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Civics in Real Life - Florida Joint Center for Citizenship
Grades
6 to 12
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Expand civic literacy with weekly updates and resources from the Florida Joint Center for Citizenship. Each week the center adds civics concepts related to the current news. View topics...more
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Expand civic literacy with weekly updates and resources from the Florida Joint Center for Citizenship. Each week the center adds civics concepts related to the current news. View topics by date and title, then click to download. The downloads are one page PDF documents containing a short overview of the relevant topic along with a "To Think and To Do" activity.
In the Classroom
Because this site offers weekly downloads, it is a great addition to use in any social studies classroom for civics lessons or providing ongoing civics discussions throughout the school year. Engage students by creating groups to explore concepts even further throughout the year. For example, divide your class into four or five groups, then have each group rotate throughout the month to take the information from a weekly update and conduct further research. Use Padlet, reviewed here, to curate and share each of the activities for students to revisit and review the content. Take advantage of tools such as Google Slides, reviewed here, to focus student groups on learning activities. Create a slide template that includes students' areas to answer questions, reflect upon finding, and share resources used. Extend learning using podcasts as a final project for students to discuss and share their researched topic. Buzzsprout, reviewed here, is an excellent option for podcasting in the classroom because of the free features that include adding links and lists to podcasts and the ability to schedule podcasts release for your chosen date and time.
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Unpublished Black History - The New York Times
Grades
6 to 12
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Browse through unpublished images from The New York Times archives published daily during February's Black History Month recognition, including short background information about the...more
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Browse through unpublished images from The New York Times archives published daily during February's Black History Month recognition, including short background information about the picture's subject. Email signup isn't required; scroll past that portion at the top of the page to browse the content. Images include well-known entertainers, sports, political figures, and pictures commemorating everyday events. In addition, each entry has a link to a New York Times article.
In the Classroom
This page is perfect for sharing with students to explore and find people and events of interest. The page is quite lengthy; if looking for specific information such as an event in a particular city or a person, use the search for text feature on your computer to find that information. On a Mac, use "Command+F"; on a Windows device, use "Ctrl+F"; another method for easier viewing is to click on the magnifying glass found on the bottom, left-hand corner of an image. This option allows viewers to scroll through a slide show of the images that include a short description of the activity. As students find information to research further, use the Wikipedia Timeline Generator found at Class Tools, reviewed here, to view a chronological list of events related to that person or event. Use other templates found in class tools to extend learning further. For example, use the Venn Diagram generator to organize and understand overlapping events and people involved or ask students to use the Fakebook generator to create a fictional social profile for one of the people featured on the New York Times page. Extend learning by asking students to become reporters and write news articles about current or past Black History events not found in this article. Consider using a simple web-publishing tool like Telegra.ph, reviewed here, to create and share articles that include student-created text along with images and web links.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Freebook Sifter - FreebookSifter
Grades
K to 12
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Explore this useful catalog of all free e-books available for Kindles through Amazon. It is quite extensive with many categories: Advice & How-to, Biographies & Memoirs, Business &...more
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Explore this useful catalog of all free e-books available for Kindles through Amazon. It is quite extensive with many categories: Advice & How-to, Biographies & Memoirs, Business & Investing, Children's eBooks, Fantasy, History, Literary Fiction, Mystery & Thrillers, Politics & Current Events, Reference, Religion & Spirituality, Science, Science Fiction, Sports, Teens, Travel, and many others. At the time of this review, there were over 69,000 free eBooks listed on the site.
In the Classroom
This site is a helpful classroom reference tool. Save this link on your classroom computers. Find books to use at learning stations, especially if you are a BYOD (Bring your own Device) school. Be sure to provide this link on your class website for students to use at home. The books available include all those in the public domain and titles whose authors have granted permission for free dispersal.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Connect the Dots for Democracy - Witte Design, LLC
Grades
8 to 12
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Address important issues about government policy through the use of infographics with the goal of uncomplicating things for "busy folks like yourself." Government policy discussions...more
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Address important issues about government policy through the use of infographics with the goal of uncomplicating things for "busy folks like yourself." Government policy discussions are increasingly dominated by the media, and each side of the debate spends as much time trying to "spin" the discussion as it does simply communicating the facts. The graphics on this site are extremely well presented. Choose from among several important issues: Jobs, the Deficit, Health Care, Political Language, and the Federal Budget. Each topic includes a slideshow of infographics, a written script to accompany the slides, questions for discussion, and the ability to print a booklet that includes the graphics and text highlights.
What's missing? There is no audio recording of the script that could accompany the slides; you must print the script and read it while viewing the slides. And, despite its goal of "making it simple" for busy folks, you have to dig a little in the site to discover that the author is firmly in the "Progressive" political camp, and that the presentation on Health Care, for example, includes one section on "GOP Myths" and repeatedly slams the Republican party's handling of the health care crisis. To its credit, the sources for the information presented on the graphics are cited. Be aware also that the graphics use language like "We're Getting Screwed!" which may be inappropriate for younger kids.
What's missing? There is no audio recording of the script that could accompany the slides; you must print the script and read it while viewing the slides. And, despite its goal of "making it simple" for busy folks, you have to dig a little in the site to discover that the author is firmly in the "Progressive" political camp, and that the presentation on Health Care, for example, includes one section on "GOP Myths" and repeatedly slams the Republican party's handling of the health care crisis. To its credit, the sources for the information presented on the graphics are cited. Be aware also that the graphics use language like "We're Getting Screwed!" which may be inappropriate for younger kids.
In the Classroom
The infographic presentations would be great for discussions of election-year politics for Civics/Government classes or Current Events debate. They would be better if the accompanying scripts were available in an audio file. Exercise caution, however, because there is clearly a political agenda here. Ironic that a site that purports to cut through the rhetoric is loaded with its own. Use it, therefore, as yet another example of how a savvy media can "spin" the issues. Invite students to look for the bias inherent in some of the information presented. What questions should be asked about the data contained in the slideshow? How could you verify the information? How would you rebut it with your own infographic? Can you find a site that presents an opposing spin on the same topics?Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Thomas Nast's Political Cartoons - Digital Inquiry Group
Grades
9 to 12
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Using two cartoons created by Thomas Nast, students analyze the content to learn about northern attitudes toward freedmen during Reconstruction. Download this lesson that offers an...more
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Using two cartoons created by Thomas Nast, students analyze the content to learn about northern attitudes toward freedmen during Reconstruction. Download this lesson that offers an instructional plan that guides students through evaluating and discussing the messages found in each political cartoon. This lesson includes downloadable materials for teachers and students. Free registration is required to access the PDF materials.
In the Classroom
Use cartoons to engage student learners and as a resource for providing deeper context to complicated issues such as Reconstruction. Upload images of each cartoon onto an interactive whiteboard tool such as Whiteboard Chat, reviewed here, that provides many tools for sharing and creating digital annotations. Upload each cartoon and add student comments and use drawing tools to draw attention to specific portions of cartoons. As a culminating project, ask students to create political cartoons representing different views of Reconstruction. Use Canva's Comic Strip Templates, reviewed here, as a starting point for templates and ideas or have students create cartoons from a blank slide.
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Black History Month - Library of Congress
Grades
6 to 12
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Black History Month features events and resources provided by the Library of Congress. Begin by visiting the "Read More" link in the introductory paragraph to find information about...more
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Black History Month features events and resources provided by the Library of Congress. Begin by visiting the "Read More" link in the introductory paragraph to find information about the site along with several additional Black History Month Resources. The featured activity is a lesson plan that explores the role of artists and artwork in the Civil Rights movement. In addition, the lesson activities feature many primary source documents for use as the basis for learning activities. Further down the page are Black History Month event highlights. Finally, follow the links on the events to register or view activities throughout the month, including photo research of African-Americans in the Military and A House Built by Slaves: African-American Visitors to the Lincoln White House.
In the Classroom
Bookmark this site to use as a supplement to your current resources for teaching about Black History. Engage students through the use of primary documents within Google Jamboard, reviewed here. Add a document to a Jamboard slide and ask students to add sticky notes with information learned throughout your lesson activities. As you continue through your lessons, enhance student understanding using visual organization tools like Workona, reviewed here. For example, create a dedicated space or your template for your current class project with tabs, docs, and links. As a final extended learning activity, ask students to interview local historians and Black activists to understand their first-hand experiences as a Black person in America. Share students' research using the storytelling tools found at Knight Lab, reviewed here. Tools include story maps, timelines, and Storyline - a tool for sharing the story behind numbers.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Civil Rights at 50 - Equal Justice Society
Grades
7 to 12
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Civil Rights at 50 offers free lesson plans based on the book, Wherever There's a Fight, by Elaine Elinson and Stan Yogi. The six middle and high school lesson plans ...more
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Civil Rights at 50 offers free lesson plans based on the book, Wherever There's a Fight, by Elaine Elinson and Stan Yogi. The six middle and high school lesson plans revolve around the struggle to develop and protect rights in California. Click the download link to access and print the lessons in PDF format.
In the Classroom
Although lessons are for a particular book, they can be adapted for classroom use without reading the book. Take advantage of these free lessons and handouts for use with any Civil Rights lesson or unit. These lessons would be great for use with gifted students or differentiating work for students. Have a group of students read Wherever There's a Fight and make a multimedia presentation using one of the many TeachersFirst Edge tools, reviewed here.
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World History Encyclopedia - World History Foundation
Grades
6 to 12
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The World History Encyclopedia takes encyclopedias to the next level through the addition of media, timelines, teaching materials, and much more. Use the keyword search to find specific...more
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The World History Encyclopedia takes encyclopedias to the next level through the addition of media, timelines, teaching materials, and much more. Use the keyword search to find specific information or select the index to find content in alphabetical order or by region or date. Explore interactive maps of prehistoric sites, the Roman Empire, and more. This encyclopedia also shares many downloadable lessons and curated collections. Finally, don't forget to visit the media library to find images, videos, 3D images, and audio recordings.
In the Classroom
This site is a must-have for any history teacher. First, bookmark the site for students to use as a multimedia encyclopedia and media resource. Then, include it with your other teaching resources to find engaging classroom lessons. Have students use the images on this site when creating presentations (using proper attribution, of course). Enhance student learning by having them use Genially, reviewed here, an excellent tool for students to use to create interactive and multimedia presentations. Have students add images to presentations, then create "hotspots" that link to outside resources such as videos, articles, or student-created texts.
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Stossel in the Classroom - Center for Independent Thought
Grades
5 to 12
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Find Streaming Videos from John Stossel to engage your students in discussions about interesting and thought-provoking issues. Each month this site posts a new video for your use, and...more
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Find Streaming Videos from John Stossel to engage your students in discussions about interesting and thought-provoking issues. Each month this site posts a new video for your use, and all videos come with suggested discussion questions and quizzes. Also, you will find lots of discussion topics in the archived section titled with categories like the environment, celebrities, and consumer issues, just to name a few. Registration is free; you need to log in to view the teacher's guide and discussion questions! There are some items of interest on the top menu bar: Both Sides of the Issue, Features, Video Library, and Teacher Resources.
In the Classroom
Use these streaming videos to help create "background knowledge" for your students and improve listening and note taking skills. Small groups of students could rotate through stations with the video, or you can use it with the whole class. Either way, students can practice their two column (Cornell) note taking skills using the left column for keywords and/or questions and the right side of the paper for important information about the topic they are viewing. Have students discuss and look up answers to their questions.If using the videos as a whole class, you may want to use a discussion program that allows "backchanneling" such as Socrative, reviewed here,, so everyone can comment on the issue(s) presented and see each other thoughts.
Another idea is to use the videos as a jump-off point for research by small groups. There are many huge topics you can break into parts for small groups to investigate after watching Stossel's take on it. Then challenge the groups to create a multimedia presentation using one of many TeachersFirst Edge tools reviewed here.
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Comments
I found lots of interesting information here. Great work Thanks for the share loved reading the article, please do share more like this with us .Temple, TAMPS, Grades: 0 - 12
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Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness Digital Textbook - Bill of Rights Institute
Grades
9 to 12
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Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness is a free digital textbook designed for high school American History or AP U.S. History classes. Information is provided through chronological...more
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Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness is a free digital textbook designed for high school American History or AP U.S. History classes. Information is provided through chronological units that include primary and secondary source materials. Short narratives are included in each chapter to present information in a personalized manner and use decision points for students to focus on how information learned fits into a larger narrative. Each unit has a culminating essay activity that assesses the chapter's objectives. This digital textbook also offers tools for text highlighting, online notetaking, and text to speech. To access the textbook, use the link to register and access the materials through the OpenStax platform, reviewed here.
In the Classroom
Take advantage of this free textbook to use for your American History curriculum or supplement your current teaching materials. Pick and choose text, source materials, or assessment information to enhance your curriculum. This text is a perfect addition for schools lacking up-to-date content or for use with distance learning. Use a curation tool such as Padlet, reviewed here, to organize and share materials with students. Use the shelf option to create categories and organize them by videos, articles, primary source documents, etc., to make information easily accessible by your students. Encourage students to share their understanding of the content by creating videos, flyers, graphic images, and more using the tools found at Canva Edu, reviewed here. Use the text to speech option to differentiate learning for students with disabilities and English Language Learners.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Immigration Myths Lesson - Learning for Justice
Grades
6 to 12
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Engage students in understanding the myths and stereotypes about immigrants and immigration in the U.S. with this lesson plan from Learning for Justice. Based on three essential questions,...more
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Engage students in understanding the myths and stereotypes about immigrants and immigration in the U.S. with this lesson plan from Learning for Justice. Based on three essential questions, this lesson guides students through six workstations as they explore and discuss the inaccuracies behind each myth. As a final activity, students reflect upon their personal connections to immigrants and the stereotypes they face. This lesson also includes an extension activity and suggestions for creating an "Immigrants Bill of Rights."
In the Classroom
Use digital resources to engage and enhance your lesson activities. During each workstation activity, student groups complete and share responses to questions. Use Padlet, reviewed here, to record and share responses in one of two ways. If students write responses, take a picture of the completed response and share it within Padlet using the shelf feature that offers options to create columns for categorizing information. Go completely digital within Padlet and share your Padlet with students to use as a collaborative project by adding responses directly within the Padlet as part of their workstation discussions. Collect poll responses during workstation activities using Socrative, reviewed here, to quickly gather and share responses. As you extend learning by creating the "Immigrants Bill of Rights," have students or student groups use Canva Edu, reviewed here, to design and share their posters and presentations.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Republia Times - Lucas Pope
Grades
6 to 12
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Try your hand at newspaper editing for a dystopian community. Explore the limitations of not having a free press. Your task is to select which articles paint a positive picture ...more
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Try your hand at newspaper editing for a dystopian community. Explore the limitations of not having a free press. Your task is to select which articles paint a positive picture of the world by reading a one sentence summary and looking at the headlines. There is a time limit for editing (within 3 virtual days -- about 45 seconds). As the editor, you must make sure the bosses stay happy and also that the public interest is substantial in reading the selected stories. At the end of the given time, editors receive two grades, one on successfully completing the paper and the other on engaging your readers. Editors continue work for three days, each day trying to improve the positive attitude and interest more readers. A threat to the editor adds to the suspense and tension of selecting articles carefully.
In the Classroom
Share this exercise (once) on your interactive whiteboard or projector during a unit on propaganda or while reading a dystopian novel. You can also include it during government/civics units on the power of media and bias. Have students try out editing on individual computers or as a learning station. Enhance student learning by having students use Breaking News Generator, reviewed here, to write imaginary articles that go along with the headlines from two points of view, both positive and negative about the regime. Find headlines from a local paper or the Internet and have students rewrite headlines, changing the feeling of the article from negative to positive or vice versa.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Civics Connection - Lou Frey Institute
Grades
10 to 12
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The Civics Connection provides a series of lessons and classroom materials aligned to AP Government and Politics curriculum. It features former members of Congress for high school students...more
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The Civics Connection provides a series of lessons and classroom materials aligned to AP Government and Politics curriculum. It features former members of Congress for high school students to understand issues faced by Congress. Begin with "A Conversation with Congress" to access the teacher's manual and all videos and teaching resources. "Students Explore Congress" features further video conversations discussing issues facing Congress. If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable.
In the Classroom
Include resources from this site as part of your AP Government curriculum or any unit on government. Share videos on your class webpage and ask students to view them before discussing in class. Instead of providing written questions for student response, use a tool like EdPuzzle, reviewed here, to add questions directly to any portion of the video. Ask students to research and find other videos and add their own questions using EdPuzzle. At the end of your unit, ask students to share their thoughts using Flip, reviewed here. Flip allows students to share video responses through collaborative comments and discussions.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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American Battlefield Trust - American Battlefield Trust
Grades
6 to 12
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The Civil War Trust website is a comprehensive collection of all things related to the Civil War. Find battlefields by searching by state, year, or name of the battle. Each ...more
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The Civil War Trust website is a comprehensive collection of all things related to the Civil War. Find battlefields by searching by state, year, or name of the battle. Each battle listed includes a short recap with pertinent information such as dates, union and confederate commander names, number of forces engaged, casualties, and end result. Links to maps and other articles are also included. There are lists of sites offering many lesson plans for elementary through high school level, a glossary of civil war terms, links to primary sources, coloring book and crossword puzzle pages, and overviews of the Civil War. The student section contains links to photos, books for kids, and websites geared towards kids. Be sure to also check out the links to photos, battle apps, news, and more located under the site title at the top of the home page. Another great portion of the site is the gallery of pictures in 3-D. Click the link provided to receive a free pair of 3-D viewing glasses! There is so much more to see on this site. It is a must-see for anyone interested in Civil War resources.
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This site includes advertising.
In the Classroom
Bookmark and save this site as an excellent resource for Civil War materials. Display different battle information on an interactive whiteboard or with a projector to discuss as a class. Share this site with students to use as a resource for class projects. Ask them to collect facts and resources using a bookmarking tool such as Wakelet, reviewed here. Have students use a mapping tool such as Google Earth, reviewed here, to create an audio (and visual) tour of pertinent battle sites. Challenge your students to use a site such as Sutori, reviewed here, to create an interactive timeline of important battles. With Sutori you can include text, images and collaboration. Have students make a multimedia presentation using Genial.ly, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Decoding Elections: Process, Persuasion & Participation - NewseumEd
Grades
6 to 12
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Don't shy away from teaching about the elections because of all the nastiness and confusion. Instead get help from NewseumEd's latest Collection: Decoding Elections: Process, Persuasion...more
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Don't shy away from teaching about the elections because of all the nastiness and confusion. Instead get help from NewseumEd's latest Collection: Decoding Elections: Process, Persuasion & Participation. Study the historical conditions and circumstances of controversial political campaigns to gain an understanding of today's campaign tactics and messages. Go back as far as the 1880s to learn about mudslinging and nasty accusations in the election and where and when nasty ads got their start. This NewseumEd Collection approaches understanding by using primary sources and case studies (use the drop down menu for Education Collection). The case studies start at the very beginning of an election and go right through to the end. They all include lesson plans with an issue summary, debate question, tools for organizing evidence for the discussions, election essentials, primary sources, guiding questions, and an extension activity. Optional resources for some of the case studies include NewseumEd's Pinterest pages (links provided with those Case Studies). To get started there are a few helpful interactives to go with this Collection: the Political Personality Quiz, Candidate Match, and Predict the Election. Registration with NewseumEd is necessary to access all sources, but is entirely free.
In the Classroom
Whether the nation or your local government is going through an unpleasant, combative election campaign, or even during a yearly unit on the elections this collection from Newseum will help students understand our political system. Pique student interest by having them take the Political Personality Quiz. In small groups have students discuss whether or not they agree with the results. Next, you may want to use the Candidate Match to refine their political profile further, and then discuss how they feel about the candidate they matched up with and why they feel that way. While using any or all of the case studies with your students, don't forget to download the Activity, Handout, and Worksheet. All of the case studies have discussion topics.All students need to have a voice during discussions, whether discussing as a class or in small groups, allow everyone to share their opinions and concerns using a backchannel tool for the class such as GoSoapBox, reviewed here, or with older students, in small groups, using a tool like Slack, reviewed here. Extension activities encompass making charts, lists, (use tools like 25 Language Arts Graphic Organizers, reviewed here, or Holt Interactive Graphic Organizers, reviewed here), researching a candidate creating a slogan and explaining why the slogan fits that candidate, and creating a campaign event. For the latter two extension suggestions use a tool such as Adobe Creative Cloud Express for Education, reviewed here.
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Military History Now - NH Mallett
Grades
8 to 12
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Military History Now is dedicated to sharing the strange, off-beat, and lesser-known aspects of military history. Scroll through the site to find interesting stories of the military...more
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Military History Now is dedicated to sharing the strange, off-beat, and lesser-known aspects of military history. Scroll through the site to find interesting stories of the military from around the world, both recent and long ago. Recent posts include the story behind the famous "I Want You" poster featuring Uncle Sam and 10 Most Famous Battle Cries. Use the keyword search to find specific information, or click on related links in posts to find more information on a topic.
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In the Classroom
Military History Now is an excellent addition to any history classroom. Share information from posts with students to add background information to any topic. Encourage students to browse the site on their own to find little-known facts to share with others. Have students create an interactive image including text boxes and related links using a tool such as Genially, reviewed here, to share information learned.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Freedom Riders and the Popular Music of the Civil Rights Movement - EDSITEment!
Grades
8 to 12
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This fascinating lesson plan includes six teaching activities that focus on how civil rights activists used the power of song to share their message of equal justice under the law ...more
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This fascinating lesson plan includes six teaching activities that focus on how civil rights activists used the power of song to share their message of equal justice under the law for all. The lesson begins with guiding questions and stated learning objectives aligned to Social Studies and Common Core literacy standards. Then, students listen to several songs from the 1960s and analyze the lyrics to understand the civil rights messages during their study of the materials. This lesson includes links to all media and music referenced within the activities.
In the Classroom
Integrate this lesson into your teaching about civil rights, Freedom Fighters, or the 1960s to engage students in learning about this period through music. Enhance learning by dividing students into groups to analyze different songs, then ask them to share their findings with the class by sharing a presentation created using one of the tools found at Adobe Creative Cloud Express for Education, reviewed here. After viewing the presentations, encourage students to look for similarities within each message. Use Answer Garden, reviewed here, to post a question and ask students to post responses to create a word cloud. For example, ask each group to share important words or concepts from their song, then view the word cloud to understand overlapping content. As a final activity, extend learning by asking students to create interactive timelines that include important civil rights events, 1960s music, and highlights of civil rights leaders' activities. Use a timeline creation tool such as Time Graphics Timeline Maker, reviewed here, or the timeline feature found in Padlet, reviewed here. Using either option, ask students to include links to videos, recordings, and discussions of the civil rights events.
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Freedom in the Balance - NewseumED
Grades
8 to 12
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Freedom in the Balance is a free resource from NewseumED that uses real-life scenarios and historical and contemporary case studies to examine individual rights vs. national security....more
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Freedom in the Balance is a free resource from NewseumED that uses real-life scenarios and historical and contemporary case studies to examine individual rights vs. national security. Click on More Details and use the drop-down menu for Explore the Questions. That is where you will find the essential questions, and the What Happened Then? and What's Happening Now? case studies. Click the button for the interactive Take Our Quiz to find out where you stand on freedom and whom you would "click with" in history. For the quiz, you will read ten scenarios, based on real-life examples, and select one of four responses about how you feel about the issue presented. Then get your profile results and see how you rank among all quiz takers. There is also an option to explore a case study based on the man who landed a gyrocopter on the Capitol lawn to bring attention to the need for campaign finance reform.
In the Classroom
Review the First Amendment and the rights it provides to the citizens of the United States. Consider showing '45 Words' Video Lesson, reviewed here, for this. Then have students take the interactive quiz to find out their freedom profile. Pair together or make small groups of students who received different results from taking the quiz. Have the small groups or pairs each take a different essential question and read about the What Happened Then and What's Happening Now? case studies. Have students create a simple infographic using Infogram, reviewed here, to present what they learned to their classmates. Next, have them analyze the scenarios from the quiz and the possible responses to see which responses issued their profile/results. Ask students to apply the knowledge gained from this investigation to create a scenario and responses for the Explore the Case Study about the man who landed a gyrocopter on the Capitol lawn to bring attention to the need for campaign finance reform.
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Inquiries Archive - C3 Teachers
Grades
K to 12
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This archive of inquiry activities features the use of the C3 Inquiry Arc that identifies social studies habits of mind, disciplinary tools, and concepts required to prepare students...more
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This archive of inquiry activities features the use of the C3 Inquiry Arc that identifies social studies habits of mind, disciplinary tools, and concepts required to prepare students for college and everyday life. Use the drop-down boxes to filter content by grade level, hub, or topic. Although created with New York State curriculum in mind, the content applies to learners in all locations. Inquiries include a compelling question, along with supporting tasks and extensions. Download each inquiry in PDF or DOC format with all required teaching activities and support materials.
In the Classroom
Discover the many free social studies materials on this site to enhance your current lessons. Use the materials as a model to insert inquiry learning into any teaching activity. As you use teaching materials from this site, take advantage of technology to engage and extend learning. Use a teacher utility tool like Actively Learn, reviewed here, to build interactive lessons with text and video while receiving real-time assessments as students complete activities. Extend learning by asking students to create and share information about the materials learned. Provide a variety of multimedia options for students to choose from including ToonyTool, reviewed here, for creating cartoons or Minecraft Education Edition, reviewed here, to create their own learning game. Take advantage of the many ideas for implementing rubrics for assessment along with examples and online tools at TeachersFirst Rubrics to the Rescue here, as a guide for assessing student multimedia projects.
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The Top 6 Population Migrations in American History - HomeArea.com
Grades
7 to 12
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This interesting site features a look at major population changes in the United States from 1790 through 2010. Begin with the big picture, an animated image featuring population change...more
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This interesting site features a look at major population changes in the United States from 1790 through 2010. Begin with the big picture, an animated image featuring population change per square mile over time. Scroll down through the site for additional maps featuring populations changes due to the Gold Rush and railroads, the Civil War, and America's infatuation with cars among others. Scroll further down to choose from links to maps by individual decades, regional population maps, and additional facts and data of different counties throughout the U.S.
In the Classroom
Use this site for many different purposes in history and geography classrooms. Data found on these maps only go up through 2010, ask students to research data through the current year. Create and annotate your own charts using ChartAccent, reviewed here, to demonstrate population changes in your state or community. Take advantage of a large amount of data and information found on this site to use as a starting point for student research projects. Ask them to transform their learning by creating and presenting their information through a multimedia platform such as eStory, reviewed here. Use this tool to add texts, images, maps, and more to tell the story of changes over time within a community.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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