493 history-culture-americas results | sort by:
Media History Digital Library - Media History Digital Library
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): art history (109), multimedia (69), media literacy (140)
In the Classroom
Use Media History Digital Library in your classroom as a secondary resource to discover the culture and setting of a time period while studying literature or even through history classes. List the clues and details that provide further information. Analyze the article use and its influence on society by using close reading techniques. In a multimedia class, discover the history and progression of cinema, broadcasting, and sound. Use to discover the influence of critical world events such as world wars, depressions, economic influences, an industrial revolution, and more. Analyze the artistic changes throughout time.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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The American Civil War: Then and Now - The Guardian
Grades
6 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): 1800s (90), civil war (148), photography (134), battles (19)
In the Classroom
It is tempting to scroll through the photographs quickly, but each deserves time for study and reflection. What is pictured in the original photograph? What is being communicated to the viewer? Challenge students to predict what the modern photo will show (you will need to hold the slider button to keep the photograph from changing automatically). What would Civil War-era soldiers think if they could see the modern photograph? What responsibility do we have to preserve sites like these in their original condition?Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Earliest Voices - Michigan State University
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): oral history (17), sound (71), politics (119), inventors and inventions (87), biographies (102)
In the Classroom
Bringing early voices to life in the classroom can help connect students with these important figures from history. Do their voices sound as you expected? Along with the audio records, you'll find important contextual information about early audio recordings, and about the circumstances surrounding each speech or recording.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Betty H. Carter Women Veterans Historical Project - University of North Carolina Greensboro Unversity Libraries
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): 1980s (21), 1970s (30), 1960s (54), 1950s (36), 1940s (69), world war 1 (88), world war 2 (168), oral history (17), primary sources (184), veterans (38), memorial day (26), middle east (46), terrorism (40), afghanistan (6), iraq (26)
In the Classroom
Use this archive for rich, authentic primary source material on the lives of women in the military. Consider having students, individually or in groups, choose a veteran and present her story to classmates. Replace paper reports and enhance learning by using a tool like Google Slides, reviewed here. Supplement classroom materials associated with a wartime era with the photographs, posters, and diaries provided here. Use these stories as part of a special focus for Veterans Day, Memorial Day, or Women's History Month. The archive would also be a particularly rich resource for students considering National History Day Projects.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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George Washington's Mount Vernon - Virtual Tour - Mount Vernon
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): 1700s (39), virtual field trips (154), presidents (155), virginia (16)
In the Classroom
Ideal for use on an interactive whiteboard or for students to access individually, this virtual tour has many features. You can explore the buildings, zoom in on items in the buildings, access stories and discussions that highlight features of the property and the daily lives of those who lived at Mount Vernon. Enhance learning by having students share their impressions of and questions about Mount Vernon and more with video, using a tool like Gravity, reviewed here. Gravity provides a means for video responses to a question along with comments from peers. There are additional links to lesson plans and other student resources.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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DK Learning - Dorling Kindersley Limited
Grades
K to 12tag(s): racism (85), immigration (85), musical instruments (63), timelines (61), animals (281), climate change (115)
In the Classroom
In the classroom, teachers can access lesson plans on climate change, timelines, wellness, and how to be an engineer. Studetns can engage in classroom discussions on empathy and then create comics using Cartoon Comic Maker, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Wide Angle Window Into Global History - PBS
Grades
6 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): cultures (282), cross cultural understanding (163), maps (222)
In the Classroom
These resources and videos are extremely flexible for classroom use. Use the film clips for current events and to highlight past events. Use a video segment to get students thinking about past incidents, solutions, and whether today's environment has changed from that of the past. Show a variety of clips on one theme and discuss the events in the clip, or use a writing assignment to give students time to process them. Discuss in what ways these clips are similar and other societal, economic, and political factors that affected them. Use any of these videos to find current events that still deal with the same issue today. Be sure to brainstorm how different people, in other areas of the world, would view these issues. Research these issues using resources from other areas of the world to see editorials and news clippings that are not American. Note: Use the country code after your search term or use this news search. Were there other people interviewed about any of these issues? Who are they and what did they say? Consider creating videos showcasing a variety of viewpoints using FlexClip, reviewed here. Beyond each video's viewpoint, what common question do all videos within the theme share? How does the bubble of our American culture hamper our understanding of other people both here in the U.S. and abroad? Research the history and culture of the various areas to identify factors responsible for the themes portrayed by this resource.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Roosevelts - PBS
Grades
7 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): roosevelt (15), 1900s (87), presidents (155)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the free lesson plans offered to supplement your current lessons based on the Roosevelt family. Have groups of students complete different Snapshot Lessons then share with the class. Have students make a multimedia presentation using one of the many TeachersFirst Multimedia Edge tools, reviewed here. Have students use Fakebook, reviewed here, to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about a member of the Roosevelt family.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Digital Declaration of Independence - David McClure
Grades
7 to 12tag(s): franklin (12), jefferson (20), declaration of independence (27), american revolution (99)
In the Classroom
Challenge students to find other paintings depicting famous events in United States (or another country). Have cooperative learning groups create a multimedia presentation about the paintings. Create fictitious blog entries from one character in a painting to another character within another painting at another famous event. What would John F. Kennedy write to Benjamin Franklin? Assign students different roles, i.e. founding fathers, and have them use the biographies on this site to allow them to research what their role was and what their beliefs were for a debate as to whether or not to sign the Declaration of Independence.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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From Wood Cabin to White House: An Abe Lincoln Timeline - National Park Service
Grades
5 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): elections (92), presidents (155), lincoln (65)
In the Classroom
Have students brainstorm ideas to create a book about Lincoln's life. Use and online bulletin board like Dotstorming, reviewed here. With Dotstorming students are allowed to vote and make comments. Then challenge younger students create an online book of images and captions about Lincoln's life using Book Creator, reviewed here,. For older students - challenge cooperative learning groups (or partners) to create a similar story about another president using pictures, themes, and other prompts generated by the site My Storybook, reviewed here. To find Creative Commons images for student projects (with credit, of course), try Vecteezy, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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A Journey to a New Land - Simon Fraser University Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology
Grades
1 to 12tag(s): native americans (169), archeology (26)
In the Classroom
Include this resource as you teach about Native Americans. These peoples did not divide themselves as "Canadian" or "American," so much of the information here is applicable in a U.S. classroom as well! Differentiate for high or low students easily using the different levels of the site. The primary level requires far less reading so offers a good introduction for weaker readers or ESL/ELL students. Have students write a script and create a video or simply compose a blog post about daily life as one of the people migrating into North America (but be sure to talk about the fact that they probably did not actually know how to write). Extend learning by using a visual blogging tool such as Telegra.ph, reviewed here, for students to share their learning and understanding. With Telegra.ph you just click on an icon to upload images from your computer, add YouTube or Vimeo links. This blog creator requires no registration.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Triangle Factory Fire - Cornell University Kheel Center
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): 20th century (170), safety (64), immigration (85), immigrants (49), industrial revolution (21), industrialization (14), women (198), labor day (6)
In the Classroom
A particularly rich source of primary documents, photographs, and interviews with survivors, add this to your resources for lessons on the labor movement, stories of early 20th century immigration, and women's history. There is a helpful section for students on using primary documents and resources, and an excellent bibliography. During Women's History Month challenge students to compare women's labor issues in 1911 with the labor issues women have today. Use an online tool such as Lucidchart, reviewed here, or the Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram, reviewed here. Be sure and include this information as a resource for Women in History Month or National History Day projects.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Battle of Appomattox - Civil War Trust
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): 1800s (90), civil war (148), DAT device agnostic tool (135)
In the Classroom
Use one of the short videos hosted by National Park Service historians to give students the context and details about the Battle of Appomattox and Lee's surrender. Share the video clips on your projector or interactive whiteboard. Some nice graphics give a summary of the battle, a map shows troop movements, and a gallery of photos can give students a look at the battlefield today.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Sakura: Cherry Blossoms as Living Symbols of Friendship - Library of Congress
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): trees (18), washington (33), japanese (54), japan (61)
In the Classroom
Cherry Blossoms are both a symbol of spring, and a legacy of the historical relationship between the people of Japan and the United States. Make a brief detour during a lesson on Asian history, on the development of Washington, D.C. as the US capital, or on important American cultural symbols, and look at the roots of this tradition. There are primary sources to explore, and links to contemporary photos of the Cherry Blossom Festival.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Uncle Tom's Cabin and American Culture - University of Virginia
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): slavery (82), racism (85), abolition (14), african american (129), 1800s (90), civil rights (230), civil war (148), history day (37)
In the Classroom
Whether you are approaching Uncle Tom's Cabin from a literary perspective or a historical perspective, the primary sources here are deep and offer a variety. Listen to minstrel songs, view advertisements for performances, or read poems and other literary responses to the work. Because much of the site contains material that is rooted in a 19th century perspective on race, you should screen images, texts, and lyrics, and ensure that students understand their context before using them in the classroom.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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David Rumsey Historical Map Collection - Cartography Associates
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): map skills (68), maps (222), north america (15), south america (76), 1800s (90), 1700s (39)
In the Classroom
Use this historical map collection to highlight contemporary views of places featured in your history, literature, or geography lessons. Consider asking students to create a slideshow of maps that show how a location has changed over time, or how political boundaries have changed. Use a tool like Google Slides, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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A Sailor's Life for Me! - USS Constitution Museum
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): whales (12), transportation (31), war of 1812 (14)
In the Classroom
The great sailing ships of the 18th and 19th century were important both to the nation's defense and to the growth of the US economy. There are hours of content here and the frustration will be selecting what you can use within the classroom timeframe you have. Consider introducing the site with some small portions on your projector or interactive whiteboard. Allow accelerated students to spend time with further exploration for enrichment.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Jewish Women's Archive - Jewish Women's Archive
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): biographies (102), womens suffrage (65), women (198), jews (61)
In the Classroom
This site offers an outstanding addition to your resources for student biographical projects, particularly focused on Women's History Month. Students will find stories of women from every walk of life, whose stories have not been often told. Consider browsing the lesson plans and incorporating one of them into a preexisting unit to provide balance and diverse viewpoints.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Ancestral Pueblo People - National Park Service
Grades
6 to 10tag(s): native americans (169), archeology (26), geology (59)
In the Classroom
Assign this activity in pairs when studying native Americans. The student challenges teach about the Ancestral Pueblo people and how they adapted to their harsh environment. The text portions might be challenging. Pair weak readers with a strong reader. Allow your ENL/ESL students to try using a text to speech program such as Text to Speech Reader, reviewed here, that will allow these students to follow the text as the article or passage is read to them.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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CurriConnects Book List - 20th Century America, Part 2 (1945-2000) - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12tag(s): book lists (168), independent reading (85), 20th century (170), vietnam (41), kennedy (25), 1950s (36), 1960s (54)
In the Classroom
Make the 1950s and beyond come alive during your unit on American History. Have students choose a book from this list and present their impressions from it in the form of a blog post from the times. If you are beginning the process of integrating technology, have students create blogs sharing their learning and understanding using Webnode, reviewed here. Have students interview parents about different times that they learn about. Have students include the interview in the blogs. Collect the links to all the student posts on your class web page for students to browse and gather a "human" experience of history.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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