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National Park Service - Educators - National Park Service
Grades
1 to 12tag(s): national parks (29), virtual field trips (147)
In the Classroom
Whether you want your students to go on a virtual field trip, are studying American history, you're using blended or distance learning, you want to give your students a different take on math, science, art, or many other topics you will find something here for you and your students.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Lost Colony of Roanoke - National Park Service
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): colonial america (86), national parks (29)
In the Classroom
Assign small groups one theory from the Major Theories page and have them create an evidence chart listing facts that support the theory, facts that weaken it, and unanswered questions. Groups can then conduct a class hearing in which they argue for the explanation best supported while acknowledging uncertainties. Have students map Roanoke Island, Croatoan or Hatteras Island, Albemarle Sound, and the Chesapeake Bay with Google My Maps, reviewed here, adding notes that explain why each location matters to a theory about the colonists' fate. The NPS theories section specifically considers possible movement toward each of these locations. Invite students to examine the historical maps, illustrations, and other visual evidence alongside the written narratives, then annotate what each source reveals and what it cannot prove. Students can use Image Annotator, reviewed here, to create an annotated image that distinguishes observation from inference.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Castillo de San Marcos - National Park Service
Grades
1 to 12tag(s): black history (132), florida (12), national parks (29), slavery (80), virtual field trips (147)
In the Classroom
If you are studying U.S. history, the history of Florida, or Black history, you will want to bookmark this site. Introduce the site by viewing several of the videos as a class, or if you have a blended class or are on distance learning, you can adapt the videos using your or your student's comments and questions with Moocnote reviewed here. Moocnote allows adding questions, comments, links, etc to any video.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Roanoke Revisited for Young Readers - National Park Service
Grades
3 to 12tag(s): civil war (145), colonial america (86), north carolina (6), primary sources (146), virginia (15)
In the Classroom
Ask students in small groups to trace the English voyages and major events surrounding Roanoke Island with Timeline Tool by Read Write Think, reviewed here, creating a chronological timeline that distinguishes exploration, conquest, settlement, and John White's return. Have students work in pairs to investigate the site's Lost Colony theories, sort the evidence supporting or challenging each explanation, and defend which theory they find most convincing in a short evidence-based discussion. The NPS presents multiple proposed explanations and discusses strengths and weaknesses of the evidence connected with them. Have students collaborate on a geographic investigation using Google My Maps, reviewed here, to mark Roanoke Island and other locations important to the English voyages, proposed Lost Colony movements, and the Civil War-era Freedmen's Colony. Ask each group to add short explanations connecting geography to historical events.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Fort Raleigh - National Park Service
Grades
1 to 12tag(s): colonial america (86), national parks (29)
In the Classroom
Introduce this site to the class on a whiteboard or with a projector. Once the students have been given a brief introduction to the sections you want them to learn about, divide the class into small groups. Give each group a topic to explore and become the experts. Engage students using the cooperative classroom technique Jigsaw, and have student groups share what they know with the other groups. Need a refresher for Jigsaw? See Jigsaw Classroom, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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How the Grinch Stole Election Day
Grades
1 to 12tag(s): elections (87)
In the Classroom
This would be a cute way to teach students about the events of the 2000 election and the voting process. Open the site on the interactive whiteboard or projector, either playing the audio version or have students take turns reading the lyrics. VERY useful for a US history or Government classroom.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Presidential Biographies - IPL
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): presidents (151)
In the Classroom
Because this is a very organized presentation of the presidents, it would be extremely easy to compare presidents about very specific points. This would be useful in a class discussion of political party differences, campaign spending & finance, and legislation decisions. For comparison purposes, we recommend using an online Venn Diagram to be used on the interactive whiteboard or projector. Use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram (reviewed here).Comments
This would be good for students doing their own research.Dan, OR, Grades: 0 - 6
This would be great for students doing their own research.Dan, OR, Grades: 0 - 6
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Apollo 11
Grades
4 to 12In the Classroom
Use this site on a projector or interactive whiteboard to discuss and informally assess prior knowledge as you start your study of Space travel. The audio and images on this site would work really well either on the whiteboard or placed within a powerpoint lecture. This would be a useful resource for an American History course, especially as all the information is practically laid out in lecture format.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The flight of Apollo 11 - NASA
Grades
4 to 12Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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1968 - The Whole World was Watching - Brown University
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): vietnam (41)
In the Classroom
Play these interviews within your own classroom to supplement text or lecture material about Vietnam, Civil rights or Women's Rights. Play the interviews over the interactive whiteboard or projector, allowing students to follow along with the transcripts for better comprehension. One way to assess what students are hearing and learning from the interviews is to have students create an online graphic to share using Visme. This would be an excellent resource for a US history course.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Truman Presidential Library
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): presidents (151)
In the Classroom
Within the "education" section of the site are several lesson plans, for both elementary and secondary teachers. Lessons aren't solely excluded to Truman, but ran the gamit for U.S. history or government. Be sure to save this one as a favorite to allow for easy retrieval later on.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Red Files - PBS
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): cold war (39)
In the Classroom
Use this site as a learning center or station during a lesson or unit on the cold war. There is a LOT of information on this sites so teachers can either try to incorporate on several different days or tailor the center to focus on one specific aspect of the KGB. In order to better guide students through the site, we recommend creating a follow-along. For help making easy graphic organizers, try Mindomo, (reviewed here).Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The American 1950s - University of Pennsylvania
Grades
6 to 12In the Classroom
Bookmark this site for your student papers and projects on the U.S. in the 1950's.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Academy of Achievement: Virtual Museum
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): 20th century (171), biographies (97)
In the Classroom
Use the achievement TV segments to supplement almost any unit during a US history classroom. There's also tv segments that could easily be used in a language arts, science or art class. Really interesting segments - and in regards to history, a great way to add more of a multicultural perspective to your curriculum.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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World War II Poster Collection - Northwestern University
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): world war 2 (168)
In the Classroom
Use the images on this site to create a visual discovery activity in your classroom, introducing the topic of propaganda in wartime, or even a lesson on Nationalism. Select 3-5 images from this site, choosing the most powerful and moving images. Placing the images on individual slides, allow students 1-2 minutes to observe each image. During that time period, students should be taking notes based on what they observe, predict and infer about each image. The more powerful and detailed the image is, the more information students can take out. After the class has observed all the chosen images, have a class discussion based on the notes students took. This is a great way to introduce content in a way that gets students thinking, as well as avoiding the typical lecture format. In concerns to WWII, this activity might be even more powerful if the posters were from different countries and students had to compare and contrast the posters afterwards. This will encourage some of the critical thinking skills that are so useful in history.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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What Did You Do in the War, Grandma?
Grades
7 to 12tag(s): women (191), world war 2 (168)
In the Classroom
Use the timeline on this site to guide your class through the events of WWII. It is primarily focused on Womens history, but the content is well-researched and pertinent to a classroom studying WWII. Open this site on the interactive whiteboard or projector and maneuver through it during your lecture.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Voices of the Holocaust
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): holocaust (42), world war 2 (168)
In the Classroom
These very powerful and graphic interviews from Dr. Boder could be extremely beneficial to a class studying the Holocaust - as long as the maturity level of your students is high enough to be able to take the content seriously. Have students listen to an interview as a starter or introduction to a unit or lesson on the genocide. Have the audio playing as students are coming into the class, with instructions written on the board explaining what the clip is and what students are to do while it's playing. Some teachers prefer for students to listen and reflect afterwards OR take notes of the audio for a class discussion afterwards. Regardless of what you choose, be sure students understand so that you can quickly move on to a discussion of the audio and how it represents what happened to victims of the Holocaust. Teachers could easily incorporate the interviews into learning centers, a cooperative group exercise or as a writing prompt to close the unit with. An excellent resource for any history teacher covering WWII.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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U-Boat U-505 - Chicago Museum of Science
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): museums (55), world war 2 (168)
In the Classroom
Within the learning tools portion of the site are some brief but interesting interactive games that would make for great learning centers or stations during a lesson on the atlantic front of WWII as well as a lesson on the new technology that was being utilized by either side. Allow students to complete the site individually on classroom computers - just be sure to save it as a favorite on the computer to allow for easier retrieval of the site.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Kent State Shootings - Kent State University
Grades
6 to 12Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Women Soldiers of the Civil War - National Archives
Grades
6 to 12In the Classroom
Historical photographs and illustrations can spark curiosity, encourage critical thinking, and help students connect emotionally to events from the past. This activity uses the article's powerful visuals to engage students in observation, questioning, and discussion before revealing the historical details behind the images. Begin by sharing only the photographs and illustrations on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Display one image at a time and invite students to closely examine the details, make inferences, and discuss what the image might reveal about life during the Civil War. Encourage students to ask questions such as why some women disguised themselves as soldiers, what challenges women may have faced during this time, and how common these situations might have been. After students have had time to analyze and discuss the visuals, guide them through the article to uncover the historical context and accurate information behind the images. Starting with observation and questioning helps students think critically, engage emotionally with the topic, and build curiosity before reading. This activity would work especially well during a Civil War unit, a study of women's history and rights, or lessons focused on primary source analysis and historical inquiry.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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