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Highlighting Our History: Colonial Times Read-alouds PLUS for the Common Core - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 6tag(s): book lists (167), colonial america (95), commoncore (73), writing prompts (61)
In the Classroom
Mark this article in your Favorites and take the book suggestions with you to the library (or search for interlibrary loans) to help "fit" social studies into your read-alouds, making every minute count! Consider using them as part of a "Then and Now" or "Past and Present" focus in kindergarten or first grade, or with middle elementary students as part of a unit related to early settlements or the thirteen colonies. Be sure to look at the suggestions for connecting the read-alouds to CCSS-aligned writing prompts or for short, focused research projects to include as follow-up.Teach Dear America - Colonial Period - Scholastic
Grades
2 to 8tag(s): 1600s (20), 1700s (36), colonial america (95)
In the Classroom
Bookmark this site and combine it with TeachersFirst's CurriConnects leveled reading list forColonial America and the Revolution and Frontier Forts on the American Revolution for multiple offerings and angles on the Colonial and Revolutionary time period. Create a link to various activities, quizzes, and downloadables for students to explore on classroom computers. Include crafts and recipes from the site during your unit. Have students create an annotated image about Colonial times including text boxes and related links using a tool such as Google Drawings, reviewed here to demonstrate concepts learned when making crafts or recipes. Not familiar with Google Drawings? Watch an archived OK2Ask session to learn how to use: OK2Ask Google Drawings, here. Use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram, reviewed here) to compare Colonial life to present day. Have students create timelines using Timeline JS, reviewed here. Timeline JS also offers the option to upload and add photos, videos, audio, Tweets, and Google Maps making it interactive. Have students use Fakebook (reviewed here) to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about a student their age living in Colonial America.Texas Law Related Games - Law Focused Education, Inc
Grades
2 to 8tag(s): bill of rights (34), branches of government (65), declaration of independence (16), game based learning (205), presidents (136), safety (68), symbols (15)
In the Classroom
Several games require significant reading, so partner weaker and stronger readers if students work independently. Ypu could also provide a reading guide using Read Ahead, reviewed here an excellent tool for introducing any reading passage to struggling readers, special education students, and ENL/ESL learners. Create a link to specific games on classroom computers as a center to use on President's Day, Constitution Day, or any class day studying U.S. Government. If studying your state's laws, use an online tool such as the Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram, reviewed here, to compare and contrast differences between your state and Texas.Florida Memory - The State Archives of Florida
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): black history (133), civil war (139), florida (12), hurricanes (32), states (124)
In the Classroom
In the classroom, integrate primary documents in addition to your text to get a broader picture of history, even if you are not teaching specifically about Florida. Take a closer look at history, through the multiple aspects of video, audio, laws, and land grants. Look at perspectives of Civil War from a southern state. Make biographies of Florida residents come alive with the culture of their time. Compare and contrast Florida and another state. Use an online tool such as the Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram, reviewed here. Examine the history of space through NASA. You and your students can discover how Civil Rights progressed in Florida. Look at the history of the Seminole tribe as you study native Americans. Enhance learning by challenging students to create an infographic using Snappa, reviewed here about a certain period in Florida's history or to compare Florida and other states. Before beginning the infographic, have students brainstorm or collect ideas on a collaborative bulletin board like Witeboard, reviewed here. Use this resource to meet Common Core standards about primary sources or writing. Challenge students to produce digital writing and interact with others online.The National Archives Activities and Games - The British National Archives
Grades
1 to 12Download lessons, Resource Packs, and Podcasts. Be sure to check out the extensive section for students including games, study skill tips and advice, and information on using primary sources. Learn about important people, government officials, and heroes of the past and present such as Charles Dickens and Florence Nightingale. Explore and research famous events/times such as American Civil Rights Movement or Life During War Times. The site was created in the UK, so some of the pronunciations and spellings may differ from American English. A very few resources require Flash, but there is so much more here, that the site is worth your time.
tag(s): dickens (10), great britain (16), heroes (24), industrial revolution (22), medieval (32), victorian (16), world war 1 (78), world war 2 (161)
In the Classroom
Keep this site in mind as an easy place to find games and lessons related to British history (and even some world history topics). Use this site as an anticipatory set or "activator" to introduce a unit or lesson on a projector or interactive whiteboard. Present the same time period, such as World War II, from a British and American point of view using this site and similar primary source images from U.S. collections like this one or this one. Have students create timelines using Timeline JS, reviewed here. Timeline JS offers the option to upload and add photos, videos, audio, Tweets, and Google Maps making it interactive. Have students use Fakebook, reviewed here, to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about a British resident during any time periods involved with these activities. Take advantage of the ready to go lesson plans, interactives, podcasts, and videos. Literature teachers will also want to explore and share the information about British authors.Barat Primary Source Nexus - Barat Education Foundation
Grades
2 to 12tag(s): advertising (26), black history (133), cross cultural understanding (173), history day (39), immigration (68), journalism (74), Juneteenth (22), lincoln (67), martin luther king (45), poetry (194), presidents (136), primary sources (119), professional development (385), roosevelt (15), slavery (79), writing prompts (61)
In the Classroom
Take a look at the free professional development for using primary sources for teachers. Search for Connecting to the Common Core, where there are writing prompts for K-5 plus a link to the triangle activity. Download and use the PDF for the Thinking Triangle. Have older students research an interest and report to the class using a tool like Slides, reviewed here.Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum - 2012 Seminole Tribe of Florida
Grades
2 to 10This site includes advertising.
tag(s): florida (12), native americans (109)
In the Classroom
Explore the Seminole Tribe through the online collections and museums. Use the sources as primary and secondary to supplement other class materials. Use the Seminole Tribe to compare and contrast the native American tribes found in your area. Explore the Seminole Tribe in your unit on Civil Rights. Use this site to discover the leadership that lead to the Seminole Tribe of today. Be sure to begin your study with an anticipation guide. End your unit with a post assessment dispelling the myths in the anticipation guide.News for Kids - News for Kids.net
Grades
4 to 10tag(s): news (228)
In the Classroom
Use this site as a resource for current events. The reading level of the stories is generally upper elementary, but the topics are of interest through high school. These short articles would be great for practice with informational texts. Keep this site as part of a list for students to access, including weaker readers and ENL/ESL students. Have students research whats going on via this news site, and present a small presentation at the beginning of class. Students can either present orally or, for the technologically inclined, create a short video summarizing the same information. Consider using a bookmark site such as Diigo, reviewed here, to share newsworthy items that correlate with your class curriculum.Mighty Book - Mighty Book
Grades
K to 3This site includes advertising.
tag(s): alphabet (53), independent reading (81), preK (271), sight words (23), songs (46), video (266)
In the Classroom
Use this site for learning as a whole group, learning centers, or individual laptops for reinforcement or enrichment. First, introduce Mighty Book on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Since there are extensive ads, you may want to bookmark or create shortcuts directly to the activity you want children to use and avoid having them get "lost" in the many links that take you off the site. Share the songs and discuss the lyrics and what they are teaching. Use this site in art class to introduce famous artists to even the youngest of learners. After listening to the jokes, have students make up their own jokes. Poems with activities offer a kinesthetic approach to poetry. Songs about colors and the days of the week catch your auditory learners. Share this link on your class website for students to explore (and enjoy) both in and out of the classroom.Nelson Mandela Biography - bio.com
Grades
4 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): 20th century (62), black history (133), civil rights (209), heroes (24), Nelson Mandela (7), south africa (13)
In the Classroom
Share this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector as an introduction to your Civil Rights, Black History, or Heroes unit. To allow students to explore on their own, you may want to create a guided reading activity using Read Ahead, reviewed here. Ehance learning by using an online tool such as the interactive Two or Three Circle Venn Diagram, reviewed here to compare Nelson Mandela to other Civil Rights leaders such as Martin Luther King. Have students create timelines about Civil Rights (with music, photos, videos, and more) using Timeline JS, reviewed here. Find music for this period in history using Radiooo, reviewed here. Challenge students use Fakebook, reviewed here to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about Civil Rights leaders.Who Was Nelson Mandela? - BBC
Grades
3 to 8tag(s): biographies (94), civil rights (209), heroes (24), Nelson Mandela (7), south africa (13)
In the Classroom
Introduce this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Then have students explore this site independently or in small groups. Use this site as an anticipatory set or "activator" to introduce a unit or lesson for Black History Month or about heroes in Civil Rights. As you discuss Martin Luther King, Jr, include discussion of major Civil Rights leaders from other countries. Enhance student learning by having them choose one of the following projects. Have students create an annotated image of Nelson Mandela including text boxes and related links using a tool such as Google Drawings, reviewed here. Google Drawings allows you to annotate an image with links to videos, text, websites, and more. Not familiar with Google Drawings? Watch an archived OK2Ask session to learn how to use it: OK2Ask Google Drawings, here. Have students collaborate to create maps of Mandela's journeys using Maphub, reviewed here. Students can add icons, text, images, and location stops! Have students create timelines (with music, photos, videos, and more) using Timeline JS, reviewed here.Children's Literature with Social Studies Themes - University of Delaware Center for Teacher Education
Grades
K to 6tag(s): book lists (167), branches of government (65), guided reading (33), independent reading (81), literature (221)
In the Classroom
Bookmark and save for reference throughout the school year for use with Social Studies lessons. Save as a resource when choosing books for your classroom or school library. Use the included articles for ideas to include books with your Social Studies lessons and units. Need more book ideas to support curriculum? See TeachersFirst's CurriConnects.Young George Washington's Adventures - National Park Service
Grades
3 to 8tag(s): american revolution (82), native americans (109), presidents (136), washington (28)
In the Classroom
Use this site on a projector or interactive whiteboard to discuss and informally assess prior knowledge as you start your study of George Washington or the American Revolution. Have students create an annotated image of George Washington or a related image including text boxes and links using a tool such as Thinglink, reviewed here. Have students collaborate and create maps using MapHub, reviewed here, of Washington's journey. Students can add icons, text, images, and location stops! Have students create timelines (with music, photos, videos, and more) using Timeline JS, reviewed here.Next Vista for Learning - Rushton Hurley
Grades
3 to 12tag(s): africa (148), asia (116), careers (157), computers (109), europe (84), literature (221), musical instruments (52), musical notation (34), north america (15), parts of speech (39), poetry (194), shakespeare (99), south america (49), speech (69), video (266)
In the Classroom
Explore the various topics to share with your students. In the math section, share the "How to Show Your Work" video on your projector or interactive whiteboard. There are useful videos in all sections, offered at a variety of levels. Bookmark and save this site for use throughout the year for student and teacher created videos. Challenge students to create a video to submit for one of the site's contests; who knows, they may win!CurriConnects Book List - Real Life in Wartime - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12tag(s): 20th century (62), korea (21), vietnam (38), world war 1 (78), world war 2 (161)
In the Classroom
Add a layer of human reality to the "facts" students study about wars that to them seem "long ago and far way." Go beyond the textbook by encouraging students to choose a book to make connections. Encourage them to share what they learn through writings, fictitious blog posts, or creative presentations using tools from the TeachersFirst Edge.John F Kennedy Curricular Resources - John F Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum
Grades
K to 12tag(s): civil rights (209), cold war (31), kennedy (20), presidents (136), vietnam (38)
In the Classroom
Bookmark and save this resource for use when teaching about John F Kennedy, the presidency, Civil Rights, or the Vietnam War. Share with teachers at other grade levels (k-12) for use with lesson planning.John F Kennedy Lesson - Sean Banville
Grades
3 to 6This site includes advertising.
tag(s): 1960s (26), kennedy (20), presidents (136)
In the Classroom
Although quite simple, these activities are excellent starting points and ideas for use with any John F. Kennedy or presidents unit. Use the homework ideas for in or out of class activities. Enhance student learning by challenging them to create online posters individually or together as a class using a tool such as Web Poster Wizard, reviewed here, or PicLits, reviewed here. If you are beginning the process of integrating technology, exchange pen and paper and have students create blogs sharing their learning and understanding using Webnode, reviewed here. If you are teaching younger students and looking for an easy way to integrate technology and check for understanding, challenge your students to replace pen and paper with a blog using edublog, reviewed here.The President's Desk - John F Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): 1960s (26), civil rights (209), kennedy (20), presidents (136), vietnam (38)
In the Classroom
Use the President's Desk as a highly engaging resource for getting to know more about John F. Kennedy's presidency. Show on your interactive whiteboard or projector and include suggested lesson activities to accompany the site. Have students use Fakebook, reviewed here, to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about John F Kennedy. Have students create timelines (with music, photos, videos, and more) using Timeline JS, reviewed here). Be sure to add a link to the site on your class website for students to access on their own or from home. Have your class create a presidential desk for another historic leader, creating their own annotated photo of the desktop using Google Drawings, reviewed here, to explain the items on the desk. Google Drawings allows you to annotate an image with links to videos, text, websites, and more. Not familiar with Google Drawings? Watch an archived OK2Ask session to learn how to use: OK2Ask Google Drawings, here.CurriConnects Book List - Colonial America - TeachersFirst
Grades
1 to 12tag(s): book lists (167), colonial america (95), independent reading (81)
In the Classroom
Make history more real during your unit on Colonial America. Have students choose a book from this list and present their impressions from it in the form of a blog post from the times. If you are beginning the process of integrating technology, have students create blogs sharing their learning and understanding using Tumblr, reviewed here. Collect the links to all the student posts on your class web page for students to browse and gather a "human" experience of history.Documentary Tube - DocumentaryTube.com
Grades
4 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): video (266)