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California As I Saw It - Library of Congress
Grades
6 to 12
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The Library of Congress has collected original writings by settlers and explorers in California during the period 1850-1900. Indexed by author, subject, and title, this site offers...more
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The Library of Congress has collected original writings by settlers and explorers in California during the period 1850-1900. Indexed by author, subject, and title, this site offers lots of starting points for talented students interested in using primary source materials for research in history or social studies.
tag(s): california (16), explorers (64), gold rush (15)
In the Classroom
This would be a very useful site for covering the Gold Rush in a US history classroom. Select several documents and images that could be used for a document-centered activity in your classroom. Assign students to groups, with each receiving a different document and/or image. Have students fill out graphic organizers about each document, with the intentions of rotating all until students have received every one. At the end of the activity, have a class discussion of what students found and what their answers indicate. A refreshing way to teach Gold Rush history without another lecture.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Archiving Early America - Varsity Tutors
Grades
7 to 12
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An Archivist's approach to early American documents and related information. A unique array of original newspapers, maps and writings come to life on screen just as they appeared to...more
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An Archivist's approach to early American documents and related information. A unique array of original newspapers, maps and writings come to life on screen just as they appeared to our forebears more than 200 years ago. These archival materials-- forming as they do a historical record of a significant time in the American experience-- are displayed in their original formats. Special Features: Material from 18th Century America-- all displayed digitally. Historic early American documents, trivia, life in Colonial times, Colonial crossword puzzle.
tag(s): colonial america (95), primary sources (117)
In the Classroom
Not only is this site excellent for finding primary sources, but there is a great quiz offered that would be useful during a lesson reviewing a unit about the Revolution through the New Republic. If using learning centers incorporate the site, OR post the site on your class wiki to allow students to access it in and out of the classroom to practice. Very useful for an American history class!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Rediscovering Jamestown - Virginia Historical Society
Grades
6 to 12
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This site, created by the Virginia Historical Society, provides a look at recent archaeological activities around the site of the original Jamestown fort and settlement. In addition...more
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This site, created by the Virginia Historical Society, provides a look at recent archaeological activities around the site of the original Jamestown fort and settlement. In addition to descriptions and a number of photos, the site offers additional links to other sites dealing with Jamestown and early English settlements in Virginia.
tag(s): explorers (64)
In the Classroom
Use the map of Jamestown as a supplement to a lesson on the colony, and how early settlers lived. There is also information about the early settlement of Jamestown and the complications the recent immigrants faced while there. Beyond the map, students can use this site to find out information on James Fort and what these excavations are showing about life then. If in need of an activity, use this site in conjunction with several others, having students create a multimedia presentation detailing the Jamestown colony and what life was like then. After students have completed their research about Jamestown, have them create a multimedia presentation using PowerPoint Online, reviewed here. This site allows users to narrate a picture. Challenge students to find a photo (legally permitted to be reproduced), and then narrate the photo as if it is a news report about Jamestown. To find Creative Commons images for student projects (with credit, of course), try Pikwizard, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Florida Archaeology - Florida Bureau of Archaeological Research
Grades
9 to 12
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This site from the Florida Bureau of Archaeological Research provides pictures, downloadable Abode Acrobat files, and discussions about life in Florida from pre-history through the...more
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This site from the Florida Bureau of Archaeological Research provides pictures, downloadable Abode Acrobat files, and discussions about life in Florida from pre-history through the present. There are sections on ancient cultures, sunken Spanish ships, and many other topics, each presented in enough detail for high school level research papers.
tag(s): explorers (64)
In the Classroom
For research projects and papers, make sure to list this site on any handouts as well as on your class wiki or webpage. This allows students to reference the material both in and out of the classroom.
This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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The Gold Rush - PBS
Grades
4 to 12
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This site provides background information, timeline, and illustrated explanations of what happened during the gold rush. Originally intended to accompany the PBS documentary, the site...more
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This site provides background information, timeline, and illustrated explanations of what happened during the gold rush. Originally intended to accompany the PBS documentary, the site can also be useful for those who do not have access to the video. If you choose to use the video, there are lesson plans and handouts to use before and after viewing. The A "Fun Facts" section of information is interesting for all.
tag(s): gold rush (15), westward expansion (38)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the free lesson plans here that show you how to incorporate all the features of the site into a unit on the Gold Rush and Westward Expansion. Excellent resource for American history teachers, just be 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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Fur Traders & Mountain Men
Grades
5 to 12
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A look at fur trading in the Rocky Mountain west. ...more
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A look at fur trading in the Rocky Mountain west.
tag(s): westward expansion (38)
In the Classroom
Use this site as a resource to find primary source material about the fur traders, as well as what life was like for the first American settlers on the west. This site would be useful during a unit on Westward Expansion, and primary sources can be used a variety of ways. Try finding a shorter letter or piece and projecting it on the board as students are first walking into your classroom. Have immediate directions posted on the board, instructing students to sit down and respond to a specific aspect of the piece in some sort of journal entry. This process not only sets the tone for the material to be covered in class, but it also gives you and students the time needed to settle down and get focused and ready to learn. Great resource for an American history teacher.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Journals of Lewis & Clark - University of Virginia
Grades
9 to 12
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This site from the University of Virginia provides an edited version of Lewis & Clark's journals recounting their two-year journey to the Pacific and back. Good site for students interested...more
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This site from the University of Virginia provides an edited version of Lewis & Clark's journals recounting their two-year journey to the Pacific and back. Good site for students interested in primary sources.
tag(s): explorers (64), lewis and clark (14), westward expansion (38)
In the Classroom
Use these journal pages to supplement a unit on Westward expansion and these two men's travels. Select specific journal articles that would interest your students, sharing them on the interactive whiteboard while students have their own copies at their desks too. Read aloud the specific quotes you think are important, or have a volunteer do the same, asking students what this means, the impact, perspective, etc. This is a great way to segway into a lesson about analyzing, as well as summarization. At the end of the activity, have students summarize the articles in a journal, afterwards responding to a specific aspect they did or did not agree with. Interesting resource for a US history teacher.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Lewis & Clark - PBS
Grades
6 to 12
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This is the web site for Ken Burns' PBS series on the travels of Lewis and Clark. It provides a significant resource for studying the explorers' travels, along with study ...more
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This is the web site for Ken Burns' PBS series on the travels of Lewis and Clark. It provides a significant resource for studying the explorers' travels, along with study suggestions.
tag(s): explorers (64), lewis and clark (14)
In the Classroom
Such a great site! Use this site as a resource for anything and everything concerning Lewis and Clark. Use the interactive map over the projector to show students how far their travels extended, as well as to show the growing size of the United States at that time. There is also an interactive story that could be used as a learning center, primary sources that could be used in discussion, and various other activity ideas on this site. US history teachers will appreciate this one!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Daniel Boone - University of Virginia
Grades
9 to 12
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The University of Virginia's Daniel Boone site provides a discussion of the roles of Boone as both an "empire builder" and a primitivist. Interesting site for a student interested in...more
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The University of Virginia's Daniel Boone site provides a discussion of the roles of Boone as both an "empire builder" and a primitivist. Interesting site for a student interested in how historical characters acquire mythic proportions.
tag(s): heroes (22), westward expansion (38)
In the Classroom
Use this site as a learning center or station during a lesson on the famous character. Because there is a lot of information on this site, we recommend creating a follow-along to highlight for students what's most important, as well as provide you with some assessment of their participation. For help creating graphic organizers, try Mindomo, (reviewed here).Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Along the Chisholm Trail
Grades
4 to 12
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Here's a well-designed "labor of love" PDF that introduces a trail used by cattlemen. Along the trail, you'll learn why the Missouri ranchers didn't like the Texas ranchers and other...more
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Here's a well-designed "labor of love" PDF that introduces a trail used by cattlemen. Along the trail, you'll learn why the Missouri ranchers didn't like the Texas ranchers and other vital facts. There's serious history in all this, and the narrative makes it interesting to read.
tag(s): westward expansion (38)
In the Classroom
Use this PDF to teach about the "wild west," and how it was affected by the pioneers who settled it. Use this site as a learning center or station during a unit on the West and Westward Expansion. The information given would probably work best with a graphic organizer to accompany it. We recommend Graphic Organizer Maker, reviewed here.
This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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Photographs of Edward S. Curtis - Library of Congress
Grades
4 to 12
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This Library of Congress exhibit contains dozens of photographs made of Native Americans in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The collection concentrates in the Pacific northwest,...more
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This Library of Congress exhibit contains dozens of photographs made of Native Americans in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The collection concentrates in the Pacific northwest, and was an attempt to record the cultural life of the tribes there. Though some of the images were "staged" by modern standards, these images offer a "real world" glimpse of cultures many students can only read about.
tag(s): native americans (91)
In the Classroom
Use the images on this site to create a "picture walk" in your classroom, introducing the topic of Native American cultures. Select 10-15 of the more powerful and diverse images, hanging them up in different locations around your classroom. Have students rotate around the classroom every 30-45 seconds, jotting down what they observe and infer about each image until the entire class has completed the circuit. After the class is back in their seats, have a class discussion based on what they observed and what this says about the specific tribes studied. A great way to get students thinking about the content in a way that's more personal and lecture-less!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Indian Peoples of the Northern Great Plains - Montana State University
Grades
4 to 12
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Created at Montana State University, this site offers archival photos, descriptions, and related information organized around the tribes of the northern great plains. These photos show...more
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Created at Montana State University, this site offers archival photos, descriptions, and related information organized around the tribes of the northern great plains. These photos show tribal customs and activities, and may sometimes be a more accurate portrayal of native American cultures than that commonly available.
tag(s): native americans (91)
In the Classroom
Use this site as a point of reference in searching for primary sources and images of the Native American tribes from the Northwest. These images could easily be used to supplement a unit on the tribes themselves, Westward Expansion, and the tensions between the US government and the various tribes in that region. Useful resource for a US history or government classroom.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Histories of the First Nations
Grades
4 to 12
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Here's a site that offers concise summaries of several dozen Native American tribes. Each of these in turn links to a far more detailed history of that tribe. This makes ...more
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Here's a site that offers concise summaries of several dozen Native American tribes. Each of these in turn links to a far more detailed history of that tribe. This makes the site suitable for students at many levels, and for many purposes. We wish there were more historical or thematic indexing, but this is still a great resource.
tag(s): native americans (91)
In the Classroom
Use this site as an anticipatory set or "activator" to introduce a unit or lesson on a projector. The site has brief blips about many of the Native American tribes that existed pre-colonial America, although it varies in content. There are a lot of interesting details that students will find interesting.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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American Indians of the Pacific Northwest - University of Washington
Grades
6 to 12
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The University of Washington has created this site to document cultural and historic materials dealing with northwest Native peoples. Segmented by tribal groups, the collection includes...more
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The University of Washington has created this site to document cultural and historic materials dealing with northwest Native peoples. Segmented by tribal groups, the collection includes images and text, as well as search capabilities.
tag(s): native americans (91)
In the Classroom
Use this site as a reference point to search for primary source material concerning Native American tribes of the Northwest. These materials could easily supplement a unit on Native Americans, Westward Expansion, tensions between the US government and the various tribes, etc.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Internet African American Challenge
Grades
6 to 12
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This site has three levels of quizzes made to be fun and educational. After taking the quiz, you receive a score, but not the correct answers. You must read the ...more
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This site has three levels of quizzes made to be fun and educational. After taking the quiz, you receive a score, but not the correct answers. You must read the profiles on these historical African American figures to find the answers. Profiles are brief, to the point, and have pictures.
tag(s): africa (137), african american (110)
In the Classroom
There is a special section for teachers on how to make this a classroom supplement.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Road to Equality - CNN
Grades
4 to 12
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CNN has updated its collection of black history resources, many of which can be useful year-'round for the study of black history. ...more
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CNN has updated its collection of black history resources, many of which can be useful year-'round for the study of black history.
tag(s): africa (137), african american (110)
In the Classroom
Save this site as a favorite on classroom computers and allow students to teach each other about the progression of civil rights. Put students into pairs or cooperative learning groups and assign each group and article or video seen on the CNN site. Have each group observe, read and analyze their source, noting essential words. After they are done have each student create a quick graphic of what they learned from the site. The end result will be for students to present their findings to the class. For quick projects, create electronic "posters" or word graphics for adopteds word using tools such as Piclits, reviewed here, or WordClouds, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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African American Odyssey - Library of Congress
Grades
6 to 12
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The Library of Congress offers this nine-part introduction to the history of African Americans. The site relies on primary sources - images, letters, speeches - to illustrate contemporary...more
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The Library of Congress offers this nine-part introduction to the history of African Americans. The site relies on primary sources - images, letters, speeches - to illustrate contemporary views and chronicle their evolution from the Revolution through the civil rights movement. There are hundreds of ways to adapt this material to the classroom, and the site offers numerous suggestions and starting points. This one's a must!
tag(s): africa (137), african american (110)
In the Classroom
Use the images on this site for a picture-walk during a unit on African American History, from slavery to Emancipation. Print and hang pictures around the classroom, with students assigned to different stations. Have students rotate around the classroom, looking at a new image every minute. Once students have walked through everything, have a class discussion about what students saw and learned. This activity works best with a graphic organizer - to create one, we recommend using Graphic Organizer Maker, (reviewed here).Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Blues Impulse - An Era and the Ambiguity of Adolescence - Yale University
Grades
6 to 12
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Help students learn about the Harlem Renaissance and about themselves through this investigation of the blues. ...more
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Help students learn about the Harlem Renaissance and about themselves through this investigation of the blues.
In the Classroom
Take advantage of these free lesson plans and activities! This site would be an excellent resource during a unit on the Harlem Renaissance or during Black History Month!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Remember - A People's History of the Holocaust & Genocide
Grades
6 to 12
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This site offers a wealth of holocaust information. Although the design and layout are a bit confusing, the information is there. Take advantage of the free lesson plans and classroom...more
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This site offers a wealth of holocaust information. Although the design and layout are a bit confusing, the information is there. Take advantage of the free lesson plans and classroom activities on this site! Save this site as a favorite on your classroom desktop to allow for easy access and retrieval in a search for new activities during a unit on the Holocaust. This would be a great site for a World or US history class. ADULT SUPERVISION SUGGESTED
tag(s): holocaust (41), world war 2 (149)
In the Classroom
Within the education portion of the site are teacher and student resources that can be utilized in your classroom during a unit or lesson on the holocaust. Take advantage of the free lesson plans, quizzes, information, etc. A great resource for World or US history teachers.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Southern Poverty Law Center - The Southern Poverty Law Center
Grades
6 to 12
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The Southern Poverty Law Center is a large, multifaceted organization working for racial justice in the south and beyond. The site uses a three-pronged approach to dealing with racial...more
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The Southern Poverty Law Center is a large, multifaceted organization working for racial justice in the south and beyond. The site uses a three-pronged approach to dealing with racial and social injustice. The three methods include monitoring hate groups and extremists, using the court system to advance reform, and education provided through it's Learning for Justice program.
tag(s): civil rights (194), courts (19), elections (80), immigrants (33), immigration (64), racism (76), sexuality (15), tolerance (9)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the information on the site to include when teaching lessons about equality, racism, and social injustice. Learn more about the classroom resources offered through Learning for Justice, reviewed here. Include selections from the Features and Stories portion of the site as part of any integrated unit. Consider using a learning management system like Actively Learn, reviewed here, to include videos and additional text sources as part of your unit. Actively Learn also includes resources that provide feedback on student learning. Extend learning by asking students to gather data and share information through various digital tools including infographics and digital storytelling resources. For example, as students learn about civil rights issues, ask them to share information by creating infographics with Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here, create a multimedia presentation with Sway, reviewed here, or use Powtoon, reviewed here, to create an animated video explanation.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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