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Project Vote Smart
Grades
6 to 12
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One of the more complete election sites, Vote Smart offers a wide array of campaign information at federal, state, and local levels. There are also backgrounders on the election process,...more
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One of the more complete election sites, Vote Smart offers a wide array of campaign information at federal, state, and local levels. There are also backgrounders on the election process, the Electoral College, and election laws and voting.
tag(s): civics (127), college (43), elections (84), electoral college (22)
In the Classroom
Use this site on a projector or interactive whiteboard to discuss and informally assess prior knowledge as you start your study of representative democracy. Select a few choice politicians from your state through the "Issue Positions" section. This activity would work even better if politicians selected were representative of your local area or hometown. Seperate students into groups and have them research the politicians based on certain issues. We recommend using issues such as crime, guns, and immigration. Have students compare and contrast the politicians stance to voting records in their area, or teachers can have students vote on the issues just in their classroom to determine their own "public opinions." Have the groups compare the public opinion to the voting record of the politician via venn diagram. Use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram. Have students use their results in a class discussion of the pros and cons of a representative government. Where are potential problems? What are the benefits? This would be extremely useful in a AP Government or Civics course.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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American Leaders Speak - Library of Congress
Grades
6 to 12
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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. ...more
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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): 1910s (26), 1920s (17), 20th century (169), elections (84), politics (124), world war 1 (85)
In the Classroom
Beyond the audio files themselves, there is also a "collections connections" section that provides teachers with helpful advice for integrating the speeches into American History, critical thinking, and humanities lessons. Hearing the actual voices can be a powerful experience for students.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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First Amendment Center - Vanderbilt University
Grades
9 to 12
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Whether as a comprehensive research source or as a primer for studies on the First Amendment's guaranteed freedoms of speech, press, religious liberty, assembly, and petition, this...more
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Whether as a comprehensive research source or as a primer for studies on the First Amendment's guaranteed freedoms of speech, press, religious liberty, assembly, and petition, this site offers excellent resources for civics and government courses. The site also provides a variety of print and web resources for further study of First Amendment issues, including links to Supreme Court documents.
tag(s): bill of rights (36), civics (127), constitution (101)
In the Classroom
Lesson plans are linked to NewseumEd for teachers planning a basic look at First Amendment issues.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Proceedings of the Old Bailey London
Grades
9 to 12
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Visit Old Bailey Online to discover a massive, searchable digital archive of nearly 200,000 trial accounts from London's central criminal court between 1674 and 1913. This free resource...more
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Visit Old Bailey Online to discover a massive, searchable digital archive of nearly 200,000 trial accounts from London's central criminal court between 1674 and 1913. This free resource is ideal for high school and university students exploring social history, law, or digital humanities. The site features a powerful, advanced search tool that allows for filtering by crime type, verdict, punishment, and even the gender or occupation of those involved. Beyond reading individual trial transcripts, the platform includes a "Statistics" tool to generate charts and tables, helping visualize long-term trends in criminal justice. Detailed project guides and historical background pages offer essential context on life in London, making complex primary sources accessible to student researchers.
tag(s): britain (24), courts (24), england (49), great britain (14)
In the Classroom
History students can investigate the evolution of justice by comparing trial outcomes for specific crimes across different centuries. After selecting a series of related trials, students can organize their primary source evidence and collaborative notes within Google Keep, reviewed here to build a comprehensive research bank. To deepen the analysis, students can use the "Doing Statistics" feature to identify patterns in sentencing, such as the decline of the "Bloody Code," and then transform their findings into an interactive, multimedia chronology using History in Motion, reviewed here. This process engages students in authentic historical inquiry, enhances their ability to interpret fragmented primary sources, and extends their learning by connecting individual stories to broader societal changesAdd your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Debates in the Federal Convention
Grades
9 to 12
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Cmprising the period from May through October, 1787, this site contains the daily journals of James Madison in which he discusses the progress of the Constitutional Convention. Students...more
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Cmprising the period from May through October, 1787, this site contains the daily journals of James Madison in which he discusses the progress of the Constitutional Convention. Students interested in first-hand accounts of the forming of the American Government will find these journals great reading. High ideals notwithstanding, they show that the art of compromise was alive and well at the birth of the federal government.
tag(s): constitution (101)
In the Classroom
Use this site as an anticipatory set or "activator" to introduce a unit or lesson on a projector. Fit to compliment a lesson on the Continental Congress, select a few debates in the site to exhibit how detailed some of the issues faced were. Use the examples as a writing prompt - if in the Continental Congress, what would be the most important issues the Students would raise? If the federal government ceased to exist today, what laws would they create? Would they change anything? This is a great way for students to connect the past lessons of the Revolution to the present!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Supreme Court Historical Society
Grades
6 to 12
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This site offers one-stop shopping for a history of the Supreme Court and the ways in which it operates. There are additional links from this site to more complete anthologies ...more
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This site offers one-stop shopping for a history of the Supreme Court and the ways in which it operates. There are additional links from this site to more complete anthologies of court decisions and their interpretation. Middle schoolers could use elements of this one for basic research about the separation of powers and branches of government; high school students should find many uses for the additional materials.
tag(s): civics (127), constitution (101), supreme court (30)
In the Classroom
This would be a great resource in a civics or government class. Open the site on the interactive whiteboard and tour students through the make-up of the court today. Each Judge has his own separate biography that can also be explored to demonstrate the political alliances of the court. Assign cooperative learning groups different judges to research, with the intent of presenting the material to the class. Try something new, like a podcast! Use a site such as PodOmatic.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Landmark Supreme Court Cases
Grades
9 to 12
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Here's a site that offers the core body of essential Supreme Court decisions in a single presentation that includes lots of supporting context. In addition to the decisions themselves,...more
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Here's a site that offers the core body of essential Supreme Court decisions in a single presentation that includes lots of supporting context. In addition to the decisions themselves, there are supplementary resources, activities, and interpretive documents. There's also a thematic organization that makes identification of specific cases easier.
tag(s): constitution (101), supreme court (30)
In the Classroom
Government teachers will love this one.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Military Fact Files from BBC - BBC
Grades
6 to 12
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Prepared as background material to the increasing tensions in Iraq and the rest of the mideast, this page offers summaries of military capabilities of the various nations that have...more
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Prepared as background material to the increasing tensions in Iraq and the rest of the mideast, this page offers summaries of military capabilities of the various nations that have troops in the area. These pages offer reams of information on capabilitivies, training, missions, etc. Though at the time of this update, the actual Fact File uses Flash, there is plenty of information on the rest of the site to make your visit worthwhile.
tag(s): middle east (51)
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Mideast Maps from BBC - BBC
Grades
6 to 12
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Prepared as background material to the increasing tensions in Iraq and the rest of the mideast, this BBC map collection offers surprisingly detailed information on force strengths in...more
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Prepared as background material to the increasing tensions in Iraq and the rest of the mideast, this BBC map collection offers surprisingly detailed information on force strengths in various mideastern nations. The page includes links to similarly detailed information on other aspects of this looming conflict.
tag(s): middle east (51)
In the Classroom
Use these maps on the interactive whiteboard or projector as a supplement to text for a discussion or lecture on the war in the Middle East. Because of the focus on the Iraq War, these maps do a great job of emphasizing the impact of the military in these regions. These would be a great addition to a World History or Cultural Geography class.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Just War - The Carter Center's Case - The Carter Center
Grades
9 to 12
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The concept of "a just war" has been debated for decades as a logical way to establish whether the use of force in a specific situation carries any moral weight. ...more
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The concept of "a just war" has been debated for decades as a logical way to establish whether the use of force in a specific situation carries any moral weight. This page from the Carter Center reprints an Op-Ed article by former president Jimmy Carter in which he asserts that current operations in Iraq fail the "just war" test on several grounds. Lots of interesting discussion possibilities with this one.
tag(s): ethics (20)
In the Classroom
After explaining the concept of "a just war" have pairs read this article using a reading guide you created with Read Ahead, reviewed here. If students still have questions about the article they can annotate it with Kami, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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International Atomic Energy Agency - United Nations
Grades
9 to 12
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This news page from IAEA's web site includes both background and current information on the agencies efforts in Iraq and North Korea, as well as information on other activities designed...more
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This news page from IAEA's web site includes both background and current information on the agencies efforts in Iraq and North Korea, as well as information on other activities designed to halt the destructive proliferation of nuclear capabilities.
tag(s): energy (138), united nations (7)
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Facing History & Ourselves
Grades
9 to 12
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This one is different; it's a site built around exposing students to issues in history that have tested ethical and behavioral boundaries. Focusing on topics like anti-Semitism, eugenics,...more
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This one is different; it's a site built around exposing students to issues in history that have tested ethical and behavioral boundaries. Focusing on topics like anti-Semitism, eugenics, and genocide, the content requires students to think about the moral, political, and practical effects of actions by individuals and nations. The structure varies by subject area, and there is a combination of free and "registration required" areas. Secondary history and social sciences teachers will want to browse this one thoroughly.
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the free lesson and plans and classroom activities offered on this web page. Simply go to the "educator resources" section and teachers can search for materials by theme, time period or sequence. Definitely save this one as a favorite and refer to it for new material or lesson plans!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Political Science - MIT Open Courseware - Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Grades
9 to 12
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High school government and history teachers, especially those teaching AP students, may find MIT's online course materials useful. MIT has committed to putting its entire curriculum...more
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High school government and history teachers, especially those teaching AP students, may find MIT's online course materials useful. MIT has committed to putting its entire curriculum on the web, and these early offerings include syllabi, reading materials, and a variety of subject-specific class notes. Before using these pages, teachers, students, and parents should all be aware of what Open Courseware is and is not.
tag(s): advanced placement (24)
In the Classroom
AP history or government students may find MIT's online political science course materials useful. MIT has committed to putting its entire curriculum on the web, and these early offerings include syllabi, reading materials, and a variety of subject-specific class notes. Before using these pages, students and parents should all be aware of what Open Courseware is and is not.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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WorldoMeters - Osearth
Grades
6 to 12
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World cultures or government classes will find the multidimensional counters on this site a wonderful way to illustrate the growth (or depletion) population, resources, and other global...more
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World cultures or government classes will find the multidimensional counters on this site a wonderful way to illustrate the growth (or depletion) population, resources, and other global activity. It's a very tangible illustration of the rate at which things are changing in our world. Teachers can be creative with this one.
tag(s): ecology (117), population (54), resources (80)
In the Classroom
This is a really great way to demonstrate a lot of the concepts taught in a Cultural Geography or US government class. Assign cooperative learning groups to investigate a portion of this site, based on what's being taught at the time. A good example would be having environmental sustainability group looking at water and land resources, as well as the growing population. Have cooperative learning groups create podcasts demonstrating their understanding of one of the concepts. Use a site such as PodOmatic (reviewed hereAdd your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Justice on Trial - American Public Media
Grades
9 to 12
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What is the proper role of international courts in keeping world order? This site from the American Radioworks series examines the precedents, premises, and problems inherent in using...more
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What is the proper role of international courts in keeping world order? This site from the American Radioworks series examines the precedents, premises, and problems inherent in using international law to punish war criminals and keep the peace internationally. AP high school students will find this one a challenging issue. There is plenty of information to learn and discuss on this site.
tag(s): courts (24)
In the Classroom
Use this site as a learning center or station during a unit on International Trials or the legal consequences of Genocide in a US government or history course. The site is a little text-heavy, and would work best with higher level high school classes. To assess student learning and differentiate between the trial events, have students create a timeline describing the events of all three events. We recommend using an online tool such as Timelline Infographic Templates, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Defending Rights and Dissent
Grades
9 to 12
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This is the home page for one of many organizations that have sprung up over the past years seeking to protect Constitutional rights in the face of increasing government efforts ...more
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This is the home page for one of many organizations that have sprung up over the past years seeking to protect Constitutional rights in the face of increasing government efforts to learn more about individual activities. They voice concerns about aspects of the USA Patriot Act and several other executive orders issued since the 9/11 attacks, up to Protests Under Fire (defending the right to protest). This content could be the basis for an interesting "What do you think..." discussion in a social studies, history, or government course.
tag(s): bill of rights (36), civics (127), constitution (101), terrorism (41)
In the Classroom
Use this site as a source for a class debate on the entire Bill of Rights, or a particular one. Provide this site for students on the teacher's webpage to allow students to access it both in and out of the classroom.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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After 9/11 - SSRC Teaching Resources - Social Studies Research Council
Grades
9 to 12
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The Social Studies Research Council has collected an impressive collection of essays and articles on topics relating to the aftermath of 9/11 and American foreign and domestic policies...more
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The Social Studies Research Council has collected an impressive collection of essays and articles on topics relating to the aftermath of 9/11 and American foreign and domestic policies since then. Thematically indexed, it offers a wide range of perspectives on issues such as balancing personal freedoms and national security. AP government, social studies, and history teachers will find this one especially useful.
tag(s): constitution (101), freedom of speech (14), speech (66), terrorism (41)
In the Classroom
Use these teaching guides and lesson plans in your classroom. The site also has lists internet sources that could be good resources for any students working on a research paper or project. If applicable, list the site on the class wiki or web page to allow students to explore the resources listed on their own.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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What is it Like to Live in the White House? - US Government
Grades
4 to 12
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Created by the White House, this "inside look" starts with several historical, humorous tidbits about family life in the White House, and then moves on to many wonderful collections...more
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Created by the White House, this "inside look" starts with several historical, humorous tidbits about family life in the White House, and then moves on to many wonderful collections to investigate. All of the collections have photos, images and interviews. There are also a number of historical tidbits scattered through the site - just enough to show how the nation's first home has changed over the years. Add this one to your list of "What's it really like???" sites.
tag(s): white house (13)
In the Classroom
Have cooperative learning groups explore this site during a lesson on the White House and its' history. Have students create a multimedia presentation using Microsoft PowerPoint Online, reviewed here. Microsoft PowerPoint Online allows you to narrate a picture. Challenge students to find a photo (legally permitted to be reproduced), and then narrate the photo as if it is a news report - summarizing the history of the White House. To find Creative Commons images for student projects (with credit, of course), try 4 Free Photos, reviewed here, or Bing Images, reviewed here. This would be a great review activity before an end of the year assessment, or a quiz on the topic.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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World War II Relocation Camps - National Park Service
Grades
9 to 12
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Part of the National Park Service "Teaching with Historic Places" series, this site uses the Manzanar Japanese-American internment camp as a starting point for an exploration of the...more
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Part of the National Park Service "Teaching with Historic Places" series, this site uses the Manzanar Japanese-American internment camp as a starting point for an exploration of the internment activities that took place during World War II. As with other lessons in this series, the lesson asks students to interpret archival photos and draw conclusions from the images and contemporary accounts of the internment.
tag(s): 1940s (70), 20th century (169), japan (62), japanese (53), world war 2 (169)
In the Classroom
This is a very detailed and intricate lesson that can easily last a few days. However it is very informative and provides information about Japanese internment camps that is often brushed over in the book. Take advantage of this great lesson plan during a unit on WWII or discrimination in the United States.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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History and Politics Out Loud
Grades
9 to 12
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Here's a small site we hope will grow quickly. There are recordings and videos of famous political speeches - including William Jennings Bryan's "cross of gold" and Churchill's famous...more
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Here's a small site we hope will grow quickly. There are recordings and videos of famous political speeches - including William Jennings Bryan's "cross of gold" and Churchill's famous "iron curtain" speech. Interestingly, many of these are in their entirety, making for listening sessions of an hour or more. History teachers will find numerous possibilities for this one, especially if the collection continues to grow. If your district block YouTube the videos will not be viewable.
In the Classroom
Use this site to supplement a lecture on Martin Luther King and the impact of his "I have a dream" speech. Browse the results by speaker and select the speech under King's collection. After discussing King's role in civil rights, play the clip or as much of it as you can for students. Use the audio as a writing prompt, in which students respond to the difference in hearing vs reading the speech. Students should also respond to the emotional appeal of the speech, in addition to the overall message presented. This activity would be a great short review at the end of a unit on MLK Jr.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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