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The Lost Museum - American Social History Productions
Grades
8 to 12
2 Favorites
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The Lost Museum is a 3-D re-creation of P.T. Barnum's American Museum. This pre-eminent cultural institution of 19th century America was mysteriously destroyed by fire on July 13, 1865....more
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The Lost Museum is a 3-D re-creation of P.T. Barnum's American Museum. This pre-eminent cultural institution of 19th century America was mysteriously destroyed by fire on July 13, 1865. Roam freely among the four digitally re-created rooms. Move your mouse left and right or up and down when arrows indicate, to move around the room. Click"hot spots" indicated by a question mark "?" to access some of the vast number of items and exhibits Barnum displayed in his museum. Animations and close-up views reveal much of what the contemporary visitor to the museum might have experienced. An archive link appears beneath the museum window when viewing an item that has related documents in the Archive for viewing. Be sure to visit the classroom portion of the site for further materials and resources providing background on the social, cultural, and political history of antebellum and Civil War America. This interactive emphasizes issues of race, gender, reform, immigration, sectionalism, and popular culture. Several teaching activities are available with titles such as Fame and Fortune: The Marketing of Celebrity and The Debate Over Women's Roles in Public. This site mentions that it is not optimized for use on a Safari browser. You also must enable your pop-up windows.
In the Classroom
View this site on your interactive whiteboard and use the teaching activities as a supplement to information in the museum. Divide students into groups to complete the different activities. Have groups share their information usingScreencast-o-matic, reviewed here, or Screencastify (Chrome app), reviewed here, to make narrated recordings about information they find on this site.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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CurriConnects Book List: Immigrants and Immigration - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12
1 Favorites
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Use this CurriConnects list to find books about immigrants, immigration, and the American immigrant experience. Include this list while studying Ellis Island, periods of immigration,...more
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Use this CurriConnects list to find books about immigrants, immigration, and the American immigrant experience. Include this list while studying Ellis Island, periods of immigration, or multiculturalism in the U.S. CurriConnects thematic book lists include ISBN numbers for ordering or searching, interest grade levels, ESL levels and Lexiles'® to match with student independent reading levels to challenge, not frustrate. Don't miss other CurriConnects themes being added regularly.
tag(s): book lists (162), immigrants (33), immigration (63)
In the Classroom
Allow students to select books at their own level to understand immigrants and how their own ancestors may have felt upon arriving in the U.S. Perhaps have them write a blog post as if they had just arrived. Have students meet in literature circles as they discuss these books or hold an immigration day where students share the experiences they have read and how immigrants contribute to the many cultures in the U.S.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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GETeach - Josh Williams
Grades
2 to 12
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This cool, teacher-made tool shows Google Earth in two side by side windows for easy comparison and contrast --without loading any software. Drop downs on each window turn layers ...more
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This cool, teacher-made tool shows Google Earth in two side by side windows for easy comparison and contrast --without loading any software. Drop downs on each window turn layers on and off. Click Choose an Earth to move between Physical Geography, Human Geography, Historical maps, and the CIA Factbook. Explore various kinds of geographic and demographic data within this menu. You can even find earth science topics such as plate tectonics. Use Fetch An Earth to enter a KML or URL to load other Google Earth files. Not familiar with Google Earth? Learn more in our review. This handy tool offers use of Google Earth's basic tools and layers without installing Google Earth, a very handy advantage if you are not able to load software on your computer.
tag(s): data (147), earth (184), latitude (10), longitude (9), map skills (56), maps (207), plate tectonics (20)
In the Classroom
Use side by side Google Earth to teach geography or simply give location context to class readings or current events, especially on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Keep the earth's "big picture" open on one side as you zoom in to investigate on the other. Or arrange side by side comparisons. Example: compare the peaks scaled by Lewis and Clark or volcanoes that rise in the Aleutians. Compare various locations for global warming, compare of volcano activity, or a history of immigration. Compare historic maps from different time periods to show how countries and boundaries change. Turn layers on and off from Choose an Earth or onscreen options to look at population centers and transportation systems. Teach the concept of scale/proportion using a visual experience on an interactive whiteboard with the scale and measurement tools. Use one window to show human geography and the other window to show items from the CIA Factbook for comparison. Have students hypothesize connections between geographic features and statistics about human development.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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My Immigration Story - R. Ramos Y Sanchez
Grades
8 to 12
5 Favorites
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This site shares real immigrants' personal tales of coming to America. It also shares helpful resources for immigrants. Read unique stories about the many immigrants. With a simple...more
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This site shares real immigrants' personal tales of coming to America. It also shares helpful resources for immigrants. Read unique stories about the many immigrants. With a simple click, a box opens to share a story in writing. Writers only need a name (even just a first name), address, and email address (optional) to register. Also included on the site is an NPR interview with the creator of the site, indicating the site is not political, just a vehicle for allowing immigrants to share their concerns and triumphs. Other features of the website include an interesting quote from Benjamin Franklin concerning the public view of immigrants of his time, and many compelling photos of immigrants from all around the world. This site does include some minor advertising.
tag(s): immigration (63), migration (44), writing (317)
In the Classroom
Have your ESL/ELL students share their stories here (with permission from parents) when doing a biography writing unit. Have all students search for stories of immigrants whose ethnic background resembles their own. Have each student choose one story to read about and share a quick multimedia project with the class, such as a simple online posters using PicLits (reviewed here). Use stories from this site as a writing prompt for a poem or essay about an aspect of immigrant life, asking students to put themselves in the immigrant's shoes.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Ellis Island Records - Ellis Island Foundation
Grades
6 to 12
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Created by the Ellis Island Foundation with assistance from the genealogy experts in the Latter Day Saints Church, this site has become instantly popular. Its online database lets you...more
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Created by the Ellis Island Foundation with assistance from the genealogy experts in the Latter Day Saints Church, this site has become instantly popular. Its online database lets you search for immigrants who passed through Ellis Island between 1892 and 1924. Viewers will be interested in the sections on the history of American immigration, as well as the "American Histories" section, which shows how people have traced their own ancestry.
tag(s): ellis island (6), immigration (63), migration (44), new york (22), states (122)
In the Classroom
This would be a great site for your flipped or blended classroom. Engage students by having them do a little research on their family, or some one a parent knows whose family immigrated through Ellis Island. Enhance learning by challenging students to create blogs sharing what their learning and understanding using Telegra.ph, reviewed here. With Telegra.ph you just click on an icon to upload images from your computer, add a YouTube or Vimeo, or Twitter links. This blog creator requires no registration.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Image Detective - Library of Congress
Grades
5 to 12
11 Favorites
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In this activity, you select a photo from a topic of interest. Topics include: Immigration, Cities, Industrialization, The West, Leisure and Amusement, Progressive Reform, Woman & Suffrage,...more
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In this activity, you select a photo from a topic of interest. Topics include: Immigration, Cities, Industrialization, The West, Leisure and Amusement, Progressive Reform, Woman & Suffrage, Children, and World War I. Next you create a story background for the photo you have chosen. Select a question to answer on each page or create your own question about the photo. Click to the next screen to gather clues as you mouse over different sections of the photo and type in information gained from observing closely. Another screen yields background information on the photo. In the second to last screen, combine the clues in order to safely draw conclusions about the information the photo provides. A comparison screen at the end lets you see information others have deduced from the photo.
tag(s): logic (165), photography (118), scientific method (47), world war 1 (73)
In the Classroom
Share the photos on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Use the series of steps on this activity to teach students the skills of observation, deduction, and drawing intelligent conclusions. Have students do this activity in pairs in a computer lab. The steps are available to use on paper or printable in pdf format, so students can select their own mystery photos and create a similar activity away from the computer. ESL/ELL students can benefit from using the steps in this process. Images will help them understand material better, and they can also create their own presentations. Have students bring and exchange mystery photos; see if the conclusions they draw match the family stories the photo owners have. Science teachers can use this photo activity to teach about scientific method and, in particular, making observations. Start with the offerings on this site, then try it with more "scientific" images.
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National Underground Railroad Freedom Center - National Underground Railroad Freedom Center
Grades
6 to 12
3 Favorites
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The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, located in Cincinnati, Ohio, offers this site with resources about slavery, past and present. Although a portion of the site is designed...more
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The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, located in Cincinnati, Ohio, offers this site with resources about slavery, past and present. Although a portion of the site is designed specifically for visitors to the Center, there are good resources and lesson plans on the Underground Railroad, the problem of modern day slavery, and human rights. The site also has a good section on the special challenges of doing genealogical research on families who have experienced slavery.
tag(s): genealogy (8), slavery (76), underground railroad (12)
In the Classroom
Use the lesson plans (found under Learn and Educator Resources) in your own preparation, and make this site available to students who are doing research on the Underground Railroad. If your class is doing any family tree research as a part of a discussion on immigration, this site may be useful to students who have ancestors who were enslaved. Have students create a family tree using an online tool such as Family Tree Creator, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Great Debates in American History - Peter Pappas
Grades
9 to 12
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This collection of downloadable PDF documents provides lesson plans, handouts, and text readings to accompany the twelve units in Daniel Boorstin's A History of the United States...more
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This collection of downloadable PDF documents provides lesson plans, handouts, and text readings to accompany the twelve units in Daniel Boorstin's A History of the United States Daniel (Needham: Prentice-Hall, 1989). Though the materials are very traditional (paper, pencil), the concepts demand a more thoughtful, sophisticated approach to U.S. history via essential questions. The units are intended to serve as support materials for debates in one of several formats explained in the Overview document.
tag(s): bill of rights (28), constitution (88), foreign policy (12), immigration (63), migration (44)
In the Classroom
Teachers do not need to start from scratch to develop the themes, nor do they need to be using Boorstin's book to use these activities. Use these handouts and themes to prompt traditional debates or challenge student teams to prepare position videos or multimedia presentations using resource images and texts both from these files and from public domain files and other resources from the Library of Congress. Invite your students to choose from the many multimedia tools on the web to present their position. See the TeachersFirst Edge for reviewed suggestions including Image Annotator, SchoolTube. or TeacherTube for videos, or podomatic for audio-only arguments. Embed the products on your class blog or wiki and let classes vote on the debate "winners."
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ScribbleMaps - Scribble Maps
Grades
2 to 12
10 Favorites
0 Comments
Use this tool to "draw" on and label any map available through Google Maps, including maps of the night sky! No registration or email required! Create a colorful, personalized map ...more
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Use this tool to "draw" on and label any map available through Google Maps, including maps of the night sky! No registration or email required! Create a colorful, personalized map with added scribbles and labels. Add your choice of placemarker labels for geology locations, people, etc. There are even little icons available to use. Your drawing or "Scribble Map" is then available to share by URL, email, or print. Slightly more savvy users can download, save as a KML file (readable in Google Maps or Google Earth), or embed the map in another site. The tools include sharing the map on Facebook and Twitter, as well. Add images by pasting in their URLs. Drawing tools include lines, circles, place pointers, text labels, and color/size/transparency controls for all tools. Place pointers can be edited by selecting them (arrow tool), then clicking the small pencil. This site does include Ads and all the normal controls of Google maps, including satellite, map, terrain, hybrid views and Night Sky. See a sample Scribble Map created by the TeachersFirst editors (drag the map with your mouse!). Explore the tools and MENU options at the top left when you start out. Try the different Maps views (lower right) and zoom controls. Search for a starter location using the search at the top left, just below the tools. There is no help available, but it is easy to do basic maps. Share, save, etc. by clicking Menu (top left). When you first save a map, it will ask you to create a password for that map to use to edit it later. Note that if you SAVE a map and share it by URL, those accessing it will be able to use the tools and change the map. If you want them to see it without changing it, you will need to embed it in a blog, wiki, or other web site. The map ID can be changed and customized by simply typing in your own choice of ID when you are saving the map.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): directions (12), geology (64), landforms (37), landmarks (18), map skills (56), maps (207), space (214)
In the Classroom
Students and teachers will want to keep a written record or map URLS and passwords for future reference. Model this for students so they do not lose hours of work! Teachers can prepare partially-made maps or maps for students to make corrections and changes by giving the students the URL, then having them SAVE the map with a NEW ID. To SAVE the map with a new name and URL, click "Save map" in the menu, then enter your OWN map ID. Students could use a code including their initials, such as SJ12-3-09 for a map made by Sally Jones on Dec 3, 2009. Teachers should PASSWORD protect their originals so changes can only be saved under a new name. Similarly, if a student saves the map with a map password, they don't have to worry about other students vandalizing their work. But they DO need to remember the password! Wise teachers will keep a class list of maps and passwords for forgetful students! In primary grades, make maps of your local community together on your interactive whiteboard as you teach basic map skills. Create your own "key" with symbols you choose for playgrounds, etc. Have students help map locations of favorite playgrounds, grandparents' houses, stores, etc. as they gain basic understanding of map skills. Make sure you allow students to operate the tools! Save the map and share it as a link from your class web site (or embed it there). Keep names generic so it is "safe." Other ideas to challenge gifted student beyond the curriculum or elevate challenge for small groups include: natural resource maps, immigration maps, maps of civil war battles day by day, maps of key sites in the life of a famous person, artist, or author, maps of the settings in a novel, landform maps of a continent or state, "My life" maps of places important to an elementary student's family, annotated watershed maps of pollution sources, maps of the water cycle, maps of constellations in the night sky created by students to demonstrate understanding, maps of a dream community to be built in a vacant area (desert), including the water sources, etc. that will be needed, maps of a redesigned city/town on top of its current map. Teachers can provide map challenges or templates to be completed or corrected, including maps where students must label distances and cardinal directions between points (using map scale and skills). Or provide a teacher-created map with labels in the wrong places for students to correct the landforms, resources, etc. What will YOU do with Scribble Maps?Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Google Earth - Google
Grades
K to 12
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Bring the world into your classroom with Google Earth. This interactive view of the Earth (and more) is available on all web browsers. Find landforms, geographic locations features,...more
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Bring the world into your classroom with Google Earth. This interactive view of the Earth (and more) is available on all web browsers. Find landforms, geographic locations features, pictures, and more from around the world using this satellite-powered software. As you spin the globe, you can tilt to view locations at an angle to show elevation, click to play a "tour" or "fly" from one location to another, or simply open tours and placemarker files created by others. Once you are comfortable, try making tours and placemarkers of your own.
tag(s): climate (81), earth (184), landforms (37), landmarks (18), news (229), oceans (149)
In the Classroom
Use tutorials from this site to learn more, or try some Google Earth files from TeachersFirst's Globetracker's Mission to get a taste of what the program can do. Get started by exploring the different LAYERS available in the left side and searching a location you know. Locate and try the tools to drag, tilt, zoom, and even measure distance. Extensive user forums are available through the help menus.Placemarker files created by you "live" on the computer where you make or save them and are not shared on the web. Note that your computer will ask whether you wish to save your "temporary places" (any places you have marked during a session) each time you close Google Earth. If many students use that computer, you may find you have a disorganized mess of saved places. Be sure to direct students to either name their saved places logically and file them into folders or NOT to save them to My Places! Students and teachers can create placemarker (.kmz or .kml) files and share them as email attachments, files on a USB "stick," or any other means you would use to share a file, just like a Word document.
Another practical tip: if students are using Google Earth on several machines at the same time, you may put a heavy load on your school network. Plan accordingly, perhaps having groups alternate their Google Earth time if it becomes sluggish.
Use Google Earth to teach geography or simply give location context to class readings or current events, especially on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Ex. you can tilt to show the peaks scaled by Lewis and Clark or volcanoes that rise in the Aleutians. Have students show the locations of historic events or literary settings and create placemarkers with links to learn more. Placemarker text is editable by going to the placemarker's "properties" or "info," so students can enter the text description, place title, and any inks they want to include, such as a link to a certain passage of text, an image of a character, or news image/article for a current events map. Students who know html code can get even more sophisticated in what they include in placemarkers. Have students/groups create and play a "tour" of critical locations for global warming, a comparison of volcanoes, or a family history of immigration. Navigate the important locations in a work of literature using Google Lit Trips or search the web for placemarker files connected to civil war battles, natural resources, and more. Turn layers on and off to look at population centers and transportation systems. Teach the concept of scale/proportion using a tactile experience on an interactive whiteboard and the scale and measurement tools. See more ideas at the teacher-created Google Earth 101 wiki reviewed here. Even if you do not venture into creating your own placemarker files, there are many already made and available for use by teachers and students. TeachersFirst's Globetracker's Mission includes a weekly file to follow the Mission.
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Geni - Everyone's Related - Geni, Inc.
Grades
4 to 12
1 Favorites
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This tool allows you to create an interactive family tree. Once you are registered, you can easily create a family tree. You are able to include family member's birth-dates, death-dates,...more
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This tool allows you to create an interactive family tree. Once you are registered, you can easily create a family tree. You are able to include family member's birth-dates, death-dates, email addresses, pictures, video clips, and more. This site also has the capacity to create timelines for births, deaths, weddings, divorces, education, occupation, and other important events and information.
tag(s): family (52), genetics (76), immigration (63), migration (44)
In the Classroom
This site is fairly simple to use. Join the site (free) and log in. Navigation of the site is simple. Click on Tree to start your family tree (or Timeline to use that free resource. For the family tree, arrows are provided to add family members. The arrows pointing up indicate a parent, arrows to the left or right are used to add a wife/husband or brother/sister, and arrows pointing down are used to add a son or daughter.This site allows users to set-up their family tree or timeline as PRIVATE. It allows you to control who can and can't view your profile, family tree, and other information. For more information about this feature, visit the Settings link (on the top right corner). Before you plan your family tree project, be sure to get parental permission.
Possible Uses: Use this site to create family tree projects in elementary or middle school classes. Have high school students create family trees as part of an immigration unit studying patterns in social studies classes. In science class, have students create fictitious "people" as they study genetics. With younger students, create a class timeline sharing important dates for individuals (i.e. birthdays) and class dates (field trips, tests, or other special events). Have students share their family trees on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Be sure to "advertise" this project on your class website (and newsletter, if applicable) so students have time to gather names, birthdates, and other information about family members. In world language classes, have student create a family tree using the correct vocabulary for relatives and talk about it as they share it on the interactive whiteboard. When researching famous people, reading biographies, or even reading literature have students create a family tree illustrating their discoveries about their famous person, writer, artist, musician, explorer, literary character, etc.
Edge Features:
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Includes Interaction w general public/ public galleries with unmoderated content
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Products can be embedded
Products can be shared by URL
Multiple users can collaborate on the same project
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in Our Own Backyard: The Hidden Problem of Child Farmworkers - AFT
Grades
8 to 12
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This site presents facts, video, activities, and thoughtful questions about the treatment of migrant children today in the U.S. Help students learn first hand about social problems,...more
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This site presents facts, video, activities, and thoughtful questions about the treatment of migrant children today in the U.S. Help students learn first hand about social problems, the possibility of social change, the role of legislation, critical thinking, and the power of original documents.
tag(s): immigration (63), migration (44)
In the Classroom
Use this site as a launch point for debates, class discussion, or student projects on the history of labor, the contributions of minorities in American life, and the hot current events discussions of border control. Consider this topic for possible social action projects or political letter-writing and more. Examples of projects other classrooms have created are available on the website as well as teacher testimonials on teaching about child labor.
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Teaching about Japanese-American Internment - ERIC
Grades
9 to 12
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ERIC was a government-sponsored clearinghouse for educational resources that has recently lost funding. This site maintains some of the files from the ERIC database, and in this case,...more
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ERIC was a government-sponsored clearinghouse for educational resources that has recently lost funding. This site maintains some of the files from the ERIC database, and in this case, focuses on resources relative to the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II. It includes some very helpful suggestions for explaining this process to students and placing it in a larger context of civil rights, immigration, and the study of World War II.
tag(s): civil rights (198), japan (56), japanese (47), racism (76), world war 2 (151)
In the Classroom
Teachers have to walk a fine line between helping students see history as it was experienced at the time, and showing them what we may have learned from those events. This site can assist with the difficulty of discussing the blatant racism of Japanese-American internment while acknowledging its presence in American history.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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NewsHour Extra Lesson Plan: Immigration Reform - PBS
Grades
6 to 12
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This lesson plan provides a framework for discussing immigration from multiple points of view. Check out the left menu for materials you will need, and there are links to a ...more
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This lesson plan provides a framework for discussing immigration from multiple points of view. Check out the left menu for materials you will need, and there are links to a partial transcript of a NewsHour segment that features the voices of immigrants from different countries. There is a good set of essential questions for discussion related to the issue of immigration. The focus of the lesson is that life experiences shape attitudes toward immigration, and that there are many points of view. Students are encouraged to role play a point of view different from their own. Finally, there is a quick quiz (and Key) that could be used to establish prior knowledge about immigration. On a topic that can be highly emotional, this lesson simply lays out the viewpoints, rather than taking sides.
tag(s): immigration (63), migration (44)
In the Classroom
The essential questions (labeled "My Point of View, parts 2-3") are a nice guide for helping students see this issue from multiple backgrounds.
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World Mapper - World Mapper
Grades
6 to 12
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What would a world map look like if countries and continents were sized not by land area, but by population, number of elderly, various type of imports, or emigration? ...more
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What would a world map look like if countries and continents were sized not by land area, but by population, number of elderly, various type of imports, or emigration? This site presents dozens of cartograms - or density-equalizing maps - in which each country is resized according to a specific variable. Each map is accompanied by a downloadable Excel file and a printable poster.
tag(s): immigration (63), maps (207), migration (44), population (48)
In the Classroom
Use this site as an anticipatory set or "activator" to introduce a unit or lesson on a projector. The population maps would be extremely useful for any class discussion on the world use of resources, and the financial disparities that exist among nations. Use the animations provided on the interactive whiteboard or projector to show students the demographic differences between nations. World Mapper is an wonderful addition to any geography,civics or social studies class, particularly during units on the UN, natural resources, world conflict, and economic disparity.
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Interactive Tour of Ellis Island - Scholastic
Grades
6 to 8
6 Favorites
0 Comments
This site gives students a very personal glimpse of the Ellis Island experience through the eyes of the more than 40 million immigrants who passed through its doors. Vintage photographs,...more
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This site gives students a very personal glimpse of the Ellis Island experience through the eyes of the more than 40 million immigrants who passed through its doors. Vintage photographs, videos, and audio interviews document each step of the process, and provide a riveting account of this period in American history. The video takes time to download and uses the Quicktime plug-in. Get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.
tag(s): ellis island (6), immigration (63), migration (44)
In the Classroom
On its surface, this site appears to be simply a "virtual tour" of Ellis Island. However, the Teacher's section contains a good deal of information on how to create an on-site, interdisciplinary immigration experience for students. There are tips on content, involving parents, and other aspects of the project. Well worth a look if you're studying this time period or immigration in general.Use this site as a learning center or station. Open the site on the interactive whiteboard or projector to introduce it to students, before allowing them to explore the site in groups. Note: portions of this site have audio, so be sure to include headphones.
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Picturing Modern America 1880-1920 - Educational Development Center, Inc.
Grades
6 to 12
1 Favorites
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American society experienced a tremendous amount of change and growth during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. This site is filled with primary source images from the...more
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American society experienced a tremendous amount of change and growth during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. This site is filled with primary source images from the Library of Congress and interactive exercises that bring the era to life. The "Image Detective" activity is especially impressive. After selecting a picture from the collection, students are presented with a critical question and guided through the process of gathering clues, reading background information, and drawing conclusions. The Investigations link challenges students to interact with visual sources to gain perspective and understanding. This is an outstanding resource for strengthening skills in historical research and critical thinking! The Exhibit Builder link apparently no longer functions, but students can copy images under Fair Use (check the collection information) to create a slide show or exhibit using images from the site and their own explanatory text.
tag(s): 1900s (73), 1920s (15), history day (40), immigration (63), industrialization (11), womens suffrage (44), world war 1 (73)
In the Classroom
Use this site as an in class activity for various units in your classroom, including the early 1900's, immigration, the roaring 20's, etc. Have students complete their investigations in pairs, having a class competition to see who can get the most right! A very fun way to review and encourage critical thinking skills.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
2 Favorites
0 Comments
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): air (105), railroads (14), transportation (32)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the free lesson plans and activities hosted on this site! Most detail specific ways to use the site itself in a lesson & would compliment a unit based on transportation and the effect of technologies such as railroads and the automobile.
This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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Americas Award for Children and Young Adult Literature - CLASP
Grades
3 to 12
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Here's a collection of outstanding books by Hispanic authors and/or about Hispanic themes for children and young people. Teachers and librarians may find this list helpful in selecting...more
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Here's a collection of outstanding books by Hispanic authors and/or about Hispanic themes for children and young people. Teachers and librarians may find this list helpful in selecting appropriate or attractive titles for their students. Click the title to see a description; some will have a classroom unit with reading levels and standards. Not only are the yearly winners listed here, but you can search by several categories such as Immigration, Civil Rights , Artists, Musicians, and Writers, various Latino countries, and several others. Clicking the category will produce a PDF you can take to the library or send home to parents.
tag(s): book lists (162), hispanic (28), reading lists (79), spanish (105)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the free unit plans and classroom activities within the "resources" section of the page. Explore through these resources to find one to add a multicultural perspective to your history or language arts class. Be sure to save the site as a favorite to allow for easy reference later on.
This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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Project Vote Smart
Grades
6 to 12
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0 Comments
One of the more complete election sites, Vote Smart offers a wide array of campaign information at federal, state, and local levels. There are also backgrounders on the election process,...more
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One of the more complete election sites, Vote Smart offers a wide array of campaign information at federal, state, and local levels. There are also backgrounders on the election process, the Electoral College, and election laws and voting.
tag(s): college (46), elections (80), electoral college (22)
In the Classroom
Use this site on a projector or interactive whiteboard to discuss and informally assess prior knowledge as you start your study of representative democracy. Select a few choice politicians from your state through the "Issue Positions" section. This activity would work even better if politicians selected were representative of your local area or hometown. Seperate students into groups and have them research the politicians based on certain issues. We recommend using issues such as crime, guns, and immigration. Have students compare and contrast the politicians stance to voting records in their area, or teachers can have students vote on the issues just in their classroom to determine their own "public opinions." Have the groups compare the public opinion to the voting record of the politician via venn diagram. Use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram, reviewed here. Have students use their results in a class discussion of the pros and cons of a representative government. Where are potential problems? What are the benefits? This would be extremely useful in a AP Government or Civics course.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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