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Mapping the Nation - Susan Schulten
Grades
7 to 12
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Mapping the Nation is the companion site to the book of the same title. It provides images and context to the book's content that explores the rise of different mapmaking ...more
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Mapping the Nation is the companion site to the book of the same title. It provides images and context to the book's content that explores the rise of different mapmaking methods in the 19th Century. Browse the site by chapter, creator, or in chronological order to each map. In addition to the map images, each item includes extensive information including date of creation, type of map, notes, and much more. Many of the maps are available for download, use the notes included to find publishing rights.
tag(s): 1800s (57), maps (281), primary sources (102)
In the Classroom
Bookmark and save this site to use in a variety of ways. Share maps with students that show information for different periods of time during the 19th Century. Because this site includes various types of maps, use these resources to provide a wider context of the time period. For example, choose the time from 1860-1870 to take a look at the Civil War era. Have students use the information found in the maps to research and understand population patterns in the United States, explore the slave population's distribution, and understand the geographic locations of the south's cotton regions. Help students understand the different content using Padlet, reviewed here, to organize and share information. Create columns within the Padlet to share maps, articles, and primary sources separated by content such as geography, weather, political information, or other important categories. Ask students to share their understanding using one of the many digital tools found at Adobe Spark in K-12, reviewed here. Have a group create videos that include downloadable maps found at this site to tell the story of the Civil War through a geographic lens, ask another group to create a web page sharing information from a journalist's point of view, and have others create social media graphics featuring headlines of the day appealing to different areas of the country.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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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.
tag(s): constitution (92), courts (22), elections (74), electoral college (16), holidays (138), politics (105), presidents (127), supreme court (26)
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. Want to learn more about using podcasts in education? Watch the archive of the July 2018 OK2Ask professional learning session, Engage & Inspire: Podcasting in the Classroom, reviewed here.
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Facing History and Ourselves - Facing History and Ourselves
Grades
6 to 12
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Using history to connect students to choices made in the past, Facing History provides lessons and curated collections that address racism, bigotry, and prejudice. Visit the Educator...more
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Using history to connect students to choices made in the past, Facing History provides lessons and curated collections that address racism, bigotry, and prejudice. Visit the Educator Resources to browse through videos, lessons, and complete teaching units. Within the same area, explore the many examples and instructions for teaching strategies, including ideas such as character charts and cafe conversations. Learn more at the Professional Development area of Facing History through classroom videos and free one-hour webinars. Educators who complete a workshop, seminar, or course are eligible to use the site's free lending library.
tag(s): bullying (56), civil rights (141), democracy (17), holocaust (42), immigrants (29), immigration (70), journalism (70), martin luther king (33), racism (57), religions (67)
In the Classroom
Discover the many free resources found on this site to include with your teaching units. If you find that some of the reading material is useful, but is above the reading level of your students, use a summarizing tool such as SummarizeThis reviewed here, to break down large portions of text into manageable content. Include activities from this site as part of a larger unit using a learning management system such as Crio, reviewed here. Use Crio to build an interactive learning experience that includes videos, reading activities, quizzes, and images. Extend student learning by asking them to become the creators through sharing their knowledge with others. Provide options for students to create audio podcasts with Synth, reviewed here, make explainer videos using Adobe Spark Video Creator, reviewed here, or use Google My Maps, reviewed here, to take viewers on a virtual journey through map locations.
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Preparing Students for Difficult Conversations - FacingHistory.org
Grades
6 to 12
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This lesson provides a foundation for creating a safe and supportive classroom to discuss difficult issues. It is part of a larger unit based upon the shooting of Michael Brown ...more
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This lesson provides a foundation for creating a safe and supportive classroom to discuss difficult issues. It is part of a larger unit based upon the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and the racial tension that followed the shooting. Although the focus is on Ferguson, easily use this example lesson with any other difficult topics. This lesson includes a video, student materials, and additional resources, including supplemental articles to use in discussions.
tag(s): civil rights (141), journalism (70), media literacy (85), racism (57), social media (40)
In the Classroom
As an introduction to the lesson, one of the activities is to ask students to brainstorm a list of teens' news resources and a list of news resources used by parents or older people. Use Microsoft Whiteboard, reviewed here, or Google Jamboard, reviewed here, to create and analyze your lists. Use the whiteboard tools to create lists, Venn Diagrams, and add notes to extend student reflections on different news sources. Turn the Know-Heard-Learned Chart included in the lesson into an editable worksheet to use as a collaborative document to record student understanding of any events' timeline. Learn how at this archived recording of an OK2Ask professional learning session.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Say Their Names - Chicago Public Schools
Grades
K to 12
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This Google document shares strategies and suggestions to help parents and educators discuss race, racism, racial violence, bias, and racial justice. The document includes recommendations...more
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This Google document shares strategies and suggestions to help parents and educators discuss race, racism, racial violence, bias, and racial justice. The document includes recommendations and links to resources on how to start difficult conversations, where to find resources, mental health resources, and how to teach students to understand and evaluate information found in the media. Be sure to check back often; this document updates on an ongoing basis.
tag(s): civil rights (141), courts (22), politics (105), racism (57)
In the Classroom
Bookmark and save this document as a guide to discussing racism in the classroom and as a link to many additional materials. Organize your resources using a curation tool such as Padlet, reviewed here. Use the shelf option in Padlet to create columns to organize information. For example, create columns to sort materials by grade levels or by type of content. As you teach lessons, use a mind mapping tool like Coggle, reviewed here to organize and share complex information. Extend learning using Biteable, reviewed here to create student-produced explainer videos sharing their ideas on addressing racism, media literacy strategies, or steps to help others through difficult times.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Lowdown: The Obama Years, A Retrospective Lesson Plan - PBS Learning Media
Grades
6 to 12
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Explore the achievements and setbacks of Barack Obama's presidency in this lesson that includes an interactive timeline of his eight years in office. The lesson plan includes essential...more
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Explore the achievements and setbacks of Barack Obama's presidency in this lesson that includes an interactive timeline of his eight years in office. The lesson plan includes essential questions, vocabulary, and suggestions for small group or individual instruction. Activities are correlated to Common Core Standards, or sign in using a free account to link activities to your state standards.
tag(s): 20th century (52), black history (77), presidents (127)
In the Classroom
As you explore the interactive timeline together as a class or with small groups, use a simple polling tool like SurveyPlanet, reviewed here, to assess student understanding of the different events on the timeline. Use SurveyPlanet to add each event to a poll and ask students to weigh in on their opinion on if the event was an accomplishment or a setback to the Obama administration. Use an online curation tool such as Padlet, reviewed here, to organize and share additional resources with students to enhance learning. For example, create a Padlet with columns for each year of the Obama presidency and add online articles from different resources that discuss each event. Extend learning by asking students to apply their knowledge of the Obama presidency and compare it to another president's term in office using one of the storytelling tools found at Knight Lab, reviewed here. Scroll down Knight Lab's main page to find options that include an image comparison tool, Storyline to tell the stories behind numbers, StoryMap - maps that tell numbers, and a timeline creation tool.
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Today's News, Tomorrow's Lesson - Share My Lesson
Grades
6 to 12
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Today's News, Tomorrow's Lesson brings the latest news and current events into your classroom with timely information, videos, and discussion questions from PBS NewsHour Extra. Select...more
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Today's News, Tomorrow's Lesson brings the latest news and current events into your classroom with timely information, videos, and discussion questions from PBS NewsHour Extra. Select any post to open the resource and read more about the prompt or question. Articles share a summary of the issue along with the video clip from the PBS NewsHour discussion. In addition to discussion questions, this site also includes extension activities to enhance learning. This site doesn't require registration; however, creating an account allows you to save favorites to collections for later use. The videos are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable.
tag(s): journalism (70), news (253), politics (105)
In the Classroom
Bookmark this site for use with any current events lessons and as a resource for finding fact-based information to use to help understand modern history. Most of the discussion questions ask students to defend a point of view based on the shared topic. Use technology tools to help students organize their thinking and share their questions and responses. Engage students in the learning process using Fiskkit, reviewed here, as a collaborative discussion tool for sharing online articles related to the topic discussed. Fiskkit offers tools for annotating and collaboratively discussing online information. Share student opinions and discussions using FlipGrid, reviewed here. Ask students to respond to the discussion question within Flipgrid using their fact-based research. Use the comment feature to encourage collaboration and student discussion. As a final project, extend learning by asking students (or student groups) to share their responses as part of a multimedia presentation that includes student writing, videos, maps, and infographics. Have students use a presentation tool such as Sway, reviewed here, or Adobe Spark in K-12, reviewed here, to share their final projects.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Teaching History with Hamilton - Department of History, Stonehill College
Grades
2 to 12
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Teaching History with Hamilton is a resource for lessons and educational materials based on the musical, Hamilton. Use the dropdown boxes at the top of the page to find support ...more
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Teaching History with Hamilton is a resource for lessons and educational materials based on the musical, Hamilton. Use the dropdown boxes at the top of the page to find support for educators, teens, a kids club, and more. Choose the teachers' portion to find information divided by the age categories of grades K-5, 6-9, 9-12, and college. In addition, this section also includes podcasts, special education tools, Spanish resources, and professional development opportunities. Listen to the original Broadway cast recordings, play games, or read about Hamilton as a teen. The Kids Corner includes coloring pages, crossword puzzles, learning games, and more. Don't forget to check out the other links to find image galleries and much more.
tag(s): 1700s (33), american revolution (85), constitution (92), jefferson (22), washington (26)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the immensely popular musical, Hamilton, to engage students as they learn about early American History. Include activities found on this site, along with your other resources, on a bookmarking tool such as Symbaloo, reviewed here, for younger students try Padlet, reviewed here. Ask students to share their learning by creating infographics using Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here. Examples might include an infographic of Hamilton's life, comparisons between Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson, and Hamilton's influence on creating the two-party system in the United States. Extend learning by providing students options for sharing their perspectives on early American History. Have students who love drama and music use the play as inspiration to write and produce their own short play. Ask another group of students to create an interactive timeline of events using one of the timeline creation tools located here. For students who enjoy computer programming and games, encourage them to use Scratch, reviewed here, to design a game using information from their research and learning activities.
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Elections and Civics Lesson Plans - GrowingVoters. org
Grades
K to 12
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Find lesson plans and activities for voting and campaigning for all grade levels at GrowingVoters.org. Begin your selection by choosing from the different grade levels bands beginning...more
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Find lesson plans and activities for voting and campaigning for all grade levels at GrowingVoters.org. Begin your selection by choosing from the different grade levels bands beginning with elementary school on up through college-level assignments and exercises. The activities include a variety of learning experiences, such as creating E-trading cards and producing candidate commercials. Click on any lesson to view the PDF file that includes the lesson objectives, procedures, and rubrics for evaluation. Many activities also include the incorporation of technology by suggesting resources.
tag(s): elections (74), electoral college (16), journalism (70), politics (105)
In the Classroom
Be sure to see the many free lessons and activities shared on this site for use as a complete civics and election unit or as a supplement to your current curriculum. For polling activities, consider the use of online polling tools such as Dotstorming, reviewed here, or Poll Everywhere, reviewed here, as quick polling options. Select activities from the site to use with other learning tools such as videos, online articles, and documents to create a blended learning activity using ActivelyLearn, reviewed here. Have students create campaign posters and flyers using PhotoCollage, reviewed here, or Canva Edu, reviewed here, using the templates provided or created from scratch. Engage students in the electoral experience by providing options for them to promote a personal platform or a fictionalized candidate using Adobe Spark in K-12, reviewed here. Adobe Spark allows inclusion of student-created videos and artwork along with student persuasive writing examples.
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Native American Heritage Month - Described and Captioned Media Program
Grades
K to 12
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Each November, we celebrate American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month. This site provides a series of videos for students to learn about the history and stories of Native Americans....more
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Each November, we celebrate American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month. This site provides a series of videos for students to learn about the history and stories of Native Americans. The website features three video series, broken into the categories of A History of Native American Achievement, Native American Culture, and Native American Folklore. Each video includes suggested grade level use and links to content standards. Most videos are available as a preview, register for your free account to view videos in full.
tag(s): commoncore (88), native americans (85)
In the Classroom
Include these videos as part of your studies of American Indians and their heritage. Engage students by making the videos interactive using playposit, reviewed here, to add both teacher and student comments. Use Google My Maps, reviewed here, for extending learning when students create virtual field trips sharing locations and information found during their research of American Indians. Have students create interactive timelines using Timeline JS, reviewed here, that can include music, photos, videos, maps, comments, and more.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Reading Trek: March, Book One - TeachersFirst
Grades
7 to 12
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TeachersFirst Reading Treks create 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 create 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 sharing the autobiography of Congressman John Lewis who as a student met Martin Luther King, was instrumental in the birth of the Nashville Student Movement and their "lunch counter sit-ins." View the robust instructional guide for suggestions to use with students in grades 7-12. Content correlates to Common Core Standards, ISTE Student Standards, and National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies. Find the entire selection of Reading Treks here.
tag(s): black history (77), civil rights (141), congress (43)
In the Classroom
Using the Reading Trek, explore the periods of the 1930s and 1960s using maps and other non-fiction resources. Engage students and use an online organization tool like Padlet, reviewed here, to collect and share resources with students. Organize information within the Padlet using columns to sort content by decade. Be sure to allow comments to encourage student discussion and collaboration. Enhance learning by asking students to create infographics using Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here. Use the infographics as an alternative to a book report and ask students to share important places, dates, and historical characters to tell the story of John Lewis.
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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.
tag(s): civil rights (141), civil war (143), cultures (115), slavery (57)
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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Constitutional Rights - Constitution Center
Grades
7 to 12
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Explore the rights the United States shares with other countries around the world with this interactive from the Constitution Center. Begin by selecting a constitutional right from...more
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Explore the rights the United States shares with other countries around the world with this interactive from the Constitution Center. Begin by selecting a constitutional right from the list next to the globe to highlight the countries that also include that right for their citizens. Select any highlighted country to compare their version with the U.S. In addition to sharing the text from each country, this interactive includes the percentage of text with content that matches between the two chosen countries.
tag(s): bill of rights (25), constitution (92), countries (83), cross cultural understanding (148)
In the Classroom
Include this interactive with any lessons on constitutional rights or when studying different nations. Create a Padlet, reviewed here, for your class to add and comment on constitutional rights around the world. Create columns on your Padlet by country or specific rights, then enhance learning by asking students to share information and articles detailing information on that right. Use an online news site like World News, reviewed here, for students to find news from around the world and search by regions. Extend learning by challenging computer-savvy students to create a game using Scratch, reviewed here, that takes players around the world to learn about rights and freedoms found in different nations. Ask other students to create podcasts discussing current events and freedoms from around the world. Buzzsprout, reviewed here, is an excellent podcast creation tool and includes features for adding links and lists to shows, and allows users to schedule podcast releases for specific dates and times.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Global Youth Perspectives - Global Oneness Project
Grades
K to 12
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This collection from the Global Oneness Project includes a series of lessons based on stories of youth around the world, ranging from preschoolers to 12th grade. The films and images...more
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This collection from the Global Oneness Project includes a series of lessons based on stories of youth around the world, ranging from preschoolers to 12th grade. The films and images provide perspectives on the daily lives of the featured youth, along with their future hopes. Search this site to find photos, articles, and videos used to explore various issues spanning the world. Each lesson includes a correlation to National Teaching Standards and additional resources for exploration. Registration on the site isn't required to access the lessons; however, it allows you to add materials to an account as favorites to find easily. Sign up for the newsletter to receive more free lesson plans, stories, videos, and more to go along with spreading cultural awareness.
tag(s): africa (155), alaska (26), anthropology (12), cross cultural understanding (148), cultures (115), empathy (24), india (30), middle east (43), native americans (85), Project Based Learning (9), psychology (66), scotland (7), south africa (11), south america (40)
In the Classroom
Utilize these free lesson ideas and videos to incorporate into any lessons on tolerance, empathy, culture, and to bring a personal touch to learning about nations around the world. Consider using the embed code found in each video and add the video to your class website for students to view at home before your lesson. Ask students to provide a short response to the video on an online bulletin board like Pinside, reviewed here, then use these responses to guide your lesson. The following ideas lend themselves to using this resource for project-based learning or blended learning: As part of students' ongoing research, share iCyte Education, reviewed here, to use as a browser add-on. iCyte Education allows you to save portions of online information and create the proper citation using just a couple of clicks. Enhance learning by using information learned to create infographics with Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here. Instead of a typical report or assessment at the end of your unit extend students' learning by having them use Story Maps, reviewed here, to build a virtual field trip to tell the story of students in other cultures. Include links to articles, videos, student-created infographics, and more.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Race to Ratify - iCivics
Grades
5 to 12
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Can you be a ratification #influencer? That is the goal of this game where players land back in time to the year 1787 and fight to ratify the newly proposed ...more
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Can you be a ratification #influencer? That is the goal of this game where players land back in time to the year 1787 and fight to ratify the newly proposed Constitution using the social media of the time - pamphlets. Select from two different game modes - historical and free play. Talk with friends and dissenters as you travel across the 13 states to hear different opinions and attempt to influence others to your point of view. Earn tokens along the way to use in interviews and pamphlets. Although login and registration are available on the site, they aren't necessary to play the game. The educator login gives access to the extension pack that provides additional context and materials for using the game in classrooms.
tag(s): 1700s (33), branches of government (60), colonial america (106), constitution (92), game based learning (159)
In the Classroom
Demonstrate the basic concepts of the challenge on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Then allow students to play on their own on the whiteboard or classroom computers, keeping a log of their actions and results. Enhance learning by having students share interactions from the game in comic form using ToonyTool, reviewed here. Ask students to use ToonyTool to create a conversation with the game's character trying to persuade an anti-Federalist or another opponent on the virtues of the Constitution. Use the game as inspiration for students to extend their learning by creating their own history game using Scratch, reviewed here. For ideas and inspiration, use the search feature in Scratch to find examples of history games created by other users.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Teaching with Primary Sources - Almetria Vaba
Grades
4 to 12
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Discover how to use PBS Learning Media's primary source library through three activities shared on Teaching with Primary Sources. Topics include an interactive scrapbook of the Seattle...more
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Discover how to use PBS Learning Media's primary source library through three activities shared on Teaching with Primary Sources. Topics include an interactive scrapbook of the Seattle World Fair, an investigation of presidential decisions using documents from the Presidential Library, and exploring the Civil Rights Movement using Library of Congress sources. Each activity includes correlations to National Standards. View state standards after creating your free account.
tag(s): civil rights (141), presidents (127), primary sources (102), Research (45), slavery (57)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of these free investigations to incorporate into your current lessons or as a starting point to introduce the use of primary sources. Consider using the PBS activities as an alternative to a typical research paper by taking advantage of technology tools to enhance learning. Have students create a bibliography of sources using Google Docs or Microsoft Word. Share a citation tool such as RefMe, reviewed here, for students to use when citing and creating bibliographies of online documents. Encourage students to collaborate and discuss primary sources using Fiskkit, reviewed here. Copy the URL of an online resource into Fiskkit and share with students. Students then click on portions of the article to highlight and discuss relevant information found. Encourage students to delve further into any topic using Ted-Ed Clubs, reviewed here. This site allows you to create clubs with up to 50 members. Members participate in up to 13 sessions based on TED Talks by collaborating and discussing topics of interest.
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Life on the Plantation - Scholastic
Grades
3 to 8
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Learn about an escape from slavery through the Underground Railroad with this interactive and materials from Scholastic. Begin the journey with a series of interactive slides that include...more
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Learn about an escape from slavery through the Underground Railroad with this interactive and materials from Scholastic. Begin the journey with a series of interactive slides that include featured text and related activities. Other materials available include a teaching guide, writing activities, and a printable transcript. Investigate further on this site to find related activities featuring Harriet Tubman and abolitionists on the Underground Railroad.
tag(s): civil war (143), slavery (57), underground railroad (9)
In the Classroom
Use this Scholastic site as a starting point for lessons in the Underground Railroad, slavery, and the Civil War. Make it easy for students to find all of your lesson resources in one place by using a bookmarking tool like Symbaloo, reviewed here. As students become familiar with events, use the timeline tool found on Class Tools, reviewed here, to help them visualize the sequence of activities. Help students focus on keywords and content found in the text by copying and pasting the text into a word cloud using TagCrowd, reviewed here. Save and revisit your word cloud throughout the unit to identify common themes throughout all materials used. If you teach older students, modify classroom technology use by asking them to create an animated timeline using History in Motion, reviewed here, including links to web resources, time-period maps, and videos. Have younger students create digital books using Book Creator (Chrome and app), reviewed here, to tell the story of the Underground Railroad in their own words. Book Creator also includes tools for adding images, videos, and drawings and can be used for a variety of assignments in any classroom that is integrating technology as an enhancement, modification, or transformation. Share student-created books as part of your digital class library on your class website.
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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.
tag(s): 1800s (57), 1900s (48), 20th century (52), civil war (143), gold rush (19), migration (61), native americans (85), population (59), railroads (11), STEM (215)
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 History in Motion, 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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Americans - Smithsonian Institution
Grades
6 to 12
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Take a virtual field trip to the National Museum of the American Indian Americans exhibit that features the American Indian identity since before the birth of the United States. Click...more
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Take a virtual field trip to the National Museum of the American Indian Americans exhibit that features the American Indian identity since before the birth of the United States. Click on gallery images to read and learn more about the artifacts shared including coins, dolls, posters, and much more. Additional links take viewers to videos and displays telling the story of Thanksgiving, Queen of America (Pocahontas), The Removal Act, and The Indians Win.
tag(s): battles (18), native americans (85), thanksgiving (27), westward expansion (34)
In the Classroom
Replace some of your current written Native America resources with the genuine artifacts and stories available for viewing on this site. Introduce the site to students on your interactive whiteboard to demonstrate the different features available and how to find them. After students have time to explore, create groups to do in-depth research within the four different featured areas. Create a Padlet, reviewed here, with four columns for students to share web and video resources found during their research. Instead of written or oral presentations, ask student groups to create quizzes for their classmates using a quiz-creation tool like Baamboozle, reviewed here. Baamboozle is a quick and easy resource for creating and sharing quizzes for teams of two. As a final project, transform student learning by using Book Creator, reviewed here, to create class books sharing information about Native Americans. Book Creator is a digital book creation site offering the ability to add images, text, video, and more. Be sure to share student-created books on your class website or blog after publication.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Engaging Congress - Indiana University
Grades
5 to 12
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Engaging Congress is an interactive game that uses primary sources to help students evaluate information as they learn about the United States government. Download the app from Google...more
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Engaging Congress is an interactive game that uses primary sources to help students evaluate information as they learn about the United States government. Download the app from Google Play or the iTunes store, or select the webGL link to play on the web. Begin play by choosing a story, primary source, or pick a trivia challenge or practice. Use the Teacher Toolbox to find documents by era or topic, learning objectives matched to Common Core Standards, and compelling questions for use with each issue and story. Be sure to scroll down to the bottom of the home page to find the link to request classroom giveaways to encourage play!
tag(s): branches of government (60), congress (43), DAT device agnostic tool (169), primary sources (102)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the free games and materials on this site to use as a supplement to your current resources for teaching history and government. Instead of written notes, strengthen learning by having students use an online tool such as Creately, reviewed here, to create diagrams, mindmaps, and other visual graphic organizers. To compare and contrast information found in different primary sources, create a Venn Diagram using Creately. As students prepare to share their findings and summarize their learning, have them modify their learning by creating infographics using Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here, to visually represent facts and information. As a final assessment for your unit using these materials, ask students to form teams to debate different sides of the issues presented. Share their debates as a podcast using Anchor, reviewed here. Anchor is a simple to use podcasting tool offering several free options for creating, hosting, and sharing podcasts. As an alternative, ask other students redefine their learning and to create multimedia presentations using Sway, reviewed here to share text, videos, images, and more.
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