Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

The Library of Congress demonstrates the depth of its archival image and documents collection in this site, which records first-hand accounts of the accomplishments and difficulties of African-American soldiers during the Civil War. Although rather "plain vanilla" this site is definitely one to explore if you or one of your students are interested in the Civil War.

tag(s): africa (148), african american (115), civil war (139), lincoln (66)

Don't let the simple appearance fool you! This site is a smorgasbord of interactive lessons on history, English, and music. Wonderful for the Humanities teacher, it allows teachers of any of those subjects to pick and choose what best fits their plans. Some examples of topics include archaeology, ancient Rome, South American Empires, ancient Egypt, ancient Greece, letter writing, gorgeous grammar, common spelling errors, the Renaissance, the Middle Ages, poetry, the theatre, film, composers, and at least twenty other topics. The site declares itself "student self-directed (self-explanatory)." The links are functional, the graphics are attractive, and, while some of the activities are simple and straightforward, many of them take students into analysis and synthesis without them even realizing they are thinking on higher levels and producing work with more depth.

tag(s): australia (28), civil rights (209), grammar (137), listening (93), medieval (32), poetry (193), renaissance (38), spelling (98)

Enjoy Nonsense as only Edward Lear, the mid-1800s artist and poet, mastered it. This site highlights his Book of Nonsense and many others of his nonsense limericks and poetry. Original covers of his books have been scanned and shown at this site. Your students will appreciate nonsense verse through this near-complete compilation of his works.

tag(s): literature (221), poetry (193)

Get inside of the mind of our sixteenth president with this thoughtful lesson plan that analyzes the complex factors that led to the Civil War. Using primary source documents, students become part of the decision-making process as they consider the critical issues that faced the nation as Lincoln came into office, debate the risks and benefits of withdrawing Union troops from Fort Sumter, and investigate the Confederate reaction to Lincoln's ultimate decision. Students take on the roles of Secessionists, Non-Secessionists, Unionists, Abolitionists, or Compromise Proponents. This lesson is aligned to National Standards.

tag(s): civil war (139), debate (42), lincoln (66), slavery (79), states (124)

This Lincoln page includes a quick fact sheet, a short biography, and links to additional information on Lincoln's advisors, administration, and accomplishments. It is part of a very complete collection of presidential resources that could be a staple of an American history curriculum. At the bottom of the page, you will find links to read Lincoln's most famous speeches. You have to scroll to his name. The list includes all presidents (up to Donald Trump).

tag(s): lincoln (66), presidents (135)

This site offers information for touring regional Civil War historical sites, from Virginia through Pennsylvania. Lists events, reenactments, new openings, and self-guided tours. Also includes a timeline and links. This site is frequently updated.

tag(s): civil war (139), lincoln (66), pennsylvania (6), virginia (15)

This site provides concise information about the men who have held the nation's highest office, their first ladies, and the complex job of the American president. Historical election results, descriptions of political parties, and a gallery of documents related to the presidency are also included. Investigate the audio and video features - where you'll find some true gems! Watch a video of Nixon discussing Watergate, see JFK deliver his NASA speech, view Ronald Reagan's Berlin Wall Speech, and see many animated videos from Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and more!!

tag(s): elections (82), lincoln (66), presidents (135)

This site from the National Archives provides images of the original proclamation, along with a brief analysis explaining the various limitations to Lincoln's document that freed the slaves. The analysis sets the effort to free slaves into the political context of the Civil War.

tag(s): africa (148), african american (115), civil war (139), lincoln (66)

This site, designed especially for middle school students, includes a HUGE amount of social studies topics. Although this site is recommended for middle school students, it is also appropriate for high school students studying the subject areas. It is mainly a "text" site, without interactives. However, this is a great resource for explaining complex topics, researching specific topics in social studies, and much more. Some of the general areas of the site include: Mesopotamia, North America, Ancient Africa, Ancient Egypt, Medieval Europe, Islamic Empire, Ancient China, Ancient Rome, and Ancient Greece. Each general area includes countless sub-topics. There is a search box available at the top of the page. There are also links to activities for students, project ideas, and Teacher's Guides. There are two caveats: there are some advertisements, nothing too distracting AND some of the suggested activities include "buying" a book from Amazon. You do NOT need to purchase anything to take advantage of this free resource!

tag(s): europe (84), greece (47), medieval (32), mesopotamia (32)

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)

The New York Times offers this glimpse back into history in this daily feature. Events may be national or international, and frequently refer to contemporaneous Times coverage. The site also lists "famous" birthdays, copies of previous New York Times, and links to lesson plans (mainly current events).

tag(s): news (228)

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.

tag(s): history day (39)

This site offers some basic research on MANY "Amazing" Americans. Click to learn more about "Amazing" Leaders & Statesmen, U.S. Presidents, Activists & Reformers, Adventurers & Explorers, Musicians & Composers, Writers & Artists, Industrialists & Entrepreneurs, Scientist & Inventors, or Athletes and Entertainers. Be prepared: when you click on one of the topics you may have a few people pop up OR more names than you can count! This is an excellent site for research, teaching students about American heroes, or using to enhance your social studies, science, or music curriculum. There are pictures and short articles of information. There are a few interactives that require Flash, however most of them don 't and the articles are well worth your time to investigate.

tag(s): composers (14), explorers (64), inventors and inventions (80), presidents (135), scientists (67)

The stories of America's past come alive in this fun and entertaining site that is filled with interactive activities, engaging glimpses of historical figures, music, animation, and more! Students can jump back in time to experience a historic era, explore America's favorite pastimes, or investigate some vintage music, cartoons, and films. Throughout the site, visitors are presented with interesting side trips, glimpses of historic documents and photographs, and interactive trivia questions. Some of the interactives require Flash, but there is a lot of information, audio, and images to learn from at this site that doesn't need it.

tag(s): animation (64), comics and cartoons (55), songs (46)

This simple site provides historical information about Anoka, Minnesota. Do you know what makes Anoka so interesting? It has the unique nickname of the "Halloween Capital of the World." Do you want to know why it is the capital? Visit the site and read all about the history, celebrations, and more. Suddenly a community's claim to fame can become a way to introduce your students to the process of tracing local history.

tag(s): halloween (32), minnesota (3)

This site allows you to create and customize online quizzes. Once registered, create quizzes using the shared templates or make your own from scratch. Current templates for educators include quizzes in several subjects, including geography, math, and language arts. This site also consists of an extensive database of ready-made questions to use. Customize your quizzes by adding images, changing backgrounds, and more. Use the preview feature to review your quiz before sharing. Share quizzes with a link, use the embed code to embed onto a website, print, or share with social media links.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): quiz (67)

This issue of Smith Magazine features an online graphic novel of the events of Hurricane Katrina and its effects on New Orleans and related communities. Since there are very few words, it's perfect for students of all ages and English ability levels. The drawings are in chronological order and include weather pictures and before and after pictures, as well as specific events of the hurricane.

Warning: Be sure to PREVIEW each section before you show it to the class since there is some profanity in the speech of some characters.

tag(s): graphic novels (5), hurricanes (32), novels (34)

This site takes students on a web hunt throughout Anne Arundel County, Maryland. Visit BWI airport, U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, and several other famous landmarks. On the homepage, there are links for kids and teachers. The Kids link takes you directly to the web hunt. The Teachers Page includes ways to implement the lessons into your curriculum, resource links, project ideas, and more.

tag(s): maryland (7)

This informative and interactive website provides information about Maryland's role in the Underground Railroad. Some of the highlights include video clips about Harriet Tubman, lesson plans and class activities, printable pages, reference information, details about signs and symbols of the Underground Railroad, and MUCH more. If you are teaching about the Civil War and the Underground Railroad - this site is a must see. Another interesting activity is the "Make Your Own Secret Quilt Message." Be sure to check out the link Classroom Resources for some interesting ways to incorporate this site into your lessons. There is much to learn here, so don't let the occasional Flash resource bother you.

tag(s): 1800s (75), civil war (139), lincoln (66), maryland (7), slavery (79), underground railroad (15)

Use this terrific online tool for your students to create posters or short reports in a poster format. Create lessons, worksheets, or class pages and instantly publish them online using this free Web Poster Wizard. The teacher sets up an account (for free), and follows simple directions so students can upload images and write about their project or pictures. The site even includes management tools so you can keep separate classes of students and see their work by class.

Plan to spend some time reading through the directions and trying out this tool before you assign it to students. Teachers and students must register and login each time they use this tool. Students can share the URL for their posters with grandparents or parents to show off their good work!

Students will need to know how to locate and upload a file for an image (such as a digital picture) to place it in their poster. If you allow them to use images from the web, the tool asks them to give information on their image source, as well (hooray for ethical use of the Internet!). If you use digital pictures of students, be SURE that you do NOT use full names on the site. You should get parent permission for uploading any student images, even if anonymous.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): posters (43)