Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

Whether as a comprehensive source for research or as a primer for studies on the first amendment's guaranteed freedoms of speech, press, religious liberty, assembly and petition, this site has wonderful resources for civics and government courses. The site also has a variety of print and web-resources available for further study of first amendment issues, including links to a number of Supreme Court documents.

tag(s): bill of rights (34), constitution (99)

This is an interesting collection of primary resources for those interested in British History ; the site has the texts of over 100,000 proceedings of London's Central Criminal Court. There is also a good introduction in the "For Schools" section on how to structure a legal and civic history lessons using the site. The teacher's page is geared towards British Curriculum standards, but it is still helpful in describing the site's application to British History.

tag(s): britain (26), courts (23), england (49), great britain (16)

Cmprising the period from May through October, 1787, this site contains the daily journals of James Madison in which he discusses the progress of the Constitutional Convention. Students interested in first-hand accounts of the forming of the American Government will find these journals great reading. High ideals notwithstanding, they show that the art of compromise was alive and well at the birth of the federal government.

tag(s): constitution (99)

This site offers one-stop shopping for a history of the Supreme Court and the ways in which it operates. There are additional links from this site to more complete anthologies of court decisions and their interpretation. Middle schoolers could use elements of this one for basic research about the separation of powers and branches of government; high school students should find many uses for the additional materials.

tag(s): constitution (99), supreme court (30)

Here's a site that offers the core body of essential Supreme Court decisions in a single presentation that includes lots of supporting context. In addition to the decisions themselves, there are supplementary resources, activities, and interpretive documents. There's also a thematic organization that makes identification of specific cases easier.

tag(s): constitution (99), supreme court (30)

From the 1880s to the 1940s, the Chinese Exclusion act prevented immigrants of Chinese descent from gaining full citizenship. The site includes background information on how the act came to be, as well as a discussion of its repercussions.

tag(s): chinese (45), immigration (79), migration (45)

Prepared as background material to the increasing tensions in Iraq and the rest of the mideast, this page offers summaries of military capabilities of the various nations that have troops in the area. These pages offer reams of information on capabilitivies, training, missions, etc. Though at the time of this update, the actual Fact File uses Flash, there is plenty of information on the rest of the site to make your visit worthwhile.

tag(s): middle east (50)

Prepared as background material to the increasing tensions in Iraq and the rest of the mideast, this BBC map collection offers surprisingly detailed information on force strengths in various mideastern nations. The page includes links to similarly detailed information on other aspects of this looming conflict.

tag(s): middle east (50)

The concept of "a just war" has been debated for decades as a logical way to establish whether the use of force in a specific situation carries any moral weight. This page from the Carter Center reprints an Op-Ed article by former president Jimmy Carter in which he asserts that current operations in Iraq fail the "just war" test on several grounds. Lots of interesting discussion possibilities with this one.

tag(s): ethics (21)

This news page from IAEA's web site includes both background and current information on the agencies efforts in Iraq and North Korea, as well as information on other activities designed to halt the destructive proliferation of nuclear capabilities.

tag(s): energy (133), united nations (6)

This one is different; it's a site built around exposing students to issues in history that have tested ethical and behavioral boundaries. Focusing on topics like anti-Semitism, eugenics, and genocide, the content requires students to think about the moral, political, and practical effects of actions by individuals and nations. The structure varies by subject area, and there is a combination of free and "registration required" areas. Secondary history and social sciences teachers will want to browse this one thoroughly.

tag(s): ethics (21), news (226)

High school government and history teachers, especially those teaching AP students, may find MIT's online course materials useful. MIT has committed to putting its entire curriculum on the web, and these early offerings include syllabi, reading materials, and a variety of subject-specific class notes. Before using these pages, teachers, students, and parents should all be aware of what Open Courseware is and is not.

tag(s): advanced placement (26)

Developed by the National Japanese American Historical Society, this page is a well-organized meta-list of lessons relating to the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. The lessons include material for all grade levels, and they address the historical, literary, and constitutional aspects of these Americans' experiences. Today's students can learn much from this experience.

tag(s): constitution (99), japan (61), japanese (54), world war 2 (162)

World cultures or government classes will find the multidimensional counters on this site a wonderful way to illustrate the growth (or depletion) population, resources, and other global activity. It's a very tangible illustration of the rate at which things are changing in our world. Teachers can be creative with this one.

tag(s): ecology (103), population (51), resources (83)

What is the proper role of international courts in keeping world order? This site from the American Radioworks series examines the precedents, premises, and problems inherent in using international law to punish war criminals and keep the peace internationally. AP high school students will find this one a challenging issue. There is plenty of information to learn and discuss on this site.

tag(s): courts (23)

This is the home page for one of many organizations that have sprung up over the past years seeking to protect Constitutional rights in the face of increasing government efforts to learn more about individual activities. They voice concerns about aspects of the USA Patriot Act and several other executive orders issued since the 9/11 attacks - up to Protests Under Fire (defending the right to protest) . This content could be the basis for an interesting "What do you think..." discussion in a social studies, history, or government course.

tag(s): bill of rights (34), constitution (99), terrorism (41)

The Social Studies Research Council has collected an impressive collection of essays and articles on topics relating to the aftermath of 9/11 and American foreign and domestic policies since then. Thematically indexed, it offers a wide range of perspectives on issues such as balancing personal freedoms and national security. AP government, social studies, and history teachers will find this one especially useful.

tag(s): constitution (99), freedom of speech (14), speech (69), terrorism (41)

Created by the White House, this "inside look" starts with several historical, humorous tidbits about family life in the White House, and then moves on to many wonderful collections to investigate. All of the collections have photos, images and interviews. There are also a number of historical tidbits scattered through the site - just enough to show how the nation's first home has changed over the years. Add this one to your list of "What's it really like???" sites.

tag(s): white house (16)

Part of the National Park Service "Teaching with Historic Places" series, this site uses the Manzanar Japanese-American internment camp as a starting point for an exploration of the internment activities that took place during World War II. As with other lessons in this series, the lesson asks students to interpret archival photos and draw conclusions from the images and contemporary accounts of the internment.

tag(s): japan (61), japanese (54), world war 2 (162)

Here's a small site we hope will grow quickly. There are recordings and videos of famous political speeches - including William Jennings Bryan's "cross of gold" and Churchill's famous "iron curtain" speech. Interestingly, many of these are in their entirety, making for listening sessions of an hour or more. History teachers will find numerous possibilities for this one, especially if the collection continues to grow. If your district block YouTube the videos will not be viewable.

tag(s): politics (118), speech (69), speeches (23)