391 history-culture-americas results | sort by:
The President's Desk - John F Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): 1960s (54), civil rights (216), kennedy (21), presidents (145), vietnam (39)
In the Classroom
Use the President's Desk as a highly engaging resource for getting to know more about John F. Kennedy's presidency. Show on your interactive whiteboard or projector and include suggested lesson activities to accompany the site. Have students use Fakebook, reviewed here, to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about John F Kennedy. Have students create timelines (with music, photos, videos, and more) using Timeline JS, reviewed here). Be sure to add a link to the site on your class website for students to access on their own or from home. Have your class create a presidential desk for another historic leader, creating their own annotated photo of the desktop using Google Drawings, reviewed here, to explain the items on the desk. Google Drawings allows you to annotate an image with links to videos, text, websites, and more. Not familiar with Google Drawings? Watch an archived OK2Ask session to learn how to use: OK2Ask Google Drawings, here.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Who Was Lee Harvey Oswald? - PBS - Frontline
Grades
7 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): kennedy (21), presidents (145)
In the Classroom
Students are often fascinated by conspiracy theories, and the mystery of whether Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone or was part of a larger plot to kill the President represents one of US history's most enduring. Certainly the site will be useful in a discussion of the event itself. However, it can be used more generally as a springboard for discussion of conspiracy theories themselves. See the lesson ideas in the Teachers Guide section. What evidence do we require to decide if something is true or not? Who can be trusted to tell the story of an emotional event? Is "seeing" always "believing"? How can resolve the fact that eyewitnesses do not all have the same recollection of the event? Have your gifted and highly able students do a special project investigating conspiracy theories in history and sharing them as a role play or video for the rest of the class.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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50th Anniversary of JFK Assassination - Associated Press
Grades
7 to 12tag(s): 1960s (54), kennedy (21), presidents (145)
In the Classroom
This site represents a good "quick access" point for photos related to the JFK assassination. Use them to illustrate a discussion of the event, or consider asking students to analyze the perspective presented in the photos. What is the photo communicating? How have these photos influenced the way we remember this important event? Students might be asked to compare the photographic "evidence" that was part of the investigation of this crime with the resources that are available today when a similar incident occurs. For example, how is this documentation different from that which was used to identify the Boston Marathon bombing suspects? In English class, use the photos as prompts for students to write informational texts about the Kennedy Assassination in journalistic or historic styles. Since there is such fascination with the Kennedy assassination, you could use this as a chance to discuss purpose and audience, writing to spin the same information several ways.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Engaging Students With Primary Sources - Smithsonian National Museum of American History
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): primary sources (119)
In the Classroom
Bookmark and save this site for use throughout the year as a guide for using primary sources. Use some of the lesson strategies with other primary source collectionsAdd your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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History Assessments - Digital Inquiry Group
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): 1920s (16), assessment (127), civil rights (216), civil war (141), cold war (36), colonial america (96), immigrants (45), immigration (78), racism (79), rubrics (38), slavery (78), thanksgiving (25), war of 1812 (13), womens suffrage (63)
In the Classroom
Bookmark and save this site as a valuable resource for standards-aligned social studies literacy assessments. Many of the activities and videos work well on an interactive whiteboard or projector and are ideal for whole-class instruction. Share the rubrics before lessons so students clearly understand expectations and success criteria. Use the assessments and materials to support instruction in historical thinking, character education, bias, and racism, and adapt the formats to create your own similar tasks. The site is also useful for professional development, offering strong models for rubrics and assessment-driven lesson planning. Be sure to explore the tags for the same assessment type to locate additional assessments beyond the main list.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Pulitzer Center Lesson Plans - Pulitzer Center
Grades
3 to 12tag(s): africa (149), careers (196), china (83), debate (39), earthquakes (50), ethics (20), food chains (20), hiv/aids (15), india (32), journalism (73), media literacy (105), water (101), women (172)
In the Classroom
Use the lesson plans on the site as a resource for discussing and debating global issues. If there is no time to complete a full unit, explore resources from each topic for ideas to use in your classroom. For example, try the ideas on interviewing individuals who migrated to the United States offered in the How Did I Become the Person That I Am unit. Share this site with students interested in journalism careers as a resource for learning more about the profession and some of its members.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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History Labs - A Guided Approach to Historical Inquiry in the K-12 Classroom - UMBC Center for History Education
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): african american (117), american revolution (84), civil rights (216), civil war (141), colonial america (96), colonization (21), great depression (30), iran (8), jefferson (20), kennedy (21), native americans (116), roosevelt (17), slavery (78), washington (33), womens suffrage (63), world war 2 (165)
In the Classroom
Bookmark and save this site for use with any American History topic as a complete lesson or to offer another angle on current lessons. Enhance learning by having students create a simple infographic sharing their findings using Venngage reviewed here. Before beginning a unit, have students brainstorm or collect ideas on a collaborative bulletin board like Stickies.io, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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New Bedford Whaling Museum - New Bedford Whaling Museum
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): 1700s (32), 1800s (81), colonial america (96), marine biology (32), whales (12)
In the Classroom
The museum's exhibits focused on the Arctic and on the migrations and habitats of whales are useful from a historical perspective. Consider using early maps and photographs from the exploration of Arctic regions to compare with current maps for a discussion on global climate change. Use information about current and past whale habitats to illustrate the impact of ocean changes on the largest of its inhabitants. Students doing independent research will find the individual images of the museum's extensive collection useful as well. Have students act as curators for an imaginary special exhibit, perhaps creating a map using MapHub, reviewed here, to add points of interest with display markers featuring text, photos, and videos.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Documentary Tube - DocumentaryTube.com
Grades
4 to 12This site includes advertising.
In the Classroom
Discover the power of documentaries while studying point of view, primary and secondary resources, and debate skills. Examine the aspects shown in documentaries and help students find structure to provide an unbiased research project. Challenge existing knowledge in many areas. Help students become active thinkers and become involved in current events. Sharpen your own understandings.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Lantern - Media History Digital Library
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): cultures (245), decades (7), journalism (73), media literacy (105), movies (53), radio (19)
In the Classroom
Sometimes it's easier to "set the tone" for a particular moment in time by including images from popular culture. Students can see what regular people were interested in: what movies they watched, what they listened to on the radio, what TV shows they enjoyed (and the fact that they WATCHED TV, not YouTube!). Using some of these images, stories, and other material from this archive to supplement the study of a time period or an event in history can flesh out what life was like "back in the day."Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Ultimate Titanic - UltimateTitanic.com
Grades
4 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): 1910s (26), 20th century (169), disasters (35)
In the Classroom
Use this site as a resource for information and ideas for teaching the Titanic as part of an early 20th century history lesson or as enrichment when reading any novel about the Titanic. Use the materials available here to talk about the difference between primary and secondary sources. Use the site's timeline as a starting point and then redefine learning by challenging students create their own multimedia Titanic timeline (with music, photos, videos, and more) using Timeline JS, reviewed here. Create a newspaper using a site such as Printing Press, reviewed here, extending learning and telling the details of events of the Titanic.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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World Digital Library - Unesco
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): 1600s (17), 1700s (32), 1800s (81), 1900s (79), 20th century (169), africa (149), asia (139), australia (28), china (83), cross cultural understanding (176), europe (81), images (254), north america (15), south america (79)
In the Classroom
Use this site as a resource for viewing and learning about the many cultural treasures around the world. Display the site on your interactive whiteboard or projector to view images and documents from American and World History. Have students choose an item of interest to research further and then share using a tool like Google Slides, reviewed here. World language teachers can underscore culture lessons using these resources or have students explore and share their findings.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Manifest Destiny - The Story of the US Told in 141 Maps - Michael Porath
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): 1800s (81), 1900s (79), 20th century (169), civil war (141), colonization (21), maps (214)
In the Classroom
Use Manifest Destiny as a resource for any American History unit. Share the maps on your projector or interactive whiteboard. The many maps are an excellent visual demonstration of the growth of the US. Use information from the site to have students create timelines (with music, photos, videos, and more) using Timeline JS, reviewed here. Include this site in lessons about information literacy and evaluating sources in your history course. Challenge students to verify the accuracy of the information depicted. Was Wikipedia right?Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Revolutionary War Animated Maps - American Battlefield Trust
Grades
6 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): 1700s (32), american revolution (84), map skills (61), maps (214)
In the Classroom
Illustrate Revolutionary War battles on an interactive whiteboard or projector during a lecture or class discussion. This site might also be useful as a link students can explore from home as part of a homework assignment or enrichment activity. Have students research this site and other information about their "battle" and create a multimedia project. How about enhancing learning with a "talking map" indicating where a battle took place with audio recordings? Use a tool such as Zeemaps, reviewed here, to create a map of local landforms (with audio stories and pictures included)! Extend learning for your group of talented future animators by challenging them to envision similar animations for battles that are not already included, and use Animatron, reviewed here, to create and share them with you and their peers.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Digital Public Library of America - Digital Public Library of America
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): 1910s (26), 1920s (16), 1930s (40), 1940s (68), 1950s (32), 1960s (54), 1970s (30), 1980s (21), 20th century (169), data (148), museums (51), primary sources (119), Research (79)
In the Classroom
Adding the DPLA to your classroom bookmarks or introducing students to this resource will put a wealth of information into students' hands, aggregated into one place. Consider this a museum/archive/library specific search engine. Because each search links to an artifact or document which may actually be the property of any of dozens of different entities, students will need to understand that copyright and the ability to download material may vary depending upon where the original item "lives." Be sure to demonstrate how to FIND the rights information. Challenge students to explore basics on an artist, an author, or a social studies topic such as "civil rights" or "Martin Luther King" to see an overview in many media using the timeline display. Be sure to test the searches in advance to know which terms yield reasonable results.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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What So Proudly We Hail: Making American Citizens Through Literature - Amy and Leon Kass
Grades
5 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): democracy (25), guided reading (32), holidays (229), literacy (120), literature (211)
In the Classroom
This comprehensive program can be a bit overwhelming at first look. You might want to pick just one, high interest short story lesson, perhaps Jack London's "To Build a Fire." This lesson and many others lends itself to small group discussion and work. The introduction makes observations and asks questions to encourage active reading and deep discussions that you may want to use as a class. Whether you and your students complete the lesson as a class or in small groups, you may want to use a program like Today's Meet reviewed here to enable all students to have a voice. If using small groups, have students post what the group decided are the answers on Today's Meet so everyone can see all answers. Where answers differ, have students go back into the reading and cite evidence to support their answer on Today's Meet for all to see. Teachers of gifted and music can choose selected ideas from this site, as well. A teaching team could make this site the focus of a year-long effort with so much material available. Upper elementary teachers and higher can make holidays and patriotic songs far more meaningful through close reading and class discussionsAdd your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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ESL Discussions - Sean Banville
Grades
7 to 12This site includes advertising.
In the Classroom
Bookmark this site to use anytime you want to develop and promote discussion skills in your classroom. After students have completed their discussion questions, have them present their findings to the class then create a quick poll using using Poll Everywhere, reviewed here. Share with ESL/ELL and Special Education teachers as a resource for promoting discussion and speaking skills with their students. Use this site for teacher-selected topics in debate club, speech class, and more. Some of the topics could even make good blog prompts.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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U. S. History Images - Karen J. Hatzigeorgiou
Grades
7 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): 1800s (81), american revolution (84), civil war (141), colonial america (96), colonization (21), emancipation proclamation (14), images (254), industrial revolution (20), industrialization (11), lincoln (65), native americans (116), pioneers (13), states (126), transportation (31), washington (33)
In the Classroom
Bookmark and save this site to share during classroom lessons on your projector or interactive whiteboard. Share with students as a place to explore and to "get the picture" of early events in American History. As an alternative a traditional report and to enhance learning, create a newspaper using a site such as Printing Press, reviewed here, to report on Civil War events. This site is a wonderful source for students to find raw materials for multimedia projects in general. Be sure to provide a mini lesson on how to cite their image sources!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The People's House: History, Art & Archives - Office of the Historian, US House of Representatives
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): branches of government (63), congress (40), house of representatives (8)
In the Classroom
Understanding the separation of powers is fundamental to learning about how the US is governed. While it may be tempting to group the Senate and the House of Representatives into one legislative entity, there are important differences between the two bodies. This site can help students see the specific role the Founders had for this branch of government. Looking at important events in US history, like women's suffrage, civil rights, and foreign policy through the lens of the House gives added depth to the lesson. Students may be interested in the process by which the House conducts its business. Who is a "whip" and why do they call him (or her) that? Take some time to check out the lesson plans and other resources designed for educators as well.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Civil War - SonOfTheSouth.net
Grades
7 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): civil war (141), emancipation proclamation (14), gettysburg (14), gettysburg address (11), lincoln (65), slavery (78)
In the Classroom
Bookmark this site as a wonderful resource for first-hand accounts and information about the Civil War. Share this site with students to use as a resource for Civil War material. Have students create an annotated image including text boxes and related links using a tool such as Thinglink, reviewed here to describe a person or event during the Civil War. Have students create maps about Civil War events using Have students collaborate to create maps using MapHub, reviewed here. Students can add icons, text, images, and location stops! This is also a good treasury of primary sources useful for History Day.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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