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Drawing from Life - Smithsonian
Grades
7 to 12
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Spice up a history class and generate discussion with cartoons taken from the Smithsonian Institution's American Art/Portrait Gallery Library Collection. Images, dating from 1862 to...more
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Spice up a history class and generate discussion with cartoons taken from the Smithsonian Institution's American Art/Portrait Gallery Library Collection. Images, dating from 1862 to 1955, reflect the power and popularity of this medium throughout American history. Can be browsed by title, artist, or subject.
tag(s): comics and cartoons (61)
In the Classroom
Art and History teachers will love this online collection of comic drawings houses by the Smithsonian. In a class discussion of validity of sources select a few images that were created to reflect on society or satire it. (We recommend Hogarth's engravings if your class is mature enough) Share the images on the interactive whiteboard or projector with the class. Start a discussion as to what students think the meaning and purpose of the image is. Do a few as a class and have students complete the rest of the images on their own. Have students write up a few quick sentences on the remaining images. Teachers can either finish the activity there or have students share their answers later in a discussion.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Slates, Slide Rules, and Software: Teaching Math in America - Smithsonian
Grades
7 to 12
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Create an interdisciplinary link between math and social studies with this informative site that chronicles the development of teaching tools to help students master abstract mathematical...more
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Create an interdisciplinary link between math and social studies with this informative site that chronicles the development of teaching tools to help students master abstract mathematical concepts. Simple text and graphics make this a very usable site for students of any level. Created by the National Museum of American History
In the Classroom
Use this site as a learning center or station at the beginning of the year in an algebra class to get students thinking about the materials they use and how they can aid learning. This could be a fun accompaniment to syllabus-day or later on in the first week.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Adventures of Cyberbee
Grades
1 to 12
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Library specialist Linda C. Joseph has assembled a useful, interactive, and entertaining collection of resources for students and teachers. Use the "primary source of the month" feature...more
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Library specialist Linda C. Joseph has assembled a useful, interactive, and entertaining collection of resources for students and teachers. Use the "primary source of the month" feature to spark discussions about why such a resource is so valuable. Links to Web treasure hunts, projects, and helpful how-to advice on a variety of Internet-related topics are included.
tag(s): resources (80)
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America in Caricature: 1765 - 1865 - University of Indiana
Grades
7 to 12
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This site, by the Lily Library of Indiana University, features the wry wit and artistic talents of America's best political cartoonists. Three distinct and turbulent periods in American...more
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This site, by the Lily Library of Indiana University, features the wry wit and artistic talents of America's best political cartoonists. Three distinct and turbulent periods in American history are represented: The Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the Civil War. Especially notable are the political cartoons from election years 1860 and 1864. Challenge students to think about how these caricatures compare with those found in today's newspapers.
tag(s): comics and cartoons (61), politics (124)
In the Classroom
Select the images that correspond to the unit being covered in your classroom. Print out the caricatures, laminate and bring to class. Seperate students into groups and have them all work on at least one of the images obtained from the class. Have students analyze and dissect the images to gauge the meaning, purpose and intent. This is an activity that does require some substance of background knowledge, so do this more towards the end of a unit as review.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Presidency in Action - American Presidents - University of Virginia
Grades
6 to 12
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This is a thematic look at the conduct and evolution of the American presidency since the founding of the republic. It examines the executive structures that manage domestic, economic,...more
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This is a thematic look at the conduct and evolution of the American presidency since the founding of the republic. It examines the executive structures that manage domestic, economic, foreign, and legislative activities in more than enough detail for secondary students. Even a quick tour will demonstrate the current complexity of the executive branch. Be sure to check out Issues and Policy form the menu in the upper left corner.
tag(s): presidents (153)
In the Classroom
This site has a variety of uses within a US government or history classroom. To begin with, teachers can use this site as a resource for research projects; a source for speeches and writings, as well as a learning center during a unit on a particular president or time period. A very useful and flexible source that can easily be worked into your curriculum!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Terra the EOS Flagship - NASA
Grades
6 to 12
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Terra is an Earth Observing System designed by NASA to monitor, measure, and protect the Earth's environment and climate system. This site contains breathtaking, up-to-date satellite...more
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Terra is an Earth Observing System designed by NASA to monitor, measure, and protect the Earth's environment and climate system. This site contains breathtaking, up-to-date satellite images of our planet, and interactive experiments that can be done in the classroom to illustrate how NASA uses Terra's remote sensing to understand how and why the Earth changes. Comprehensive and extensive information on the earth's atmosphere, oceans, land, life, heat and energy is provided. Because the site is updated daily, it can serve as a continually evolving visual aid for earth science classes.
tag(s): maps (224)
In the Classroom
Use this site in a cooperative learning activity, having students research a specific aspect of the site. Have students create a multimedia presentation using PowerPoint Online, displaying what they have learned. This site allows users 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. To find Creative Commons images for student projects (with credit, of course), try Vecteezy.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Dream of Flight - Library of Congress
Grades
6 to 12
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Highlighting the incredible courage, ingenuity, and determination of Orville and Wilbur Wright, this Library of Congress site traces the importance of flight through history as it chronicles...more
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Highlighting the incredible courage, ingenuity, and determination of Orville and Wilbur Wright, this Library of Congress site traces the importance of flight through history as it chronicles the brothers' amazing achievement in Kitty Hawk, NC. Rich in text, photographs, and primary source documents, this electronic exhibit could form the basis for a teacher-created Web hunt, or serve as a visual supplement for a unit on American history and inventors.
tag(s): aircraft (25), aviation (51), flight (33), wright brothers (17)
In the Classroom
Within the section entitled "the dream" is a collection of primary resources that reflect society's obsession with flight. Print out or download these images separately on the interactive whiteboard or projector. Once students are in groups, assign each student a resource - with each group analyzing and interpreting the meaning of the pieces of art. After each group has dissected their resource, have a classroom debate as to which is the most reflective of human desire to fly? Which is the most inspirational? Which was the most scientific? Not only will the debate explore each of the sources but it will depend on students background knowledge of the history of flight. Because of this, this activity is probably best served at the end of a unit when it can be used as an informal review.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Voices from the Days of Slavery - Library of Congress
Grades
7 to 12
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This collection of digital sound recordings (in MP3, RealAudio, and wav formats), corresponding transcripts, and photographs provide an authentic experience in the study of slavery...more
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This collection of digital sound recordings (in MP3, RealAudio, and wav formats), corresponding transcripts, and photographs provide an authentic experience in the study of slavery in America. Interviews conducted between 1932 and 1975, reveal how former slaves felt about their owners, their families, and their freedom. All recordings are taken from the American Folklife Collection of the Library of Congress.
tag(s): africa (162), african american (130), civil war (145), oral history (13), slavery (79)
In the Classroom
Introduce this site on the interactive whiteboard during a unit on slavery in the 19th century. Have students explore the site in cooperative learning groups, with the intentions of presenting a summary of the information they've seen. Students can present the information from a particularly perspective or as though they're reteaching it to their peers. Have the groups present with a podcast, using a site such as PodOmatic.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Godchecker
Grades
4 to 8
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This is a site about mythology and the gods of dozens of different cultures. While its irreverent tone and layout may be attractive to some elementary and middle school students, ...more
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This is a site about mythology and the gods of dozens of different cultures. While its irreverent tone and layout may be attractive to some elementary and middle school students, the design sometimes gets in the way of the content itself. That said, there are resources here that are tough to find elsewhere. Teachers will want to use this one selectively, and only after some previewing.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
In the Classroom
Use this site as a reference for students studying ancient religions. Assign students different gods/religions, with the intentions of researching and presenting their results to the class. Have students create a multimedia presentation using PowerPoint Online, reviewed here. This site allows users 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 about the God's life. To find Creative Commons images for student projects (with credit, of course), try Pikwizard, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Gullah Net - South Carolina ETV
Grades
4 to 8
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Gullah is the unique culture of African Americans living on and along the coastal waters of South Carolina and Georgia. This site offers a look at the traditions, customs, and ...more
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Gullah is the unique culture of African Americans living on and along the coastal waters of South Carolina and Georgia. This site offers a look at the traditions, customs, and folk tales of the Gullah people in a treatment that students will find both respectful and entertaining. Try it as an example of a regional American culture, or as part of a study of African American history. Find Gullah lesson plans, music and tales in video format.
tag(s): africa (162), african american (130), black history (131), georgia (3)
In the Classroom
Use the stories and materials on this site as a writing prompt. Open the site and introduce it on the interactive whiteboard or projector before allowing students to explore it individually. Allow students to listen to the stories in groups or individually on classroom computers. Once students have explored the Gullah Tales, have them create their own stories on the website. The stories students can create on the site have pre-determined story titles and themes, making them more appropriate for lower-level readers. However, if there are a lot of advanced students in your class, use a tool such as Bookemon, reviewed here. This allows them to be a little more creative and put more work into designing their books. An interesting site for English class!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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How to Play Dreidel - My Jewish Learning
Grades
3 to 8
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Here is a site with a full set of rules for playing the popular Hanukkah game. ...more
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Here is a site with a full set of rules for playing the popular Hanukkah game.
tag(s): game based learning (303), hanukkah (22), holidays (283)
In the Classroom
Use the directions to teach students how to play dreidel during a lesson or unit on Judaism. Although it's not something they absolutely need to know - it would be a fun break for students, and may give some more cultural awareness that a textbook would not be able to.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Cryptography - Historical Ciphers - Trinity College, Hartford
Grades
6 to 12
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This presentation by students and faculty at Trinity College, Hartford includes discussions of some of history's more famous cipher and encryption machines, including the infamous German...more
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This presentation by students and faculty at Trinity College, Hartford includes discussions of some of history's more famous cipher and encryption machines, including the infamous German enigma machines. Along the way, there's a presentation on some of the basics of encryption.
Students interested in math or computer security will find this one an interesting introduction to a hugely complex topic.
tag(s): cryptography (5)
In the Classroom
Use this site as a quick lesson during a history or statistics class, in an attempt to teach students about how some ciphers were solved and how it affected history. Peruse a few of the ciphers as a class on the interactive whiteboard, as a challenge have students try to make or solve one on their own! Students can present their ciphers on the interactive whiteboard, and try to stump their peers!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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America on the Move - Smithsonian Institution
Grades
4 to 12
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Here's an extremely well-designed site about the history of American transportation that really moves. You can approach the content in several ways: an eighteen-part chronology filled...more
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Here's an extremely well-designed site about the history of American transportation that really moves. You can approach the content in several ways: an eighteen-part chronology filled with images, thematic presentations on immigration, technology, etc., or a sizeable collection of reproducible lessons and teaching materials. Middle schoolers should handle the writing level adequately, and the site is sufficiently visual that upper elementary users will follow the presentation. This one should be a welcome addition to anyone's transportation unit.
tag(s): 1800s (86), 20th century (168), railroads (17), transportation (31)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the free lesson plans and activities hosted on this site! Most details specific ways to use the site itself in a lesson, and would complement a unit on transportation and the effects of technologies such as railroads and the automobile.
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The British Museum: The Middle East and Asia - British Museum
Grades
6 to 12
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This British Museum site about the ancient Middle East and Asia has seemingly endless nooks and crannies, each leading to an encounter with the history and culture of that civilization....more
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This British Museum site about the ancient Middle East and Asia has seemingly endless nooks and crannies, each leading to an encounter with the history and culture of that civilization. Try it as part of a world cultures course, an introduction to Buddhism or Hinduism, or a look at the geography of the Indian subcontinent.
tag(s): art history (104), asia (138), china (79), india (34), middle east (51)
In the Classroom
Scroll down the page to find classroom resoutces for Assyria, Sumer, Babylon, and Chinese Art. Careful searching should lead to content for almost any grade level.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Lewis & Clark Lesson - National Park Service
Grades
5 to 8
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A part of the Teaching with Historic Places series from the National Park Service, this lesson presents artifacts, maps, and images from the Lewis and Clark expedition and asks students...more
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A part of the Teaching with Historic Places series from the National Park Service, this lesson presents artifacts, maps, and images from the Lewis and Clark expedition and asks students to draw conclusions about the nature of the expedition and its activities. There is a wealth of other supplementary material and background information as well.
tag(s): lewis and clark (15), native americans (129)
In the Classroom
Teachers will need to spend some time customizing these lesson materials for their own circumstances.
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Earth and Moon Viewers
Grades
4 to 12
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This one's far better than first appearances might indicate. Click one of the many links to see surprisingly detailed, documented images of earth and the moon, complete with full data...more
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This one's far better than first appearances might indicate. Click one of the many links to see surprisingly detailed, documented images of earth and the moon, complete with full data on location and time. Many of the images include zoom capabilities and other nifty features.
In the Classroom
Geography teachers will find lots of possibilities in this one.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Wright Brothers Aeroplane Company
Grades
6 to 12
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Billed as a virtual museum, the site is divided into "wings." There is an enormous amount of information on this site! The History "wing" includes biographies of the Wright Brothers,...more
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Billed as a virtual museum, the site is divided into "wings." There is an enormous amount of information on this site! The History "wing" includes biographies of the Wright Brothers, information about the history of flight and some little known facts in an area called "aviation's attic." Along the side are links to music files with music of the early 1900s such as the Wrights might have listened to. The Adventure "wing" looks at models of airplanes and the science of flight, and includes more music files. The "Information Desk" includes news about local Dayton, Ohio commemorations of the centennial of flight. No lesson plans and no areas specifically for educators, but lots of facts and pictures spread out all over the site.
tag(s): 1800s (86), 1900s (84), aviation (51), flight (33), wright brothers (17)
In the Classroom
Share this site on an interactive whiteboard or projector as an introduction to a lesson on the Wright Brothers and their impact on flight. Then have students explore this site independently or in small groups. Assign each group a "wing" or subsection to read and research, with the intention that they will present their findings to their peers. Enhance learning by having students create a multimedia presentation using Microsoft PowerPoint Online, reviewed here. This site allows you to narrate a picture. Challenge students to find a photo (legally permitted for reproduction) and then narrate it as if it were a news report that their classmates know virtually nothing about. This makes the most sense if the reports are presented chronologically so students can piece together the history of the Wright brothers. To find free images for student projects, check out this list found here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Story of Africa - BBC
Grades
6 to 12
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African history written from an African perspective is still something of a rarity. While this site was created by the BCC, it concentrates squarely on the cultures and kingdoms that...more
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African history written from an African perspective is still something of a rarity. While this site was created by the BCC, it concentrates squarely on the cultures and kingdoms that developed in Africa itself, their relationships with one another, and their infamous encounters with Europeans. This is historical content that goes beyond art and artifacts to explore civilizations themselves. Though the "Useful Links" seem to be broken, every thing else on this site works.
tag(s): africa (162), african american (130)
In the Classroom
Teachers may find this one useful as a component of an African American cultural unit or in studying world cultures.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Folklore and Mythology Online Texts
Grades
4 to 12
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If you're searching for usable texts for a folklore or mythology unit, here's a ready resource. This listing draws from a wide range of sources, so some inconsistency in quality ...more
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If you're searching for usable texts for a folklore or mythology unit, here's a ready resource. This listing draws from a wide range of sources, so some inconsistency in quality is inevitable. The breadth of selection, which includes tales from many different cultures, more than compensates.
In the Classroom
Use this site to find stories from all over the world during a lesson/unit on storytelling. Incorporating stories from different cultures can insure that these wont all be repeats for students, as well as adds a multicultural perspective. Peruse the site ahead of time to proof the stories and either print them or have students read that at different computer stations.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Railroad Pictures
Grades
4 to 12
2 Favorites
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This searchable collection of old railroad photos could be a useful reference for a student doing a research paper on American history, industrialization, transportation or commerce....more
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This searchable collection of old railroad photos could be a useful reference for a student doing a research paper on American history, industrialization, transportation or commerce. While the site permits very specific searches, most students will likely find even a general search returns useful images.
tag(s): railroads (17)
In the Classroom
Use the images from this site to supplement a lecture on transportation and the railroads. They are extremely detailed images and can be searched to find those that meet the time period being studied.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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