Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

Annenberg Media has created this fantastic interactive tool that allows you to trace the growth and settlement of the United States by using a map. Throughout this interactive challenge, students learn about map legends, the compass rose and cardinal directions, and different types of maps. Students also learn about the various regions of the United States and the rivers, lakes, mountains, oceans, and more that are located in the United States. This website even delves into U.S. History by displaying major Indian tribes (and regions), explaining colonists, and the expansion of the great nation.

tag(s): colonial america (95), directions (11), india (32), map skills (63), maps (220), westward expansion (39)

This wonderfully informative website provides numerous "case files" about many famous people from the world of science and technology. There are five major areas including computing, transportation, cosmic inquiry, energy, and communications. Click the names of the famous people to learn more about their specific inventions and/or contributions to science and technology. The downloadable PDF also includes images of artifacts from each scientist's life: diaries, writings, and more. Numerous famous scientists and inventors are included (Alexander Graham Bell, William Jennings, Marie Curie, Albert Einstein, Henry Ford, Catherine Gibbon, and many others).

tag(s): aviation (40), energy (133), inventors and inventions (80), scientists (67), transportation (30)

This online unit plan includes seven lesson plans plus extension activities. The topics all relate to the Statue of Liberty and national symbols. Specific lesson plan topics include "Isn't it Symbolic," "A Mighty Women with a Torch," "Built-in Symbols," "Using the Symbol," "Choose a Symbol, any Symbol," "Create a Symbol," "The United States Symbol," and various lesson extensions. There are objectives provided, but formal standards are not listed. Many of the lesson plans include interactive components.

tag(s): landmarks (22), symbols (15)

If your class is studying chocolate or investigating nutrition or agriculture, look no further than this website dedicated to this delicious delicacy. Some of the unique topics include "Chocolate in the Forest" (which takes students to the Amazon rainforest), the health risks and benefits of chocolate, the history of chocolate, and many other "yummy" bits (or bites) of information. There are a couple of features that requires Real Video, however there is a lot to learn from the information that doesn't require Real Video.

tag(s): aztecs (9), chocolate (4), mayans (23), nutrition (140)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City offers this site. View World Maps, Timelines, Thematic Essays, and more. Click on the "Works of Art" link to search by time period, geographical region, or thematic category. Time periods include 8000 BC to the present. Thematic categories include African, Renaissance, Colonial, Medieval, Modern, and more. The timeline features nearly every continent and many categories of art.

tag(s): art history (102), medieval (32), renaissance (38)

This Wikipedia-type dictionary includes more than 33,000 biographies on men and women from ancient times to today. Search by birth or death dates, professions, achievements, name or other keywords. Anyone can register to edit or add to a biography. If you do recommend this site as a source for research, be sure to have the discussion about its unknown authorship and usefulness as a general information tool but not as a "scholarly" resource.

tag(s): critical thinking (127)

The National Museum of African American History and Culture is the only national museum devoted to documentation of African-American life in the United States. Explore the virtual museum through collections, exhibitions, stories, and more. Search collections by topic, era, or name to view artifacts including photographs, maps, and much more.

tag(s): africa (148), african american (115), black history (133), cultures (180)

Although this website doesn't have a lot of "bells and whistles." It is very useful to learn more about the physics behind thrill rides, the history of the roller coaster, and more. The site provides statistical information, historical information, construction information, and more about various thrill rides (mainly roller coasters). Did you ever wonder what the tallest steel roller coaster was in the world? This website provides a "record book" with a wide variety of statistical information about what roller coasters can claim to be the tallest, longest, fastest, and more.

tag(s): motion (47)

Posted by the New Hampshire Concord Monitor Newspaper in the Classroom program, this website offers many interactive ideas that students can use either with a physical newspaper in front of them, with an online news service such as CNN, or with online editions of newspapers that you find here. The examples used all refer to the New Hampshire newspaper, but are easily adaptable to whatever topic you want the students to deal with. This site includes such varied activities as creating a database and writing recipes. It covers every section of a newspaper. Students could create their own classroom newspaper using some of these activities or simply create journalistic articles based on whatever topic you are currently teaching. This is adaptable to almost any grade level and subject area.

tag(s): local history (14), news (228), newspapers (93)

The National Women's History Museum site includes a rich collection of resources. Although the collection is certainly deep on issues related to women's suffrage, there is also information on women in World War II, women and education, women and the Progressive movement, and women spies. There are good photographs of artifacts from the women's movement, and a nice collection of lesson plans, grouped by grade level.

tag(s): jamestown (6), women (151), womenchangemaker (37), womens suffrage (52), world war 2 (161)

The National Museum of American History contains some of the most beloved artifacts from US cultural and political history. This site highlights a handful of these artifacts, and uses them to teach students of history (both those in the desks and those at the front of the class) the power of artifacts to educate. For each of five artifacts, there is a Quick Time 360-degree look at the piece, and a number of context-setting resources associated with it. However, the most important aspect of this site is the section providing tips to teachers for how to use artifacts to add impact to a lesson.

tag(s): museums (52)

This British website looks at life in London during World War II, with a focus on the Blitz. Written with younger students in mind, the site is easy to navigate and highlights the difficulty of rationing, living in fear of German bombing and the need for the entire family to contribute to the war effort. Middle School teachers planning lessons on World War II will find good resources here. Students may be amused by the subtle differences between British terminology and American English. The writing style is youth-oriented, and may be help U.S. students get a feeling for what it might be like to live in a war zone.

tag(s): england (50), world war 2 (161)

Boost understanding of civil rights issues by reading the interviews and playing the games at this site. Choose answers from interactive games, then read biographies of civil rights leaders in various issues --from farm workers to black rights. An extensive interview by Melba Beals (one of the Little Rock Nine), articles on women's rights, and religious freedom round out this site on civil rights in America.

tag(s): civil rights (209), women (151)

From the Library of Congress' American Memory project, this site links to a large collection of audio, video, text, and artwork related to the events of September 11, 2001. Search by media, topic or title.

tag(s): new york (24), sept11 (18), terrorism (41)

This Alphabet Organizer makes learning words and terminology exciting-- and organized. All levels may use this--from primary students learning the alphabet to secondary students learning advanced vocabulary. On the interactive keypad, key in the beginning letter of a word. Key in the rest of the word on the blanks provided. You also have the option of typing in the word's meaning. When your list is entered, you may choose a booklet or a chart format for the presentation of your information. Studying content-area words or vocabulary meanings have never been so easy.

tag(s): alphabet (53), vocabulary (238)

This is a general "go-to" website all about social studies. There is information about current events, culture, holidays, languages, religion, economics, geography, maps, government, U.S. presidents, timelines, and many other social studies topics. The highlight of this website is the Current Events segment. This is an easy way to incorporate age-appropriate current events in your classroom.
Note: an annoying audio ad plays when you first enter the site. Turn OFF your sound!

tag(s): holidays (187), maps (220), presidents (135), renaissance (38), timelines (56)

There is so much to explore on this site, you will need to place limitations on it! Digital Collections of everything from clothing to chronology, turns of the century exhibits, in the classroom activities, curricula, New England architecture and tools, manuscripts from people who lived in the time-- this site is truly a museum on the web made student-friendly. The activities section is full of ways to involve students with real objects from history. Students can actually hear some of the artists and writers reading their own words -- which is remarkable. If you teach American literature or history or are interested in artifacts from the past, this is a great site. If you choose, you or your students can create a login and save to "my collection."

tag(s): colonial america (95), england (50), slavery (79)

This is a wonderful compilation site of news from all over the world. Users can read the home page or search news of a specific geographic region. An excellent plus here is the ability to choose to read the news in a variety of languages. World Photos today, multimedia, global weather, and sports are just a few of the many attractive sections that add to this site's appeal.

tag(s): news (228)

This comprehensive history/culture resource is the mother of all timelines with over 3000 years of history available in "synchronoptic" form, that is, in parallel timelines. Users can view by searching year, event, people, stories, subjects, events, political movements, and maps. Constant updates to the events section and additional "people" lines ensure the timeliness of this amazing site. (The site does NOT include people who are still alive). The span of the timelines and people, events, and cultures is extensive. Timeline elements are clickable for more information. We recommend the site for grades 6 and up purely because of the level of exposure necessary to appreciate all the information and because of the reading level.

tag(s): biographies (94), politics (118)

This crafty website provides students (and teachers) with directions to create paper toys. The patterns are printables on the web page. The website provides instructions for approximately 100 unique models. The types of models vary from monuments (such as the Chrysler Building or the Eiffel Tower) to holiday creations. There are printable instructions provided for each model. This website is a refreshing activity for art classes, social studies classes or any class seeking a creative method to use to re-create famous monuments and other objects or buildings.

tag(s): architecture (75), paper folding (3)