Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

Art and Social Studies teachers will find this collection of contemporary stamp artwork interesting both for its style and for the range of themes that have been incorporated into stamps. The oversize artwork helps illustrate the details in these images.

tag(s): africa (148), african american (115)

This site documents the recent exhibit about Anne Frank's unpublished writings. The site includes an introduction, excerpts from a number of unpublished works, and a series of links for additional information. This one could be an interesting bridge between a writing assignment and the study of World War II.

tag(s): anne frank (10), holocaust (42), world war 2 (161)

Of interest to teachers of social studies, American history, or art, this site from UC Berkeley samples over 400 years of artistic portrayals of Native Americans in a variety of settings. The site is notable both for the quality of the images but also for the contexts in which they are presented. Suitable for a wide age range, depending on the amount of guidance the classroom teacher provides.

tag(s): art history (103), native americans (109), painting (55)

Here is an interactive glimpse of political speeches delivered between 1918 and 1920. These fifty-nine speeches discuss topics such as World War I and the election of 1920.

tag(s): 1920s (15), elections (82), politics (118), world war 1 (77)

Divided into resources for educators, parents, and students, this Smithsonian site has a wealth of information.

tag(s): cultures (180)

This group of seventeen lessons seeks to determine the importance of geographic, scientific, and other discoveries made by Lewis and Clark throughout their expedition. The site focuses on the expeditions' importance to American History and illustrates the many ways in which the journey influenced modern American science and culture. The lessons are categorized by their primary subject area and cover social studies, mathematics, science, and language arts topics.

tag(s): lewis and clark (14)

This PBS site has ten lessons that examine "new perspectives" on the westward expansion of the United States during the Nineteenth Century. The lesson plans are part of a larger site, rich with additional resources for researching and teaching about the America's movement westward. Specific lessons touch upon topics such as the transcontinental railroad, Mark Twain, the creation of the literary "west," and the role influence of disease and natural disasters upon western lifestyles.

This Cornell University online exhibit provides a detailed portrait of the abolitionist movement in America ready for classroom use. The site examines the origins of the movement, provides detailed descriptions of life as a slave, and discusses the importance of the emancipation proclamation and the thirteenth amendment in the struggle against slavery. The site combines historic narrative with literary and biographical resources to highlight the important cultural role the abolitionist movement played in the United States.

tag(s): abolition (7), africa (148), african american (115), slavery (79)

This site, created by High School Students in San Francisco, presents personal oral Holocaust accounts in written and audio formats. The site provides a unique perspective on the manner in which the Holocaust affected so many lives, by providing the detailed accounts of six survivors. Due to the nature of the subject matter, teachers may want to limit access of this site to older students.

tag(s): holocaust (42), jews (33), world war 2 (161)

Whether as a comprehensive source for research or as a primer for studies on the first amendment's guaranteed freedoms of speech, press, religious liberty, assembly and petition, this site has wonderful resources for civics and government courses. The site also has a variety of print and web-resources available for further study of first amendment issues, including links to a number of Supreme Court documents.

tag(s): bill of rights (33), constitution (96)

A remarkable history resource for all ages. If you can't make the journey to Colonial Williamsburg in person, this site provides detailed descriptions of life in the era. Explore Williamsburg clothing, politics, food, religion, and more through detailed articles, photos, lessons plans and through virtual tours.

tag(s): colonial america (95), virginia (15), williamsburg (7)

Created by the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial Fund, the full title of this site is "The War and the Wall." The approach is the Vietnam War era with a focus on history, leadership, citizenship, and civic responsibility. The site has good primary source research materials, podcasts, and an interactive timeline, as well as a detailed teacher's guide with teaching modules. Scroll to the bottom of the page to Outside Resources and find teacher's guides to several topics regarding the Vietnam War.

tag(s): 1950s (8), 1960s (26), memorial day (11), vietnam (38)

No, it's not blood and gore up close, but rather a collection of audio reminiscences from American veterans about their experiences in wartime. Created by the Library of Congress as part of their Veterans History Project Collection series, these stories are surprisingly personal and therefore all the more powerful. Choose from a variety of topics on the left menu including different wars.

tag(s): afghanistan (7), cold war (30), iraq (26), korea (21), memorial day (11), middle east (50), oral history (13), veterans (27), world war 2 (161)

Cmprising the period from May through October, 1787, this site contains the daily journals of James Madison in which he discusses the progress of the Constitutional Convention. Students interested in first-hand accounts of the forming of the American Government will find these journals great reading. High ideals notwithstanding, they show that the art of compromise was alive and well at the birth of the federal government.

tag(s): constitution (96)

This site offers one-stop shopping for a history of the Supreme Court and the ways in which it operates. There are additional links from this site to more complete anthologies of court decisions and their interpretation. Middle schoolers could use elements of this one for basic research about the separation of powers and branches of government; high school students should find many uses for the additional materials.

tag(s): constitution (96), supreme court (27)

While designed as a research tool for people working on genealogies, students will find this site an interesting way to observe and compare events that happened within specific time periods. Teachers will appreciate the feature that allows inclusion or omission of specific types of events. Try these in different combinations depending on the subject at hand.

Here's a site that offers the core body of essential Supreme Court decisions in a single presentation that includes lots of supporting context. In addition to the decisions themselves, there are supplementary resources, activities, and interpretive documents. There's also a thematic organization that makes identification of specific cases easier.

tag(s): constitution (96), supreme court (27)

Developed as part of the National Humanities Center's Online Professional Development "Toolbox" series, this site offers history and government teachers a wonderfully succinct resource kit for building one or more lesson units. Divided into five sections: religion, domesticity, common man, expansion, and America - 1850, the site offers introductions and a set of primary source readings for each, along with presentation guidelines and discussion suggestions. This one encourages students to draw their own conclusions.

tag(s): civil war (139)

From the 1880s to the 1940s, the Chinese Exclusion act prevented immigrants of Chinese descent from gaining full citizenship. The site includes background information on how the act came to be, as well as a discussion of its repercussions.

tag(s): chinese (45), immigration (68), migration (45)

Developed as part of the National Humanities Center's Online Professional Development "Toolbox" series, this site offers history and government teachers a wonderfully succinct resource kit for building one or more lesson units. Divided into five sections: religion, predicaments, politics, expansion, and equality, the site offers introductions and a set of primary source readings for each, along with presentation guidelines and discussion suggestions. Lots of critical analysis opportunities here.

tag(s): constitution (96), courts (20), evolution (89)