Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

Billed as a virtual museum, the site is divided into "wings." There is an enormous amount of information on this site! The History "wing" includes biographies of the Wright Brothers, information about the history of flight and some little known facts in an area called "aviation's attic." Along the side are links to music files with music of the early 1900s such as the Wrights might have listened to. The Adventure "wing" looks at models of airplanes and the science of flight, and includes more music files. The "Information Desk" includes news about local Dayton, Ohio commemorations of the centennial of flight. No lesson plans and no areas specifically for educators, but lots of facts and pictures spread out all over the site.

tag(s): 1800s (75), 1900s (72), aviation (40), flight (34), wright brothers (16)

This searchable collection of old railroad photos could be a useful reference for a student doing a research paper on American history, industrialization, transportation or commerce. While the site permits very specific searches, most students will likely find even a general search returns useful images.

tag(s): railroads (14)

This site is the work of a team of New Jersey high school teachers and professional archivists who set out to create a set of history modules using historical artifacts. While users will find more text than images, the lessons link to key themes of the American revolution, the Civil War, and other major curriculum areas, and there are plenty of "What do you think?" questions interspersed throughout the presentation.

tag(s): american revolution (82), civil war (139), evolution (89)

Washington State's pioneer life database includes lots of archival photos presented in a searchable format that's light-years ahead of many similar efforts in other states. Teachers and students will likely find the sections on early Alaska, the Klondike, and the Yukon of particular interest. There's great term-paper fodder in this one!

tag(s): alaska (21), gold rush (15)

Here's a site that documents the achievements of female physicians while also providing lesson plans and information that will show students (at all levels) how physicians do their work. The biographies of women physicians - some dating back into the 19th century - are probably the strongest section of this site, but the lesson plans are also well worth a look. This site could be used in history, career planning, science, or women's history studies. The activities come in text or Flash, and all the other information is definately worth your time.

tag(s): careers (156), medicine (57), women (151)

One of the twentieth century's real giants, Churchill's accomplishments go well beyond the content on this companion site to the PBS series of the same name. While most famous as a World War II leader, his influence on the British government stretched from the 1920s well into the 1950s. This site is a great introduction, but serious secondary students should be prepared to delve more deeply.

tag(s): churchill (8), middle east (50), world war 2 (161)

If you'd like to incorporate elements of the history of aviation into a unit on science or history, this site's nice collection of features on significant aviation history events could be useful. There's a nice selection of items that spread over the years from the 1920s through the present. There could be more depth, but the essential information is presented well.

tag(s): air (101), aircraft (16), aviation (40), explorers (64)

The PBS series on "The Blues" combines history and musicology in a reverential treatment of this uniquely American musical form. The site includes biographies, some good analysis of the musical theory and compositional form behind the blues, and samples of blues songs that are in the public domain. While you probably cannot make an entire unit out of this one, it would be a neat addition to a unit on African American culture, American music, or the history of the twentieth century.Though the video clips and music require Flash, there is a lot of information to learn from this site, and it has links to other sites about the blues.

tag(s): africa (148), african american (115), blues (22), harlem (9), jazz (16)

American History teachers should turn their visual learners loose on this one. Based largely on collections of color still photos taken during World War II, the site - a companion to the PBS show of the same name - examines the progress of the war in Europe, in the Pacific, and on the home front. The narrative is secondary to the photos and provides only a synopsis of some events, but visually, this is powerful stuff. A few resources on this site require Flash. There is a lot of information and images that don't require Flash.

tag(s): 1900s (72), 1940s (14), world war 2 (161)

This one is tough to categorize. Enter a day of the year, and this site will tell you about important events, births, and deaths that have happened on that day. Try using this one to create a list of important events - covering a variety of subject areas - for an entire week.

tag(s): quiz (67)

Here's a web site comparing American reactions after the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the attacks on the World Trade Center. The real substance of the presentation is a series of slide shows of commentary and "person in the street" reactions to the two events. Transcripts are also available.

tag(s): pearl harbor (14), sept11 (18), terrorism (41), world war 2 (161)

The National Park Service manages both an incredible inventory of natural wonders and many of America's most historic places. This site makes professional quality images of these - searchable by park - available for classroom use. In a world where copyright is always an issue, this site is a welcome addition.

tag(s): air (101), images (263), national parks (29), photography (130)

Created by the Wisconsin Historical Society, this site gives users access to a database of images of commerce on the Great Lakes over the past 150 years or so - primarily dealing with Wisconsin. The contents include photographs, digitized documents, advertising posters, and other material that chronicles traffic on the lakes. Both the search and keyword features are more awkward than they should be, and this likely will relegate this site to use by interested teachers only. It's a pity; there are interesting items here.

tag(s): wisconsin (5)

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 (102), native americans (108), painting (54)

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.