Browse the themes of the interactive history map by the British Museum to learn about ancient civilizations. Choose "Cities," "Religions," "Technology," "Trade," "Writing," or "Buildings." Click on the map to see places for more information. Click on the clock along the bottom to open a timeline. Open a list of ancient civilizations by clicking on the globe. Access the main menu of themes by clicking on the museum picture. Additional links are found by clicking on "Other related sites." Teachers can find other resources and information by clicking on "Staff Room."
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This well-designed and high tech site allows students and teachers to enter the world of the tombs of mummies. Featuring games and entrance to tombs and other exhibitions designed by the Musée de la Civilization in Québec, the site creates high interest. Take your students back in time to Ancient Egypt and learn about the process of mummification, the jars in which the mummies' parts reside, and get a rich background in ancient Egyptian beliefs.
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This online library provides instant access to many classic Greco-Roman authors, as well as links to several important Chinese and Persian classical writers. All translated works are available in complete form; a search feature allows students to do a detailed search if they have the title they want. Otherwise, the browse feature allows them to scan the complete list of offerings. The site includes over 400 works of classical literature written by nearly 60 different authors. This site has aBuy Books link, be sure to instruct students to steer clear from there.
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Use the "On Roman Numerals" page to learn how Roman Numerals are used. Visit the Roma Nova main page for more information about Roman culture.
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Ancient mysteries can be a sure-fire way to get students excited about history. The gigantic statues on Easter Island are one of those mysteries. This site, associated with a NOVA episode, provides a lot of engaging information about the statues. There are shockwave-enabled exercises that challenge students to try and virtually move one of the statues, to compare the weight of the statues with other ancient monoliths, and an interactive map of the island. Understanding the amazing skills and abilities of these "primitive" people can give students insight into the development of technology over time. This site requires Shockwave. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.
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Through Egyptvoyager.com, students can take several virtual tours of multiple locations in Egypt. Egyptvoyager.com provides panoramic tours of places in Cairo, Dendera, Giza, Karnak, Saqqara and Wissa Wassef. Students can move the footage around to view the entire environment from the ground view to the sky. Simply click on the picture, and move your arrow buttons to the left or right to view the entire panoramic tour. There are also interactive 3D illustrations of three of the locations (with text explanations). This site requires Java. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.
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Need a PowerPoint? Check this site first to find one on a topic you need from the vast array available. The free PowerPoints and interactive activities are easily downloaded. To find the FREE PowerPoint presentations, click on the FREE Presentations in PowerPoint Format link found directly under the red train. There are literally hundreds of topics (over 1,200 at the time of this review). Topics are listed in alphabetical order. There are so many topics: Plagiarism, Integers, Interjections, IQ Tests, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Graphic Organizers, Graphs, Gold Rush, the Bible, Economics, Amelia Earhart (and many other heroes), Descriptive Writing, Coral Reefs, Civil Rights Movement, Autism, Ancient Civilizations, Presidents, Louisiana Purchase, Money, Music Instruments, How to Write an Outline, Rosa Parks, Resumes, Terrorism, Vietnam War, and many MANY others. Primary teachers will appreciate simple activities on Dolch words and other sight vocabulary! Pages are arranged in topics such as "Plants and Animals," "World History," "Biology, Chemistry, and Physics," and "Problem Solving." Each page includes a vast array of subtopics. Other links on the page include "Greta's Game Station" and "Hannah's Help" which offers information on researching. Some of the links at “Greta’s Game Station” require Flash. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.
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Come to the Nile! Explore this site to learn about Ancient Egyptian math. The site is set up as a web hunt. There are several 10-question "quizzes." There are numerous links to find the answers to the quizzes. Be aware: a few of the links are no longer active. However, most work fine. The site has topics galore and many possible uses. Some of the links require Flash, you can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.
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Looking for some new tricks to teaching this genre (fairy tales, folktales, and Myths) to your students? Check out this site that provides lesson plans, interactives, class activities, reproducible pages, and more. The lesson plans and activities are divided by grade level (K-3, 4-6, 7-9, and 10-12). The site says that the lessons (for all levels) will take approximately one day/class period. Don't miss the colorful interactive: Myths Brainstorm Machine (designed for grades 3-8). This site requires Adobe Acrobat and Flash. You can get both from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.
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Don’t let the simple appearance fool you! This site is a smorgasbord of interactive lessons on history, English, and music. Wonderful for the Humanities teacher, it allows teachers of any of those subjects to pick and choose what best fits their plans. Some examples of topics include archaeology, ancient Rome, South American Empires, ancient Egypt, ancient Greece, letter writing, gorgeous grammar, common spelling errors, the Renaissance, the Middle Ages, poetry, the theatre, film, composers, and at least twenty other topics. The site declares itself "student self-directed (self-explanatory)." The links are functional, the graphics are attractive, and, while some of the activities are simple and straightforward, many of them take students into analysis and synthesis without them even realizing they are thinking on higher levels and producing work with more depth. Many of the activities require Flash. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.
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Lead your students on an exploration of the art of Ancient Egypt! The Metropolitan Museum of Art has created a treasure trove of lesson plans and activities built around their stellar Egyptian collection. The educational resources integrate Egyptian art into language arts, social studies, math, science, and visual and performing arts. This would be a terrific launch point for a gifted enrichment unit. Dig into the Resources area to get an overview of the printable worksheets, bibliographies, maps, and online features. Be sure to click on the Curriculum Connection area for specific lesson plans and activities for your students.
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Rome Reborn 1.0 is, as its title implies, a work in progress. Scholars at the University of Virginia are in the process of creating a digital representation of Rome on June 21, 320 AD. Currently, several views are available (under Gallery), both as still views and as short video clips. The clips look like a cross between a "Google Earth" fly-in and the backdrop for a video game. While they have the potential to give students a "you are there" vision of ancient Rome, they might also disappoint in that the movement is much clunkier than the latest video games' resolution. Students might see the images as "old school" compared with what they are used to.
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Learn about each Egyptian pyramid by following explorers through the excavations, and learn about the exciting history of pyramid discovery and uncovering! View detailed inside views of each site. Learn how to decipher hieroglyphics as you make your way through this fascinating site. Read about current digs and restoration efforts. The virtual exploration portions of the site require Quicktime. There is a link to download it, or you can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page..
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This is a privately maintained website dedicated to the warfare of the Spartans, with a specific focus on the Battle of Thermopylae. Although the site is not quite up to professional standards, there are good photos of the battlefield today, pictures and descriptions of the combatants, and information about the battle. Teachers of literature, teaching about Greek mythology may also want to tie in this site as part of a look at Greek culture. The movie "300" may generate some interest in this famous battle and having the facts is useful in bridging students' interest in Hollywood's depiction of the event with the historical truth.
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This Discovery Channel site features a speculative exploration of King Tut's death. There is a nice narrated slide show that recreates the discovery of the tomb, a 360 degree view of an artist's conception of what King Tut may have looked like, and some nice photos of artifacts from the tomb.
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This archaeological site is interactive, educational and engaging. This site has numerous activities and facts. Some of the topics include "Inca Investigation", "The Ancient City of Petra" and "Up Close With a Zapotec Urn". The "Big Idea" link provides an overview of archeology. The interactive activities are diverse and informative. Flash is required for some portions. Get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.
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This site looks at the collapse of several ancient civilizations and suggests why these civilizations did not last. The text is easy to read and is highlighted by learning activities and games that illustrate the issues under discussion. Featured civilizations include the Maya, Mesopotamia, the Anasazi of North America and the West African societies of Mali and Songhai. The strength of this site is its suggestion that there are commonalities that help us understand the collapse of a society. There are web links to further resources, and a summary featuring Percy Shelley's poem "Ozymandias", a nice literary connection. There are "hands on" activities scattered throughout, many including cross-curricular links to science or literature.
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What student doesn't love King Tut? This site is connected with the current tour of some of the King Tut artifacts across the United States. Each exhibition site has its own section, and each site is different. However, each location site contains the same educational resources, which are excellent. There is a beautiful animated gallery of some of the artifacts. Although King Tut was really just a minor king in the Egyptian history, the stunning beauty of the items discovered in his tomb is hard to resist. This site would add strong visual impact to any unit on Egyptian history.
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Find out about the history, heroes, and patterns behind the epic poem, with this middle-school level lesson. Students can learn to recognize the epic hero cycle, and the patterns and events characteristic of this genre. The lesson also introduces students to the mnemonic devices used by generations of storytellers to help with recall of long and often complicated tales. Includes downloadable worksheets, a glossary of literary terms, and ideas for lesson extensions. Aligned to Standards.
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Spend some time strolling through the public baths of Rome, find out how they were constructed, and try your hand at constructing an aqueduct for a Roman city. This imaginative, interactive site introduces visitors to the architecture, entertainment, art, and foods found in one of the ancient world’s most popular social venues.
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