Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

Explore the many resources shared by National Geographic at their home base created for educators. Monthly features highlight and share information related to current events. Select the "Teaching Resources" link to find ideas, activities, lessons, and units all searchable by grade and topic. Also, this section includes educational games and teacher guides. Choose the "Reference" link to find news and media information from the past plus current events. Be sure also to visit the "Mapping" section to find printable maps, mapmaking kits, and interactive maps.

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Students Investigating Primary Sources is a series of lessons designed through a collaboration with the National Archives, Pinellas County Public Schools, and Brevard Public Schools for 2nd grade through High School Students. Choose from topics including separation of power and women's right to vote. Each lesson correlates to National Standards and a PDF link to the original activity including vocabulary, handouts, and other necessary materials.

tag(s): branches of government (61), civil rights (140), constitution (93), primary sources (100), womens suffrage (30)

Take charge of Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore and save the fort from the British bombardment with this interactive. After an introduction to the situation, players prepare for battle and manage resources to save the fort. Your goal is to keep the American flag flying at all times. Registration isn't required; however, it allows players to save their game at the end of each round. Total time to complete is 35-45 minutes.

tag(s): battles (18), game based learning (159), war of 1812 (15)

Using hands-on lessons, students work in teams to learn the basics of investing, create $100,000 portfolios, manage an investment portfolio in a real-world scenario of a dynamic marketplace, learn other economic concepts, and compete against teams across the globe while fostering teamwork and decision-making skills. Created in 1977 by the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association Foundation, The Stock Market Game (SMG) is an online simulation game for teaching students about the global capital markets and the stock market. Teachers must register for their school and students and then will receive essential information on program requirements and important dates. Adults are welcome to play after completing the online registration.

tag(s): business (54), DAT device agnostic tool (173), game based learning (159), investing (7), money (179), stock market (11)

Make the presidential election process personal. Run for U.S. president by playing this free interactive online game which is best played on a computer using most current browsers. In this lively, colorful simulation, students will experience being part of a campaign, including creating a candidate avatar, selecting either Democratic or Republican issues, participating in debates and developing a media campaign. Choose your level to start: elementary, middle, or high school and complete the easy-to-follow tasks which do involve some reading, especially the debates section. The "Campaign Manager" will lead you through the process ending with your final probability of winning. Loading the game may take a few moments. Sound begins immediately, but may be toggled off. Online assistance is available by clicking the Help button in the top right corner at each step of the game. Also, the Back button in the top left corner allows easy do-overs of sections. Students may play without registering, but will access more content, compete with others and earn badges after logging in. You can have separate accounts for students and teachers, but must have email addresses. An automatic username is generated when registering. The easy to use Extension Pack for Teachers provides more activities and assessments. Registered teachers can message students and create classes to give students a virtual class code to join without needing an email. If students register, they can check their My iCivics accounts to see points and message members of their groups which can be controlled by the teacher.

tag(s): elections (73), presidents (131)

Many students (and adults) don't fully understand the role of the Electoral College in presidential elections. Does Your Vote Count? is a YouTube video providing a clear explanation of the Electoral College and how it works as part of the election process. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable.

tag(s): elections (73), electoral college (15)

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.

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Saints & Strangers was inspired by the National Geographic T.V. series of the same name. Discover interesting activities and lesson plans to introduce the Pilgrims landing in Plymouth in 1620. Divided into grade levels, discover a range of activities from kindergarten through high school. There are colorful worksheets for the youngest students (labeled K-5), and you'll also find a map activity and suggested research that could be used in grades 6-11, too. The 6-8 videos and 9-12 primary sources could be used in any grade 4-12. Click on your selected activity and find ideas, lesson plans, and downloadable worksheets.

tag(s): explorers (71), game based learning (159), holidays (143), pilgrims (16), thanksgiving (28)

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. 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 (321), architecture (79), art history (78), aviation (36), black history (75), civil war (149), dinosaurs (49), explorers (71), images (273), inventors and inventions (84), Learning Management Systems (24), oceans (167), scientists (69), Teacher Utilities (96)

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. Launch the Electoral Decoder to explore 58 past presidential elections. Another feature is Let's Talk About KQED Youth Media Challenge, where middle and high school students to 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 (45), elections (73), electoral college (15), presidents (131), speech (86)

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 (54), primary sources (100), professional development (255), social networking (91), Teacher Utilities (96)

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.

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