TeachersFirst's 20th Century America (1900-1945)
The first part of the 20th Century in America takes us from the turn of the century through the end of World War 2. It is pivotal to help students understand how these years changed the country. Find resources in this collection related to the economic, social and technological milestones seen during this time. We will include resources that introduce the opening of the Panama Canal, the Wall Street Crash of 1929, The Great Depression, Mahatma Gandhi, World War I and II, the first winter Olympics, US Immigration Act of 1924, the Holocaust, Japanese internment camps, the segregation era, the Roaring Twenties and prohibition, The Ford Model-T, Lindburgh's first nonstop flight from NY to Paris, the construction of the Empire State Building and the Hoover Dam. Discover these topics and many others in this collection.
If you are looking for larger collections, view these tagged lists about The Great Depression, World War 1, World War 2, Segregation, and Immigration.
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New American History - University of Richmond
Grades
4 to 12
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New American History offers free digital media resources for teaching American History for middle and high school teachers, along with a few resources for upper elementary-level educators....more
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New American History offers free digital media resources for teaching American History for middle and high school teachers, along with a few resources for upper elementary-level educators. The included content focuses on connecting America's past to the present; find much of this content under the tabs at the top of the site to journalism, audio, video, and maps resources. Use the link on the home page to find the search tool to find resources. The filters include options to search by term, learning topic, reading level, grade level, standards, and learning strategies. Lesson plans include all information and resources for teachers, and most have a link to a student version.
tag(s): american revolution (82), black history (130), branches of government (65), civil rights (201), civil war (137), colonial america (94), colonization (21), constitution (93), elections (81), emancipation proclamation (11), environment (245), great depression (30), immigrants (34), immigration (68), inequalities (24), native americans (97), primary sources (119), racism (80), segregation (18), underground railroad (15), womens suffrage (51), world war 1 (78), world war 2 (161)
In the Classroom
This site is an excellent resource for American History teachers; be sure to add it to your collection of teaching resources. Each lesson provided by New American History includes several ideas for using digital tools within the teaching tips; take advantage of these ideas to engage students in learning and differentiate instruction for learning styles and abilities. As students complete activities such as KWL charts, use the graphic organizer templates found at Canva Edu, reviewed here to share students' ideas. Extend learning by asking students to use Canva tools to show what they know by creating infographics, presentations, flyers, and other multimedia projects.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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The Role of Women - Digital Inquiry Group
Grades
8 to 12
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Students use a political cartoon as a starting point to determine how the evidence supports a historical argument. The focus of the 1912 cartoon is on the shift of women ...more
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Students use a political cartoon as a starting point to determine how the evidence supports a historical argument. The focus of the 1912 cartoon is on the shift of women from more traditional roles at home and their move toward non-traditional places in the workforce. Register for a free account to access the materials, including directions for the assessment, a rubric, and links to Library of Congress materials.
tag(s): 1900s (73), 20th century (62), comics and cartoons (55), politics (116), womens suffrage (51)
In the Classroom
Include this assessment as part of any American History lessons focused on the changing role of women and lessons about life in the early 1900s. Use the ideas found in this quick assessment with other political cartoons of the time. Running for Office - Cartoons Of Clifford K. Berryman, reviewed here, is a resource for finding additional cartoons from the early 20th century. After students spend time assessing the features that make up political cartoons, enhance learning and ask them to create their own cartoon using Comic Strip Templates from Canva, reviewed here. Extend learning by sharing student-created cartoons using Odyssey, reviewed here. Use Odyssey to share and compare the political feel of the time period through stories told across the country.
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Ken Burns in the Classroom - PBS Learning Media
Grades
6 to 12
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Ken Burns' historical films are iconic; this collection gathers forty years of film history into one easy-to-use resource. Use the keyword search to find specific resources or browse...more
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Ken Burns' historical films are iconic; this collection gathers forty years of film history into one easy-to-use resource. Use the keyword search to find specific resources or browse by era or film name to find primary sources, images, videos, and more. Each collection includes a correlation to state and national standards and support materials, including discussion questions and classroom activities.
tag(s): 1700s (36), 1800s (75), 1900s (73), 20th century (62), authors (105), blues (22), civil rights (201), civil war (137), history day (39), industrial revolution (22), jazz (17), sports (81), vietnam (38), westward expansion (39), womens suffrage (51)
In the Classroom
Use this resource as a starting point to find many primary sources and videos of historical importance. Take advantage of the lesson ideas and activities to include with your current lessons and activities. Engage students in learning by asking them to watch videos and browse through images before teaching your lesson. Ask them to post their thoughts and questions on FigJam, reviewed here, to help guide the focus of your lesson. Extend learning and help students visualize the order of events by creating a digital timeline using Knights' Lab Timeline JS, reviewed here. Add media from online sites to your timeline from YouTube, Vimeo, Google Maps, and more.
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Uprooted! Japanese Americans During WWII YouTube Playlist - California Museum
Grades
6 to 12
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This YouTube playlist shares previews of video kiosks featured in the museum's exhibit of the same name. The videos share the oral histories of Japanese Americans that were sent to...more
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This YouTube playlist shares previews of video kiosks featured in the museum's exhibit of the same name. The videos share the oral histories of Japanese Americans that were sent to internment camps during WWII. Most of the videos are under five minutes long and discuss the hardships encountered by being forced to live in internment camps in California. These videos accompany a lesson plan shared by the California Museum that is available here. The videos are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable.
tag(s): cross cultural understanding (170), japanese (47), oral history (14), world war 2 (161)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the free lesson plan that accompanies the videos on this playlist as part of your American History and WWII lessons. Consider sharing a video at the start of a lesson to engage students in learning about discriminatory policies' personal toll during the war. Use a discussion tool such as Answer Garden, reviewed here to gather student responses and create word clouds to encourage classroom discussion. Add videos from the playlist to other activities within a teacher utility such as Curipod, reviewed here. Use Curipod to add additional reading activities, quizzes, and more content to deliver lessons for distance learning or as a tool for self-paced learning. Easily differentiate learning by copying your original Curipod then modifying activities based upon student needs. Extend learning by having students share their understanding of internment camps by presentations using Sway, reviewed here that includes student writing responses, images, videos, and more. Another option is to offer students the choice of building an interactive timeline using Vizzio, reviewed here, which offers you the option to include maps, add events, include source materials, and more.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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American Experience - PBS
Grades
8 to 12
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American Experience is a PBS documentary program featuring stories about important and interesting experiences in American history. This site provides films, videos, and feature articles...more
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American Experience is a PBS documentary program featuring stories about important and interesting experiences in American history. This site provides films, videos, and feature articles to support and provide additional information to the series' documentary presentations. Titles of a few documentaries are: The Busing Battle Ground, Zoot Suit Riots, School Integration, and many more. Browse through the homepage to find images that include a link to the supporting information, including a link to the original documentary. Most of the original programming is not online; however, there is typically the option to view the trailer for the program along with a transcript of the full story.
tag(s): 1800s (75), 1900s (73), blues (22), civil rights (201), great depression (30), heroes (24), jazz (17), medicine (56), presidents (135), weather (160), womens suffrage (51)
In the Classroom
The films, videos, and articles provided on this site offer many opportunities to include primary sources within any American or world history unit. Bookmark this site to share first-hand information on world events with your students. Enhance learning by asking students to create video timelines using Timelinely, reviewed here, that includes maps, videos, and links to relevant information as a way to understand the complete picture of world events. For students who enjoy drama or journalism, ask them to produce podcasts using Buzzsprout, reviewed here. Use podcasts for students to role-play events throughout history as told from a variety of perspectives.
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Reading Treks: Around America to Win the Vote: Two Suffragists, a Kitten, and 10,000 Miles - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 4
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TeachersFirst Reading Treks creates a virtual field trip of resources about a piece of literature or text using the My Maps feature of Google Maps. This Reading Trek provides inspiration...more
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TeachersFirst Reading Treks creates a virtual field trip of resources about a piece of literature or text using the My Maps feature of Google Maps. This Reading Trek provides inspiration and suggestions for using the trade book, Around America to Win the Vote: Two Suffragists, a Kitten, and
10,000 Miles. Use our robust Instructional Guide with students in grades K-4. Content correlates to Common Core Standards, ISTE Student Standards, National Core Arts Standards for Visual Arts, and National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies. Find the entire selection of Reading Treks here.
tag(s): 1900s (73), 20th century (62), elections (81), virtual field trips (105), womens suffrage (51)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the many suggested classroom uses for this resource found on the Instructional Guide (PDF). Consider using the book as a starting point to locate primary sources to teach about voting in the United States along with life during the early 1900s. Using the map and locales, trace and then calculate distances for some of Alice Burke and Neil Richardson's travels across the country. Use Google My Maps, reviewed here to create and share custom maps.
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Perfect Blues:1920s, 30s and 40s Vintage Blues; Duke Ellington; Leadbelly (Past Perfect) - Past Perfect Vintage Music
Grades
K to 12
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Are you having trouble finding Blues sites with the music? Listen to handpicked classic, popular Blues sounds of the 1920s, 30s, 40s and 50s on this YouTube playlist. You'll find ...more
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Are you having trouble finding Blues sites with the music? Listen to handpicked classic, popular Blues sounds of the 1920s, 30s, 40s and 50s on this YouTube playlist. You'll find Leadbelly, Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Jelly Roll Morton, Joe Venuti, Bessie Smith and many, many more. The music is crystal clear with none of the scratchy sounds you hear with many old songs that were recorded from old technology. If your district blocks YouTube, you may not be able to enjoy this music.
tag(s): 1920s (7), 1930s (20), 1940s (14), 1950s (8), blues (22), harlem (9), jazz (17)
In the Classroom
Play musical selections for students to talk about musical elements and styles in music class. Scroll down the page to find links to other Past Perfect sites, or use the search bar and type in Past Perfect Vintage Music to get only that selection. Have partners explore the sites to find examples of different rhythms or styles they prefer. Enhance learning by having a class Padlet, reviewed here, where students share their favorites and listen to others' favorites. In social studies or history classes, use this Perfect Blues music as an introduction to any unit of study from the 1920s - 1950s in your classroom. Share with students for use in multimedia presentations (with proper attribution, of course). Try sharing this resource with students when they are creating podcasts, slideshows, and other media projects. Make sure students realize that "royalty-free" does not dismiss the need to give proper credit for their source!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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OneHistory - Hilary Mac Austin and Kathleen Thompson
Grades
6 to 12
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OneHistory uses stories, images, biographies, editorials, and essays to tell the history of America through the diversity of its people. Use links on the site to view information through...more
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OneHistory uses stories, images, biographies, editorials, and essays to tell the history of America through the diversity of its people. Use links on the site to view information through reading history and visual history. Be sure to check out the teacher feature index containing tips for teaching through photographs and links to great speeches and documents.
tag(s): 1800s (75), 1900s (73), african american (110), biographies (95), cross cultural understanding (170), essays (21), great depression (30), primary sources (119), speeches (23)
In the Classroom
Bookmark OneHistory as a resource for primary sources when teaching American History and as an excellent tool for finding information featuring diversity throughout the years. Have students create a multimedia presentation using Google Drawings, reviewed here. Google Drawings allows you to annotate an image with links to videos, text, websites, and more. Not familiar with Google Drawings? Watch an archived OK2Ask session to learn how to use: OK2Ask Google Drawings, here. Challenge students to find a photo (legally permitted to be reproduced), and then narrate the photo as if it is a news report. Take advantage of the high interest, low readability level stories on the site to differentiate for the variety of reading levels in your classroom and to include informational (nonfiction) reading standards.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Vivid Color Photos from the Great Depression - Christopher Woody/Business Insider
Grades
7 to 12
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Take a look at real Depression-era photos in color instead of the typical black and white from this period. Through the use of color transparencies, these photos, taken between 1939...more
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Take a look at real Depression-era photos in color instead of the typical black and white from this period. Through the use of color transparencies, these photos, taken between 1939 and 1941, provide a contrast to the difficult life faced by many during this time. Scroll through to view the images and short descriptions, or change the view to watch as a slide show.
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tag(s): 1900s (73), 20th century (62), great depression (30), images (261)
In the Classroom
Share these images and descriptions with students as part of your lessons on 20th century America. Have students choose an image as a creative writing prompt or as inspiration for further research. Share typical black and white Depression-era photos and these colorized images, then use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram, reviewed here, to compare and contrast differences including emotional reactions to images. Have students redefine their learning by creating timelines (with music, photos, videos, and more) using Timeline JS, reviewed here, defining important 20th-century events. Use a site such as Radiooo, reviewed here, to find music from any era in history.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Transportation Systems - Past, Present, and Future - Educator DigiKit - The Henry Ford Museum
Grades
8 to 12
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This DigiKit PDF consists of two sections of information for teaching about transportation. The Teachers Guide contains information for teaching lessons including correlation to standards....more
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This DigiKit PDF consists of two sections of information for teaching about transportation. The Teachers Guide contains information for teaching lessons including correlation to standards. The second portion includes a complete unit plan for grades 8-12. This unit provides links to online materials including photographs and slide shows. Teaching materials include project worksheets and graphic organizers.
tag(s): 1800s (75), 1900s (73), railroads (14), transportation (31)
In the Classroom
Save some time with these ready-to-use free materials for use as an entire unit or as a supplement to current teaching materials. Include information from this site during lessons on the 1800 or 1900's or the Industrial Revolution. Have students transform their learning by creating timelines (with music, photos, videos, and more) to demonstrate changes in transportation using Timeline JS, reviewed here.
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25 Moments That Changed America - Time Magazine
Grades
6 to 12
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Take a look at what leading experts consider the 25 moments that changed 20th century America in this interesting list from Time. Click through the slideshow or view all moments ...more
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Take a look at what leading experts consider the 25 moments that changed 20th century America in this interesting list from Time. Click through the slideshow or view all moments in one list. Each event, listed in chronological order, also includes a summary and photograph. A few also include a video clip. Click on the links at the bottom of each moment to view more information from the Time Vault.
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tag(s): 1900s (73), 20th century (62), civil rights (201), presidents (135), womens suffrage (51)
In the Classroom
Use this site to introduce any lesson or unit on 20th century America with an interactive whiteboard or projector. At the end of a 20th century unit, have students create their own list individually or as a group before sharing this site. This site contains many events that may be unfamiliar to most younger Americans, use it as an opportunity to explore these events further. Have students create an annotated image including text boxes and related links using a tool such as Google Drawings, reviewed here, to share information from different events. Google Drawings allows you to annotate an image with links to videos, text, websites, and more. Not familiar with Google Drawings? Watch an archived OK2Ask session to learn how to use: OK2Ask Google Drawings, here.This is a good informational reading source to help meet your Common Core Standards.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Roosevelts - PBS
Grades
7 to 12
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PBS offers this series of lessons aligned to their popular mini-series, The Roosevelts. All lessons include alignment to standards, background information, discussion questions, and...more
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PBS offers this series of lessons aligned to their popular mini-series, The Roosevelts. All lessons include alignment to standards, background information, discussion questions, and evaluation rubrics. Choose from full-length Lesson Plans or Snapshot Lessons containing quick, adaptable activities for classroom use.
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tag(s): 1900s (73), presidents (135), roosevelt (15)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the free lesson plans offered to supplement your current lessons based on the Roosevelt family. Have groups of students complete different Snapshot Lessons then share with the class. Have students make a multimedia presentation using one of the many TeachersFirst Multimedia Edge tools, reviewed here. Have students use Fakebook, reviewed here, to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about a member of the Roosevelt family.
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CurriConnects Book List - 20th Century America, Part 1 (1900-1945) - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12
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What was life like in 20th century America? Explore the major events and watershed moments, as well as everyday life during the decades. Read both fiction and nonfiction books about...more
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What was life like in 20th century America? Explore the major events and watershed moments, as well as everyday life during the decades. Read both fiction and nonfiction books about times that brought the Model T, an influenza epidemic, and flappers. Dig deep into the Depression and life during wartimes. CurriConnects thematic book lists include ISBN numbers for ordering or searching, interest grade levels, ESL levels and Lexiles'® to match student independent reading levels to challenge, not frustrate. For more on text complexity and Lexiles'®, see this information from the Lexile Framework. This list features books for all levels of readers. Let students choose a book in one area of interest during the 20th century and share with the class about times long before they were born. Don't miss other CurriConnects themes being added regularly. If your library does not have the books, try interlibrary loan!
tag(s): 1900s (73), 1910s (7), 1920s (15), 1930s (20), 1940s (14), 20th century (62), book lists (164), great depression (30), independent reading (86), world war 1 (78), world war 2 (161)
In the Classroom
Make the first half of the 20th century come alive during your unit on American History. Have students choose a book from this list and present their impressions from it in the form of a blog post from the times. If you are beginning the process of integrating technology, have students create blogs sharing their learning and understanding using Tumblr, reviewed here. Collect the links to all the student posts on your class web page for students to browse and gather a "human" experience of history.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Photogrammar - DSL University of Richmond
Grades
6 to 12
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Take a visual tour of 90,000 historical US photographs (many related to agriculture) taken between 1935 and 1945 via this interactive map. Browse and find photos several ways: click...more
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Take a visual tour of 90,000 historical US photographs (many related to agriculture) taken between 1935 and 1945 via this interactive map. Browse and find photos several ways: click on any highlighted map area to find images; use the sliding bar to narrow down the time frame for available images; or choose from selected photographers. Use the top menu for many more search options. Most of the images are in the public domain so can be used as part of multimedia and other projects. Click on the "call number" on an individual photo page to see whether there are any limitations.
tag(s): 1930s (20), 1940s (14), agriculture (48), maps (207), photography (119)
In the Classroom
Share images from the map to compare and contrast life in your location now versus in the 1930's and 1940's. Display images on your interactive whiteboard to compare photographs from different parts of the country. Use this site as the starting point for individual or group projects exploring American life following the Depression Years or on the home front during World War II. Have students choose an angle or area of emphasis to investigate, such as home life, work, farms, building, etc. Have students create timelines using Sutori, reviewed here, with images, text, and collaboration. Have students use Fakebook, reviewed here, to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about life as an American in the 1930's and 1940's.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Past/Present - Experience History From the Inside Out - Center for New American Media and Muzzy Lane Software
Grades
5 to 11
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The Past/Present interactive will project you into the world of 1906 labor disputes and immigration. Set in a New England mill town, the characters are an immigrant female worker and...more
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The Past/Present interactive will project you into the world of 1906 labor disputes and immigration. Set in a New England mill town, the characters are an immigrant female worker and a male manager. These two must use critical thinking skills to make decisions that can affect their families and the community. Learn about organized labor, industrialization, and immigration in the Progressive era. Learn how to use primary sources and build historical thinking and teamwork skills. From the menu at the top, click on play to find a video on Vimeo or YouTube to get you started. Clicking on the Teachers tab will give you plenty of information about how to get started, assignments, and even a peek at the ending in case you run out of time. The Students tab has the student home and assignment documents (in PDF format).
tag(s): 1900s (73), critical thinking (118), game based learning (182), immigrants (34), immigration (68), industrialization (11)
In the Classroom
Prepare to use this activity in your classroom by thoroughly exploring the documentation and videos before you plan to use it. Introduce this interactive to students on a projector or whiteboard using the demo videos and videos about Anna and Walter. Next, have students pair up and sign up for an account. One must be Walter, and one must be Anna. The characters both meet the same townspeople and participate in the same global events, but the roles and social positions are different, so they will have different tasks. Pairing students will allow for maximum participation in post-activity discussions.
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The Authentic History Center - Michael Barnes
Grades
6 to 12
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The Authentic History Center provides a catalog of popular culture images and primary sources from the 1600's throughout American history (final timeframe is 2009 - 2020). Explore by...more
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The Authentic History Center provides a catalog of popular culture images and primary sources from the 1600's throughout American history (final timeframe is 2009 - 2020). Explore by time period: World War I, The Decision to Use the Atomic Bomb, Great Depression, and more. Artifacts range from posters to magazine covers to cartoons. There are also audio and video recordings. You can "hear" what popular music was like in the lead-in to World War II, for example. Many topics include a great deal of text to read and explore. Choose a specific time period and category such as photographs, music, or technology to explore content. Most sections include a short overview of the time period with links to artifacts. What makes this collection especially useful is the sorting and grouping they have done for you so you can choose and experience an era. A few of the video clips are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, they may not be viewable. Most of the materials are Creative Commons licensed, so they can be used in multimedia projects if you give proper credit. Click the CC icon on the page where you find a clip or source to see specific rights.
tag(s): 1600s (20), 1700s (36), 1800s (75), 1900s (73), 20th century (62), civil war (137), cold war (30), great depression (30), photography (119), vietnam (38), world war 1 (78), world war 2 (161)
In the Classroom
The Authentic History Center is excellent for making history real. Share this information on your projector or interactive whiteboard (or speakers) during lessons on any time period of US History. Play Bing Crosby singing "God Bless America" to help students feel the pre-WWII era or nationalism. Make the Angry era of McCarthyism real by letting student explore the collection. Include this entire collection on your class web page for students to access both in and out of class. Use the sources for students to experience a multi-sensory tour of any era in U.S. history and create their own project about it incorporating the artifacts (with proper credit) and their own explanations. You could modify student learning by having students create a simple infographic sharing their findings using Livegap Chart, reviewed here. Or, have students create online posters about an era individually or together as a class using a tool such as Web Poster Wizard, reviewed here, or PicLits, reviewed here. Enhance learning by having students create timelines using Timeline JS, reviewed here. Timeline JS offers the option to upload and add photos, videos, audio, Tweets, and Google Maps making it interactive. If you participate in National History Day, this site is an outstanding start point. If you are the advisor for your high school play, bookmark this site as a great source for authentic era images and sounds. Need background music for a play (or video) set during WWII? Here it is!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Digital Public Library of America - Digital Public Library of America
Grades
5 to 12
4 Favorites
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The Digital Public Library of America is a central portal pulling together the collections of US libraries, archives and museums. These individual collections are available in a single...more
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The Digital Public Library of America is a central portal pulling together the collections of US libraries, archives and museums. These individual collections are available in a single large database. The DPLA does not actually have any collection of its own; rather it provides direct links to individual artifacts that reside in other collections across the US. Artifacts include text, images, video clips, and more. You can search the DPLA using a timeline, using a map, or using a more traditional search box. The timeline feature makes accessing topics such as "civil rights" by decade very helpful. Creating a free account allows you to save searches. The DPLA also "collects" groups of artifacts into exhibitions.
tag(s): 1910s (7), 1920s (15), 1930s (20), 1940s (14), 1950s (8), 1960s (26), 1970s (10), 1980s (7), 20th century (62), data (148), museums (46), primary sources (119), Research (84)
In the Classroom
Adding the DPLA to your classroom bookmarks or introducing students to this resource will put a wealth of information into students' hands, aggregated into one place. Consider this a museum/archive/library specific search engine. Because each search links to an artifact or document which may actually be the property of any of dozens of different entities, students will need to understand that copyright and the ability to download material may vary depending upon where the original item "lives." Be sure to demonstrate how to FIND the rights information. Challenge students to explore basics on an artist, an author, or a social studies topic such as "civil rights" or "Martin Luther King" to see an overview in many media using the timeline display. Be sure to test the searches in advance to know which terms yield reasonable results.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Take Me Back To - takemeback.to
Grades
4 to 12
4 Favorites
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See what the world was like at that time with Take Me Back To. Type in any date you want to visit. Results offer a short text passage about who ...more
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See what the world was like at that time with Take Me Back To. Type in any date you want to visit. Results offer a short text passage about who was president and what music was popular (if available). See samples of movies, magazines, book charts, advertisements, and more. Unfortunately, the site doesn't go back beyond 1900, so any search before that time will default to that date in 1900. Searches can be done on dates up to the present. Note that clicking on some of the images offered takes you to paid services or current issues of the same magazine.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): 1900s (73), 1910s (7), 1920s (15), 1930s (20), 1940s (14), 1950s (8), 1960s (26), 1970s (10), 1980s (7), 20th century (62), decades (7), timelines (54)
In the Classroom
Build context around historic dates using details of pop culture, magazines, and more. Have students search for their birthdate and write about significant events on that date. Use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram, reviewed here, to create a visual comparison of two different dates or of a past date with today. Ask students to generate questions about an important date, such as Pearl Harbor day, and use cultural details to generate a "snapshot" of what life was like before the world changed. What can you tell from the information shared here? How do you know? Challenge your students to use a site such as Timeline Infographic Templates, reviewed here, to create timelines of events in the 1900's.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Year by Year - Infoplease
Grades
3 to 12
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Build students' sense of historical context year by year. Help them to realize that Gershwin did not write during the Vietnam War and that World War II preceded the Beatles. ...more
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Build students' sense of historical context year by year. Help them to realize that Gershwin did not write during the Vietnam War and that World War II preceded the Beatles. This site gives an overview of any year students click on from 1900 to the present, including cultural events, national and world news, politics, sports, prize winners, movie releases, deaths, and --for more recent years -- links to news focusing on other topics such as science and people. It provides an interesting summary of any particular year; most students find it interesting to check the year of their birth and those of their family members. Many highlighted keywords link to the Infoplease encyclopedia and other reference sources.
tag(s): 20th century (62), news (228), politics (116), sports (81)
In the Classroom
Ask your students to visit the site and create a multimedia presentation from the information about any specific year they see there. Or have them compare life in two different decades. Have students create online books using a tool such as Bookemon, reviewed here. Or challenge students to create an online poster using Padlet (reviewed here).When studying literature, point out this site as a source authors might use for cultural background information in their writing. Pick out the details while reading a novel, for example, that might be found at this site. Or before studying a historical period, use this site as an anticipatory set or "activator" on a projector or interactive whiteboard. Have students collect information tidbits and predict what might be put into the site for the current year.
Ask your ENL/ELL students to share similar information about the years they were born and the events that occurred in their home cultures. Use the site when preparing a unit on summarizing or informational paragraphs, showing the students how to select and condense relevant information from the site into a few sentences.
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Pearl Harbor and World War II Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12
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This collection of reviewed resources from TeachersFirst is selected to help teachers and students honor Pearl Harbor Day and the important events of World War II through related projects...more
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This collection of reviewed resources from TeachersFirst is selected to help teachers and students honor Pearl Harbor Day and the important events of World War II through related projects and classroom activities. Whether you focus on Pearl Harbor for one class or spend an entire unit on World War II, the ideas included within the "In the Classroom" portion of reviews will launch discussions and meaningful projects for student-centered learning. Take your classes beyond infamy to inspiration.
tag(s): pearl harbor (14), world war 2 (161)
In the Classroom
Use this collection of resources to add to your classroom, both inside and out during a unit on the Second World War. Materials range from webquests, learning centers, lesson plans & then some. Make sure to save this one as a favorite!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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