TeachersFirst's National History Day Resources
Whether your students actually compete in National History Day or not, the annual themes and the challenge of hands-on, primary research wrapped into the History Day project format is an engaging way for students to participate in their own learning and produce rigorous, meaningful projects they will never forget. This collection of TeachersFirst resources pulls from our offerings on primary sources -- a requirement in the national history day competition. Check the official National History Day site at the start of each school year for the specific theme of the year. Then search TeachersFirst for more resources related to that year's theme. Explore and share these offerings as you plan a "history day" type event for your school or to assist students participating in National History Day.
View all of our resources tagged History Day.
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Visualizing History - Clio Visualizing History
Grades
3 to 12
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Cliohistory.org is an educational organization that develops engaging online history projects designed to assist educators through documentaries, websites, and other media. Viewers...more
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Cliohistory.org is an educational organization that develops engaging online history projects designed to assist educators through documentaries, websites, and other media. Viewers learn about various American historical events through virtual history and photography exhibits. A few examples are: Votes for Women, Quilts As a Visual History, Native Americans: Our First Historians, among others. Some exhibits contain ready-made lesson plans, and videos for grades 3-12.
tag(s): history day (39), native americans (95), womens suffrage (46)
In the Classroom
Engage your students in learning about history with interactive maps, multimedia resources, and primary and secondary sources. All students, especially visual learners, will find these resources help them connect with historical events and figures more personally to make history feel more relevant and engaging. Enhance learning by having students create a timeline of historical events using Padlet, reviewed here. Use the exhibits as writing prompts to analyze historical information. Have students explore an exhibit as a resource for a research project, then create a multimedia presentation of their findings using Genially, reviewed here, where students will have a choice for their presentation format.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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RealClearHistory - RealClear
Grades
8 to 12
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RealClearHistory is a history buff's dream. This portion of the RealClear site focuses on history through a variety of different lenses. Begin with the current date in history to access...more
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RealClearHistory is a history buff's dream. This portion of the RealClear site focuses on history through a variety of different lenses. Begin with the current date in history to access articles from many other global resources relating to events on that date or use the dropdown arrow next to the date to go back a few days in time. Then, scroll further down the page to find multimedia, current news, the latest articles, and much more. If that isn't enough, browse the left sidebar to find history tidbits, biographies and memoirs, documents, and the map room. This site will keep history buffs and students engaged for a very long time!
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tag(s): biographies (95), civil war (136), constitution (89), history day (39), politics (114), presidents (133), religions (85), slavery (78), space (216), vikings (10), world war 1 (78), world war 2 (161)
In the Classroom
Make this site available in favorites on your classroom computers for students to refer to for history-related resources. You may want to list this link on your class website for students to access the page both in and out of class. Consider using the site as an icebreaker at the beginning of a class: pick one of the articles or short video clips (share it on your interactive whiteboard or projector) and discuss. After doing research, have cooperative learning groups create podcasts or video commercials highlighting an interesting historical event. Create FREE podcasts using a site such as Spotify for Podcastors, reviewed here. This is also a good resource for reading informational text per the Common Core Standards.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media - Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media
Grades
6 to 12
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The Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media (RRCHNM) is a part of George Mason University's Department of History and Art History. As part of their Digital History Fellowship...more
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The Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media (RRCHNM) is a part of George Mason University's Department of History and Art History. As part of their Digital History Fellowship program, they create and share websites and other tools to enhance the understanding and appreciation of history. This page shares their many projects, including topics with names such as Eagle Eye Citizen and the September 11 Digital Archive. Select any of the shared subects to view a summary of the project and its' contributors. Then, follow the included link to visit the projects' main website and access all of the included features.
tag(s): 20th century (62), branches of government (63), civil rights (200), history day (39), primary sources (119), religions (85), sept11 (18)
In the Classroom
Bookmark and save this site as a supplemental resource for any history lessons and teaching units. One portion of the site leads to Teachinghistory.org, reviewed here, which is an amazing resource for finding teaching materials, best practices, and history content. Be sure to visit it often to find many ideas for effective teaching of history concepts. Other links are perfect for sharing with students to use for locating and learning from primary sources. For example, Papers of the War Department (1784-1800) contains a large collection of images and transcriptions that provide context and understanding into files once considered lost in a fire at the War Department. Create a collaborative Padlet, reviewed here, and ask students to share primary documents and add comments discussing their relevance to historic events being studied. Padlet also includes a timeline feature; use this tool to create a visual timeline of events for any time. Extend learning by asking students to create podcasts using Buzzsprout, reviewed here. Options for podcast topics could include telling the story of historical events from the perspective of a man on the street and sharing perspectives on an event from the viewpoint of different participants.
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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 (200), civil war (136), history day (39), industrial revolution (22), jazz (17), sports (81), vietnam (38), westward expansion (39), womens suffrage (46)
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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Bringing History Home - University of Iowa and Washington Community School District
Grades
K to 5
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Bringing History Home provides history curriculum for kindergarten through 5th grade. The curriculum centers on concepts that include five tools for learning - reading historical accounts...more
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Bringing History Home provides history curriculum for kindergarten through 5th grade. The curriculum centers on concepts that include five tools for learning - reading historical accounts for context, constructing timelines, analyzing original sources, mapping events, and synthesizing sources to construct historical events. Each grade level includes two complete units with all teaching materials and aligned to Social Studies Standards.
tag(s): civil rights (200), communities (37), environment (246), great depression (30), history day (39), immigrants (34), immigration (68), native americans (95), OER (43), segregation (18), underground railroad (15), world war 2 (161)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the free lessons and materials on this site to use in your social studies classroom. Have students use a mapping tool such as Zeemaps, reviewed here, to create a map featuring historic events. Have students create timelines (with music, photos, videos, and more) using Preceden, reviewed here, to visualize events over a period of time.
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Classroom Materials - Primary Source Sets - Library of Congress
Grades
4 to 12
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This collection of primary sources from the Library of Congress is organized around key topics and themes in American History. View Primary Source Set titles in alphabetical order from...more
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This collection of primary sources from the Library of Congress is organized around key topics and themes in American History. View Primary Source Set titles in alphabetical order from Abraham Lincoln through Women's Suffrage. Choose any topic to view Teacher's Guides and analysis tools including graphic organizers for students. Sort information to find materials meeting Common Core Standards, State Standards, or national organization standards.
tag(s): 20th century (62), authors (105), black history (130), civil war (136), constitution (89), evaluating sources (28), hispanic (32), history day (39), immigration (68), jefferson (19), lincoln (65), new deal (5), primary sources (119), Research (84), segregation (18), thanksgiving (22), veterans (29), washington (28), westward expansion (39), womens suffrage (46), wright brothers (16)
In the Classroom
When introducing a new unit, show students photos from the era (on the left menu) and have them describe what they see and what period they think it is. Find plenty of questions and activities (including a blank analysis organizer for students) in the Teacher's Guides. Also look at Library of Congress: for Teachers, reviewed here. Encourage your students to use this tool for projects. Challenge students to find a photo (legally permitted for reproduction), and then narrate the photo as if it is a news report. Have students create a multimedia presentation using Google Slides, reviewed here. Google Slides allows you to narrate a picture (choose Insert from the top menu, then audio) modifying student learning. Include this site on your class webpage for students and parents to access as a reference.
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Uncle Tom's Cabin and American Culture - University of Virginia
Grades
8 to 12
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Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin was a cultural phenomenon when it was published, and continues to be an important window into the mid-19th century anti-slavery movement prior...more
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Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin was a cultural phenomenon when it was published, and continues to be an important window into the mid-19th century anti-slavery movement prior to the American Civil War. Here you will find important cultural context for a fuller discussion of the novel and its impact on American society and history. Browse the site for a variety of primary source material, or interpret the work's significance through one of several lenses: Anti-slavery texts, the influence of "minstrel shows," 19th century Christian revivalism, or Victorian sentimentality. There are several high school level lesson plans to give you ideas for using the enormous number of audio, visual, and text-based resources available to supplement either a literary examination of Uncle Tom's Cabin, or a cultural-historical one. Be advised that much of the primary material reflects the 19th century views on race that prevailed at the time. It should be carefully viewed and used within a discussion of its context.
tag(s): 1800s (75), abolition (7), african american (110), civil rights (200), civil war (136), history day (39), racism (79), slavery (78)
In the Classroom
Whether you are approaching Uncle Tom's Cabin from a literary perspective or a historical perspective, the primary sources here are deep and offer a variety. Listen to minstrel songs, view advertisements for performances, or read poems and other literary responses to the work. Because much of the site contains material that is rooted in a 19th century perspective on race, you should screen images, texts, and lyrics, and ensure that students understand their context before using them in the classroom.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Founders Online - National Archives and University of Virginia
Grades
6 to 12
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Founders Online is an archive from the National Archives of over 119,000 fully annotated primary source documents from six of the nation's founding fathers: George Washington, Benjamin...more
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Founders Online is an archive from the National Archives of over 119,000 fully annotated primary source documents from six of the nation's founding fathers: George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison. Enter any search term or browse by author, recipient, or time period. Each document includes information such as author, recipient, date, and links to other similar documents if available.
tag(s): american revolution (82), colonial america (94), colonization (21), constitution (89), declaration of independence (15), franklin (12), jefferson (19), primary sources (119), washington (28)
In the Classroom
Search and view information from this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Find documents from similar time periods and events to compare and contrast different points of view. Have students download to create an annotated image including text boxes and related links using a tool such as 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. Have students create timelines (with music, photos, videos, and more) using Timeline JS, reviewed here. Have students use Fakebook, reviewed here, to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about any of the founding fathers included on this site.
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Civil War Interactive Poster - TeachingHistory.org
Grades
6 to 12
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The Civil War Interactive Poster uses historical images and primary source documents as an entry point for conversation about this period in American History. Click on any of the four...more
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The Civil War Interactive Poster uses historical images and primary source documents as an entry point for conversation about this period in American History. Click on any of the four quadrants to view items up close. Click on any asterisk within a quadrant for links to further images, related learning, and teaching resources. Each asterisk also contains a question to begin thoughtful conversations about the images.
tag(s): civil war (136), emancipation proclamation (11), gettysburg (15), history day (39), lincoln (65), slavery (78)
In the Classroom
This site is perfect for students to emcee on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Open up each quadrant to view images and documents provided. Have students discuss their reactions and thoughts on each of the representations before clicking on the asterisk to find specific information. Use the teaching resources and ideas provided to add context to Civil War lessons. Challenge students to create a talking avatar using a photo or other image (legally permitted to be reproduced). The avatars can be used to explain information provided by one of the images. Use a site such as Blabberize, reviewed here. Blabberize allows you to add speech and annotate images. To find Creative Commons images for student projects (with credit, of course), try Vecteezy, reviewed here. Challenge your students to use a site such as Timeline Infograhics Templates, reviewed here, to create an interactive timeline of information from this interactive poster along with other information learned during your Civil War unit. With Timeline Infographics Templates you can include text, images, and collaboration.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Picturing US History - American Social History Project / Center for Media and Learning
Grades
4 to 12
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"Picturing U.S. History" helps you use visual evidence to learn about the past. The essays and lectures are very detailed and flexible. Find primary source media by clicking on the...more
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"Picturing U.S. History" helps you use visual evidence to learn about the past. The essays and lectures are very detailed and flexible. Find primary source media by clicking on the links in the essays and lectures; these include: photographs, drawings, paintings, political cartoons, print media, statuary, furniture, and collectibles. Additional links provide explanations of historical and culture behind the images used at the site.
tag(s): art history (89), black history (130), history day (39), painting (53), primary sources (119)
In the Classroom
Use a projector or interactive whiteboard, and the zoom tool to look at one aspect of the picture and have students interpret the image. Challenge your students to create a web exhibit collection about a historical topic using a tool such as Pocket, reviewed here. Students can share all of the important links, information, and even brief descriptions that they find on this site.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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History Engine: Tools for Collaborative Education and Research - The University of Richmond
Grades
8 to 12
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Contribute to ongoing historical research by submitting your own 500-word (or so) "episodes" to the History Engine. Each episode is designed to analyze and examine a particular event...more
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Contribute to ongoing historical research by submitting your own 500-word (or so) "episodes" to the History Engine. Each episode is designed to analyze and examine a particular event or small story, using primary sources and supporting research. The study of history is an ever-evolving process of continuing research and collaboration. While younger students may see history as something that has already been discovered, settled, written down and agreed upon, more advanced learners recognize that history is really much more interpretive and contextual.
The site is designed for use by college professors in designing research projects for individual students or student groups, but there is nothing here that would prevent advanced high school students from using the site or its materials as the basis for a research project. As the site is designed, instructors are to register prior to assigning research so that students can use an authorization code when submitting their research. If you decide to use the resources without submitting student work to the site, no registration is required. It should be noted that the terms of submission make the work the property of the University of Richmond; be sure that's consistent with your goals before you decide to submit.
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The site is designed for use by college professors in designing research projects for individual students or student groups, but there is nothing here that would prevent advanced high school students from using the site or its materials as the basis for a research project. As the site is designed, instructors are to register prior to assigning research so that students can use an authorization code when submitting their research. If you decide to use the resources without submitting student work to the site, no registration is required. It should be noted that the terms of submission make the work the property of the University of Richmond; be sure that's consistent with your goals before you decide to submit.
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tag(s): advanced placement (26), history day (39), local history (14)
In the Classroom
The site and the research it encourages is designed for college students, so secondary school use would need to be either in an upper level or Advanced Placement course, or perhaps for a student doing research for a National History Day project. As an alternative, the site can be used even in less advanced classes simply as a resource to explore the "episodes" already submitted by others. Enter a search term such as civil war to see all the results.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Our Documents - 100 Milestone Documents - National Archives
Grades
6 to 12
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This site, a collaborative effort among the National Archives, National History Day, and USA Freedom Corps, highlights the most important documents in US history. Each of these "milestone"...more
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This site, a collaborative effort among the National Archives, National History Day, and USA Freedom Corps, highlights the most important documents in US history. Each of these "milestone" documents is detailed and photographed on a separate page; the photo can be enlarged for presentation on an interactive whiteboard. Use this site with DocsTeach, reviewed here, with tools for educators. This site was clearly designed with teachers in mind! Click the items from the menu on the right.
tag(s): history day (39), primary sources (119)
In the Classroom
The use of primary sources in teaching has been greatly increased by our digital access to documents like these. Peruse the list of "milestone" documents, and commit to using the photographs on an interactive whiteboard (or projector) when the document comes up in a lesson or discussion. For teachers who are supporting student projects for National History Day, this site also has a link to specific tips, although it appears the site has not been kept up to date with current information on individual competitions. Challenge cooperative learning groups to investigate one of the documents and create a multimedia project of their choice. Looking for some inspiration? How about having groups create a podcast using podOmatic, reviewed here. Or have students create online posters on paper or do it together as a class using a tool such as Web Poster Wizard, reviewed here, or PicLits, reviewed here. Have students narrate a photo of the document (using a FREE and LEGAL photo) with a too such as 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.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Radio Diaries - National Public Radio
Grades
6 to 12
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This site provides a large database of first-person accounts and contemporaneous accounts of important eras and events in history. Primary sources can give the sense of "you are there"...more
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This site provides a large database of first-person accounts and contemporaneous accounts of important eras and events in history. Primary sources can give the sense of "you are there" that can make history come alive. They can also give valuable insight into the context and culture of a time and place remote from our own. Without the interpretation, summarization, and dilution that comes from textbook accounts, these narratives are invaluable to understand history in its purest sense. Search by time period or general topic and get speeches, diaries, and eyewitness accounts. A collection of the audio essays, Diaries, draws on the experiences of a diverse group of teens who describe their lives, what's important, and what they're thinking. There are also interviews with several of these teens 16 years later! If you enjoy history from the mid 20th century, visit Histories. Portraits has more recent histories such as stories during the pandemic. It's fun to browse and explore, but there is also a comprehensive index if you're searching for something in particular.
tag(s): primary sources (119), radio (20)
In the Classroom
This is a fabulous resource for augmenting generic textbook accounts of history with primary source material. Whether we like it or not, our students are more visual than we were. Use this site on an interactive whiteboard or projector for full impact. If you teach social studies, this is a site you'll want to bookmark and visit often. English teachers will want to use the teenage diaries as inspiration for creative writing assignments, or even as a source of ideas for college admissions essays. Challenge students to create their own visual stories to the audio essays using a tool such as Voxer, reviewed here. With Voxer you can record up to a 15-minute voice message (as well as pictures and videos) to a person or group of people at any time, and those people can listen and respond when it's convenient for them.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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National History Day - National History Day
Grades
6 to 12
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No national social studies competition carries more respect than National History Day. Each year a new theme leads students to delve into primary research on local, regional, or national...more
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No national social studies competition carries more respect than National History Day. Each year a new theme leads students to delve into primary research on local, regional, or national issues and events. This site is the home page for the competition, complete with all materials and information needed to participate. Whether you choose to hold a History Day event within your school or to compete against others, this site will get you started. Use this site in combination with TeachersFirst's collection of History Day Resources.
tag(s): history day (39), politics (114), women (142), world war 1 (78)
In the Classroom
From the tabs at the top of the page click Teacher Resources to find Lesson Plans, Webinars and Videos, and more. Students Resources helps students connect with the NEH Expert Series, gives helpful links for research, topics, and others. Whether you choose to hold a History Day event within your school or to compete against others, this site will get you started. Make this a permanent link on your class web page or share it with your gifted enrichment specialist for a curriculum connection to challenge any student. Extend student learning and challenge them to use a multimedia tool to present their research, Genially, reviewed here, is a good tool; it allows students a choice of multimedia products and they can insert maps, surveys, video, audio and more.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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American Labor Studies Center - ALSC and Share My Lesson
Grades
5 to 12
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This site offers a collection of lesson plans, videos, photographs, songs, timelines, and other documents about the history of the labor movement in the U.S. The documents are a compilation...more
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This site offers a collection of lesson plans, videos, photographs, songs, timelines, and other documents about the history of the labor movement in the U.S. The documents are a compilation from many prestigious sources including the Library of Congress, the National Archives, labor history from individual states, and labor museums. Click topics to explore such as Using Songs to Teach Labor History, Black Labor History, Women's Labor History, Religion and Labor, and several others.
tag(s): history day (39), labor day (5)
In the Classroom
Offer a lesson from this site when planning student projects for National History Day or in conjunction with Labor Day. Use this site to have students compare labor issues in several states. Show students a timeline of labor history from one area and have them create a similar one for their own state or region using a site such as Sutori, reviewed here, that can include images, text, and collaboration. Show selected videos (on your interactive whiteboard or projector). Share authentic photographs from this site when discussing employment topics or the history of unions. This site can also provide context when reading literature based in the Great Depression or industrialization era.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Teachinghistory.org - National History Education Clearinghouse
Grades
6 to 12
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This is another incredibly rich site, so much so that it's difficult to know where to start in describing it. Designed to be a resource to those teaching history, the ...more
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This is another incredibly rich site, so much so that it's difficult to know where to start in describing it. Designed to be a resource to those teaching history, the site is divided into three main areas: teaching materials, history content, and best practices. The teaching materials section includes these topics: Reviewed Lesson Plans, Teaching Guides, and English Language Learners. The history content includes website reviews, multimedia resources, links to museums and historical sites and other resources. The best practices section looks at how one thinks as a historian, advice on using primary sources, and tips for those teaching history. There are brief video introductions to the site focused on different instructional levels (elementary, middle school, and high school). Tucked in the corners is a weekly history quiz, video interviews with historians, and an NHEC blog.
tag(s): history day (39), primary sources (119)
In the Classroom
While the "history content" section of this website contains resources that might be directly usable in the classroom, there is much more here for the teacher to use in preparing lessons, learning more about topics of interest and in infusing the teaching of history with more primary documentation and historical thinking that has been past practice in a traditional social studies classroom. There is also a focus on the limitations of mass produced text books, and guidance on helping students begin to question what they find in those text books as historians. On this site there are interactive posters to use with your students to get them to start thinking like a historian. Altogether, this is a very rich resource and should be in regular rotation among your "go to" bookmarked favorites.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Spy Letters of the American Revolution - Clements Library, University of Michigan
Grades
4 to 12
2 Favorites
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This fascinating site is based on an exhibit of American Revolutionary spy letters from the William L. Clements Library, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan. Explore some of...more
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This fascinating site is based on an exhibit of American Revolutionary spy letters from the William L. Clements Library, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan. Explore some of the fascinating items on the left menu with items like Stories of Spies and Letters, Secret Methods and Techniques, a Timeline and others. The Gallery of Letters link on the right provides a brief description of each letter and links to more information about the stories of the spies in the letter or the secret methods used to make the letter. This site is rich with primary sources, taking students back in time!
tag(s): evolution (88), history day (39), primary sources (119)
In the Classroom
The use of spy letters shows students a different perspective of the Revolutionary War. Have your students use the information about the spies and write a biography. Add a little mystery to your classroom and have students write spy letters from the perspective of people on each side of the war. Have students use the images and information from the site and create a poster using Canva, reviewed here. Post the letters on an interactive whiteboard or projector and use the letters in an English class to discuss letter writing, grammar, and sentence structure. The whiteboard tools can be used to highlight and annotate. Several more examples of fun activities including writing with disappearing ink can be found in the Teacher's Lounge.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History - The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
Grades
4 to 12
1 Favorites
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This ambitious site has something for anyone who teaches American history. In fact, if you love history, be prepared to completely lose track of time as you explore the site. ...more
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This ambitious site has something for anyone who teaches American history. In fact, if you love history, be prepared to completely lose track of time as you explore the site. Discover American History through images, exhibits, primary sources, and more with The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. Click Education on the top menu where there are special programs and exhibits for teachers and students. A large collection of primary sources complements many studies in social studies-- and literacy. As a member, save all of your favorites and make lists for each area of study. The multimedia tab reveals documentaries, videos and virtual field trips. History Now publishes monthly newsletters.As a teacher or student, you can have free access to the website.The site may be useful to students working on research for History Day projects.
tag(s): 1600s (20), african american (110), american revolution (82), black history (130), civil rights (200), civil war (136), colonization (21), foreign policy (12), great depression (30), history day (39), immigration (68), industrial revolution (22), migration (45), native americans (95), primary sources (119), westward expansion (39), world war 1 (78), world war 2 (161)
In the Classroom
Find many lesson plans, resources, and primary documents to enrich your history lessons. Make a splash with visual learners by starting class with artifacts from an era displayed on your projector or interactive whiteboard. Explore primary sources and historic texts as part of a Common Core literacy program cooperating among English, reading, and history teachers. Have your students sign up to enjoy access to all the resources. Enhance learning by challenging cooperative learning groups to choose a specific historical time period and become "experts." Have the groups create presentations to share with the class about what they learn. Use a tool like Zoho Show, reviewed here, or allow students to choose the format of their presentation by using Genially, reviewed here, where they can interactive images, infographics, charts, and presentations of all types, and insert maps, surveys, video, audio and more.
This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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Today in History - Library of Congress
Grades
4 to 12
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The Library of Congress offers this daily look at historical events - mostly American. There is typically more than one event listed per day, and the text integrates cultural, literary,...more
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The Library of Congress offers this daily look at historical events - mostly American. There is typically more than one event listed per day, and the text integrates cultural, literary, and political trends into the daily reporting. The story links have real depth and are well written for easy comprehension. Pictures make the history come alive and support the information given. This makes this daily nugget far more than just a collection of "factoids."
tag(s): history day (39)
In the Classroom
This site provides excellent historical research! For a classroom-ready activity each day to build understanding of historical events in the context of your students' prior knowledge, also try TeachersFirst's Dates That Matter. Include both links on your teacher web page for instant access by students both in and out of class. Maybe start a class wiki for your own "This Day" collection and assign student groups a day of their own. Add to it from year to year. Or have students write blog responses on class or individual blogs as they choose an event for the day from several sources and react to it.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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History Net - HistoryNet LLC,
Grades
6 to 12
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A very good site for the history buff or those struggling to understand historical events. Pictures make the history come alive and support the information given. On the top menu ...more
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A very good site for the history buff or those struggling to understand historical events. Pictures make the history come alive and support the information given. On the top menu find links to their version of Today in History, Wars and Events, Famous People. Eras, Topics, and under More are several topics of interest.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): history day (39)
In the Classroom
This site would be ideal for research projects. For a classroom-ready activity each day to build understanding of historical events in the context of your students' prior knowledge, also try TeachersFirst's Dates That Matter. Include both links on your teacher web page for instant access by students both in and out of class. Maybe start a class wiki for your own "This Day" collection and assign student groups a day of their own. Add to it from year to year. Or have students write blog responses on class or individual blogs as they choose an event for the day from several sources and react to it.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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