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Discovering American Women's History Online - Ken Middleton
Grades
8 to 12
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Learn about specific time periods in America's past through the lens of women's history. This site provides a chronology of women's contributions in the United States from the nineteenth...more
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Learn about specific time periods in America's past through the lens of women's history. This site provides a chronology of women's contributions in the United States from the nineteenth century through the twentieth century. Students can learn more about the topic by following links to relevant web sites for each event, or explore helpful research sources (newspapers, diaries, etc.) for each specified area.
In the Classroom
This is an excellent resource for piecing together American history by examining primary source documents. Have cooperative learning groups investigate women's contributions in various decades and extend their learning by creating a video using Renderforest, reviewed here, to share with their peers. Share the videos using a site such as SchoolTube reviewed here.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Intelligent Design in American Classrooms - NPR
Grades
8 to 12
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The debate over the teaching of intelligent design in the public school classroom is explored in this informational Web site that focuses on the recent controversy in Kansas and Pennsylvania....more
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The debate over the teaching of intelligent design in the public school classroom is explored in this informational Web site that focuses on the recent controversy in Kansas and Pennsylvania. Links to relevant news articles and audio clips of National Public Radio broadcasts are provided.
In the Classroom
If willing to deal with the possible religious discussion, this article would be a great starting point for a class debate on the costs and benefits of teaching intelligent design in the classroom. Based on what the article has written, begin a class discussion as to whether or not some of the actions taken by states have crossed any constitutional boundaries? Where would that boundary lie? (etc) This could lead to a heated discussion, but is a great way to get students discussing the importance of the establishment clause and its' practical application in society.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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History of Thanksgiving - History Channel
Grades
3 to 6
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Find out what was on the menu for the first Thanksgiving, debunk some common holiday myths, and listen to pilgrim interviews. This informational multi-media site also features a beautifully...more
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Find out what was on the menu for the first Thanksgiving, debunk some common holiday myths, and listen to pilgrim interviews. This informational multi-media site also features a beautifully designed video that details the history of this American institution - perfect for individual viewing. Note: this site "pauses" before opening. Be patient.
In the Classroom
Use this site as a way to introduce the Thanksgiving holidays in a way that is both educational and fun for students. Share the site with students on the interactive whiteboard or projector. Examine the interesting facts for little known information, or bring up the document entitled "a Thanksgiving proclamation," found here. Use Read Ahead, reviewed here, with the document to help students understand the meaning in this text. Have students read the document aloud, in turns or by volunteers. The document will help students understand the actual v. the myth of Thanksgiving. The site can also be saved as a favorite on classroom computers to be used as a learning center if that method is more appropriate for your classroom.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Rosa Parks - NPR
Grades
8 to 12
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This NPR article provides an overview of the life and influences of "the mother of the civil rights movement." Click on the links to hear excerpts and full length ...more
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This NPR article provides an overview of the life and influences of "the mother of the civil rights movement." Click on the links to hear excerpts and full length interviews in which Parks recounts the events of that historic day in 1955 when she refused to relinquish her bus seat to a white man. A compelling resource to add to a discussion of civil rights in America.
In the Classroom
The most intriguing part of this site are the audio portions where Parks recounts her story. Open the site on the interactive whiteboard or projector and play the portions during and within a lecture on Parks. Hearing Parks tell her story will add a different element than pictures and lecture provide.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute
Grades
8 to 12
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This is the site for the foundation created by Rosa Parks to assist children in learning about the civil rights struggle. The site also includes biographical information on Rosa Parks...more
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This is the site for the foundation created by Rosa Parks to assist children in learning about the civil rights struggle. The site also includes biographical information on Rosa Parks and her achievements.
In the Classroom
Refer students working on research projects or papers on Rosa Parks to this site. There is a very text-heavy biography, but the information is all useful and reliable.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Remembering Rosa Parks - Academy of Achievement
Grades
6 to 12
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Rosa Parks' confrontation on a Birmingham, AL, bus helped spark the American civil rights movement. Her death in October, 2005, offered an opportunity to remember that contribution...more
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Rosa Parks' confrontation on a Birmingham, AL, bus helped spark the American civil rights movement. Her death in October, 2005, offered an opportunity to remember that contribution to American society. This site's biography offers background on the story that could be used in a number of instructional settings.
In the Classroom
Within the site is an interview with Parks, in which she accounts segregation in her childhood as well as the bus boycott that made her so famous. Play this for students during a unit on the Civil Rights movement in place of a lecture, or afterwards to review the content.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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History of Halloween - History Channel
Grades
5 to 8
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Turn Halloween into a history lesson with this History Channel site that traces its origin from an ancient Celtic festival to the modern-day practices of trick-or-treating and Jack-o'-lantern...more
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Turn Halloween into a history lesson with this History Channel site that traces its origin from an ancient Celtic festival to the modern-day practices of trick-or-treating and Jack-o'-lantern carving. Includes some hauntingly intriguing video clips (some with specific ties to American history), ghost stories, and recipes.
In the Classroom
This is a great site to show students how history can impact their everyday! One good project would be to use this site as an introduction to Halloween activities. Introduce the site on the interactive whiteboard or projector. There are several different "histories" on the site, such as the history of the Jack o'Lantern, or the origins of Halloween, or the origins of several ghost stories. Have students look at the site in pairs, and create a poster of what they thought were the most interesting facts. We recommend a site such as Padlet (reviewed here). Have students display their posters, and then use the free craft ideas offered to celebrate the holiday in your class!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Learning About Research and Writing using the American Revolution - ReadWriteThink
Grades
3 to 5
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This lesson creates a wonderful interdisciplinary connection between creative writing and American history. After using a variety of resources to learn more about the American Revolution,...more
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This lesson creates a wonderful interdisciplinary connection between creative writing and American history. After using a variety of resources to learn more about the American Revolution, students select an historical figure from that era, and compose an acrostic poem describing that individual's contributions. Aligned to National Standards.
In the Classroom
Take advantage of this free lesson plan as a way to study the American Revolution from an interdisciplinary standpoint. This lesson plan mixes creative writing and poetry with history as a way to relate different concepts concerning the American Revolution.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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State and Regional Folk Tales - S.E. Schlosser
Grades
5 to 7
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This repository of folk tales from throughout the United States, organized by state and region, provides students with a great literary tapestry of American culture. Add to a unit on...more
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This repository of folk tales from throughout the United States, organized by state and region, provides students with a great literary tapestry of American culture. Add to a unit on your state's history, or use to supplement your reading curriculum.
In the Classroom
Introduce this site on the interactive whiteboard or projector, before allowing students to explore the site independently. Use the stories as a writing prompt - after students have explored for a set amount of time, have them write their own ghost stories about areas in the state. To tie it into history, teachers can make them time-pieces, with the stories required to be related to a certain unit or period of time.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Thomas Edison's Inventive Life - Smithsonian
Grades
3 to 8
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Learn about Thomas Edison and the impact of his inventions. While most students know about the light bulb and the phonograph, this site peers into the full repertoire of Edison's ...more
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Learn about Thomas Edison and the impact of his inventions. While most students know about the light bulb and the phonograph, this site peers into the full repertoire of Edison's invention inventory, giving the story of how one man became a sort of national invention hero. Scroll down the page a bit and click the tag on the right titled Legendary inventors to find information about Edison and tatoos, the phonograph, his places of invention, and Thomas Edidson letters and documents.
In the Classroom
Share this site at the beginning of a unit on inventors and inventions using your whiteboard or projector. Create a Padlet, reviewed here, with columns for students to list and describe Edison's inventions. Enhance learning by asking small groups of students students to look through the tag Legendary inventors to find another inventor to read about and research. Then challenge the groups to choose one of the following tools to create a presentation about what they learned to share with their peers: a multimedia presentation using Adobe Creative Cloud Express for Education, reviewed here, a video using Typito, reviewed here, a podcast using Buzzsprout, reviewed here, or a blog post using Edublog, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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1492 - An Ongoing Voyage - Library of Congress
Grades
9 to 12
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This site from the Library of Congress takes a detailed look at the variety of peoples and civilizations that were thriving on the American continents before they were "discovered"...more
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This site from the Library of Congress takes a detailed look at the variety of peoples and civilizations that were thriving on the American continents before they were "discovered" by the Europeans. The content includes native peoples of the Caribbean, Mexico, South America, and North America. Try this one as a counterpoint to a traditional explorers unit, or as part of a study of the Maya, Inca, or other native cultures.
In the Classroom
Use the images on this site to create a picture walk activity in your classroom. Select 10-15 of the more descriptive images, preferably with different subjects. Assign students to stand at specific images, rotating every 30-45 seconds. In that time, students should quickly jot down what they observe, infer and predict about each. After the walk is done, have a class discussion based on the notes that students have taken. This is a great way to introduce the beginnings of the New World in a non-lecture format.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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African American Women Writers of the 19th Century - NY Public Library
Grades
6 to 12
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The New York Public Library developed this collection of works by nineteenth century female African American writers. The resources include fiction, poetry, essays, and more; all are...more
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The New York Public Library developed this collection of works by nineteenth century female African American writers. The resources include fiction, poetry, essays, and more; all are formatted in an easy-to-use on-screen display. Those who teach American literature will find this an interesting supplemental resource.
In the Classroom
Use the poems by Phyllis Wheatley to complement a lesson on supporters of the American Revolution. Wheatley is often a studied character in American History, and her poems often confront American Independence and slavery. Share the poems with students at the end of a lesson, and have them analyze as a class what she is trying to say about either subject. Enhance student learning with a digital classroom discussion (where everyone gets a chance to contribute) using YoTeach, reviewed here, or by digital journal writing using Penzu, reviewed here, or edublog, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Benjamin Franklin: An Extaordinary Life, An Electric Mind - PBS
Grades
7 to 12
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Learn about the colorful life and world of Ben Franklin through this series of eight downloadable lesson plans that explore the statesman's many talents and contributions. Topics include...more
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Learn about the colorful life and world of Ben Franklin through this series of eight downloadable lesson plans that explore the statesman's many talents and contributions. Topics include Poor Richard's Almanack, superstition vs. science, volunteerism and citizenship, colonial "broadsides" and almanacs, the art of invention, and more. Aligned to National Standards.
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the free lesson plans and activities hosted on this site! This would be a great resource for an early American history class, be sure to save it as a favorite on your computer!
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Google Maps - Google
Grades
1 to 12
3 Favorites
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Google Maps gives you live visuals of any location, ideal for planning a trip, picturing the relationship between places, and viewing physical characteristics of almost anywhere in...more
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Google Maps gives you live visuals of any location, ideal for planning a trip, picturing the relationship between places, and viewing physical characteristics of almost anywhere in the world. Type or paste in an address and click "search maps." If you click Satellite or hybrid versions of the map, you will see actual satellite images of the terrain. Zoom in and out, use the street view "orange man" to walk among the buildings and trees, or plan and share a route easily with Google Maps. Using your (free) Google membership allows you to save favorite places and more. Find businesses and other features near a specific map location: hotels, restaurants, schools, parks, and more. Google Maps has become more and more sophisticated, now offering many features previously only available in Google Earth, such as opening and/or saving placemarker files. Unlike Google Earth, Google Maps does not require software installation and does not use as much bandwidth for constant reloading. You can even play a tour of places you mark in Google Maps. They just keep adding more features! Google Maps is available as a free app for Android and iOS, too. The handy embed codes let you put any Google Map in a web page, blog, or wiki. Of course you do not need a membership or any special skills to simply SEE, share, or navigate a map. Membership gives you more ways to save.
In the Classroom
If you teach geography, this one's a must. It is also helpful for showing students WHERE a story or news event takes place. In lower grades, use it to show students basics of their community. Teach map skills by showing students their own community. Zoom in on their street or on the school. This site and its more sophisticated cousin, Google Earth, are great on an interactive whiteboard. Set up a class Google account (or use student accounts if permitted). Have students create their own custom route plans to tour historic sites. Challenge math students to plan the most economical route to visit several vacation destinations, including gas mileage and gas prices. Have students create placemarker files of the important places in the life of a famous person or the route traveled by a particular unit during the Civil War. Have student groups create placemarker files to show environmental sites, habitats, landforms, or anything you can place on a map. Embed projects in a class wiki using the handy embed code offered as a sharing option. Not comfortable with wikis? Check out TeachersFirst Wiki Walk-Through.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Distant Cousins - EDSITEment
Grades
3 to 5
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Learn about life in colonial America and compare everyday life in two different 18th century colonies - one in Delaware and one in Massachusetts. This lesson brings students in contact...more
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Learn about life in colonial America and compare everyday life in two different 18th century colonies - one in Delaware and one in Massachusetts. This lesson brings students in contact with artifacts from the thirteen original colonies, takes them to some outstanding interactive Web sites for background information, and asks them to write letters from the point of view of the colonists in each location. Downloadable worksheets provided. Aligned to National Standards.
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the free lesson plan offered by EDSITEment! This would be a great lesson for an American HIstory course - there are even options to extend the lesson.
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The First Amendment: What's Fair in a Free Country? - National Endowment for the Humanities
Grades
3 to 6
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The cherished right of Freedom of Speech is carefully analyzed in this thoughtful unit plan that illustrates the delicate balance between rights and responsibilities in a free society....more
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The cherished right of Freedom of Speech is carefully analyzed in this thoughtful unit plan that illustrates the delicate balance between rights and responsibilities in a free society. A series of six lessons guides upper elementary students through an authentic scenario in which the expressive rights of individuals are in question, provides connections to constitutional interpretations, and analyzes related Supreme Court cases. Aligned to Standards.
In the Classroom
Take advantage of this free lesson plan about the First Amendment and the Bill of Rights! To help ELL students, consider using a guided reading activity and vocabulary tools found at Read Ahead, reviewed here, share the vocabulary with them beforehand, OR make and print out easy to understand definitions of words that these students may have trouble with. Be sure to save this site 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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Where Did All the Money Go? - National Council on Economic Education
Grades
9 to 12
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Use deductive reasoning skills to isolate the diverse factors that contributed to the Great Depression. This standards-based lesson plan leads students through Internet research and...more
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Use deductive reasoning skills to isolate the diverse factors that contributed to the Great Depression. This standards-based lesson plan leads students through Internet research and analysis of related economic writings to the creation of a concept map illustrating the interdependence between businesses in a market economy. Aligned to National Standards.
In the Classroom
Take advantage of this free lesson plan in your classroom on a unit about the Great Depression. Not only would this be great in an economics class, but try using it in history or math - it has an interdisciplinary approach that shows the practical application of the math.
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The Decisive Day is Come - Massachusetts Historical Society
Grades
7 to 12
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Bring the Battle of Bunker Hill to life with the personal accounts and eyewitness descriptions provided on this impressive site. A wonderful collection of maps, drawing, broadsides,...more
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Bring the Battle of Bunker Hill to life with the personal accounts and eyewitness descriptions provided on this impressive site. A wonderful collection of maps, drawing, broadsides, and artifacts from the battlefield are also included. A great research tool that introduces students to the value of primary source information.
In the Classroom
Use the maps and timeline on the interactive projector as supplement to text during an introduction to the American Revolution. The images can be incorporated into a slide show and can help guide students along the events of Bunker Hill. This is a great resource for a US history class.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Watergate Revisited - Washington Post
Grades
7 to 12
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The unmasking of "deep throat," the shadowy informant in the Watergate saga, has prompted a new wave of interest in the sandal that changed American government forever. This retrospective...more
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The unmasking of "deep throat," the shadowy informant in the Watergate saga, has prompted a new wave of interest in the sandal that changed American government forever. This retrospective from the Washington Post provides not only a current summary, but a review of the original coverage, from the newspaper that broke the story.
In the Classroom
Introduce this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Then have students explore this site independently or in small groups. Have students explore the site with the intentions of creating a summary of the most important events. Have cooperative learning groups create online books using a tool such as Bookemon, reviewed here. Students can write the book from the perspective of Nixon or Deep throat...a great way to introduce the topic in a non-lecture format.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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