Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

Find interactives, podcasts, tool kits, lesson plans, original paintings from the Convention, and more at this great resource.

tag(s): constitution (96)

The Library of Congress has collected original writings by settlers and explorers in California during the period 1850-1900. Indexed by author, subject, and title, this site offers lots of starting points for talented students interested in using primary source materials for research in history or social studies.

tag(s): california (17), explorers (64), gold rush (15)

An Archivist's approach to early American documents and related information. A unique array of original newspapers, maps and writings come to life on screen just as they appeared to our forebears more than 200 years ago. These archival materials-- forming as they do a historical record of a significant time in the American experience-- are displayed in their original formats. Special Features: Material from 18th Century America-- all displayed digitally. Historic early American documents, trivia, life in Colonial times, Colonial crossword puzzle.

tag(s): colonial america (95), primary sources (117)

This site, created by the Virginia Historical Society, provides a look at recent archaeological activities around the site of the original Jamestown fort and settlement. In addition to descriptions and a number of photos, the site offers additional links to other sites dealing with Jamestown and early English settlements in Virginia.

tag(s): explorers (64)

This site from the Florida Bureau of Archaeological Research provides pictures, downloadable Abode Acrobat files, and discussions about life in Florida from pre-history through the present. There are sections on ancient cultures, sunken Spanish ships, and many other topics, each presented in enough detail for high school level research papers.

tag(s): explorers (64)

This site provides students with several options in order to fully explore the era known as the Westward Expansion. "Events In The West" is an interactive timeline tracing events from ancient times to the early twentieth century. "Places In The West" is an interactive map covering the territory and times. "Tour The West" contains a multimedia guide which follows the eight-part PBS documentary series. For students completing research reports, I recommend clicking on " Archives of The West" which contains materials including memoirs, journals, letters, photos, and transcripts used in creating the documentary.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): westward expansion (39)

Ghost towns are a great "hook" to get students interested in how and why frontier towns were settled, and the reasons those towns died out - sometimes only a few years later. This site has ghost towns indexed by state, with maps and a brief history of each town. Visually interesting history with a different twist.

tag(s): gold rush (15), westward expansion (39)

Scroll over the images to read about them.

tag(s): westward expansion (39)

A detailed, text-heavy account of the formation and history of the pony express mail service in the western United States. What this site lacks in visuals it more than makes up for with its collection of colorful stories about the owners and riders in this uniquely American communication service.

tag(s): westward expansion (39)

This site provides background information, timeline, and illustrated explanations of what happened during the gold rush. Originally intended to accompany the PBS documentary, the site can also be useful for those who do not have access to the video. If you choose to use the video, there are lesson plans and handouts to use before and after viewing. The A "Fun Facts" section of information is interesting for all.

tag(s): gold rush (15), westward expansion (39)

A look at fur trading in the Rocky Mountain west.

tag(s): westward expansion (39)

This site from the University of Virginia provides an edited version of Lewis & Clark's journals recounting their two-year journey to the Pacific and back. Good site for students interested in primary sources.

tag(s): explorers (64), lewis and clark (14), westward expansion (39)

This is the web site for Ken Burns' PBS series on the travels of Lewis and Clark. It provides a significant resource for studying the explorers' travels, along with study suggestions.

tag(s): explorers (64), lewis and clark (14)

Drawn from the Smithsonian's history of the U.S. Postal Service, this page of Gold Rush stories includes narrative and pictures explaining how people arrived in Alaska and traveled inland to stake their claims in the gold fields. The site is remarkable more for its variety of original sources than for its visual effects, but there's a lot to learn here.

tag(s): alaska (21), gold rush (15)

The University of Virginia's Daniel Boone site provides a discussion of the roles of Boone as both an "empire builder" and a primitivist. Interesting site for a student interested in how historical characters acquire mythic proportions.

tag(s): heroes (24), westward expansion (39)

Here's a well-designed "labor of love" PDF that introduces a trail used by cattlemen. Along the trail, you'll learn why the Missouri ranchers didn't like the Texas ranchers and other vital facts. There's serious history in all this, and the narrative makes it interesting to read.

tag(s): westward expansion (39)

The web site from the historical monument offers a description of the events that happened there and the larger story of the Texas independence movement.

tag(s): native americans (109), westward expansion (39)

This newsletter with a Native American slant includes articles, stories, and information about Native American culture, customs, holidays, and heroes. The texts include pictures and maps. Subject matter varies, and publication appears to be sporadic. Still, it's a nice collection of different materials.

tag(s): native americans (109)

Though this site spends much time discussing the inaccuracies of Euro-centric portrayals of Native Americans and their housing, its detailed descriptions of the form and function of several different housing types are well worth a visit. The visual material includes drawings, archival photos, and artwork by Native Americans showing the way they lived in a variety of climates. Privately published.

tag(s): native americans (109)

This Library of Congress exhibit contains dozens of photographs made of Native Americans in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The collection concentrates in the Pacific northwest, and was an attempt to record the cultural life of the tribes there. Though some of the images were "staged" by modern standards, these images offer a "real world" glimpse of cultures many students can only read about.

tag(s): native americans (109)