Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

Teaching World War I With The New York Times is a resource for teaching about World War I using historical articles and social media. The site offers topics paired with New York Times articles and slide shows for use in exploring the causes and effects of the war. Click on highlighted links to get access to all resources included on the site including Common Core Standards.

tag(s): europe (84), middle east (50), world war 1 (77)

This YouTube channel offers over 300 videos for U.S. and World History, current events, political science, and American Government. Click the Playlist link to easily find one of the categories. Other videos teach test-taking and essay writing skills. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable.
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tag(s): china (81), classroom management (120), constitution (96), elections (82), foreign policy (13), politics (118), presidents (135), russia (36)

Mr. Beat's YouTube Channel provides educational Social Studies videos in a storytelling format. There are a few other topics: Primary and Secondary Sources, Guide to Critical Thinking, and others. Be sure to check out the music video and song for each of the presidents. Other topics include using Google Earth, Presidential Elections, and Story Time with Mr. Beat. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable.
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tag(s): alaska (21), elections (82), explorers (64), gettysburg address (12), lincoln (66), presidents (135), primary sources (117), washington (28)

The Television Archive News Search Service is a comprehensive resource for finding news video clips from the United States and Great Britain. Scroll through to view clips by most popular or sort by title, date, archived, or creator. Use the search bar to search by keywords for specific information. Choose any clip, and then choose any minute from the filmstrip to view clips.

tag(s): d day (11), journalism (74), news (228), world war 2 (161)

Learn something new every day with Brain Pump videos. Choose from the many topics including game design, history, science, math, technology, nature, business, casual science, and more to view a random video about the topic. Not interested? No problem, click the next video link to watch another on the same subject. Sign up isn't necessary but allows you to "star" videos to find for later viewing. If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable. You could always view them at home and bring them to class "on a stick" to share. Use a tool such as Online-Convert, reviewed here, to download the videos from YouTube.
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tag(s): business (52), critical thinking (127), earth (184), financial literacy (93), fish (18), human body (93), marine biology (31), natural resources (37), plants (146), psychology (65), rivers (16), space (222), spanish (109), video (266)

The Los Angeles Unified School District offers a large selection of resources for teaching history and social sciences aligned to Common Core Standards. Choose from elementary, middle, or high school to find curriculum maps and lessons. One very useful portion of the site includes lessons created in partnership with Reading Like a Historian, reviewed here, that engage students in the creation of historical knowledge. Both sites are a must-visit for anyone teaching Social Studies!

tag(s): assessment (147), commoncore (73), professional development (385)

Civil Rights at 50 offers free lesson plans based on the book, Wherever There's a Fight, by Elaine Elinson and Stan Yogi. The six middle and high school lesson plans revolve around the struggle to develop and protect rights in California. Click the download link to access and print the lessons in PDF format.

tag(s): california (17), civil rights (209)

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 (72), 20th century (62), civil rights (209), presidents (135), womens suffrage (52)

Dress the Part is an interactive that teaches about eighteenth-century clothing and its relationship to social status in Virginia. Choose a member from different social statuses such as field slaves up to the gentry. Learn about that place in society and choose the proper clothing. When your member of society is appropriately dressed, read more about their situation and social status.
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tag(s): 1700s (36), slavery (79), virginia (15)

Explore and discover the most influential people in history using Pantheon People Rankings. Prepare to be immersed in the many different features of this site. Search by period, country, or domain to view rankings of the most influential people in that category. Set search parameters using drop down boxes to the left of the chart. Hover over colored result boxes to view specific information for each result. Click on any individual name to get a short Wikipedia overview and ranking information.

tag(s): cultures (180), explorers (64), politics (118), scientists (67), sociology (23), sports (82)

Five Myths takes on everyday subjects and challenges widely held beliefs every time. For example, are panda bears really cuddly and gentle? Has technology really changed how we fight wildfires? Each short article is written by a content expert and explores little-known facts to debunk commonly held beliefs.

tag(s): journalism (74), myths and legends (37)

This engaging YouTube channel offers an excellent variety of videos for AP U.S. and European History and AP Government. Additional offerings include review sessions about South Carolina history. Each video explains different topics in history through lecture. Videos range in length from one minute to over an hour. If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable.
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tag(s): 1700s (36), 1800s (75), 1900s (72), advanced placement (26), american revolution (82), black history (133), colonial america (95), england (50), france (41), germany (28), greece (47), greeks (46), industrial revolution (22), jefferson (19), romans (52), rome (37), russia (36), spain (13), video (266), washington (28), world war 1 (77)

U.S. History for AP Students offers a large choice of resources preparing for History AP exams. Choose from documents, note cards, textbook outlines, president fact sheets, and test taking tips. Use the search bar to find keywords in note cards or browse through cards using provided chronological links. This content will always remain relevant, no matter when the last update to this tool was.

tag(s): advanced placement (26), test prep (69)

Engage student interest in the annual State of the Union Address with this Bingo lesson plan. Background activities provide historical knowledge of the traditions of the speech. Follow up activities guide students through understanding current events.

tag(s): presidents (135), speeches (23)

FreeCol is a downloadable strategy game with the objective of the colonists creating an independent nation. Along the way trade with Europe and bring in the colonists while growing your population. Attract colonists with money and/or religious freedom. Choose between becoming the Native Americans' friend or foe. Befriending them gives you new skills and items; while attacking their villages can result in lots of valuables while adding to the tensions. Choose from single or multiple player options and difficulty level.

tag(s): colonization (21), problem solving (233)

Learn about the life of Andrew Carnegie starting with his humble beginnings all the way through his rise to the richest man in the world with this interactive storytelling tool. Click About on the top menu bar and scroll down to Andrew Carnegie's Story to read about Carnegie's youth and explore the timeline of his business. Continue reading to learn about his philanthropic side, including the founding of over 2,500 libraries across the United States. Use links at the top of the page to view specific portions of the site without having to scroll through all sections. The video at the end is hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, the video may not be viewable.

tag(s): 1900s (72), biographies (94), business (52), railroads (14)

While the US Gulf War may seem more a current event than history, the conflict is now more than 30 years in the past. Public Broadcasting's Frontline presents an overview of the Persian Gulf crisis in 1990, including oral histories, maps, a timeline, and descriptions of the weapons and technology used by US and Allied forces. The site, first launched in 1996, now offers some fresh perspectives in light of current events. At this time the audio is not working, but there are transcripts.
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tag(s): 20th century (62), middle east (50), terrorism (41)

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 (107), black history (133), civil war (139), constitution (96), evaluating sources (29), hispanic (36), history day (39), immigration (68), jefferson (19), lincoln (66), new deal (5), primary sources (117), Research (87), segregation (18), thanksgiving (24), veterans (27), washington (28), westward expansion (39), womens suffrage (52), wright brothers (16)

Explore D-Day events through the perspective of the U.S. Navy. Choose from different links explaining military operations from the left menu such as Exercise Tiger and Operation Neptune. Watch a 1944 newsreel telling of the liberation of Rome or learn about famous Rear Admirals Ford and Cabanillas and their role in D-Day.

tag(s): d day (11), navy (8), world war 2 (161)

Investigate the events of D-Day and their impact on World War II with this simple but interesting resource. Scroll through the photos and short captions to see first-hand images of Allied Commanders, Hitler, soldiers going ashore, and more. Scroll all the way down the page to find many more resource labeled Home Learning. Videos can be found under the Objects & History tab at the top. They reside on YouTube. If your district/school blocks YouTube they may not be viewable.

tag(s): d day (11), veterans (27), world war 2 (161)