Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

Learn about Pennsylvania history, see and learn about historical sites within Pennsylvania, and find lesson plans for elementary through high school on this site. There are three different avenues into the site, including the link to lesson plans (Teach PA History). Standards correlation is to Pennsylvania standards, but the content is appropriate for any history class studying the many events that occurred in Pennsylvania as part of U.S. history. Reading levels may be challenging for younger students.

tag(s): colonial america (95), pennsylvania (6)

Inspire future aviators or encourage students to pursue their dreams with this site that traces African American aviators through the years. There are many images and short passages of text. The reading levels are not for younger students. Black Wings permits students to download and use images in their reports, as long as they are classroom projects, either printed or electronic, such as in PowerPoint or other tech tool. Images may not be published on web pages or burned to CD. Be sure to visit the What's New section for featured interviews with aviators. What a terrific and interesting primary source!

tag(s): africa (170), african american (123), black history (138), cultures (226), flight (34)

Find an extensive collections of primary sources, including images and texts, from California history and culture. Many of these topics are part of a US history course, as well: Gold Rush, World War II, etc. Materials are searchable and also organized into thematic collections for teachers.These collections include information on historical context and CA. standards.

tag(s): california (17), cultures (226), gold rush (17), japan (62), japanese (54), primary sources (119)

Listen to Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, and many lesser known inhabitants and visitors to the colony. Even some of today's actors tell about their roles as craftspeople and "residents" of Colonial Williamsburg.

tag(s): jefferson (19), williamsburg (8)

The Lemelson Center at MIT once offered a weekly profile of an inventor - some famous, many less so. Here you will find an archive of those scientists. If you're doing a unit on scientists, creativity, or economic/industrial growth, this site can help students understand how many advances are the result of small, incremental improvements rather than revolutionary breakthroughs.

tag(s): inventors and inventions (81), scientists (70)

Designed for trip-planning, this site also works well for students researching a city or region, for planning an "imaginary adventure" or as part of a larger webquest or other online geography activity. The sites include scores of little-known places that have historic importance for one reason or another.

tag(s): architecture (84)

This collection of the key documents of American history puts "all the important stuff" in one place. At the moment, the collections only run through the Gilded Age and Progressive Era (1920).

tag(s): primary sources (119)

This new (2006) site from NPS groups the parks associated with the American Revolution and suggests parks appropriate for study of particular revolutionary themes. While short on lessons and simulations, there is abundant information on many of the locations where important events during the revolution took place.

tag(s): american revolution (86), evolution (89)

Listen to and learn about traditional music from cultures around the world and through the ages. Browse this amazing collection of downloadable tunes to find musical enrichment to enhance a unit of study. Full downloads in MP3 or FLAC format are available for purchase but each offering is accompanied by a free audio sample. Note: this site opens rather slowly.Be patient, especially if you are on a dial-up connection.

tag(s): songs (46)

Learn about the courageous voyages that changed the course of human history with this comprehensive collection of activities, narratives, and teaching materials. Visual images and text are woven together to create a useful resource for content enrichment and student research. Visit the "Activities for Students and Teachers" for ready-to-go activities with printable handouts that can be incorporated into transparencies, presentations, or reports.

tag(s): explorers (64)

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 (99)

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 (170), african american (123), civil rights (221), speech (68), 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 (60), inventors and inventions (81), 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 (66), 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. Click the Interview link from the top menu to watch the 20 minute video.

tag(s): africa (170), african american (123), civil rights (221), rosa parks (9), women (154), womenchangemaker (39)

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 (33), holidays (194)

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 (125)

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 (81)

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 (170), african american (123), authors (108), poetry (195), women (154)