Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

GeoInquiries offers standards-based collections for teaching map-based concepts. Choose from several different content topics such as Earth Science, US History, and more. Locate the complete list of available collections on the left side of the homepage. After choosing a broad topic, select a specific activity, then click to open the PDF for easy access to content. In addition to the GeoInquiries, this site also includes several additional lengthier activities including all necessary teacher and student materials.

tag(s): agriculture (52), american revolution (83), civil war (140), climate change (100), cold war (31), demographics (13), earthquakes (47), landforms (39), maps (223), minerals (13), oceans (149), population (51), rocks (35), volcanoes (55), weather (161), world war 1 (79)

Discover, create, and share digital resources from the Smithsonian Museum, the National Zoo, and nine major research centers with this visually appealing site. Use the search feature to find digital resources including photos, recordings, videos, and text. Sign up to create your own collections, including those found on the site and your own resources. Also, click Discover and use the search bar to find topics already on the site your class is studying like dinosaurs, explorers, black history, volcanoes, etc. Add annotations and develop quizzes. Easily share your creations or curated collections using social networking links provided. If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable.

tag(s): animals (293), architecture (84), art history (106), aviation (41), black history (134), civil war (140), dinosaurs (43), explorers (64), images (265), inventors and inventions (80), Learning Management Systems (20), oceans (149), scientists (68), shakespeare (99), Teacher Utilities (203), volcanoes (55)

Learn how two ordinary bicycle mechanics changed the world with this in-depth look at the life of Orville & Wilbur Wright. Follow the timeline beginning in 1630 to learn about the first American Wright, Samuel, as he arrived in Massachusetts with the Puritans. Continue learning about the Wright family's settlement in Ohio and their work with bicycles leading on up to their famous flight at Kitty Hawk in 1903. Be sure to check out the interactive experiments, classroom activities, and lesson plans linked near the bottom of the page.

tag(s): aviation (41), flight (34), wright brothers (16)

Stay up to date with current elections and learn about the electoral process with this all-inclusive site from PBS Learning. View a short video to explore the constitution and how the government gets its power from its citizens. Scroll down the page and launch the Electoral Decoder to explore 58 past presidential elections. Another feature is KQED Call for Change Youth Media Challenge, where middle and high school students share their ideas on issues that matter to them. Be sure to scroll down the page to explore other election categories like Voting Rights, The Party System, a Current Issues and Debate toolkit, and more.

tag(s): debate (42), elections (82), electoral college (22), presidents (136), speech (69)

This toolkit provides materials for teaching social studies topics through inquiry methods. Scroll to the bottom of the page, and begin by choosing from the three-grade level bands to view available materials correlated to Common Core Standards. Each grade includes one annotated inquiry labeled with an asterisk. It is suggested to teach these inquiries first as they contain many suggestions and tips for teaching inquiry-based lessons. All inquiries include links to download in Word or PDF format.

tag(s): assessment (146), commoncore (73), professional development (390)

TPS Teachers Network is a social networking site for social studies and history teachers. The Library of Congress funded this as part of their Teaching With Primary Sources Program. Create an account to begin using features on the site (email and password required). Once enrolled, options include participating in a chat, adding friends, and searching using keywords. Use the search from the top right menu after logging in on the main page to find specific information topics such as primary source sets or political cartoons. Create albums on the site, including primary and secondary sources, and videos to easily share with students or fellow teachers. Be sure to check out the Help section by clicking the question mark at on the top menu bar when you first get started for Quick Tips to all sections of the site.

tag(s): bookmarks (43), primary sources (120), professional development (390), social networking (61), Teacher Utilities (203)

This excellent resource includes articles on teaching primary sources to elementary students, classroom materials, and information on the latest research on this subject. You'll also find Primary Source Sets, a Primary Source Analysis Tool, and more.

tag(s): primary sources (120)

The Los Angeles Unified School District offers a large selection of resources for teaching history and social sciences aligned to Common Core Standards. Choose from elementary, middle, or high school to find curriculum maps and lessons. One very useful portion of the site includes lessons created in partnership with Reading Like a Historian, reviewed here, that engage students in the creation of historical knowledge. Both sites are a must-visit for anyone teaching Social Studies!

tag(s): assessment (146), commoncore (73), professional development (390)

This collection of primary sources from the Library of Congress is organized around key topics and themes in American History. View Primary Source Set titles in alphabetical order from Abraham Lincoln through Women's Suffrage. Choose any topic to view Teacher's Guides and analysis tools including graphic organizers for students. Sort information to find materials meeting Common Core Standards, State Standards, or national organization standards.

tag(s): 20th century (62), authors (107), black history (134), civil war (140), constitution (99), evaluating sources (29), hispanic (36), history day (39), immigration (76), jefferson (19), lincoln (67), new deal (5), primary sources (120), Research (88), segregation (18), thanksgiving (24), veterans (27), washington (28), westward expansion (39), womens suffrage (52), wright brothers (16)

Bring the world to your classroom with this excellent list of virtual field trips. At the time of this review, there were nearly 40 field trips available! Take a trip to the Eiffel Tower, the Taj Mahal, or Rome. Choose any of the titles to visit the home site for the virtual field trip. Some of the titles have several virtual tours listed, i.e. 7 Wonders Panorama. Share any link via social media, email, or by using the code to embed in a website or blog.

tag(s): africa (166), cultures (200), museums (53), rome (37), virtual field trips (131), white house (16)

Commemorate Black History Month with 20 lesson plans and resources covering a variety of topics including racial discrimination, civil rights, and discussions about race in current events. Scroll through the page to view topics and grade level suggestions. Content ranges from a history of discrimination through current events such as debating race through the Trayvon Martin shooting. Some lessons also contain Common Core correlations.

tag(s): black history (134), civil rights (215), cultures (200), martin luther king (46), racism (80), video (267)

Find an answer to your question or great question starters for any conversation here with this free tool! Featured under the Resource tab, you can access articles, books, case studies, lesson plans, Kahoot, videos, downloads, and events. The site caters to students in preschool through grade 12. When signing up for free, you gain access to more content on the site.

tag(s): animals (293), climate change (100), immigration (76), musical instruments (54), racism (80), timelines (58)

Sutori is an easy-to-use digital storytelling and presentation tool designed for educators and students. It allows users to create visually engaging timelines, lesson plans, and collaborative stories. During the free trial period, teachers can access all premium features, including adding quizzes, polls, embedded videos, and custom colors. After the trial, users can continue creating unlimited presentations but are restricted to adding only text and image elements. All projects created during the trial remain accessible and shareable. A paid subscription is required to regain access to the full suite of creation tools and interactive features.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): american revolution (83), civil war (140), immigration (76), photosynthesis (21), timelines (58), womens suffrage (52), world war 1 (79)

Discover a large collection of free to use images for presentations, slide shows, reports, and more at Free Tiiu Pix. The creator of this site designed all images available. Go to the image gallery to browse images sorted by categories. The categories range from Architecture, Food, Animals, Insects, Plants and more. Right click to save images or choose optional links for different resolution sizes. In addition to the image gallery, be sure to check out the slide presentation gallery including visually appealing PowerPoint presentations on many topics. From the Clip Art Gallery (with free clip art to use) there is also a link to Learn How to Draw Your Own Clip Art. These are FREE to use. However, be sure to read and understand the Terms of Use! Note: you must be 18 to use this site. So while this is an excellent site for teachers to find resources, this shouldn't be shared with students to use independently.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): images (265), photography (132), slides (43)

Venture over 12,000 years into the past to look at the first people to live in the Canadian regions of North America. This site from a B.C. museum offers different levels of information, videos, and interactive media about the first peoples and their migration across the land bridge from Europe. The site is available in both English and French language. Instructor materials support use from primary to post-secondary levels. Watch native video greetings in several languages, learn about settlements, the geography and change of the actual water and land masses, the archaeology and dating of artifacts, and much more. The Site Map offers a good way to see the scope of the offerings.

tag(s): archeology (29), native americans (117)

Annenberg Classroom Civics Games offer a small but excellent selection of games about the Constitution and related topics. Topics include Death Penalty, Citizenship, Discrimination, Immigration, Freedom of the Press, Free Speech, Guns, and many others. You can try to be the leader of the Legislative Branch. Choose three main issues and the most productive way to succeed in your cause. Most activities begin with a short video followed by questions. Most activities also include a glossary of terms used.

tag(s): bill of rights (34), branches of government (65), constitution (99), game based learning (206), supreme court (29)

Ducksters is a safe, extensive, educational portal for kids. Find a wide choice of content such as interactives, sports, movies, and music. Begin by choosing a category to explore choices. The study category includes extensive information such as world history, many biographies, science explanations, and information on all continents and many countries. Interactive subjects include math times tables, checkers, and guess the country. There is a TON here to explore.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): addition (129), african american (119), american revolution (83), animal homes (57), animals (293), artists (86), biographies (94), china (81), civil rights (215), civil war (140), cold war (31), continents (33), countries (73), data (151), division (98), egypt (59), elements (33), energy (133), environment (252), explorers (64), fractions (160), friction (9), geometric shapes (134), greece (47), habitats (92), human body (91), inventors and inventions (80), keyboarding (28), mean (19), median (16), mode (13), multiplication (122), planets (113), presidents (136), puzzles (150), recycling (46), renaissance (38), rome (37), solar system (107), sound (72), sports (83), subtraction (110), sun (69), world war 1 (79), world war 2 (161)

Where have you been? Create a color-coded map of the United States or Canada that highlights states that you have visited. Go through the list of states and choose a color for each state. There are four colors to choose from indicating your amount of time spent in that state. Just click on the state and then find your color. Or use the list of states found under the map. Choose an image width and pick the "Create" button to make your personalized image map. Save the map to your computer in png format. Please note: this is part of an individual's travel blog, and posts are not moderated for school use. Be sure to check out content links before sharing or student use. Or better yet, advise students NOT to click on any external links.

tag(s): maps (223), north america (15), states (125)

Can't take a field trip to NYC? Visit the Statue of Liberty virtually! View the virtual tour and photo gallery for Lady Liberty. See the site for specific instructions on how to use this interactive.

tag(s): american revolution (83), art history (106), landmarks (22), virtual field trips (131)