Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

Chicago's Adler Planetarium offers this interesting introduction to the way in which early cultures interpreted the heavens. There are dozens of examples drawn from as many ancient cultures, and all organized into themes that would have been essential to these civilizations. A set of lesson plans rounds out this intriguing unit.

tag(s): calendars (37), stars (71)

This remarkably well-organized site provides extensive background, chronological, and biographical information on the people and events of World War I. While the writing is best suited to high school or undergraduate students, the time lines and other features could be useful to younger students studying this time period.

tag(s): england (50), france (41), german (49), germany (28), russia (36), world war 1 (77)

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 (20)

This site from Britain's National Archives documents the political evolution of England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and France from about 1066 through the death of Elizabeth I. While most of this content is absent from American curricula, this site does an elegant job of summarizing the people and events that ultimately resulted in the emergence of the United Kingdom.

tag(s): england (50), france (41), ireland (11), scotland (8)

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 (96), freedom of speech (14), speech (69), terrorism (41)

This web site - a companion to the PBS program of the same name - offers pofiles of both the prophet Muhammad and several contemporary American Muslims who describe the meaning of their faith. The web site contains additional historical and biographical information as well as background information on Islam.

Here's a guide to Peru created by a pair of students. There are links on Peruvian history, climate, and lots more. While not fully authoritative, this content seems well suited to a student-to-student application.

tag(s): peru (5)

Here's the personal side of AIDS, told from an international perspective in an MTV-style presentation that should hold the attention of teens and other students. Combining facts with personalities, the site offers facts, opportunities for action, and examples of other teens' experiences. Share this one with your students; it's available in several languages.

tag(s): difficult conversations (57), diseases (67), hiv/aids (15)

We have great difficulty finding understandable, unbiased sites about the Arab world. This one, created by an independent British scholar, does a credible job of making a very different culture accessible and understandable to Western readers. There is a wealth of resources, including news summaries and extensive cultural information.

tag(s): arab (12), egypt (56), iran (8), iraq (26), jordan (4), palestine (5)

We suspect that this very nice introduction to Hanukkah was written for non-practicing Jews. As a result, it works for both Jews and non-Jews. You'll find information on the history of Hanukkah, descriptions and instructions for Hanukkah observances, and other information about Judaism.

tag(s): hanukkah (12), holidays (187)

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): japan (57), japanese (47), world war 2 (161)

Here's a really first-rate treatment of the Middle East, its three primary religious subtexts, and the relationship of these to issues like global economics, literature, and history. Users will find a wealth of time-lines, as well as a series of "connecting questions" about issues like the role of women, nation-states, and the impact of stereotypes on international perceptions about this region. Lots of "extended thinking" opportunities here. The video trailers on this site require QuickTime, however all the other available information make this site worth a visit.

tag(s): arab (12), israel (14), middle east (50)

This lesson from the National Park Service series "Teaching with Historic Places" outlines the background for the outbreak of the war with Japan and uses maps and historical photos to teach about the battle of Midway and the island's strategic importance in World War II. This site could be a nice add-on to a study of World War II, Japan, or the geography of the Pacific region.

tag(s): world war 2 (161)

Here's the BBC's collection of profiles on dozens of countries. Written with a decidedly Euro-centric focus, American teachers will find this collection an interesting resource for comparing perspectives on international relations. Well worth a visit for its depth of information.

tag(s): africa (148), asia (116), countries (73), europe (84), north america (15)

This web site from the PBS program by the same name offers a biography of the author and Nobel Peace Prize winner, as well as a teaching guide linked to the program itself. History, social studies, or English teachers may find this content useful in a unit on the holocaust or in a discussion of World War II.

tag(s): holocaust (42), jews (33), nazis (8), world war 2 (161)

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.

tag(s): politics (118), speech (69), speeches (23)

The San Diego Zoo's panda pages offer a plethora of photos and other information about China's most reclusive citizens. Besides being undeniably cute, pandas make a great preservation study with some interesting international overtones. It now includes a live webcam stream of the pandas 24 hours a day
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): animals (295), china (81), endangered species (27), species (16)

No matter what you want to measure, you'll find information on how to quantify it here. While some browsing is required, teachers will find applications for this information in science, math, geography, and other subject areas. The reference possibilities are also extensive. Add this one to your toolkit of web reference specialties.

tag(s): measurement (122)

East California University's librarians have created a very useful, thematic collection of current links to resources dealing with Iraq and efforts, peaceful and otherwise, to bring it into compliance with UN mandates. For secondary students, the topic headings themselves will serve to demonstrate the complexity of the situation.

tag(s): iraq (26), terrorism (41), united nations (6)

This BBC site begins by admitting that Saddam Hussein is really the only "who" in Iraq, but it goes on to identify some of the other leading figures in a regime known for rapid personnel shifts. Older students may find this one useful as a way of putting faces to some of the names that are certain to be in the news in the days and weeks ahead.

tag(s): iraq (26), middle east (50)