Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

Discover this interesting infographic comparing two leaders of the Civil War. Learn about Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee with comparisons of both their personal life and careers. Information also includes famous battles during the Civil War and their careers following the war. Scroll past the infographic to view sources used and additional information.

tag(s): 1800s (75), civil war (139)

Watch the growth of human population from 1 CE through 2050 with this interactive map and timeline. A five-minute video provides an overview of population growth, use the drop-down box to view the video in several different languages. Personalize your viewing experience to adjust features on the map with themes, overlays, and map dots. Click on the timeline below the map to view additional information about events throughout time. Choose the menu to find all the resources on this site, including several lesson plans.

tag(s): advanced placement (26), conservation (102), environment (252), population (51)

Discover the tens of thousands officially designated New York City landmarks with this interactive map. Landmarks include individual buildings, districts, interiors, and scenic landmarks. Also included are sites up for consideration to be official landmarks. Zoom in on the map to view items, or use the search to find specific landmarks. Click on any point to view information, then click on the included link for further details.

tag(s): 1900s (72), 20th century (62), images (263), local history (14), maps (220), new york (24), photography (130)

GeoInquiries offers standards-based collections for teaching map-based concepts. Choose from several different content topics such as Earth Science, US History, and more. Locate the complete list of available collections on the left side of the homepage. After choosing a broad topic, select a specific activity, then click to open the PDF for easy access to content. In addition to the GeoInquiries, this site also includes several additional lengthier activities including all necessary teacher and student materials.

tag(s): agriculture (49), american revolution (82), civil war (139), climate change (99), cold war (30), demographics (13), earthquakes (46), landforms (39), maps (220), minerals (13), oceans (149), population (51), rocks (35), volcanoes (55), weather (160), world war 1 (77)

This interactive based on the Ken Burns film, The Dust Bowl, takes you on a journey showing what life was like during the Dust Bowl of the southern Great Plains. Make decisions affecting your farm along the way as you "play it safe" or strive for greater profit. Take advantage of the other portions of this site, including videos, a photo gallery, and biographies of Dust Bowl survivors. The video about the Dust Bowl with Ken Burns as a guest resides on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, the video may not be viewable.

tag(s): 1930s (20), agriculture (49), roosevelt (15)

Discover, create, and share digital resources from the Smithsonian Museum, the National Zoo, and nine major research centers with this visually appealing site. Use the search feature to find digital resources including photos, recordings, videos, and text. Sign up to create your own collections, including those found on the site and your own resources. Also, click Discover and use the search bar to find topics already on the site your class is studying like dinosaurs, explorers, black history, volcanoes, etc. Add annotations and develop quizzes. Easily share your creations or curated collections using social networking links provided. If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable.

tag(s): animals (294), architecture (75), art history (102), aviation (40), black history (133), civil war (139), dinosaurs (43), explorers (64), images (263), inventors and inventions (80), Learning Management Systems (20), oceans (149), scientists (67), shakespeare (99), Teacher Utilities (197), volcanoes (55)

This collection of free streaming videos, mostly under six minutes, supports school curriculum using material from NBC News, one of the largest news archives in the world. Topics include language arts, humanities and social sciences, and parenting information. The majority of videos feature STEM content. Specific sample topics include: Mysteries of the Brain, Writers Speak to Kids, Science of NFL Football, and many others. All videos include transcripts. Some have lesson plans and/or activities which are available in a side tab in the video window when launched. Most have closed captioning, and a few have a Spanish language option. The majority of NBC Learn, the educational arm of NBC News, is fee-based. This review is for the free material.
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tag(s): brain (56), civil rights (209), news (228), olympics (45), pi (29), sports (82), STEM (297), sustainability (50), video (266)

Find five decades of the Metropolitan Museum of Art publications available for free download or online reading at this extensive public collection. Browse by keyword, date, title, or topic as you choose from over 450 available titles. Choose your publication, and then follow the links for downloading in PDF, reading online, or other options. Not all titles have all options available.

tag(s): art history (102), artists (84)

Discover and watch publicly funded radio and television programs from America's past with the American Archive of Public Broadcasting. Built as a means to preserve public broadcast programs from the 1940's through the present, over 7000 programs are available for streaming with additions ongoing. In addition to streaming programs, this site also includes curated exhibits on topics of historical significance, such as Climate Change and Voices from the Southern Civil Rights Movement.

tag(s): 1900s (72), earth (184), radio (20), religions (95), sports (82), video (266), women (151), world war 1 (77), world war 2 (161)

Learn how two ordinary bicycle mechanics changed the world with this in-depth look at the life of Orville & Wilbur Wright. Follow the timeline beginning in 1630 to learn about the first American Wright, Samuel, as he arrived in Massachusetts with the Puritans. Continue learning about the Wright family's settlement in Ohio and their work with bicycles leading on up to their famous flight at Kitty Hawk in 1903. Be sure to check out the interactive experiments, classroom activities, and lesson plans linked near the bottom of the page.

tag(s): aviation (40), flight (34), wright brothers (16)

Stay up to date with current elections and learn about the electoral process with this all-inclusive site from PBS Learning. View a short video to explore the constitution and how the government gets its power from its citizens. Scroll down the page and launch the Electoral Decoder to explore 58 past presidential elections. Another feature is KQED Call for Change Youth Media Challenge, where middle and high school students share their ideas on issues that matter to them. Be sure to scroll down the page to explore other election categories like Voting Rights, The Party System, a Current Issues and Debate toolkit, and more.

tag(s): debate (42), elections (82), electoral college (22), presidents (135), speech (69)

Explore this page from the National Park Service with a list and links for dozens of locations where significant events in the history of women in America took place. While some of these will be familiar, many are not, and the stories of how these locations were critical to changing women's roles in America could make a fascinating study. Scroll down the page to read brief biographies of these Women and click the woman's name on the right menu to read more about her and the park.

tag(s): african american (115), black history (133), national parks (29), women (151)

Learn something new each day with Highbrow's unique course delivery system. Sign up for a course, then receive an email each day with a five to ten-minute lesson. Each course is completed in ten days making learning quick and easy! Choose from many different course options in subjects such as art, literature, languages, history, tech and coding, photography, and several others. Highbrow only allows one course per user at a time to encourage complete focus on each topic. If you don't see what you like, choose the Create Course option and create your own learning experience using your expertise!

tag(s): 20th century (62), architecture (75), authors (107), business (52), differentiation (84), endangered species (27), equations (119), financial literacy (93), greeks (46), human body (93), inventors and inventions (80), logic (161), medicine (57), mental math (19), numbers (120), photography (130), poetry (193), psychology (65), short stories (18), surrealism (2), weather (160), women (151)

This toolkit provides materials for teaching social studies topics through inquiry methods. Scroll to the bottom of the page, and begin by choosing from the three-grade level bands to view available materials correlated to Common Core Standards. Each grade includes one annotated inquiry labeled with an asterisk. It is suggested to teach these inquiries first as they contain many suggestions and tips for teaching inquiry-based lessons. All inquiries include links to download in Word or PDF format.

tag(s): assessment (147), commoncore (73), professional development (385)

Mr. Moore's Classroom shares resources used in his social studies courses which include AP US History, Debate, and World History. Each content area includes a course syllabus, learning calendars, and information by unit. Some sections include more information and activities than others. Choose the Presentations link to find links to videos, Prezi presentations, and interactive games and simulations. If your district blocks YouTube, then the videos may not be viewable.

tag(s): 1700s (36), 1800s (75), 1900s (72), 20th century (62), advanced placement (26), american revolution (82), aztecs (9), civil rights (209), civil war (139), debate (42), industrial revolution (22), industrialization (12), speech (69), world war 1 (77), world war 2 (161)

Make history relevant to the world today and learn more about First Amendment issues at the same time. Find lesson plans, a multimedia collection of primary sources and artifacts, interactive tools, and worksheets. These are searchable by type, topic, collections, and time-period. The focus of the lessons is historical connections, media literacy, and civics and citizenship. There are several EdCollections with titles like "Election 2016: Stumped!?," "Making a Change," "Women, Their Rights and Nothing Less," and "Freedom in the Balance." The latter focuses on teaching and learning about 9/11 and the attacks in Paris, France 2015, and adhering to the First Amendment freedoms and concerns for safety and the public good. All of this is free with an email sign up. Check back frequently to see NewseumEd's newest EdCollections.

tag(s): civil rights (209), elections (82), evaluating sources (29), freedom of speech (14), media literacy (109), politics (118), primary sources (117), sept11 (18), terrorism (41), terrorist (12)

Histography is an interactive timeline spanning history from the beginning through 2015 (as of this review), pulling historical events from Wikipedia. Drag the bar across the timeline to any point in history to view stacks of dots representing events. Click any dot to view the event and then go to the link on Wikipedia, if desired. Use the left sidebar to view specific topics such as music or politics throughout history. Be sure to take some time to explore this site by clicking around to find other options such as "Feeling Lucky" or to expand your view using slider bars at the bottom of the graph.

tag(s): timelines (56)

Over the years Tom Richey has taught several different history courses. His site shares many of his teaching materials. Choose the Courses drop-down box to go directly to different courses including AP History, AP European History, Modern World History, and more. Each course includes assignment information, primary sources, videos, and all information needed to set up a curriculum. Click on the PowerPoint selection to find a large variety of PowerPoint presentations for free download. Other links lead to review guides, video lectures, and flashcards. Be sure to check out this site when you have lots of time to explore the many resources included! If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable.
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tag(s): advanced placement (26), american revolution (82), colonial america (95), europe (84), greece (47), israel (14), medieval (32), native americans (108), primary sources (117), renaissance (38), romans (52)

Listen to audio recordings of renowned writers and poets dating back to 1943 at this remarkable site. The audio files contain nearly two thousand recordings of participants in literary events of the Library of Congress, most digitized from the original magnetic tape reel recordings. Use the drop-down box to sort by date, title, and more. Refine your choices using the options on the left side of the homepage. Click on the audio links to listen online. Be sure to view the Rights & Access link provided with each file for fair use information.

tag(s): authors (107), biographies (94), literature (221), poetry (193)

You don't need to take an actual visit to Mount Vernon to enjoy a look at the life and times of America's first president with this comprehensive website. Choose from The Estate and Gardens or George Washington links to explore information about Washington's life and home. Each section includes full articles, including images and some videos. Be sure to check out the Educational Resources for students and teachers including lesson plans, interactive maps, animated presentations, and more.
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tag(s): american revolution (82), presidents (135), primary sources (117), slavery (79), washington (28)