Social Studies

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www.expedia.com

http://members.aol.com/GeographyWorld

www.mapquest.com

www.nationalatlas.gov/mapit.html

Animated Atlas: Growth of a Nation
http://www.animatedatlas.com/movie.html

Geography Action! (National Geographic)
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/geographyaction/

Geography Action! is an annual conservation and awareness program
designed to educate and excite people about natural, cultural, and
historic treasures. Each year, they will present a different topic
related to conservation and the environment. The Geography Action!
program features: a) Kids Take Action!, an activity-based conservation
awareness program ; b) Geography Awareness Week, a series of events to
celebrate conservation; c) Lesson Plans; d) Games; and e)Photo
Galleries. Topics so far include: Biodiversity, Conservation, Habitats,
Population, Rivers, U.S. Public Lands.

Grade Level:  Early Childhood (K-2), Elementary, Middle School, High
School
 

MSN TerraServer
http://terraserver.homeadvisor.msn.com/default.aspx

The Microsoft TerraServer Web site is one of the world's largest online
databases, providing free public access to a vast data store of maps and
aerial photographs of the United States. The U.S. Geological Survey
(USGS) provides the site with images and maps of the United States.
TerraServer contains 3.3 tera-bytes of high resolution aerial imagery
and topographic maps. The images are in the public domain, and are
freely available for you to download, use and re-distribute.

Grade Level: Early Childhood (K-2), Elementary, Middle School, High

 

Geo Teacher

http://home.att.net/

Enter Geography Teacher in the Search window.  This site contains different sections deigned for geography teachers, students and their parents.

Grade Level: High School

50states.com

www.50states.com

This site offers resources, including state symbols, flags, maps, representatives, songs, birds, flowers, trees

Grade Level: Elementary, Middle, High School

The Gilder Lehrman Insitute of American History   

http://www.gliah.uh.edu/index.cfm

National Geographic Online

www.nationalgeographic.com

Resource for scientific discover, photography, travel, exploration, maps and news

Grade Level: Middle and High School

Microsoft TerraServer

http:terraserver.homeadvisor.msn.com

TerraServer provides satellite images of just about anywhere on Earth.

Grad Level: Middle and High School

Maps in history

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/gmdhtml/gnrlhome.html

Outline Maps

http://www.eduplace.com/ss/ssmaps/

Texas maps

http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/texas.html#state

Maps and Globes 
http://pittsford.monroe.edu/Schools/Jefferson/Maps&Globes/MapsGlobesFrame.html

This site was designed by the USGS, the Department of the Interior and the US Dept of Education so that students can learn and review facts  about geography. Time zones,landforms,and water forms are some of the subject areas available. Interactive quizzes let students test their knowledge(teachers can use these quizzes to assess student knowledge prior to the introduction of a unit.)

Grade Level: Elementary, Middle School, High School
 

State Web Games   http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/web_games.htm

This site contains web games that are a wonderful way to learn about our
fifty states. Students learn state capitals, abbreviations, and
locations. The games provide clues that include over 500 important and
engaging facts.

Grade Level: Elementary School, Middle School
 

Adventure Learning Foundation
http://www.questconnect.org  

This site takes students and teachers on real and virtual expeditions
around the world. Through a collection of original pictures and journal
excerpts, visitors can accompany travelers exploring the natural
environment, culture, and peoples of different continents. Past
expeditions include Alaska and Yukon, Baja California, American
Southwest, and Southern Africa. Each expedition is accompanied by a
mixture of information, links, and classroom activities.


Grade Level:  Elementary, Middle School
 

Worldwise Worldwide 
http://www.worldwiseworldwide.com/

Worldwise Worldwide is an organization created by the participants of
the 2001 International Geographic Olympiad held in Vancouver, Canada. 
The International Geographic Olympiad  is a biannual competition
sponsored and organized by the National Geographic Society. This website
is  staffed by students from around the world and features a free online
magazine published bimonthly and a collection of geography facts and
statistics the Geofacts.  The site is easy to read and easy to navigate.
 Maps and pictures are clear and engaging.

Grade Level: Middle School, High School
Content Area: History and Social Studies (Geography and Cultures)
 

Geography World  
http://members.aol.com/GeographyWorld

Brad Bowerman, a teacher from Jermyn, Pennsylvania, has put together
this resource that links to everything on the web a geography teacher
(cultural or physical) should need. A great find was the links to Maps
and Globes, with lots of links to maps and a link to Map Jokes (with Map
Haiku also at that website). In the Geography Quizzes area, a lot of the
legwork has been done for you...you just need to decide which quizzes to
use. World regions are represented with many links that could benefit
students researching individual countries. Included in these links are
resources created by Mr. Bowerman himself.
 

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Texas History

Texas

Texas Beyond History    
http://www.texasbeyondhistory.net/

Learn archeology within the context of one state. Texas Beyond History
starts with a site map to archeological sites around Texas. The Kids
area has activities and even a link to an expert, Dr. Dirt. For
teachers, there are lesson ideas in the arts, mathematics, literature,
and history & social studies.

Grade Level: Elementary, Middle School, High School
Content Area: History & Social Studies

Handbook of Texas

http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/index.new.html

The Handbook of Texas Online is a multidisciplinary encyclopedia of Texas history, geography, and culture sponsored by the Texas State Historical Association and the General Libraries at UT Austin.

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Social Studies

www.historycentral.com

www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/bluewebn

http://users.marz.com/~helenp/Social_Studies.html

http://history.evansville.net/hist_of.html

Federal Holidays WebQuest
http://herrickses.org/searingtown/federalholidays/

A relatively simple but well-developed webquest for middle school
students. There are two main tasks: 1) students will teach their class
about an existing federal holiday by creating a PowerPoint presentation;
and 2) student teams will imagine a new holiday that represents the
spirit of America and then write a persuasive argument which will be
supported by either a poster or a postage stamp in order to convince the
class that their idea is the best one. Includes links to all the
required sites, a teacher guide, and even a voting ballot.

Grade Level:  Elementary, Middle School


 

Best of History Web Sites   
http://www.besthistorysites.net/

This U.S.-based website reviews some of the best history websites
available. Top level categories include Prehistory, Medieval, U.S.
History, Early Modern European, 20th Century, World War II, and Art
History. Many of the websites are past Blue Web'n picks, but sometimes
it's just good to have more.

Grade Level: Elementary, Middle School, High School
Content Area: History & Social Studies (General) 

Primary Sources

http://odur.let.rug.nl/~usa/D/index.htm

History Channel

www.historychannel.com

Listening to the Walls Talk   
http://www.millennium.scps.k12.fl.us/walls.html

The goal of this online project is to teach students basic geographic
and research skills. More importantly, it raises student awareness of
the importance of each community and neighborhood as they record the
history of houses and neighborhoods around them. Although designed for
middle schools, all ages may participate by building and publishing
webpages; this project runs from August 15, 2002 to March 15, 2002.

Grade Level: Elementary, Middle School, High School
Content Area: History & Social Studies (Geography) 

Encyclopedia of Days
http://www.shagtown.com/days/

The Encyclopedia of Days is a work in progress that includes brief
descriptions of holidays from all over the world. Most of these holidays
are grouped alphabetically by country, religion, or topic. You can browse
through these entries by selecting a letter from the bottom of the home
page, or you can use the search tool. It is a compilation of several
well-known reference sources which are listed in the Bibliography. It
appears to be a "home-grown" website rather than a full-fledge corporate or
professional website; however it fills a void, is pretty comprehensive, and
easy to use.

Grade Level:  Early Childhood (K-2), Elementary, Middle School, High
School

National Geographic Magazine  
http://www.nationalgeographic.com

View Sites & Sounds, a multimedia special, and listen as Author Tom
Allen takes you back to the days leading up to the Normandy invasion.
Or, learn about public lands of the United States, and experience
breathtaking photos, games and activities
(http://www.nationalgeographic.com/geographyaction/backyard/). National
Geographic has so much to offer on their website, it would take days to
explore.

Grade Level: Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle School, High School,
 

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Government

Our Documents

http://www.ourdocuments.gov

An exciting new web site created by the National Archives and National History Day, Inc., transports students and educators back in time to 100 critical moments in our nation's history. See the original speeches, international treaties, Supreme Court cases, patent designs and Constitutional amendments that changed the course of history. Read transcriptions and historical interpretations of these documents.

Justice Learning: Civic education in the real world
http://www.justicelearning.org/index.htm

Justice Learning is an innovative approach for engaging high school
students in informed political discourse. The web site uses audio from
the Justice Talking radio show and articles from The New York Times to
teach students about reasoned debate and the often-conflicting values
inherent in our democracy. The web site includes articles, editorials
and oral debate from the nation's finest journalists and advocates. All
of the material is supported by age-appropriate summaries and additional
links. In addition, for each covered issue, the site includes curricular
material from The New York Times Learning Network for high school
teachers and detailed information about how each of the institutions of
democracy (the courts, the Congress, the presidency, the press and the
schools) affect the issue.
    
Grade Level: Middle School, High School, College

Government Information

www.firstgov.gov

The U.S. government is the largest single source of information in the world.  This site makes finding government information much easier.  This is a search engine for public government information.

Bill of Rights Institute   
http://www.billofrightsinstitute.org/

Bill of Rights Institute has a large selection of free lesson plans available to teachers looking for a way to bring the Bill of Rights and the Constitution to life. Primary Source Activities, Citizenship and Character Lessons, and Historical Narratives offer new ideas for the study of the amendments to the U.S. Constitution and how those  amendments affect U.S. society.

Grade Level: Middle School, High School, College
Content Area: History & Social Studies (U.S. History/Government/Human Rights)

 

Ben's Guide to U.S. Government for Kids
http://bensguide.gpo.gov/
Created by the Government Printing Office, this well-designed site
introduces children to how the government works. It covers the U.S.
Constitution, how laws are made, the branches of government, and
citizenship. The site is divided into sections aimed at age groups K-2,
3-5, 6-8, and 9-12, with a separate section for parents and educators.
It also includes games and activities, e-mail for kids to ask questions
of Ben Franklin (the first public librarian) and extensive links to
other government related sites.
Grade Level: Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle School, High School
 

Diamond Ranch  
http://www.cowboyhalloffame.org/diamondr/index.html

This site by the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum contains
colorful characters and a variety of activities for young children
including songs, games, reading and coloring.
Cowboy Jack and Dusty Trails teach and entertain as children enjoy a
visual ride through the museum and interact with cowboys from the
Diamond R Ranch to learn the code cowboys live by....honesty, integrity
and plain hard work.

Grade Level: Early Childhood, Elementary

Cases & Materials on American Federalism 
http://www.agh-attorneys.com/3_camo_contents.htm

This site contains materials used in American Government Courses at
Purdue University Calumet. K-12 & college-level teachers will find it
useful. The site contains a glossary, a timeline, historical documents
(American, British, and English), review questions, edited court cases,
other materials, and links to other free resources.

Grade Level: High School

Congress in the Classroom

Congress in the Classroom is a national, award-winning education program
now in its tenth year. It is sponsored by The Dirksen Congressional
Center located in Pekin, Illinois in cooperation with Bradley
University, Peoria, Illinois, and is dedicated to the exchange of ideas
and information on teaching about Congress. More information on the
program and training can be found at
http://www.pekin.net/dirksen/CiCapplication.htm .

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American History

Animated Atlas: Growth of a Nation
http://www.animatedatlas.com/movie.html

Kids Dig Reed
http://www.kidsdigreed.com/

Teach Vietnam: Echoes from the Wall 
http://www.teachvietnam.org/

Echoes From The Wall is a real wealth of resources. Lesson plans may be
accessed through the Teachers' Guide link on the Educators page. The
curriculum is broken down into six modules: Escalating Involvement in
the Vietnam War, Conflict on the Home Front, Those Who Served, The
Vietnamese and Vietnam, The Wall as Healer and The Legacy of the Vietnam
War. Each module contains a series of activities that may be used
individually or as a whole. Lesson plans  may be downloaded from the
site and printed for educational purposes. Other segments include
interactive timelines, first person stories, and much more. Take time to
familiarize yourself with the site! Sponsored by Vietnam Veterans
Memorial Fund.

Grade Level:  Elementary, Middle School

Voices from the Past (Oral History Webquest)
http://oldsegundo.com/webquests/voices_from_past/student-home.htm

An oral history project for students in grades 6 through 12 created by
Enola Boyd. In this webquest, students follow oral history processes to
contact and interview a World War II veteran or person alive during the
World War II era. They then use the information to write a script for an
historical documentary to be submitted to Old Segundo Productions for
consideration for documentary production.

Grade Level:  Middle School, High School

Famous Trials
http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/FTrials/ftrials.htm

An interesting resource from Doug Linder, faculty, University of
Missouri Kansas City. A straight-forward homepage full of thumbnails
that lead to various trials throughout history. From Socrates to OJ
Simpson, you'll find timelines, photos, excerpts from the trial, maps
and other pertinent materials. You also find thought-provoking sections
such as Exploring Constitutional Conflicts nad Searching for Evil. But
wait,There's More will lead you to other trial links.

Grade Level:  Early Childhood (K-2), Elementary, Middle School, High

 

Valley of the Shadow

 http://jefferson.village.virginia.edu/vshadow2/

Two communities in the American Civil War.

The Race to Build the Atomic Bomb 
http://www.cccoe.k12.ca.us/abomb

Just theory in the late 1930's and not funded until the end of 1941, a
collection of American and expatriate scientists race to build the first
atomic bomb. In four short years it is developed and causes an end to
World War II. This web site looks at the people and science that made it
possible while providing resources, lesson plans and research tips. Keep
scrolling right or use the arrows to see the content. Click on links to
expand content. (added 1/19/03, reviewed 1/19/03)

Grade Level:  Elementary, Middle School, High School 

 

The Great Debate and Beyond: History of Televised Presidential Debates
http://www.museum.tv/debateweb/html/index.htm
 
The Great Debate contains four main sections: 1) Great Debate:
Kennedy-Nixon debates of 1960; 2) Televised Debate History 1960-1996; 3)
Television: video commentary, essays and other items that highlight the
impact of television on politics; 4) Curriculum Resources: lesson plans
and activities that promote learning. Produced by The Museum of
Broadcast Communications in Chicago, Illinois.

Grade Level: Middle School, High School

Early America.com 
http://earlyamerica.com/

A wealth of newspapers, documents, maps and images is available from this site, which focuses on the late 18th to early 19th Centuries in the United States. Younger students will enjoy the movies, which use artwork and documents of the time to tell the stories behind "The Real Face of George Washington" and "The Treason of Benedict Arnold." Especially helpful is the page "How to Read a 200 Year Old Document." For older students, this site houses the scholarly journal "The Early America Review." Try your hand at the online crossword puzzle.

Colonial Williamsburg 18th-Century Living History Museum
http://www.history.org/history/

From the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, the History site is broken
down into sections: Teacher Resources, Electronic Field Trips, History
Explorer, Clothing, Gardens, Archaeology, and more. Within each section
is a rich assortment of lesson plans, pictures, recipes (see "What's
New"), and information about daily life. The Electronic Field Trips look
interesting; but they are not free. You can check out a sample web
adventure from the Field Trips at
http://www.history.org/History/teaching/sample/adventure.cfm

Grade Level:  Early Childhood (K-2), Elementary, Middle School, High

 

The First Thanksgiving (Scholastic Inc)
http://teacher.scholastic.com/thanksgiving/

Students explore the voyage on the Mayflower, the relationship between the
Wampanoag and the Pilgrims, and the events that led up to the harvest feast
celebrated by both groups. An intimate perspective is provided by
"interviews" with Pilgrim interpreters playing the roles of actual Pilgrims
and a modern-day Wampanoag descendant. This site includes several different
sections for exploration including: Picture Time Line, Voyage on the
Mayflower, Plimoth: 1621, Thanksgiving CyberChallenge, and a Teacher's
Guide. The Teacher's Guide includes: assessment and rubrics, learning
objectives, description of components, lesson suggestions, project text,
national standards, cross curricular extensions, and more resources.

Grade Level: Elementary

 

Atlanta 1906: A Race Riot
http://www.wpba.org/atlantariot1906.html

Four decades after the Civil War had left Atlanta in ashes, the city had transformed itself into the gateway of a new, enlightened and racially progressive South. But in the fall of 1906, the city was convulsed by a
deadly race riot - one of the worst of the Jim Crow era. This is the  story of how Atlanta descended into four days of mob violence - an event that stymied race relations for the next fifty years. A beautiful site
that contains six chapters with photos and hyperlinked content within each page. There is also an interactive timeline and an interactive map (click on the dates to see events).

Grade Level: Elementary, Middle School, High School
 

Eye Witness - History Through the Eyes of Those Who Lived It

www.ibiscom.com

Take a look at major events in history through the eyes of eyewitnesses, using personal letters and essays.

Grade Level, Middle and High School

U.S. National Archives:  The Digital Archives

www.archives.gov

This site gives teachers and students access to online historical documents.

Grade Level: Middle and High School

USHistory.org's Congress of Web Sites

www.ushistory.org

This site features American history with a focus on Philadelphia during the Colonial years and the Revolutionary War.

Grade Level: Elementary, Middle, High School

Discovering Lewis & Clark     
http://www.lewis-clark.org/

This is an ever-growing Web site currently containing more than 1,400
pages. The centerpiece of Discovering Lewis and Clark is a nineteen-part
synopsis of the expedition by historian Harry Fritz, illustrated with
selections from the journals of the expedition, photographs, maps,
animated graphics, moving pictures, and sound files. You can also
navigate through Discovering Lewis and Clark by using the "Discovery
Paths" or the "Journal Excerpts" menus. The word-search utility can be
used to find references anywhere in the text. (added 10/4/02, reviewed
10/7/02)
Grade Level: Middle School, High School, College

Campfire Stories with George Catlin: An Encounter of Two Cultures   

http://CatlinClassroom.si.edu

This site presents and interprets hundreds of George Catlin Catlin's
artworks from the Smithsonian American Art Museum's permanent
collection.  Campfire Stories uses art, artifacts, and primary source
texts to bridge American history, geography, art appreciation,
environmental conservation, and multicultural studies. The site and its
lesson plans were developed in consultation with a panel of teachers.

Grade Level:  Middle School, High School
 

American Memory - The Library of Congress

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/

American Memory is a gateway to rich primary source materials relating to the history and culture of the United States. The site offers more than 7 million digital items from more than 100 historical collections

Best of History Web Sites   
http://www.besthistorysites.net/

This U.S.-based website reviews some of the best history websites
available. Top level categories include Prehistory, Medieval, U.S.
History, Early Modern European, 20th Century, World War II, and Art
History. Many of the websites are past Blue Web'n picks, but sometimes
it's just good to have more.

Grade Level: Elementary, Middle School, High School
Content Area: History & Social Studies (General) 

Weedpatch Camp   
http://www.weedpatchcamp.com/

This site is a wonderful companion to John Steinbecks Grapes of Wrath.
While writing the book, John Steinbeck visited Bakersfield, California
and based his book on Arvin Federal Government Camp which he portrayed
as "Weedpatch Camp." This site includes the history and pictures of the
camp as well as personal reminiscences and music of the time.

Grade Level: Middle School, High School

Appalachian Power   
http://www.appalachianpower.com/

The goal of this site is to help sustain, preserve and enhance the
Appalachian Heritage culture and to raise awareness of the individualist
spirit that has sustained this region. The site includes first-person
interviews with settlers who have struggled through coal mine tragedies,
union wars, floods, and industrialization and de-industrialization to
help form
the modern Appalachia. It paints a unique portrait of mountain people in
their own words.

Grade Level: Middle School, High School

 

The Currency Gallery 
http://www.currencygallery.org/

The Currency Gallery is an on-line museum that contains images of U.S.
paper money and provides the history of U.S. currency. This site is easy
to read and the images are very clear.  Students could use this site to
research the history of U.S. currency and see wonderful images of the
currency.  This site also includes information about the printing
process. 

Grade Level: Middle School, High School
 

Cases & Materials on American Federalism 
http://www.agh-attorneys.com/3_camo_contents.htm

This site contains materials used in American Government Courses at
Purdue University Calumet. K-12 & college-level teachers will find it
useful. The site contains a glossary, a timeline, historical documents
(American, British, and English), review questions, edited court cases,
other materials, and links to other free resources.

Grade Level: High School

The History of Jim Crow 
http://www.jimcrowhistory.org/home.htm

This site was designed by teachers and presents teachers with new
historical resources and teaching ideas for the Jim Crow years.  At this
site, teachers will find historical essays, personal narratives and
lesson plans.  In addition, the site contains an image gallery, an
American literature book list for middle school, high school, and
college-level students; and an interactive encyclopedia that offers
users access to terms, people, and events relating to the history of Jim
Crow. This site is funded by New York Life and teachers are paid for
contributions.

Grade Level: Middle School, High School
Content Area: History and Social Studies (US History) [Dewey #973],

The Magpie Sings the Great Depression   
http://newdeal.feri.org/magpie/

This website presents almost 200 poems, articles, and short stories and
many graphics and photographs from The Magpie, literary magazine of
Dewitt Clinton High School, encompassing the years 1929 to 1942. Have
students catch a glimpse of student life in New York City during the
years of the Great Depression and the power of literacy magazines.

Grade Level: Middle School, High School, College
 

An Uncommon Mission  
http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/mission/index.html

For more than two hundred years, the twenty-one California Missions have
helped shape California state history. View paintings of the Missions
created by Father Jerome Tupa, explore the history of the missions, and
look at historic structures a new way. Spanish translations will soon be
available. Activities accompanying the paintings target vocabulary, the
arts, and history. This website is sponsored by SBC Pacific bell and Mervyn's.

Grade Level: Elementary, Middle School, High School

National Geographic Magazine  
http://www.nationalgeographic.com

View Sites & Sounds, a multimedia special, and listen as Author Tom
Allen takes you back to the days leading up to the Normandy invasion.
Or, learn about public lands of the United States, and experience
breathtaking photos, games and activities
(http://www.nationalgeographic.com/geographyaction/backyard/). National
Geographic has so much to offer on their website, it would take days to
explore.

Grade Level: Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle School, High School,
 

CensusScope  
http://www.censusscope.org/

CensusScope is an easy-to-use tool for investigating U.S. demographic trends. Students can use it to better understand graphs and the power of explaining complex data in a graphic form. Maps are used to demonstrate demographics on a county-by-county level.

Grade Level: Elementary, Middle School, High School, College, Adult/Professional

The Gilder Lehrman Insitute of American History   
http://www.gliah.uh.edu/index.cfm

U. S. History teachers will appreciate the wealth of resources at this
site, created by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of New York.Supplement
your existing materials with some of the activities and information on
this site: primary sources on slavery, Mexican American and Native
American history, lessons that focus on human elements of rebellion and
change, and a visual archive with hundreds of historical maps and
images.

 

The Hurricane of '38   
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/hurricane38/index.html

Look back in time with this PBS site to study the science and history of
this massive hurricane. The survivor accounts of the storm can be
harrowing, so they might not be appropriate for younger students. Lesson
ideas are available in the areas of history, economics, geography, and
civics.

Grade Level: Elementary, Middle School, High School
 

American Centuries: Views from New England   
http://www.memorialhall.mass.edu/

American Centuries features a digital collection of approximately 1,800
objects from Memorial Hall Museum and Library of Deerfield, MA. 
Teachers will want to access the excellent curricula for Elementary or
Middle School students. Activities include transcribing primary sources
and training young eyes to observe artifacts of the past.

Grade Level: Elementary, Middle School, High School
 

American Currency Exhibit   
http://www.frbsf.org/currency/

Money hasn't always looked like it does today. Explore the Federal
Reserve Bank of San Francisco's American Currency Exhibit online and
watch history come alive as you step back in time to our nation's
beginning. Learn how the United States' rich history is closely tied
with our currency.

Grade Level: Elementary, Middle School, High School
 

American Folklore   
http://www.americanfolklore.net/

Created as part of a master's project, this site makes folktales from
different U.S. states easy to find. Users can also find stories about
famous characters, tales from different times in U.S. History, and some
ethnic tales. This website is a great introduction to storytelling
traditions.

Grade Level: Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle School, High School
 

Great American Speeches 
http://www.pbs.org/greatspeeches/
Eighty years worth of great speeches are captured here, as well as some
interesting exercises for students of speech and American History. The
Critics Corner features Richard Nixon's Checkers' Speech, as well as
background information, and links within the speech to explain the
context of specific words or terms used in the speech. If you watch
excerpts of Presidential speeches on tape, you should have students try
Could You Be A Politician, where they get a chance to read from a mock
teleprompter while looking honest, sincere, and trustworthy. Some trick!
Several more activities to liven high school and college classrooms.

Grade Level: Elementary, Middle School, High School, College, Adult/Professional

 

America's Story from America's Library 
http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi
Think of this as the Library of Congress, light. Let students of American History explore this colorful site to find out tidbits about history, culture and the people of the United States.

Grade Level: Elementary, Middle School

 

Mount Rushmore: American Experience  
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/rushmore/

This online exhibit chronicles the planning, design, implementation and
minutiae of Mount Rushmore, the U.S. monument commemorating four
presidents. Between January 1, 2002 and May 24, 2002, American
Experience is holding an essay contest with this topic question:  "If the
Park Service ever were to add an inscription to Mount Rushmore, what do
you think it should say?" There is also an activity for students to
design a memorial commemorating the September 11, 2001 terrorist
attacks. These activities, as well as activities in the disciplines of
civics, history, economics, and geography can be found under Teacher's
Guide.

Grade Level: Elementary, Middle School, High School

 

The State Report Section of ClassBrain   
http://www.statereports.com


Although it is the ideal for students to consult many resources for state reports, teachers really need to be aware of what's on the web. Classbrain has assembled state report resources for all those students (and parents) doing reports on U.S. states. Templates, clipart and other resources are available here. The websites gathered for each state include the official state websites, so this will be a place to start for many students.

Grade Level: Elementary


 

The Jamestown Online Adventure  
http://www.historyglobe.com/jamestown/

Put your students in the situation of landing in the New World and
making all the decisions needed to found a colony. This simulation lets
them decide where to land, what to do when they get there, and even how
many will be required to do hard labor. There are online helpers in the
form of the London Company's Instruction and a Native American neighbor.
Players will be scored as to how well they fared given the choices made,
and will review what actually happended in Jamestown. This activity
requires Flash version 5 or higher.

Grade Level: Elementary, Middle School

 

Inventors Museum 

http://www.inventorsmuseum.com/museum_map.htm

This online resource has different categories than other inventor sites.
African American, Colonial, and women inventors are featured, as are
communication inventions, medical inventions, and transportation
technology. The fun and games directory has inventions from the sport of
golf. Take the Inventors IQ Test for fun.

Grade Level: Elementary, Middle School, High School, College, Adult/Professional
 
 

Graphic Design from the 1920s and 1930s  
http://www.travelbrochuregraphics.com/

Trying to set the scene for the writings of F. Scott Fitzgerald or the
rise of Adolph Hitler? This is an online gallery created to share a
collection of 1920s and 1930s travel-related ephemera (printed matter of
passing interest).

Grade Level: High School, College, Adult/Professional

 

The Civil War at the Smithsonian  
http://civilwar.si.edu/home.html

The Smithsonian in Washington D.C. looked through it archives, and in
some cases, its own history as an institution, and created this online
resource about the Civil War.  Digitized images cover slavery and
abolition, the weapons and leaders of the war, and the life and culture
of the times.

Grade Level: Elementary, Middle School, High School

 

Underground Railroad   
http://www.undergroundrailroad.org/

This website supports the mission of the National Underground Railroad
Freedom Center in Cincinnati. The section on Slavery's Past is
interesting. One feature (Places) is a clickable map showing locations
of railroad stops. Another is the People section that contains stories
of the work of people involved in the abolitionist movement and the
Underground Railroad. Students can add locations or stories to these
areas. Freedom Today will pose various questions to visitors of this
website and allow them to respond.

Grade Level: Elementary, Middle School, High School, College, Adult/Professional

 

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 World History

Mysteries of the Nile
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/egypt/

Greek Medicine (National Institute of Health)
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/hmd/greek/index.html

Cleopatra: A Multimedia Guide to the Ancient World
http://www.artic.edu/cleo/index.html

Cleopatra: is an interactive guide to the Ancient Art Collection of The
Art Institute of Chicago. Cleopatra, queen of Egypt from 51 to 30 B.C.,
embodied the three great cultures of the ancient Mediterranean region:
she was Greek by birth, ruled Egypt as its queen, and lost her kingdom
to Rome. To see the "Close-up" views of the Ancient Art objects, their
"Stories" and listen to the Glossary pronunciations you will need
QuickTime. Includes printable lesson plans for grades 4 thru 12
(http://www.artic.edu/cleo/Teachfolder/LPMainSearch.html).

Grade Level: Early Childhood (K-2), Elementary, Middle School, High
School

Welcome to the Mary Rose
http://www.maryrose.org/

Come and explore Henry VIII's great warship and meet some of the crew in
this website! Hear the crew talk, find out about the objects found on
the wreck, try your hand at the quizzes, then print out an activity
sheet to do afterwards. A second site,The  Learning City, is based on
life aboard the Mary Rose. Even if you're not studying history, there
are some great pictures and information on these sites. Note: requires
Internet Explorer 5+  Teachers guide at
http://www.maryrose.org/explore/resources/teachernotes.htm

Grade Level: Elementary, Middle School, High School

 

Eye Witness - History Through the Eyes of Those Who Lived It

www.ibiscom.com

Take a look at major events in history through the eyes of eyewitnesses, using personal letters and essays.

Grade Level, Middle and High School

Exploring Ancient World Cultures

http://eawc.evansville.edu/index.htm

Takes a look at a number of civilizations of old, including Egypt and Rome.

Grade Level, Middle School, High School

The Great Buildings Collection

www.greatbuilding.com

Architecture around the world and across history in a multimedia encyclopedia documenting 1,200 buildings and architects.

Grade Level, Elementary, Middle, High School

Open Hearts / Closed Doors 
http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/Exhibitions/orphans/english/

Beautiful, primary source site in both English and French. The stories
of Holocaust orphans who came to Canada after World War II. The Site
consists of three sections: 1) Orphans' Stories: text and graphics, as
well as audio and video comments by the orphans themselves; 2) Themes:
historical context (before the war, the Holocaust, liberation,
displacement, the journey); 3) Learning Resources: material for their
further study including Teacher's Guide and lesson ideas, Artifacts
Collections, complete transcripts of all of the war orphans' memoirs,
and a Glossary. (added 10/4/02, reviewed 10/7/02)
Grade Level: Elementary, Middle School, High School

Best of History Web Sites   
http://www.besthistorysites.net/

This U.S.-based website reviews some of the best history websites available. Top level categories include Prehistory, Medieval, U.S. History, Early Modern European, 20th Century, World War II, and Art
History. 

Grade Level: Elementary, Middle School, High School
Content Area: History & Social Studies (General) 

Gabriel: Gateway to Europe's National Libraries
http://www.kb.nl/gabriel/

This site includes 41 European national libraries from the 39 countries
represented in the Conference of European National Librarians (CENL).
Gabriel offers information on their services and online exhibitions. 
Students can visit online exhibitions such as 'Treasures from Europe's
National Libraries' and 'Treasures from the World's Great Libraries' 
These online exhibitions are organized by topics such as 'People and
Politics' and 'Science and Inventions.'

Grade Level: Middle School, High School

California Academy of Sciences: Anthropology Collection Database   
http://www.calacademy.org/research/anthropology/collections/collintro.htm

Searching for Anthropological artifacts is a snap with this website. Choose Search the Database, then choose the category. Be sure to check the box for image if you want the items returned in your search to
include an image. For a test, try the category Raw Materials, check image, then take a look at some of the materials humans have used in their creations.

Grade Level: Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle School, High School,
Content Area: History & Social Studies (Anthropology) 

Rulers  
http://www.rulers.org/

This site contains lists of heads of state and heads of government (and de facto leaders not occupying either of those formal positions) of all countries and territories, going back to about 1700 in most cases. You can find lists by month of the comings and goings in national governments from 1996 to the present. This is a great resource when studying government structures in different nations.

Grade Level: Elementary, Middle School, High School, College,
 

Renaissance Secrets   
http://www.open2.net/renaissance2/doing/doing.html

A joint offering of the BBC and Open University, this website explores
four mysteries from a historian's point of view. Although built to
support a television series on the BBC, teachers can use this site to
explore conspiracy, medicine and inventions in Renaissance Europe. Use
this site to trigger a discussion of overlooked careers and standards in
historical research.

Grade Level: Middle School, High School, College
Content Area: History & Social Science (World History)
 

Silk Road Seattle  
http://depts.washington.edu/uwch/silkroad/index.shtml

Silk Road Seattle is an education project using the "Silk Road" theme to
explore cultural interaction across Eurasia from the beginning of the
Common Era (A. D.) to the Sixteenth Century. Translations of primary
texts are available.

Grade Level: Middle School, High School
Content Area: History & Social Studies (World History)
 

Akhet Internet: The Horizon to the Past 
http://www.akhet.co.uk/
A major site out of the United Kingdom, covering ancient Egypt in all
its glory. Learn about the Art of the Afterlife, Grave Goods, Mythology,
and Monuments and Tombs. Let your students explore the Clickable Mummy.
While studying about the rulers of Egypt, they will learn more about
day-to-day lives of the Egyptian people.

Grade Level: Elementary, Middle School, High School

 

WorldSkip.com 
http://www.worldskip.com/
If you ever wanted to move to a foreign country and needed a way to check it out ...this is it! A very easy to use index of websites from countries around the world. Choose a country from a specific region to find information about local news, business, economics, travel, and activities. This site would be especially useful for foreign language and social studies teachers.
Grade Level: Middle School, High School, College, Adult/Professional
 

Canadian Timeline   
http://www.micromedia.on.ca/Timeline/TIMELINE.htm

This timeline of important dates in Canadian history is browseable by
date or type of event. Great for comparison to other timelines found in
Blue Web'n, such as the timeline of milestones found on the Explore D.C.
website at http://www.exploredc.org.

Grade Level: Elementary, Middle School, High School

 

First Among Equals 

http://www.nlc-bnc.ca/2/4/index-e.html

First Among Equals is an online version of an exhibit on the twenty
Prime Ministers of Canada. Students can learn about the role of each
Prime minister, the path they take to gain power, and even their private
lives during and after they've been elected.

Grade Level: Elementary, Middle School, High School
 

The National Library of Australia : World Treasures   
http://www.nla.gov.au/worldtreasures/

Have students explore the contributions of world cultures in this online
exhibit. Lessons in the teacher's section supports the online materials.
Each treasure lists the museum that houses it; an interesting
supplemental activity would have students uncover how foreign museums
ended up with another culture's treasure.

Grade Level: Elementary, Middle School, High School
 

National Archives Learning Curve
http://learningcurve.pro.gov.uk/

Do your students need to know more about the Cold War, Great Britain
during WWII or political reform in Britain during the 19th Century? The
National Archives of the UK has created a site that contains resources
and a proposed online library of teacher lessons and student work. Look
under Snapshots for activities based on visual sources from the national
archive.

Grade Level: Middle School, High School, College, Adult/Professional
 

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Current Events

Columbia News Video Briefs Archive
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/news/media/03/index.html

From Columbia University, Office of Public Affairs, an archive of brief
annotations, video clips, and related links on a variety of current
events. You can use either Real Player or Quicktime to view the videos.
Not an attractive site; but could be useful in the classroom as an
introduction or explanation on a current event.

Rebuilding Iraq (Scholastic Inc.) 
http://teacher.scholastic.com/scholasticnews/indepth/war-iraq/
 
Lots of information including Latest News; New Government; Humanitarian
Needs; During the War; Path to War; History of Conflict; country info,
activities, and lessons. Information is broken down into manageable
chunks for students and picks up on some topics not covered by other
sources.

Grade Level:  Elementary, Middle School, High School

Justice Learning: Civic education in the real world
http://www.justicelearning.org/index.htm

Justice Learning is an innovative approach for engaging high school
students in informed political discourse. The web site uses audio from
the Justice Talking radio show and articles from The New York Times to
teach students about reasoned debate and the often-conflicting values
inherent in our democracy. The web site includes articles, editorials
and oral debate from the nation's finest journalists and advocates. All
of the material is supported by age-appropriate summaries and additional
links. In addition, for each covered issue, the site includes curricular
material from The New York Times Learning Network for high school
teachers and detailed information about how each of the institutions of
democracy (the courts, the Congress, the presidency, the press and the
schools) affect the issue.
    
Grade Level: Middle School, High School, College
 

CNN Student News

http://fyi.cnn.com/fyi

News for students and resources for teachers.

Grade Level: Elementary, Middle, High School

Iraq (from the U.S. Department of State)
http://usinfo.state.gov/regional/nea/iraq/

Still haven't found that great all-in-one Iraq site but this one pulls
together most of what's currently taking place in a newspaper-like
format with lots of links to resources. Also available in Arabic,
French, and Spanish. (added 10/25/02, reviewed 10/25/02)

Grade Level: Middle School, High School
 

Conversations with History  
http://globetrotter.berkeley.edu/conversations/

It's often difficult to find primary source material. Here you will find
a collection of interviews with men and women from all over the world.
"Guests include diplomats, statesmen, and soldiers; economists and
political analysts; scientists and historians; writers and foreign
correspondents; activists and artists. The interviews span the globe and
include discussion of political, economic, military, legal, cultural,
and social issues shaping our world. At the heart of each interview is a
focus on individuals and ideas that make a difference." In some instances, you will find
multimedia clips that can be played in the classroom. Produced by the
Institute of International Studies, UC Berkeley. (added 10/14/02,
reviewed 10/14/02)
        Grade Level:    High School, College   
 

 

Global Connections: Putting World Events in Context  
http://www.pbs.org/globalconnections

Global Connections: Putting World Events in Context, produced by public
broadcasting station WGBH, is a new Web site designed to provide the
background information needed to understand events occurring in the
Middle East. Users can view this site either through a timeline
containing events that span the past 100 years or by looking at single
themes such as economics or religion. This site was designed
particularly for educators and contains lesson plans, activities, and
connecting questions which pose higher-level inquiries.

Grade Level: High School

Rulers  
http://www.rulers.org/

This site contains lists of heads of state and heads of government (and de facto leaders not occupying either of those formal positions) of all countries and territories, going back to about 1700 in most cases. You can find lists by month of the comings and goings in national governments from 1996 to the present. This is a great resource when studying government structures in different nations.

Grade Level: Elementary, Middle School, High School, College,
 

Portals to the World  
http://www.loc.gov/rr/international/portals.html

The Library of Congress provides these links to countries for country reports, travel, and genealogy. Larger countries have bigger, more diverse hotlists (more links to information).

Grade Level: Elementary, Middle School, High School, College,
Adult/Professional

Aneki.com: Country Information, Regional and World Rankings  
http://www.aneki.com/index.html

Aneki.com provides a site that can be very helpful for middle and high
school students doing research on countries around the world. This site
is easy to navigate and provides statistical facts, figures, rankings
and general information for over 190 countries in Africa, the Middle
East, Europe, Asia, North America, Central America, South America, and
Oceania.

Grade Level: Middle School, High School

 

Mondo Times   
http://www.mondotimes.com/

Mondo Times is a web site devoted to mass media around the world. This
service provides access to over 13,000 media outlets available online,
organized by location and topic. Links to media in every country can be
found in the left column on the main page. Some links lead to newspapers
in different languages, or those that require a subscription.

Grade Level: Middle School, High School, College, Adult/Professional

 

1st Headlines 
http://www.1stheadlines.com/
Current Events coverage for the US and International media sites. This site includes links to individual stories in most major newspapers and network news websites. Users can also browse current stories in the business, health, sports, technology, or travel sections, or even by topics such as the olympics, animals, education, fires, aviation, etc.

Grade Level: Elementary, Middle School, High School, College, Adult/Professional

CensusScope  
http://www.censusscope.org/

CensusScope is an easy-to-use tool for investigating U.S. demographic trends. Students can use it to better understand graphs and the power of explaining complex data in a graphic form. Maps are used to demonstrate demographics on a county-by-county level.

Grade Level: Elementary, Middle School, High School, College, Adult/Professional
 

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Teacher

PowerPoint98 in the Classroom 
http://www.actden.com/pp/

An eight-unit tutorial for K-12 teachers on how to use PowerPoint98.
You'll learn about toolbars; laying out, saving, and moving your
information; text; animation; transitions; as well as ways to teach your
students to use it. This tutorial is part of a larger site created by
actDEN which currently offers seven software tutorials, produced in
conjunction with Microsoft K-12 Education.

Grade Level:  Middle School, High School,

eThemes
http://emints.more.net/ethemes/search.html

DiscoverySchool.com Lesson Plans
http://school.discovery.com/lessonplans/

Part of the larger DiscoverySchool.com Teacher Section, you can find
hundreds of original lesson plans, all written by teachers for teachers,
organized by subject, grade, or both. A side menu and a drop-down menu
make browsing easy. Covers a wide range of subject for grades K-12.

 

Graphics Library Index
http://www.jsmagic.net/free/

Direct links to free graphics of the sort we're always looking for. In
return for providing a link back to the site, you may use any of these
graphics. According to the site, these images have been collected from
various newsgroups and public domain sources, and all are believed to be
free of copyright (always a good idea to double-check). Sections
include: African American related, Out West, Kith 'n Kin (vintage
graphics), "Hot" Desktop Wallpapers, Backgrounds, School Daze, Creature
Corner, Baby Book, and Seasonal.

Grade Level: Early Childhood (K-2), Elementary, Middle School, High
School

 

Facts for Features (US Census Bureau)
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/factsheets.html

A handy cheat sheet for locating statistical information on a narrow range
of topics. Each Facts for Features consists of a collection of statistics
pertinent to a particular holiday or special observance; they serve as
background for reporters who write or broadcast feature stories. The data
are gleaned from demographic and economic subject areas across the Census
Bureau. In some instances, there are also links to related quotes and sound
bytes. It is not comprehensive and cannot be searched. A good place to look
when you need a quick item or two about a holiday, women, an ethnic group,
or special populations (like grandparents!)

National Council for the Social Studies

www.socialstudies.org

The official site for the National Council for the Social Studies

Social Studies Education Network

http://busboy.sped.ukans.edu/~soess

This sites features information on anthropology, economics, geography, history, political science, sociology, etc.

Grade Level: Elementary, Middle, High School

History/Social Studies for K-12 Teachers
http://www.execpc.com/~dboals/boals.html

The major purpose of this home page is to encourage the use of the World Wide Web as a tool for learning and teaching and to provide some help for K-12 classroom teachers in locating and using the resources of the Internet in the classroom

Reference Desk

www.refdesk.com

Fill with access to information on thousands of topics.  An indispensable resource for both teachers and students.

Discovery School History
http://school.discovery.com/schrockguide/history/histg.html

Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators.  An extensive list of web sites for social studies teachers.

Pro Teacher

http://www.proteacher.com/

Lesson plans, materials, ideas

Marco Polo

http://marcopolo.worldcom.com/

The MarcoPolo program provides no-cost, standards-based
Internet content for the K-12 teacher and classroom,
developed by the nation's content experts. Online resources
include panel-reviewed links to top sites in many disciplines,
professionally developed lesson plans, classroom activities,
materials to help with daily classroom planning, and powerful
search engines.

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