator" to introduce a unit or lesson on a projector. Because the clips are long, make sure to preview them to help decide whether to play the whole thing or just portions. This videos would be great to use during a study of Edison, or even the content covered in the videos. It could lead to a very interesting conversation as to the value of videos as resources, and what criteria we should judge them by.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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