Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

This collection of haunting images chronicles the lives of working children in America from 1908 through 1912. The photos, taken by Lewis Hine, reveal the dangerous and dismal conditions in factories, fields, mills, and mines across the United States. Captions provide insight into the wages, responsibilities, and ages of these young workers. A chilling glimpse of child exploitation at the dawn of the 20th century.

tag(s): air (101)

This highly interactive site provides a kid-friendly overview of Black history, the fight for Civil Rights, and those Americans who have made a major impact on the African American dream. Students can listen to audio clips from pivotal speeches in African American history, participate in an interactive quiz on the fight for equal rights, and explore an interactive timeline.

tag(s): africa (148), african american (115), civil rights (209), speech (69), speeches (23)

This online exhibition from the National Museum of American History examines the process of invention, breaking it down into five distinct stages. Enter one of the virtual laboratory doors to discover the similarities and differences between Edison's 19th century work on the electric lamp and the development of 20th century lighting devices. The site includes links to materials that explain the science and engineering behind electric lighting and the factors used to determine energy efficiency.

tag(s): electricity (61), inventors and inventions (80), light (56)

Learn about the realities, dangers, and hardships of work in a mine with this brief, illustrated guide. Along with descriptions of types of coal mines, mining techniques, and related jobs, the site includes current and vintage photographs of coal miners at work.

tag(s): coal (6)

You'll find a huge collection of interactive quizzes on this site, testing student comprehension in many subject areas, including elementary math, foreign language (Spanish, French, Italian), SAT content, science, history, and economics. Some quizzes are multiple choice, others drag-and-drop, but all offer immediate feedback with sound effects.

tag(s): quiz (67), quizzes (90)

Rosa Parks' confrontation on a Birmingham, AL, bus helped spark the American civil rights movement. Her death in October, 2005, offered an opportunity to remember that contribution to American society. This site's biography offers background on the story that could be used in a number of instructional settings.

tag(s): africa (148), african american (115), civil rights (209), rosa parks (9), women (151), womenchangemaker (37)

Turn Halloween into a history lesson with this History Channel site that traces its origin from an ancient Celtic festival to the modern-day practices of trick-or-treating and Jack-o'-lantern carving. Includes some hauntingly intriguing video clips (some with specific ties to American history), ghost stories, and recipes.

tag(s): halloween (32), holidays (187)

This repository of folk tales from throughout the United States, organized by state and region, provides students with a great literary tapestry of American culture. Add to a unit on your state's history, or use to supplement your reading curriculum.

tag(s): states (124)

Learn about Thomas Edison and the impact of his inventions. While most students know about the light bulb and the phonograph, this site peers into the full repertoire of Edison's invention inventory, giving the story of how one man became a sort of national invention hero. Scroll down the page a bit and click the tag on the right titled Legendary inventors to find information about Edison and tatoos, the phonograph, his places of invention, and Thomas Edidson letters and documents.

tag(s): inventors and inventions (80)

The New York Public Library developed this collection of works by nineteenth century female African American writers. The resources include fiction, poetry, essays, and more; all are formatted in an easy-to-use on-screen display. Those who teach American literature will find this an interesting supplemental resource.

tag(s): africa (148), african american (115), authors (107), poetry (193), women (151)

Learn about the colorful life and world of Ben Franklin through this series of eight downloadable lesson plans that explore the statesman's many talents and contributions. Topics include Poor Richard's Almanack, superstition vs. science, volunteerism and citizenship, colonial "broadsides" and almanacs, the art of invention, and more. Aligned to National Standards.

Google Maps gives you live visuals of any location, ideal for planning a trip, picturing the relationship between places, and viewing physical characteristics of almost anywhere in the world. Type or paste in an address and click "search maps." If you click Satellite or hybrid versions of the map, you will see actual satellite images of the terrain. Zoom in and out, use the street view "orange man" to walk among the buildings and trees, or plan and share a route easily with Google Maps. Using your (free) Google membership allows you to save favorite places and more. Find businesses and other features near a specific map location: hotels, restaurants, schools, parks, and more. Google Maps has become more and more sophisticated, now offering many features previously only available in Google Earth, such as opening and/or saving placemarker files. Unlike Google Earth, Google Maps does not require software installation and does not use as much bandwidth for constant reloading. You can even play a tour of places you mark in Google Maps. They just keep adding more features! Google Maps is available as a free app for Android and iOS, too. The handy embed codes let you put any Google Map in a web page, blog, or wiki. Of course you do not need a membership or any special skills to simply SEE, share, or navigate a map. Membership gives you more ways to save.

tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (147), directions (11), maps (220)

Bring the Battle of Bunker Hill to life with the personal accounts and eyewitness descriptions provided on this impressive site. A wonderful collection of maps, drawing, broadsides, and artifacts from the battlefield are also included. A great research tool that introduces students to the value of primary source information.

tag(s): colonial america (95), massachusetts (8)

The unmasking of "deep throat," the shadowy informant in the Watergate saga, has prompted a new wave of interest in the sandal that changed American government forever. This retrospective from the Washington Post provides not only a current summary, but a review of the original coverage, from the newspaper that broke the story.

tag(s): 1970s (10), water (102)

This outstanding site takes visitors on an expansive tour of Jefferson's Monticello. Explore the 5,000 acre plantation with an interactive map, or navigate a three-dimensional recreation of the house and learn about the people and objects that populated its rooms. Captions lead visitors through a house tour and description of domestic life in the historic home. Some of the "captions" are videos. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable.

tag(s): american revolution (82), evolution (89), jefferson (19), virginia (15), virtual field trips (128)

Capture the excitement and adventure of the Lewis and Clark Expedition with this beautifully crafted and continually evolving multimedia site. Choose one of ten discovery paths and enter the unchartered lands of early 19th century America. Visitors can see and experience the western United States through the eyes of the explorers, learn about the geography, flora and fauna, native peoples, and values and visions that defined their journey. This site has many possibilities for classroom use, but it stands out as an excellent tool for independent student research.

tag(s): jefferson (19), lewis and clark (14), louisiana (6), louisiana purchase (5)

This nice collection of activities and puzzles - some printable and some interactive - teaches and reinforces the history and meaning behind Memorial Day celebrations. Choose from a variety of formats and difficulty levels.

tag(s): holidays (187), memorial day (11), puzzles (149)

This multimedia site explores various facets of American history through Lessons, interactives, Themes and more. Visitors can view objects that are part of the Smithsonian collection, navigate between historical eras, or filter the information by selected themes (Arts and Culture, Politics and Reform, etc.) Items in the exhibit are linked to National Museum of American History websites that provide more in-depth information.

tag(s): agriculture (49), american revolution (82), famous people (19), japan (56), japanese (47), jazz (16), lincoln (66), politics (118)

You'll be enlightened, amazed, and even mystified by this eclectic collection of online museums that tout the bizarre, the practical, and the mundane. Interspersed among the "traditional' exhibits featuring the likes of Van Gogh and Ansel Adams are those covering a dizzying array of interests and obsessions. Check out the Gallery of Stove Burners, Ephemera Now, or the Museum of Norwegian Manhole Covers (we're not kidding). In addition to making some interesting cultural statements, the exhibits provide great ideas and insights for art and photography students.

tag(s): artists (84), inventors and inventions (80), museums (52), trivia (19)

This lesson plan explores child labor in America as an historical and social issue. After assuming the roles of historian, photojournalist, and news reporter, students are asked to critically respond to vintage 19th and 20th century photographs. Links to extensive online resources are provided. Good introduction to historical research using primary sources. Add to a unit on the Industrial Revolution.

tag(s): evolution (89), industrial revolution (22)