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The African American History Online Primary Source Collection from the Library of Congress provides educators with photographs, manuscripts, maps, and audio recordings documenting African American history. This site allows teachers to integrate authentic primary sources into lessons on topics such as slavery, the Civil Rights Movement, cultural contributions, and political activism. Students can engage in critical analysis, historical inquiry, and multimedia exploration with materials spanning centuries. The collection is ideal for fostering discussions on African American experiences, resilience, and the ongoing impact of historical events on society today.

tag(s): african american (115), civil rights (209), maps (220), multimedia (53), photography (130)

The Camilo Jose Vergara Photograph Collection on the Library of Congress website documents African American communities through a powerful time-lapse photography project spanning several decades. Vergara's images capture the evolving landscapes of neighborhoods, businesses, and cultural landmarks, providing a unique visual history of urban change, resilience, and struggle. This collection is a valuable resource for teachers looking to explore themes of community development, social change, and historical documentation. By analyzing time-lapse images, students can observe the transformation of places over time, fostering discussions on urbanization, gentrification, and the impact of historical events on African American communities.

tag(s): african american (115), communities (35), photography (130)

Discover this vast collection of historical images documenting key moments, figures, and events in the fight for civil rights. The site offers primary source materials, including photographs from protests, leaders, and everyday activists, making it a valuable resource for classroom discussions and research projects. The site also includes bibliographies and related resources to deepen students' understanding of African American history and civil rights movements.

tag(s): african american (115), civil rights (209), photography (130)

The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) website is valuable for teachers seeking primary sources, historical documents, and government records to enhance their lessons. It provides access to a vast collection of materials, including the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights, as well as photographs, letters, and military records. Teachers can use NARA's educational resources, lesson plans, and digital exhibits to bring history to life in the classroom. The site also includes interactive tools, such as DocsTeach, which allows students to analyze and engage with historical documents meaningfully. If your district blocks YouTube, then the videos may not be viewable.

tag(s): bill of rights (33), constitution (96), declaration of independence (16), photography (130)

The Teach Democracy section on the Share My Lesson website provides educators with a wide range of resources to teach civics, democracy, and government to students. View lesson plans, activities, and multimedia materials designed to help students understand democratic principles, the Constitution, and the importance of civic participation. These resources are ideal for grades K-12 and include engaging materials like simulations, debates, and primary source analyses. The website helps teachers foster critical thinking, civic engagement, and active citizenship, aligned with national and state standards. The videos are hosted on YouTube.

tag(s): bill of rights (33), civil rights (209), constitution (96), democracy (24)

Explore this valuable tool for educators; it offers curated collections of primary sources, historical documents, and research materials across a wide range of subjects. These guides help teachers incorporate authentic historical artifacts, government records, and literary works into their lessons, enhancing students' critical thinking and research skills. With ready-to-use teaching resources, topic guides, and bibliographies, this site supports interdisciplinary learning and provides rich content for inquiry-based projects in history, literature, civics, and more.

tag(s): african american (115), architecture (75), black history (133), branches of government (65), civil rights (209), civil war (139), conservation (102), energy (133), engineering (129), environment (252), foreign policy (13), hispanic (36), industrialization (12), jews (33), latin (23), literature (222), middle east (50), native americans (109), nutrition (140), photography (130), politics (118), population (51), religions (95), Research (87), sports (82), statistics (121), Teacher Utilities (198), women (150), womenchangemaker (36), womens suffrage (52)

NPR (National Public Radio) is a valuable resource for educators, offering high-quality news, podcasts, and articles on current events, culture, science, and history. The site features engaging audio stories, in-depth journalism, and educational content that can enhance classroom discussions and critical thinking skills. Teachers can use NPR's stories to connect lessons to real-world events, introduce students to diverse perspectives, and encourage media literacy. Additionally, NPR's student-friendly resources, such as NPR Ed and Student Podcast Challenge, provide interactive and project-based learning opportunities.

tag(s): civil rights (209), cultures (180), journalism (74), news (229), podcasts (108), scientists (67), space (222)

Google Arts and Culture combines the magic of AI with Google Maps to create an audio tour of cultural landmarks worldwide. After launching the experiment, you can click any pin on the map to begin the tour or select from options that include landmarks, nature, archaeology, and cultural institutions. After choosing a pin, the map opens in street view, and the AI-generated audio commentary begins. Use the arrow to move the panoramic image around, take a snapshot, generate a new commentary, or choose the blue button to record a question and receive an audio response.

tag(s): archeology (28), artificial intelligence (177), deserts (16), forests (30), landmarks (22), maps (220), museums (52), virtual field trips (128)

The Whose Land website offers interactive tools and lesson plans to help students learn about Indigenous territories and the history of land ownership in North America. The platform includes resources like videos, maps, and guided activities encouraging students to explore whose land they live on and the importance of Indigenous sovereignty. The lesson plans are suitable for various grade levels and promote critical thinking about historical and contemporary issues related to Indigenous peoples and land rights. These materials are designed to foster respect for Indigenous cultures and awareness of ongoing settlement efforts. It's recommended to check if YouTube is accessible on school networks if you are planning to use these resources in the classroom.

tag(s): columbus day (8), native americans (109)

ExpeditionsPro is a platform designed to help educators and leaders create and manage virtual and in-person field trips. The website provides tools to plan immersive experiences to enhance student learning and engagement, whether in local environments or through global connections. Teachers can use the platform to customize itineraries, track trip details, and even incorporate augmented reality or virtual reality elements for a modern, interactive approach to exploration. ExpeditionsPro emphasizes making educational trips accessible and organized, offering opportunities to bring the world into the classroom or take learning beyond its walls.

tag(s): augmented reality (9), virtual field trips (128)

The Virtual Field Trip- I Do Solemnly Swear: The U.S. Presidential Inauguration is a free website highlighting President Joseph Biden's inauguration process and Vice President Kamala Harris (from January 2021). The site highlights what it is like at the Presidential Inauguration, why we had an inauguration, why it happened on January 20th, why is the inauguration held at the Capital, and what it is like to move into the White House. Each lesson contains a PDF file you can download, but you must create an account to access the lesson plans. A 22-minute video from Discovery Streaming is posted on the website. Although this inauguration is not the most recent, students can still view the activities to learn more about the inauguration process.

tag(s): inauguration (10), presidents (135)

This site shares many resources that provide accurate cultural information and representation of the Native Indian culture, which are available in most content areas, including math and science. Download lesson plans that encourage students to explore and research the work of Indigenous leaders, learn about Native American recipes, and read about storytelling and traditions. Visit any link to access the lesson plan in PDF format, which includes activities and links to supporting materials.

tag(s): cooking (32), crafts (64), cross cultural understanding (173), cultures (180), game based learning (205), landmarks (22), native americans (109), poetry (193), stories and storytelling (58)

Smithsonian American Women's History Museum offers lessons for all age levels. Depending on the women or topic you click on, resources can include a video, lesson plan, photographs, and podcasts. Topics included on the site are Women in Space and STEM, Inspiring Women, Zines and Self Expression, We Belong Here: Title IX, Girlhood (It's Complicated), Innovative Lives, and Latinas Talk Latinas.

tag(s): women (150), womenchangemaker (36), womens suffrage (52)

National Women's History Museum is a free site that offers digital resources on famous women. Lessons contain guiding questions, time, objectives, prerequisites, materials needed, examples, assessment/homework, and future research/resources. The site allows you to filter by grade level and "movement" in time. Women featured on the site include Belva Lockwood, Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, Sally Hemings, Clara Barton, and many more.

tag(s): women (150), womenchangemaker (36), womens suffrage (52)

Pedagog.ai supports educators using AI by providing free resources such as a prompt library, lesson plans, and AI tools for teaching and learning. After creating an account, use Pedagog.ai's dashboard as a starting point to find and access information. The prompt library includes suggested prompts for all curricular subjects, professional development, student prompts, and teaching strategies. The lesson plans include categories of AI Literacy and Integrating AI to share topics such as Generating Hybrid Animals with AI or AI and Historical Perspective. Visit the Using AI section to gather ideas on using AI to gamify your classroom and how to use AI with student projects.

tag(s): artificial intelligence (177), computers (109), creative writing (124), critical thinking (127), digital literacy (6), editing (93), images (263), media literacy (109), persuasive writing (58), politics (118), population (51), readers theater (12), shakespeare (99), vocabulary (238), vocabulary development (94)

Teach Starter offers a variety of Veterans Day activities designed to engage students in learning about the holiday's significance and honoring those who have served. The blog post provides ready-to-use resources like crafts, writing prompts, and classroom discussions to help educators plan meaningful lessons for Veterans Day. Teachers can explore these resources through a free trial that requires no credit card, making it easy to try out the platform. Additionally, a premium paid subscription offers access to an even wider range of features and educational materials. If your district blocks YouTube, you may be unable to play the videos.

tag(s): veterans (27)

Learning for Justice has compiled an invaluable collection of resources to help educators explore Dr. King's work beyond the "I Have a Dream" speech. From lessons on economic justice and civil rights to multimedia tools and primary texts, these materials foster meaningful discussions on social justice, past and present.

tag(s): civil rights (209), martin luther king (45)

Rock your lessons using popular music and pop culture to engage students. The standards-aligned lessons provide interdisciplinary connections using music as the starting point for in-depth explorations and guided activities. Use the search feature to find lessons and collections sorted by subject, music genre, type of activity, and topic. Subjects range from Civics to CTE to STEAM to Art/Design and many others. Each lesson begins with an essential question and includes procedures, student handouts, and videos.

tag(s): artists (85), cross cultural understanding (173), dance (31), empathy (34), jazz (16), musical instruments (52), social and emotional learning (102), sociology (23), STEM (297)

The Smithsonian Latino Center website offers rich educational resources focused on Latino history, art, and culture. Explore the exhibits, virtual tours, and multimedia content that highlight the diverse contributions of Latino communities to the United States. The site provides access to digital collections, lesson plans, and videos that align with various subjects like history, social studies, and art. Engaging tools like the Smithsonian Learning Lab allow educators to create interactive learning experiences. This site is invaluable for integrating Latino culture and history into the classroom, promoting inclusivity and multicultural understanding. The videos are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable.

tag(s): art history (103), cultures (180), hispanic (36), virtual field trips (128)

Visiting Mount Rushmore National Memorial is typically out of reach for most classrooms; however, a virtual visit is accessible to all. This site includes links to exhibitions, videos, a panorama tour, a 3D explorer, and more. Visit the lesson plans section to find lessons for grades K-12 that include several content areas, including math, science, and visual arts. Use the provided links to download individual lessons in a zip file. Lessons include correlations to national teaching standards.

tag(s): jefferson (19), landmarks (22), lincoln (66), photography (130), roosevelt (15), virtual field trips (128), washington (28)