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This simple, text-based site includes a narrative about Thanksgiving, recipes, and more. The narrative provides an excellent resource for a unit that examines the first inhabitants of the Plymouth region (the Wampanoag), their culture, and the impact of the arrival of the Pilgrims upon their lives. The site describes the establishment and eventual deterioration of friendships between the early colonists and the Wampanoag. A study guide and discussion questions are included, along with ideas for enrichment. This is more than the usual cute Thanksgiving story and seeks to debunk many myths.

Use this site as background for your pre-Thanksgiving lessons or create a scavenger hunt using the questions from the More Information for Teachers section. Have students wok in teams to create a booklet or PowerPoint presentation from a different angle: A Virtual Tour of the First Thanksgiving or a Guide for European Settlers to Life Among the Wampanoags.

Signs in Stitches and Song is a multi-lesson, interdisciplinary unit about the Underground Railroad for primary students. Concentrating on the codes and signal systems by which escaping slaves found their way northward, the unit includes language arts, science, music, geography and math components. The various elements can be used individually, or in combination. There are extensive illustrations, printable handouts, optional Flash animations, and suggestions for further study.

TeachersFirst’s states project for students combines the usual “almanac” facts with narratives on native people, early history, economy, and landforms and geography. The result is a one-stop site for upper elementary and middle school students studying their own states, or someone else’s. This project is more than "halfway" complete, and we are adding new states regularly.

Use this site on a projector or interactive whiteboard to discuss and informally assess prior knowledge as you start your study of the 50 states. One easy use would be for testing students on knowledge of the capitols. Open the site on the interactive whiteboard or projector, and you can test students not only by state recognition on the map but with what the capitols are. State location and capitol information are not clearly stated until clicked on, so this would be a fairly easy formative assessment in review the information.

This site, created by Kidport for fourth grade students, offers links to lessons and activities in math, science, social studies, language arts, creative arts, and a reference library. Some of the subject areas only offer one or two activities, while others offer several. The topics include California Missions, arithmetic practice, the food chain, animal comparisons, U.S. presidents, Mexican American War, California Gold Rush, homophones, and other grammar activities.

Although some of the activities are not highly interactive, they are well done and could be very useful in the classroom. Some of the pages do have advertisements, but they are not distractive. This site requires Flash. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.

Check out the unique mix available at this website. Share it with your students on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Use this site for enrichment, learning stations, or indoor recess options. List this site in your class newsletter and on your class website for students to use for additional practice at home.

This site offers metalists (most of the content isn't theirs) for each state, including bios of presidents from that state, attractions, public records, and more. There's much more than history items at this site, which may or may not be an advantage.

This site, created by Kidport for fifth grade students, offers links to lessons and activities in math, science, social studies, language arts, creative arts, and a reference library. Some of the subject areas only offer one or two activities, while others offer several. Some examples of math topics include measuring angles, adding and subtracting decimals, and measuring distance. Language arts topics include contractions, antonyms, synonyms, compound words, and homophones. Science topics vary greatly and include the heart, human body, bones, muscles, the animal kingdom and more! Social studies lessons focus on the pilgrims, U.S. states and capitals, and the American Revolution.

This site offers a variety of interactive elements (online quizzes, interactive maps and diagrams, and other learning exercises). Some of the pages do have advertisements, but they are not distractive. This site requires Flash. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.

Share this site with your families by listing it on your class website for additional at-home practice and enrichment. Use this site with younger gifted students. Share the site with your students on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Use this site for learning stations, or indoor recess options.

Go back in time and become a history detective, with this interactive site that asks students to investigate the daily lives of a typical colonial family from northeastern Connecticut. Students must collect clues to uncover the answers to seven questions about everyday life in the 1700s.

Use this site as a learning center or station during a unit on Colonial history. Introduce the site on the interactive whiteboard or projector before allowing students to work on it in pairs or groups. There are audio portions, so be sure to include headphones! Note: this is a reading intensive activity, so be sure to partner poor readers with someone who can assist them.

The New York City Historical Society offers this retrospective on the growth and development of New York City. First home to thousands of immigrants, the growth of New York was a mirror of American development in the 19th and 20th centuries. Great supplement to any study of American history during these time periods.

A Lesson on the Pilgrims - ready to print - is also available from the National Seashore Park. To use this, you'll need the Adobe Acrobat reader. Get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page..

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.

This online exhibit from the New York State Museum uses drawings, text, and illustrations to show how the Mohawk built villages and dwellings. There are also firsthand accounts, plans for a model longhouse, annotated illustrations, and examples of artifacts. This could be a useful site for study of Native American tribes and cultures.

Are you gearing up for Inauguration Day with your students? Check out this site, dedicated to the "New Birth of Freedom." Visit the History link, learn about the events for the 2009 Inauguration, see photos, view video clips, and more. The videos require Flash. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.

Assign a student "pre-inaugural reporter" from the class each day during the month of January to share the latest news and plans about the Inauguration. Have cooperative learning groups compare historical information on inaugurations. Then have the students write a paper or blog entry explaining what their own inauguration would be like if they were ever elected president.

Links to Holocaust literature and reading list classified by elementary, middle and high school levels. Source: Florida Center for Instructional Technology, College of Education, University of South Florida

Fort Raleigh Teacher's Handbook is the teacher's guide that goes with Roanoke Revisited . If provides additional historical detail, along with suggestions for using the materials 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.

This website offers a tribute to mothers. Learn about the history of Mother's Day, how to say mother in various languages, jokes, quotes, poetry, gift ideas, recipes, information about Mother Teresa, craft ideas, and more.

Use this website to provide some education about Mother's Day. Have your students learn how to pronounce "Mother" in other languages. Have your ESL and ELL students share how to say mother in their native languages. Teach about Mother Teresa, learn about the history of the holiday, read the poems, and explore this website together.

Ableza is a Native American Arts and Media Institute in San Jose, CA. They are dedicated to promoting, preserving and protecting traditional and contemporary arts by Native American Peoples. This is a great site that includes pictures of murals as well as other art, streaming audio and video of plays and a great list of teacher "do's and don'ts" for teachers teaching Native American children or literature/culture.According to Ableza "Native Americans do more than "Indian" art; (they) are active in all areas of the modern arts world. As (they) "take back our images" from Hollywood stereotypes, Ableza helps make sure the world is aware of Native America's vast professional activities" and contributions.

Visit this site as you prepare to study indigenous peoples of the Americas. The information can be interwoven with your textbook to provide a wider perspective. Videos require Real Player. Art teachers will love this site as an backdrop to native American art.

Here's a site about Lincoln by and for elementary students. Easy for young ones to use, with just enough information to make it all interesting. This site is FULL of fun and educational activities to do as a class or for individual research: online quiz, full animation of the addition of states to the USA, "Ask Lincoln a Question" section, picture gallery, ready to go classroom activities, and an online treasure hunt! If you are preparing for the 200th birthday of Lincoln, President's Day, or research on the 16th president - don't miss this site.

This site takes out a lot of the "leg work" for teachers. Use your interactive whiteboard or projector to share the online quiz, animated activities, pictures, and more. Have students complete the online treasure hunt in cooperative learning groups. Challenge students to write their own questions to "Honest Abe."

This site offers information for those visiting the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. However, even if you can't physically go to the museum there are some create resources! If you click on the Teacher Resources, you will find several activity guides to use in your classroom. Learn more about the Gettysburg Address, First Ladies, Women's History Month, Black History Month, Christmas at the Whitehouse, and more! Most of the guides require Adobe Acrobat. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.

Use the activity guides in your classroom. Most include printables, higher order thinking questions, and even activities that could easily be displayed and discussed using your interactive whiteboard or projector.

An extensive online collection of Lincoln information. This site has nearly everything you could want to learn about Lincoln. Some of the highlights include speeches, lesson ideas, "This Week in History" (Lincoln history, that is), and more. Be sure to check out the Education link to find many classroom resource. Some of the links require Flash. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.

Take advantage of these ready to use classroom resources. There are lessons available for grades K-12. Use this site to share the speeches of the famous president. Have students dissect the words of one of the speeches, break it down into "today's language."

This simple site offers several "Classroom Connections" to use in conjunction with a field trip to the museum. However, many of these ideas could easily be adapted into research projects or writing assignments for students in social studies or history class without a museum visit. All topics relate to Abraham Lincoln, the Civil War, or 19th Century Kids.

Use this site as a starting point for projects about our 16th president. Although most relate to exhibits found at the museum, similar research can be found online. Have students choose one of the several topics to research further.