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National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS)
Grades
K to 12
The mission of National Council for the Social Studies is to provide leadership, service, and support for all social studies educators.
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The mission of National Council for the Social Studies is to provide leadership, service, and support for all social studies educators.
In the Classroom
Within the Classroom Resources section of this website to look for free lesson plans and classroom activities. The lessons are organized by grade level, so be sure to pass it along to peers in other grade levels. Save this one as a favorite to allow for easy access and retrieval.The Big Wide World Webquest - The Museum of Television & Radio
Grades
2 to 6This site pulls together understanding of environment, geography, the earth and its setting in space, cultures, animals, and more. It forms a "core" for what social studies (and science)is...more
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This site pulls together understanding of environment, geography, the earth and its setting in space, cultures, animals, and more. It forms a "core" for what social studies (and science)is all about. To figure out how the "Big Wide World" works, students will work with partners to investigate one area of the world (globe, plants, people, cultures, language, animals) and come up with rules about how this area works. The individual areas join with other areas and determine how the areas relate to each other. A teacher guide included. Active X is required on some website links.
tag(s): animals (295), cultures (180), environment (252)
In the Classroom
Use this Webquest to introduce the connections between major social studies and science concepts. After students work in groups to investigate the different areas, bring the class together to share. Guide a class discussion to show how the different areas are linked and work together. Use the Relationship Wheel (see Teacher Guide) as a bulletin board to support understanding. The site information says it can be used in grades K-4, but non-readers cannot do the tasks without a reader! For independent workers, it is better suited (and quite applicable)for grades 2-6.If you do this at the start of the school year, you can revisit the overarching connections as you begin study of each sub-area so you are connecting to prior knowledge every time. Teachers in later grades could even recall the overarching questions as they continue with the study of these topics. Be SURE to put the link on your teacher web page for students to revisit throughout the year.
ReadyKids - U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Grades
2 to 6This unique site is all about being prepared for emergencies and was created by the Department of Homeland Security. The information is presented in a "Kid Friendly", non-scary manner....more
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This unique site is all about being prepared for emergencies and was created by the Department of Homeland Security. The information is presented in a "Kid Friendly", non-scary manner. Topics include "Be Informed," "Plan Ahead," "Take Action," and "Kids." There are also interactive games and resources for students, teachers, and parents. Specific emergency situations include tornadoes, hurricanes, tsunamis, fires, floods and terrorism. There are activity books in English, Spanish, and several other languages in PDF formant
tag(s): fire (22), fire prevention (16), fire safety (16), floods (10), hurricanes (32), safety (68), sun (71), terrorism (41), tornadoes (14), tsunamis (15)
In the Classroom
Get an interactive whiteboard (or use a projector) and help your class prepare for severe weather, terrorism and more. Most activities are interactive, educational and fun! Replace the paper and pen journal and enhance learning by having students to write blogs sharing information learned using a site like edublogs, reviewed here. edublogs offers tools for creating class and individual blogs. Check out the "Parents and Teachers" link for lesson plans, standards, activities and more.
This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
Dramatizing History in Arthur Miller's The Crucible - National Endowment for the Humanities
Grades
9 to 12This is a another wonderful site for the NEH that encompasses both history and literature in a study of the Salem witchcraft trials with Arthur Miller's play, The Crucible. It ...more
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This is a another wonderful site for the NEH that encompasses both history and literature in a study of the Salem witchcraft trials with Arthur Miller's play, The Crucible. It has a complete lesson plan for 10-12 days with included activities and final projects as well as lesson extensions, all in a printable format. This one is a real bonus for either English or history teachers!
tag(s): salem (5)
In the Classroom
While this site includes lesson plans for 10-12 days, it is easy to dip in and out of the activities, molding them to whatever it is you want to teach and the approach you want to take. It deals culturally with why Miller's plan "outdoes the historians" when making this history come alive as well as show the lessons in history as well as literature.How the Understanding of US History Changes - National Public Radio
Grades
9 to 12This site provides an audio file of an NPR interview with author Kyle Ward ("History in the Making") about the changing interpretation of the Mexican-American War as reflected in history...more
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This site provides an audio file of an NPR interview with author Kyle Ward ("History in the Making") about the changing interpretation of the Mexican-American War as reflected in history text books beginning just after the War up until the present. This discussion illustrates that "history" is often a reflection of the historical context in which it is written. There are also links to three more interviews on the same general topic.
Students are fascinated with the concept that their history text books might be wrong, or biased. Although the interview doesn't mention it, this discussion was also well illustrated in James Loewen's "Lies My Teacher Told Me." The seven minute interview might be quite useful in helping advanced students understand that history isn't static, and that any account of a historical "fact" should be considered in light of its context and the political perspective of the times.
Students are fascinated with the concept that their history text books might be wrong, or biased. Although the interview doesn't mention it, this discussion was also well illustrated in James Loewen's "Lies My Teacher Told Me." The seven minute interview might be quite useful in helping advanced students understand that history isn't static, and that any account of a historical "fact" should be considered in light of its context and the political perspective of the times.
tag(s): mexico (37)
In the Classroom
This site would be helpful to students preparing to do research for your class or for National History Day projects which must be developed using primary documents: to illustrate that even primary documents are subject to interpretation and cannot always be accepted at face value!Flash Earth
Grades
K to 12You may be familiar with Google Earth but may not have the ability to install their free software on your computer, either because you are not permitted to or because ...more
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You may be familiar with Google Earth but may not have the ability to install their free software on your computer, either because you are not permitted to or because your computer is not powerful enough to handle it. Try Flash Earth for a simpler tool to explore the earth as you teach geography to any age from kindergarten to seniors. Perhaps you just want to quickly show which way the Conestoga wagons crossed the U.S., or maybe to show where in the world a current events story is taking place. This simple tool, on a projector or interactive whiteboard, is just the trick.
Note: You MUST have FLASH on your computer.
In the Classroom
Use a projector or whiteboard to share a location as art of the background knowledge for a lesson. Be sure to add this link to your teacher web page as a reference tool, as well. Be aware that some world locations have much "fuzzier" satellite images than others. Always preview before your lesson to be sure you can show the features you want students to see. Show elementary students where their "neighborhood" is, perhaps even their streets!Biography Timeline Templates - National Geographic
Grades
2 to 8Biography TimeLine Templates are back-to-basics download files for creating simple timelines. With the user-friendly format for entering information, this site could be a great method...more
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Biography TimeLine Templates are back-to-basics download files for creating simple timelines. With the user-friendly format for entering information, this site could be a great method by which to begin timeline introduction lessons as well as for organizing and writing informational pieces. The timeline capability could be utilized for either autobiographies or biographies. Be prepared for the simplicity of this site. It does not contain a variety of editing options.
tag(s): time (91)
In the Classroom
Perfect for an interactive white board demonstration of time lines. A great add-on to informational pieces as an appendix, supplemental material or visual explanation. Include the time line activity as part of a social studies unit on family history or as part of research projects on authors or famous people.Virtual Seminars for Teaching English - P. Groves and S. D. Lee
Grades
8 to 12This ia a very interesting site for teaching the literature and humanities areas of WWI. You can follow interactive "paths" or create your own path. It highlights several lesser known...more
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This ia a very interesting site for teaching the literature and humanities areas of WWI. You can follow interactive "paths" or create your own path. It highlights several lesser known British poets and photographers from that time period and contains some things found nowhere else on the 'net. Some of the archives include media components, such as video that may require Flash. History teachers may want to use some of these materials to familiarize students with the culture of the times.
tag(s): literature (222), poetry (193)
In the Classroom
This could be used very easily as part of a webquestor web scavenger hunt. You could also use it in the classroom on a projector or whiteboard to show different elements or types of war poetry. Make sure you have the correct plug-ins if you are using video portions.
This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
Trading Card Maker - BigHugeLabs.com
Grades
4 to 12Create photo trading cards using images you upload or store on Flickr, Instagram, or Dropbox. Imagine having your students create study aides about famous people using images they draw...more
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Create photo trading cards using images you upload or store on Flickr, Instagram, or Dropbox. Imagine having your students create study aides about famous people using images they draw and scan or photos of themselves impersonating the famous people, such as presidents, explorers, authors, and more. If you celebrate reading by having an "author's tea," why not follow up by asking students to make trading cards for the authors they "met"? Use a similar approach for famous historical figures or even for geometric shapes you photograph with the digital camera. If students write their own "biographies" of the shapes to study from, they will learn for sure! They can even trade each other for favorites.
tag(s): book reports (28), famous people (19), images (263)
In the Classroom
Upload and tag your photo, type information, and print cards. Download finished card to your computer. Use for book reports for literature circles with each student in the group making a card for a different character in the book. This is also an excellent idea for special occasions for special people: mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, school nurse, school secretary, school custodian, favorite aunt, or anyone else! Be sure to print onto cover stock and laminate (if possible). What fabulous (and memorable) gifts. Check out the Big Huge Labs educator account. Easily pre-register students to avoid creating logins, view and download their creations, and view the site advertisement free. You will find information about the Educator Account here.The American Experience: Remember the Alamo - PBS
Grades
6 to 12Another great PBS site, this one focused on the history of Texas statehood and the battle at the Alamo. here is a timeline of the early history of Texas ...more
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Another great PBS site, this one focused on the history of Texas statehood and the battle at the Alamo. here is a timeline of the early history of Texas and interviews of the Navarro family and others. The Alamo has become one of those myths that have contributed to our sense of American history, and a dose of reality about the event is important. For example, there were survivors of the battle, and some of their stories are told here.
tag(s): texas (7)
In the Classroom
Ask students to compare several different rallying cries from American history ("Remember Pearl Harbor," "I have not yet begun to fight," "Don't shoot until you see the whites of their eyes," and "Remember the Maine") that could provide a nice overview of how society comes to embrace a war as a patriotic duty.World War One: Armistice Day - BBC
Grades
9 to 12This site contains a number of activities and videos centered on World War One. tudents can choose various weapons and try to win a mission, listen to eyewitness accounts, ...more
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This site contains a number of activities and videos centered on World War One. tudents can choose various weapons and try to win a mission, listen to eyewitness accounts, and discover various roles played by those on the homefront.
The site is clearly designed for use in British schools and comes from the British viewpoint, but could be very useful in American classrooms as well. Because our country was not part of the war theatre, it can be hard to imagine the war's impact. This site more clearly shows the impact.
tag(s): world war 1 (77)
In the Classroom
The videos other visual activites would work well on an interactive white board.NOVA Wings of Madness - PBS
Grades
6 to 12From a recent PBS Nova episode, this site deals with the early efforts of pioneer aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont. Santos-Dumont had the revolutionary idea that enabling humans to fly...more
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From a recent PBS Nova episode, this site deals with the early efforts of pioneer aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont. Santos-Dumont had the revolutionary idea that enabling humans to fly would contribute to world peace, because people would experience a new, more pure, perspective on the world from above. A contemporary of the Wright Brothers, Santos-Dumont's designs influenced modern "ultralight" planes of today. The site includes biographical information about Santos-Dumont and a very nice slideshow of failed airplane designs. Though the video clips and the interactive view of one of Santos-Dumont's planes showing its features requires flash, there is still plenty to learn here about early flight and Alberto Santos-Dumont. Under the teacher's guide, a classroom activity provides plans for various forms of paper airplanes illustrating principles of aerodynamics.
In the Classroom
Flying has always fascinated us, and flying failures are sometimes more interesting than successes. Students will know all about the Wright Brothers; they are unlikely to have heard of Alberto Santos-Dumont. The interactives are terrific and the paper airplanes would make a good hands-on activity. The readings about Santos-Dumont would also make good selections for a reading teacher trying to find motivating readings to teach comprehension strategies.Prohibition and Temperance - OSU Department of History
Grades
9 to 12From the Ohio State University history department, this site includes resources related to the prohibition and temperance movement in the US. There is a good, straightforward summary...more
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From the Ohio State University history department, this site includes resources related to the prohibition and temperance movement in the US. There is a good, straightforward summary of prohibition including hyperlinks, information about the Women's crusade against alcohol and the Women's Christian Temperance Union, and contemporary opinion pieces about prohibition. Of particular use is a series of political cartoons from the period which illustrate contemporary political viewpoints.
tag(s): 1920s (6), 1930s (20), drugs and alcohol (28)
In the Classroom
This site is best used as a supplementary set of resources for further exploration. Teachers might use some of the contemporary illustrations or narratives to expand understanding, or students working on an independent project might find the resources helpful. You could use TrackStar, reviewed here, to design a brief web scavenger hunt within the site to engage students and introduce the topic in a new way.Native American Nations - Lisa Mitten
Grades
3 to 12Find Native American nations' own sites and information in this alphabetical index by tribe(with notes as to most recent updates). ...more
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Find Native American nations' own sites and information in this alphabetical index by tribe(with notes as to most recent updates).
In the Classroom
Use this site as a resource for research papers and projects. Students can search for information about specific tribes or for information that the tribes themselves have put forward. This would be a great resource for a US history class.Native Tech: Native American Technology and Art - Tara Prindle
Grades
3 to 12This site features art and cultural information of native Americans, focusing especially on the Eastern Woodlands region. There is information on , Birds & Feathers, Clay & Pottery,...more
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This site features art and cultural information of native Americans, focusing especially on the Eastern Woodlands region. There is information on , Birds & Feathers, Clay & Pottery, Leather & Clothes, Metalwork, Plants & Trees, Porcupine Quills, Stonework & Tools, and Weaving & Cordage. Some of the text passages may be a bit lengthy, but there are also interactive ways for students to get a "hands on" feel, such as with the beadwork interactive game. The sections under Special Features are certain to make the culture come alive for elementary and middle school students.
In the Classroom
Give students a scavenger hunt to learn the basics about the culture you are studying, then allow them to try some of the interactive games, ass based on the content of the site. This would be a great way to build background knowledge while studying American history or literature that deals with Native Americans.The Laura Ingalls Wilder Companion - Annette Whipple
Grades
K to 6Discover the pioneer world of Laura Ingalls Wilder with this blog. Under "Live Like Laura" from the top menu find Activities, Crafts, Recipes, and Pioneer Living. Find blog posts and...more
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Discover the pioneer world of Laura Ingalls Wilder with this blog. Under "Live Like Laura" from the top menu find Activities, Crafts, Recipes, and Pioneer Living. Find blog posts and a few videos about the Cat's Cradle game, Gardening Activities, information about the Grasshopper Plague, Word Searches, Trivia Searches, and too much more to list here. This informative site is a must see for anyone who loves Laura Ingalls Wilder or teaches the books with all puzzles, activities, and images of people in clothing of the time and places in Laura's life.
In the Classroom
Use an interactive whiteboard or projector to introduce your students to the lovely Laura Ingalls Wilder. After introducing the site, ask students to read parts of the blog in pairs or small groups. If you are beginning the process of integrating technology, have students replace pen and paper and create their own blogs sharing their learning and understanding using Weebly, reviewed here. If you are teaching younger students and looking for an easy way to integrate technology and check for understanding challenge your students to replace pencil and paper and create a blog using Seesaw, reviewed here. Take this a step further with older students and enhance student learning by asking them to use their blog entries to create an interactive timeline of Laura's life using Knightlab's multimedia timeline creator, reviewed here.You are the Historian Investigating the First Thanksgiving - Plimouth Plantation
Grades
2 to 6Investigating the First Thanksgiving - What was it really like?? Plimoth Plantation museum offers a Flash-based Thanksgiving lesson that will introduce students to the cultures and...more
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Investigating the First Thanksgiving - What was it really like?? Plimoth Plantation museum offers a Flash-based Thanksgiving lesson that will introduce students to the cultures and customs of both the Pilgrim and Wampanoag peoples. This presentation blends information about lots of everyday activities and customs with a look at what the actual "first Thanksgiving" might have looked like. Requires Flash. A message on the site warns that traffic near Thanksgiving can make the site very sluggish and offers directions to download it to your local computer.
tag(s): pilgrims (12), thanksgiving (24)
In the Classroom
A complete teachers guide gives you ideas for using this resource in the classroom. Use a projector or interactive whiteboard to introduce the site, then assign students to complete the investigation in small groups or with a partner. You can spread the activity over several days at a computer cluster in your classroom or do it all at once in a lab.Not For Ourselves Alone - PBS
Grades
6 to 12Here you will find a PBS site connected to a Ken Burns film about Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony which contains some very nice resources on the women's ...more
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Here you will find a PBS site connected to a Ken Burns film about Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony which contains some very nice resources on the women's movement. Scroll to the bottom and view the menu item for Resources. Explore the Resource section which has lesson plans, primary documents, a photo gallery, and biographical information.
tag(s): biographies (94), women (151), womens suffrage (52)
In the Classroom
If you're looking for one site on the early women's movement or the women's suffrage movement, this one may do it. Take advantage of the lesson plans and resources therein. Once students know the history of the early women's movement, brainstorm more current information about women's rights and the women involved that could be included on this page. Have students or groups collect ideas and findings using Dotstorming, reviewed here. Dotstorming will allow students to include video, images, text, audio, voting & a chat box.Mark's Guide to Whose Line is it Anyway
Grades
7 to 12This site has an A-Z listing of all the games played on the popular TV show Whose Line Is It Anyway? as played in the original show in Great Britain ...more
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This site has an A-Z listing of all the games played on the popular TV show Whose Line Is It Anyway? as played in the original show in Great Britain and the American version hosted by Drew Carey. For the simplest games, there is just a description. For the ones that need further explanation, there are links to click on and a sample shows as the game was played with the actual script as it happened.
tag(s): literature (222)
In the Classroom
This can be a great lesson starter, particularly on those dreary days when kids don't want to work. For lower level kids, it is a brain exercise for such things as the alphabet game (which is more difficult than it first seems!). For higher level kids, you can substitute characters from literature with a situation from the story itself or from history with imaginative "what if" dialogue for actual events.Dates That Matter - TeachersFirst
Grades
5 to 12Dates That Matter provides a new perspective on history by placing each day-in-history event in a broader context and explaining its long-term impact. History is a fabric woven of many...more
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Dates That Matter provides a new perspective on history by placing each day-in-history event in a broader context and explaining its long-term impact. History is a fabric woven of many events, and Dates That Matter helps students see the full tapestry.
The dates display on a projector-ready screen: A single sentence reveals something about the date. You then click to see a sequence of thought-provoking questions to guide students to a greater understanding of interrelationships as they try to guess the actual event. When the historical event finally shows on screen, a further explanation, Why does it matter?, fills in the remaining context and offers reviewed links to learn more.
Teachers who work with low readers might try using these daily clues to teach the reading strategy of connecting what you read with prior knowledge to place new learning in context.
A full, annotated version of each date is available from the Teacher page at the end so you can plan for student responses and have hints for guiding the discussion. You can also preview upcoming dates to choose those you may want to put in your weekly plans.
tag(s): calendars (37), substitutes (25)