Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

Developed by the National Japanese American Historical Society, this page is a well-organized meta-list of lessons relating to the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. The lessons include material for all grade levels, and they address the historical, literary, and constitutional aspects of these Americans' experiences. Today's students can learn much from this experience.

tag(s): constitution (96), japan (57), japanese (47), world war 2 (161)

This web site is from the PBS production of the same name, and is based on the book A History of US by Joy Hakim. It offers a multi-episode look at the achievements and tensions that have shaped the evolution of the United States throughout its history. The site includes timelines, quizzes, and numerous images in addition to the narrative text. The activities and videos require Flash, but the information is worth a visit.

tag(s): africa (148), african american (115), tolerance (8)

This National Park Service page offers dozens of lesson plans based on American historic sites and events. While all are ostensibly for grades 5-12, these vary widely in their complexity, and teachers will need to determine the actual utility of these for their classrooms. There are enough options here, however, that those interested in American history should routinely check for curriculum connections.

tag(s): african american (115), american revolution (82), archeology (28), civil rights (209), civil war (139), hispanic (36), immigration (68), lincoln (66), migration (45), native americans (109), politics (118), spanish (109), war of 1812 (15), women (150), world war 1 (77), world war 2 (161)

This useful listing from the National Park Service offers state-by-state summaries of important (and less important) Civil War battles. These include many skirmishes that never make the history texts, but could have particular interest if they took place near your school. This site could also be useful for students working on research papers related to the Civil War.

tag(s): battles (18), civil war (139)

This is a collection of images showing lifestyles of about a dozen different Native American tribes. The text and descriptions are minimal, and the site seemed sluggish when we tried it. If you're looking for examples of different Native cultures, however, these would be a good start.

tag(s): india (32), native americans (109)

The Life magazine collection on this gettyimages site offers many thematic collections of images from the 1930s through the 60s. While all are copyrighted, they provide elegant illustrations of what life was like in the mid 20th century. Try this one if you need illustrations for a lesson unit or subject area.

tag(s): air (102)

The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation's site offers presentations on the seven designs submitted for reclaiming the area once occupied by the World Trade Center buildings. You can view slide shows for each proposal and read the architects' descriptions of how their design best meets the LMDC's three-part goal.

tag(s): architecture (75), sept11 (18)

This remarkably well-organized site provides extensive background, chronological, and biographical information on the people and events of World War I. While the writing is best suited to high school or undergraduate students, the time lines and other features could be useful to younger students studying this time period.

tag(s): england (50), france (41), german (49), germany (28), russia (36), world war 1 (77)

This site's eclectic collection of photos from ghost towns in the American west offers both history and some excellent photos. While the curriculum connections may be sparse, these images give a sense of what life was like in these mining and farming towns more than 100 years ago.

tag(s): gold rush (15), pioneers (9)

What is the proper role of international courts in keeping world order? This site from the American Radioworks series examines the precedents, premises, and problems inherent in using international law to punish war criminals and keep the peace internationally. AP high school students will find this one a challenging issue. There is plenty of information to learn and discuss on this site.

tag(s): courts (20)

Here is a collection of original letters and other manuscripts written by those who settled the farms and prairies of Wisconsin. Secondary teachers teaching Wisconsin state history may want to make use of some of these first-hand accounts of pioneer life. The site would also be a great resource for teachers building an interdisciplinary "life on the frontier" unit.

tag(s): pioneers (9), primary sources (117), wisconsin (5)

The library at the University of Miami has put together this collection of letters from Calvin Shedd, a Union soldier from New Hampshire who spent much of the Civil War in Florida. They will be interesting to history teachers interested in teaching with original source materials, and to those interested in studying the Civil War from a personal perspective.

tag(s): civil war (139), florida (12), new hampshire (3)

The Social Studies Research Council has collected an impressive collection of essays and articles on topics relating to the aftermath of 9/11 and American foreign and domestic policies since then. Thematically indexed, it offers a wide range of perspectives on issues such as balancing personal freedoms and national security. AP government, social studies, and history teachers will find this one especially useful.

tag(s): constitution (96), freedom of speech (14), speech (69), terrorism (41)

This online exhibit from the New York State Museum uses drawings, text, and illustrations to show how the Mohawk built villages and dwellings. There are also firsthand accounts, plans for a model longhouse, annotated illustrations, and examples of artifacts. This could be a useful site for study of Native American tribes and cultures.

tag(s): native americans (109), new york (24)

This Library of Congress exhibition showing historic photos of children probably has some academic application. We've included it, however, as an eloquent statement of why children are important, and why teachers teach. Try showing one of these pictures to your class and asking them to write about what the child in the picture might be thinking or doing.

Welcome to the Library of Congress' photo archive. This site offers a searchable database containing thousands of photos all almost any subject. History and social studies teachers will find this a rich resource for "what was life like then?" images, old maps, and other printed matter. Note that not all of these images are guaranteed "copyright free," but this collection was established largely for educational and research uses, so most images are freely usable in that context.

tag(s): air (102), maps (220), posters (43)

Created by the White House, this "inside look" starts with several historical, humorous tidbits about family life in the White House, and then moves on to many wonderful collections to investigate. All of the collections have photos, images and interviews. There are also a number of historical tidbits scattered through the site - just enough to show how the nation's first home has changed over the years. Add this one to your list of "What's it really like???" sites.

tag(s): white house (16)

This site from the National Park Service shows several historic sites associated with Hispanic culture in the U.S. It can also lead to an appropriate selection of lessons from the NPS Teaching with Historic Places series. These lessons are a nice way to integrate Hispanic themes and contemporary accounts into an American history unit.

tag(s): hispanic (36), national parks (29), resources (84), spanish (109)

This site from the National Park Service shows several historic sites associated with Native Americans. It also leads to an appropriate selection of lessons from the NPS Teaching with Historic Places series. These lessons are a nice way to integrate Native American themes and contemporary accounts into an American history unit.

tag(s): india (32), native americans (109), resources (84)

Part of the National Park Service "Teaching with Historic Places" series, this site uses the Manzanar Japanese-American internment camp as a starting point for an exploration of the internment activities that took place during World War II. As with other lessons in this series, the lesson asks students to interpret archival photos and draw conclusions from the images and contemporary accounts of the internment.

tag(s): japan (57), japanese (47), world war 2 (161)