Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

You'll find a huge collection of interactive quizzes on this site, testing student comprehension in many subject areas, including elementary math, foreign language (Spanish, French, Italian), SAT content, science, history, and economics. Some quizzes are multiple choice, others drag-and-drop, but all offer immediate feedback with sound effects.

tag(s): quiz (67), quizzes (90)

Find out what was on the menu for the first Thanksgiving, debunk some common holiday myths, and listen to pilgrim interviews. This informational multi-media site also features a beautifully designed video that details the history of this American institution - perfect for individual viewing. Note: this site "pauses" before opening. Be patient.

tag(s): holidays (187), pilgrims (12), thanksgiving (24)

This lesson creates a wonderful interdisciplinary connection between creative writing and American history. After using a variety of resources to learn more about the American Revolution, students select an historical figure from that era, and compose an acrostic poem describing that individual's contributions. Aligned to National Standards.

tag(s): creative writing (124), writing (325)

Learn about Thomas Edison and the impact of his inventions. While most students know about the light bulb and the phonograph, this site peers into the full repertoire of Edison's invention inventory, giving the story of how one man became a sort of national invention hero. Scroll down the page a bit and click the tag on the right titled Legendary inventors to find information about Edison and tatoos, the phonograph, his places of invention, and Thomas Edidson letters and documents.

tag(s): inventors and inventions (80)

Google Maps gives you live visuals of any location, ideal for planning a trip, picturing the relationship between places, and viewing physical characteristics of almost anywhere in the world. Type or paste in an address and click "search maps." If you click Satellite or hybrid versions of the map, you will see actual satellite images of the terrain. Zoom in and out, use the street view "orange man" to walk among the buildings and trees, or plan and share a route easily with Google Maps. Using your (free) Google membership allows you to save favorite places and more. Find businesses and other features near a specific map location: hotels, restaurants, schools, parks, and more. Google Maps has become more and more sophisticated, now offering many features previously only available in Google Earth, such as opening and/or saving placemarker files. Unlike Google Earth, Google Maps does not require software installation and does not use as much bandwidth for constant reloading. You can even play a tour of places you mark in Google Maps. They just keep adding more features! Google Maps is available as a free app for Android and iOS, too. The handy embed codes let you put any Google Map in a web page, blog, or wiki. Of course you do not need a membership or any special skills to simply SEE, share, or navigate a map. Membership gives you more ways to save.

tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (147), directions (11), maps (220)

Learn about life in colonial America and compare everyday life in two different 18th century colonies - one in Delaware and one in Massachusetts. This lesson brings students in contact with artifacts from the thirteen original colonies, takes them to some outstanding interactive Web sites for background information, and asks them to write letters from the point of view of the colonists in each location. Downloadable worksheets provided. Aligned to National Standards.

tag(s): colonial america (95), massachusetts (8)

The cherished right of Freedom of Speech is carefully analyzed in this thoughtful unit plan that illustrates the delicate balance between rights and responsibilities in a free society. A series of six lessons guides upper elementary students through an authentic scenario in which the expressive rights of individuals are in question, provides connections to constitutional interpretations, and analyzes related Supreme Court cases. Aligned to Standards.

tag(s): bill of rights (33), freedom of speech (14), speech (69)

This nice collection of activities and puzzles - some printable and some interactive - teaches and reinforces the history and meaning behind Memorial Day celebrations. Choose from a variety of formats and difficulty levels.

tag(s): holidays (187), memorial day (11), puzzles (149)

It's not the flashiest Civil War site, but if you're looking for a kid-friendly resource, this one won't disappoint you. You'll find nine standards-based lesson plans and one final exam; a concise, well-written overview of the pivotal events, people, and places that shaped the War Between the States - perfect for the elementary classroom. Added recently are several articles and a quiz for Juneteenth. Older students can use it as a helpful research and review tool.

tag(s): civil war (139), Juneteenth (22), lincoln (66), slavery (79), states (124)

Drag each state to its correct position on the map. This interactive game keeps track of "average miles of error" and challenges students to learn more about names and locations of states. No hints are provided.This site requires FLASH.

tag(s): map skills (63), maps (220), states (124)

Although this informational site is heavy on text, it is filled with answers to 20+ questions that kids typically ask about Native Americans.

tag(s): cultures (180), native americans (109)

It's July 20, 1969 and millions of Americans are glued to their television watching Neil Armstrong take that first historic step on the surface of the moon. This multimedia NASA site recreates that Apollo 11 mission, from its launch to its splashdown. Students can view vintage photographs, listen to the mission's audio recording, browse news articles, and tour the video gallery.

tag(s): moon (73)

The 50th anniversary of the historic Brown vs. the Board of Education decision is commemorated in this site that traces the history of segregation, the battle for education, and the events leading to the Supreme Court decision. Visit the teacher's guide (click on Resources) to find downloadable unit and lesson plans (aligned to national standards) which address the time period from Reconstruction to the Civil Rights movement. Teacher briefing sheets and student handouts are included - in fact, nearly everything required for an engaging and purposeful learning experience is there! This site is an online companion to a Smithsonian National Museum of American History exhibit. If you can't take your students to Washington, take them to the computer lab or project this site in class, and spend some time with this outstanding resource.

tag(s): africa (148), african american (115), segregation (18)

This lesson plan from the Library of Congress helps students develop an understanding of the Civil War as they study primary sources and works of historical fiction. Students begin by viewing a multimedia slide show, then examine and interpret photographs of Civil War-era children. Finally, students are asked to read several literary selections, and discuss the various war-time perspectives that are represented. A well-organized teacher's guide, links to on-line resources, and complete lesson plans aligned to national standards are provided.

tag(s): civil war (139)

This small but creative collection of activities spans a diverse range of topics from American history and taps into the imaginative minds of elementary students. Visit the "Activities" section to learn about great women of the past, WWII Japanese interment camps, or slave life and the Underground Railroad. Each topic includes background information, links to related children's literature, and ideas for hands-on activities. The some of the "Activities" provide interactive activities that immerse students in creating Native American buffalo hide paintings, building a sod home, and looking at life through the eyes of an historian.

tag(s): immigration (68), native americans (109), underground railroad (15), women (150), world war 2 (161)

This entertaining and informational site about that famous residence on Pennsylvania Avenue is filled with something for everyone. Younger students can focus on the colors and shapes found throughout this historic home while meeting some "first kids" and famous "first pets." Older students can listen to audio clips of presidents during the last century, take several outstanding White House tours, and discover many historic treasures located throughout this famous home. All students will enjoy the colorful virtual tours.

tag(s): 1800s (75), 1900s (72), presidents (135), virtual field trips (128), white house (16)

The month of March is filled with special events to commemorate. Use the many teaching resources on this site to develop activities for Women's History Month, National Nutrition Month, Youth Art Month, Music in Our Schools Month, and the Iditarod. Lesson plans, online projects, hands-on activities, and book reviews are provided. Created by Education World.

tag(s): iditarod (4), nutrition (140), women (150)

Gullah is the unique culture of African Americans living on and along the coastal waters of South Carolina and Georgia. This site offers a look at the traditions, customs, and folk tales of the Gullah people in a treatment that students will find both respectful and entertaining. Try it as an example of a regional American culture, or as part of a study of African American history. Find Gullah lesson plans, music and tales in video format.

tag(s): africa (148), african american (115), black history (133), georgia (3)

Here's an extremely well-designed site about the history of American transportation that really moves. You can approach the content in several ways: an eighteen part chronology filled with images, thematic presentations on immigration, technology, etc., or a sizeable collection of reproducible lessons and teaching materials. Middle schoolers should handle the writing level adequately, and the site is sufficiently visual that upper elementary users will follow the presentation. This one should be a welcome addition to anyone's transportation unit.

tag(s): air (102), railroads (14), transportation (30)

This searchable collection of old railroad photos could be a useful reference for a student doing a research paper on American history, industrialization, transportation or commerce. While the site permits very specific searches, most students will likely find even a general search returns useful images.

tag(s): railroads (14)