Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

The Teach Democracy section on the Share My Lesson website provides educators with a wide range of resources to teach civics, democracy, and government to students. View lesson plans, activities, and multimedia materials designed to help students understand democratic principles, the Constitution, and the importance of civic participation. These resources are ideal for grades K-12 and include engaging materials like simulations, debates, and primary source analyses. The website helps teachers foster critical thinking, civic engagement, and active citizenship, aligned with national and state standards. The videos are hosted on YouTube.

tag(s): bill of rights (33), civil rights (209), constitution (96), democracy (24)

The Library of Congress guide on the 13th Amendment is an invaluable resource for teachers exploring the history of slavery, emancipation, and the evolution of civil rights in the United States. This comprehensive guide provides primary source documents, historical context, and legal insights into the amendment that abolished slavery. Designed for educators, it offers easy access to speeches, legislative records, and images that bring the historical significance of the 13th Amendment to life. Whether you're teaching a civics, history, or government class, this guide equips you with the tools to foster meaningful discussions about freedom, justice, and the enduring impact of this landmark amendment.

tag(s): civil rights (209), constitution (96), emancipation proclamation (13), slavery (79)

Discover these free resources for students to investigate photojournalistic images from the 1940s through the 1970s. The featured photographs were used to illustrate stories in newspapers and magazines, providing visual accounts of events shaping 20th-century history. On the right side, "For the Classroom" links directly to lesson plans, image banks, photojournalism overviews, and questions for teaching. The four lessons featured include: Extra, Extra, Write all about it!, Newsworthy Images, Debating the Bomb, and Vietnam and the Long-term Effect of War. Each lesson has a time allotted, overview, objectives, materials, steps, assessment, and extensions. The lessons are aligned with the California Visual Arts Standards and the Common Core Standards for English Language Arts.

tag(s): images (263), newspapers (93), writing (325)

Facing History & Ourselves Indigenous Rights and Controversy over Hawaii's Maunakea Telescope offers a free lesson on why the Native Hawaiians opposed its construction. The lesson gives a historical context for understanding the protests against constructing the Thirty Meter Telescope on Maunakea. The site includes two activities, a handout, articles, and videos. The lesson itself is adaptable and can be shared on Google Classroom.

tag(s): hawaii (9), native americans (109), telescopes (11)

Explore this valuable tool for educators; it offers curated collections of primary sources, historical documents, and research materials across a wide range of subjects. These guides help teachers incorporate authentic historical artifacts, government records, and literary works into their lessons, enhancing students' critical thinking and research skills. With ready-to-use teaching resources, topic guides, and bibliographies, this site supports interdisciplinary learning and provides rich content for inquiry-based projects in history, literature, civics, and more.

tag(s): african american (115), architecture (75), black history (133), branches of government (65), civil rights (209), civil war (139), conservation (102), energy (133), engineering (129), environment (252), foreign policy (13), hispanic (36), industrialization (12), jews (33), latin (23), literature (221), middle east (50), native americans (109), nutrition (140), photography (130), politics (118), population (51), religions (95), Research (87), sports (82), statistics (121), Teacher Utilities (198), women (151), womenchangemaker (37), womens suffrage (52)

NPR (National Public Radio) is a valuable resource for educators, offering high-quality news, podcasts, and articles on current events, culture, science, and history. The site features engaging audio stories, in-depth journalism, and educational content that can enhance classroom discussions and critical thinking skills. Teachers can use NPR's stories to connect lessons to real-world events, introduce students to diverse perspectives, and encourage media literacy. Additionally, NPR's student-friendly resources, such as NPR Ed and Student Podcast Challenge, provide interactive and project-based learning opportunities.

tag(s): civil rights (209), cultures (180), journalism (74), news (229), podcasts (108), scientists (67), space (222)

The YouTube video "Ancient Rome for Kids: Learn All About the History of Roman Empire for Kids" provides an engaging overview of the city's transformation from a small village to a vast empire. It highlights key aspects of Roman history, including the founding of Rome, the shift from a republic to an empire, and the rise of influential figures like Julius Caesar and Augustus. The video also explores the social structure, cultural practices, religion, and entertainment, such as gladiator battles. Additionally, it covers the decline of the Roman Empire and its lasting influence on the modern world, offering insights into Roman law, governance, and contributions to Western civilization. It's recommended to check if YouTube is accessible on school networks if you are planning to use this resource in the classroom.
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tag(s): italy (30), julius caesar (11), religions (95), romans (52), rome (37)

From Election Results to Inauguration: Teaching the 2024 Transition of Power allows students to navigate the significance of the 2024 election, the responsibilities involved in the peaceful transfer of power, and the impact this has on our country's future. On the site, you can access inauguration performers and author's messages, ideas on how to teach the inauguration, what happens in the 78 days between Election Day and Inauguration Day, and learning to speak across political divides. You must create an account to access the lesson plans.

tag(s): inauguration (10), presidents (135)

The Virtual Field Trip- I Do Solemnly Swear: The U.S. Presidential Inauguration is a free website highlighting President Joseph Biden's inauguration process and Vice President Kamala Harris (from January 2021). The site highlights what it is like at the Presidential Inauguration, why we had an inauguration, why it happened on January 20th, why is the inauguration held at the Capital, and what it is like to move into the White House. Each lesson contains a PDF file you can download, but you must create an account to access the lesson plans. A 22-minute video from Discovery Streaming is posted on the website. Although this inauguration is not the most recent, students can still view the activities to learn more about the inauguration process.

tag(s): inauguration (10), presidents (135)

The iCivics video Constitution Explained: Votes for Women provides a concise and engaging overview of the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote in the United States. The video explains the history of the women's suffrage movement, the challenges activists faced, and the constitutional changes that led to this milestone, and is designed for students. It also emphasizes the importance of civic engagement and voting rights, encouraging viewers to reflect on the significance of equality in democratic processes. This resource is ideal for classrooms exploring the U.S. Constitution and women's rights in history. The video is also available in Spanish.

tag(s): constitution (96), women (151), womens suffrage (52)

The Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) blog page on Classroom Presidential Inauguration Activities for Students provides teachers with creative ideas to engage students in understanding the significance of U.S. presidential inaugurations. It includes activities that connect history and civics to students' lives, such as analyzing inaugural speeches, exploring the symbolism in the ceremony, and comparing historical inaugurations. These activities encourage students to think critically about leadership and the traditions associated with the highest office in the country, making it a valuable resource for teachers covering American government or historical events. If your district blocks YouTube, then the videos may not be viewable.
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tag(s): inauguration (10), presidents (135)

The C-SPAN Classroom website offers a comprehensive collection of free educational resources designed to bring current events and government studies to life for students. Featuring primary source videos, lesson plans, and interactive activities, covering various topics, including U.S. history, civics, politics, and public policy. Teachers can access video clips and discussion questions that align with curriculum standards, providing students with direct insights into governmental processes and historical events. Ideal for middle and high school classes, C-SPAN Classroom fosters critical thinking and civic engagement by connecting students with real-world examples of civic issues and political debates. If your district blocks YouTube, then the videos may not be viewable.

tag(s): inauguration (10), presidents (135), speeches (23)

Visit this site to view live proceedings of the United States House of Representatives as legislators discuss and vote on legislative topics. Adjust the video portion of the site to fit the entire screen for better viewing. Additional settings offer options for adjusting the video quality, viewing captions, and a link to view the floor schedule.

tag(s): branches of government (65), house of representatives (8), politics (118)

Smithsonian American Women's History Museum offers lessons for all age levels. Depending on the women or topic you click on, resources can include a video, lesson plan, photographs, and podcasts. Topics included on the site are Women in Space and STEM, Inspiring Women, Zines and Self Expression, We Belong Here: Title IX, Girlhood (It's Complicated), Innovative Lives, and Latinas Talk Latinas.

tag(s): women (151), womenchangemaker (37), womens suffrage (52)

National Women's History Museum is a free site that offers digital resources on famous women. Lessons contain guiding questions, time, objectives, prerequisites, materials needed, examples, assessment/homework, and future research/resources. The site allows you to filter by grade level and "movement" in time. Women featured on the site include Belva Lockwood, Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, Sally Hemings, Clara Barton, and many more.

tag(s): women (151), womenchangemaker (37), womens suffrage (52)

The Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) website offers a blog post titled "Fun Constitution Day Activities for the Classroom," which provides creative and engaging ways to celebrate Constitution Day with students. The blog suggests activities like mock trials, interactive discussions, and multimedia resources that help students understand the Constitution's relevance in today's world. It emphasizes and helps foster civic engagement and critical thinking through role-playing, debates, and exploration of historical documents. The post also links to additional resources, making it a helpful guide for teachers to create memorable, educational classroom experiences. The videos are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable.

tag(s): congress (40), constitution (96), electoral college (22)

Tour the White House in 360 Degrees is a free virtual tour that allows you access to the White House's public rooms on the Ground and State Floors. During the tour, you can examine the rooms and the objects inside. Finally, you get information about the rooms and objects by clicking on the circles and using a ruler to take measurements.

tag(s): virtual field trips (128), white house (16)

Facing History & Ourselves offers a free lesson on the Equal Rights Amendment. The lesson is divided into two parts: What is the Equal Rights Amendment, and Why Did it Fail to Pass in 1982? The lessons include a CBS video, speeches, and additional resources. The site includes suggested ways to implement the lesson, including the 3Ys thinking routine and big paper discussion technique. If you register for a free account, the link can be saved to your favorites.

tag(s): civil rights (209), women (151), womens suffrage (52)

This site is a section of the more extensive U.S. Senate website, reviewed here that provides live video of sessions from the floor of the United States Senate. The Floor Schedule below the video feed provides information on the daily schedule of proceedings. Other information on this page shares links to congressional records with transcripts of previous Senate sessions.

tag(s): branches of government (65), debate (42), politics (118), senate (10)

Pedagog.ai supports educators using AI by providing free resources such as a prompt library, lesson plans, and AI tools for teaching and learning. After creating an account, use Pedagog.ai's dashboard as a starting point to find and access information. The prompt library includes suggested prompts for all curricular subjects, professional development, student prompts, and teaching strategies. The lesson plans include categories of AI Literacy and Integrating AI to share topics such as Generating Hybrid Animals with AI or AI and Historical Perspective. Visit the Using AI section to gather ideas on using AI to gamify your classroom and how to use AI with student projects.

tag(s): artificial intelligence (177), computers (109), creative writing (124), critical thinking (127), digital literacy (6), editing (93), images (263), media literacy (109), persuasive writing (58), politics (118), population (51), readers theater (12), shakespeare (99), vocabulary (238), vocabulary development (94)