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Electing a US President in Plain English - Common Craft
Grades
5 to 12
tag(s): elections (83), electoral college (22)
In the Classroom
Share this video on an interactive whiteboard (or projector) as part of any election unit. Have students research the number of electoral votes available in your state. Have students create a simple infographic sharing their findings using Infogram, reviewed here.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Smithsonian Learning Lab - The Smithsonian Center for Learning and Digital Access
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): animals (291), architecture (86), art history (109), aviation (41), black history (132), civil war (141), dinosaurs (48), explorers (66), images (258), inventors and inventions (83), Learning Management Systems (18), oceans (144), scientists (71), shakespeare (96), Teacher Utilities (194), volcanoes (59)
In the Classroom
The Smithsonian Learning Lab is a must-add to your list of classroom bookmarks! Search for collections and information throughout the year on all topics. Add a link to classroom computers for the entire site or specific collections. Be sure to take advantage of the many features of this site to create customized collections, then have students add additional resources. Have students create quizzes for review of topics. Enhance student learning by challenging them to create a simple infographic sharing their findings using Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here.Comments
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American Archive of Public Broadcasting - Library of Congress & WGBH
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): 1900s (80), earth (190), radio (19), religions (123), sports (84), women (176), world war 1 (83), world war 2 (168)
In the Classroom
Bookmark the American Archive of Public Broadcasting for use as primary source material for classroom lessons. Browse by topic or keywords to find videos to share on your interactive whiteboard or share a link on your class website for students to view at home. Enhance students' learning and have them use Fakebook, reviewed here, to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about an important figure from America's recent past. Transform student learning by having students create timelines (with music, photos, videos, and more) using Timeline JS, reviewed here, to demonstrate what they learned from one of the radio programs, videos, or exhibits.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Election Central - PBS Learning Media
Grades
3 to 12tag(s): debate (40), elections (83), electoral college (22), presidents (145), speech (66)
In the Classroom
Include The Election Collection as part of any election unit. Have students research candidate information and compare and contrast points of view. Use an online tool such as the Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram, reviewed here, or the Interactive Three Circle Venn Diagram, reviewed here. Pose a controversial question about an election issue and have students answer as one of the candidates. Use a tool such as Dotstorming, reviewed here, for that exercise. Or, challenge students to use Fakebook, reviewed here, to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about a candidate's journey through the election process. Or, using Fakebook, have two candidates debate an issue. Be sure to take advantage of the free lesson plans offered on this site correlated to National History Standards.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Highbrow - Artem Zavyalov & Jane Limanskaya
Grades
7 to 12tag(s): 20th century (169), architecture (86), authors (107), business (54), differentiation (77), endangered species (28), equations (118), financial literacy (93), greeks (45), human body (92), inventors and inventions (83), logic (158), medicine (57), mental math (18), numbers (114), photography (130), poetry (195), psychology (65), short stories (18), surrealism (2), weather (163), women (176)
In the Classroom
Highbrow is perfect for differentiated learning. Allow students to choose their own topic and sign up for a course. When complete, choose another topic and start a new course. Modify classroom technology by having students create commercials for finished courses using Powtoon, reviewed here, and share them using a tool such as TeacherTube, reviewed here. Challenge students to create a course after a unit of study as a final assessment. Be sure to include this site on your class webpage for students to access both in and outside of class for personal use.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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I Side With - Taylor Peck and Nick Boutelier
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): elections (83), politics (120), polls and surveys (42)
In the Classroom
I Side With is an excellent resource for use during an election unit. Have students research candidate information and compare and contrast points of view. Use an online tool such as the Interactive 2 or 3 Circle Venn Diagram, reviewed here. Have students explore this site independently or in small groups. Ask your students to visit the site and create an infographic with the information they learn. Use Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here, for creating the infographic. Create a link to the News portion of the site on classroom computers and your class website to use as part of your current events resources.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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NewseumED - NewseumED.org
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): civil rights (218), elections (83), evaluating sources (29), freedom of speech (14), media literacy (105), politics (120), primary sources (118), sept11 (18), terrorism (41), terrorist (12)
In the Classroom
If you teach or even discuss civil rights, the First Amendment and its freedoms and ideals, current events, or the presidential elections be sure to look at the lessons provided here. The lessons will also help you show students how to tell facts from opinions in current events. Use ideas from the lesson plans to supplement your current teaching materials. Enhance learning and challenge small groups of students to create an infographic sharing their learning from the notes they took during a lesson. Use Infogram, reviewed here, to construct the infographic. If you plan on using one of the EdCollections ask students to enhance and extend their learning and develop a multimedia presention using Presentious, reviewed here, or an interactive poster with a tool like Genially, reviewed here, for one of the suggested Extension Activities.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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TomRichey.net - Tom Richey
Grades
6 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): advanced placement (24), american revolution (89), colonial america (97), europe (84), greece (46), israel (15), medieval (33), native americans (116), primary sources (118), renaissance (38), romans (52)
In the Classroom
Tom Richey has put together an excellent resource for any secondary level history teacher. Take advantage of the many free materials to supplement your current curriculum. Share a link to videos and review information on your class web page for student use at home or view together on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Be sure to share with students as they prepare for AP exams.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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George Washington's Mount Vernon - Mount Vernon Ladies' Association
Grades
5 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): american revolution (89), presidents (145), primary sources (118), slavery (78), washington (32)
In the Classroom
Be sure to bookmark and save this site for use with any President's Day or American Revolution lessons. Take advantage of the free lesson plans for use in your classroom. Create a link to maps and animated presentations on classroom computers for students to explore on their own. You may also want students to take a virtual tour of George Washington's Mount Vernon, reviewed here. Have students use Fakebook, reviewed here, to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about George or Martha Washington, one of his slaves, or a soldier in his army. Have students create timelines (it can include text, images and collaboration) about the life of George Washington using Sutori, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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America's Heritage: A History of Immigration - immigrationcouncil
Grades
6 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): immigrants (45), immigration (79), timelines (58)
In the Classroom
Share this timeline on your interactive whiteboard as an introduction to your unit on immigration. You could show the history of immigration and discuss the U.S. as a nation of immigrants. Use a tool such as Thinkalong, reviewed here, for students to debate about this topic, or any hot topic. It is interesting to note that there are many more events for the most recent twenty-five years than there are for all the previous years. Use this as a starting point for students to research and find additional information to add. Have students transform their learning and create their own timelines (with music, photos, videos, and more) using Timeline JS, reviewed here.Comments
This is a comprehensive, yet kid-friendly, overview of US immigration policy in an interactive timeline. It ends with an Executive Order in November 2014. I hope the Heritage foundation continues to update this resource.Patricia, NJ, Grades: 6 - 12
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Mr. Beat's Social Studies Channel - Matt Beat
Grades
5 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): alaska (22), elections (83), explorers (66), gettysburg address (11), lincoln (65), presidents (145), primary sources (118), washington (32)
In the Classroom
Share these videos on an interactive whiteboard or projector. FLIP your classroom and have students view the videos at home to discuss and apply the next day in class (this is an excellent option if your school blocks YouTube). Use the videos to introduce any topic and assign others from the series for homework. Be sure to provide this link on your class website for students (and their families) to access at home.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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FutureLearn for Schools - FutureLearn
Grades
7 to 12tag(s): advertising (24), business (54), computers (108), creative writing (126), cultures (248), dental health (14), environment (249), financial literacy (93), gifted (64), literature (217), photography (130), politics (120), professional development (270), psychology (65)
In the Classroom
Allow gifted students to enroll in courses that interest them or that provide enrichment beyond classroom content. Share with others in your building as a resource for professional development. Explore the topics yourself for some new, engaging material to round out your own expertise. Allow students to enroll in a course that would fit into their career goals as an exploratory opportunity in that field. With older students you may want to consider requiring them to take a course with the idea that it is a model.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Television Archive News Search Service - TV News Archive
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): d day (11), journalism (74), news (223), world war 2 (168)
In the Classroom
This site is ideal on an interactive whiteboard or projector, learning station, or on individual computers (with headsets). Provide students with a topic for a keyword search and allow them to explore on their own. Embed video clips into your class web page or view together on an interactive whiteboard as an anticipatory set or "activator" to introduce a unit or lesson. Looking for video clips for D Day? Click here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Google Newspaper Archives - Google
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): cross cultural understanding (177), media literacy (105), news (223), newspapers (91)
In the Classroom
Share with students to show them different perspectives on historical events. This site would also provide contrasting texts for close reading as required by Common Core. Use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram, reviewed here, to compare and contrast information. After researching events in history, have students make a multimedia presentation using one of the many TeachersFirst Edge tools reviewed here. Build student awareness of the limited view provided by some publications, especially during times of international tension. Explore this site during Newspaper in Education Week or as part of a unit on the basics and nuances of journalistic writing. World language teachers can use newspapers to teach about both language and culture. Have world cultures or social studies students learn about local culture through advertisements and articles and share their findings using a screencast (or screenshots) of the newspaper and talking about their discoveries.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Civil Rights at 50 - Equal Justice Society
Grades
7 to 12tag(s): california (18), civil rights (218)
In the Classroom
Although lessons are for a particular book, they can be adapted for classroom use without reading the book. Take advantage of these free lessons and handouts for use with any Civil Rights lesson or unit. These lessons would be great for use with gifted students or differentiating work for students. Have a group of students read Wherever There's a Fight and make a multimedia presentation using one of the many TeachersFirst Edge tools, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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25 Moments That Changed America - Time Magazine
Grades
6 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): 1900s (80), 20th century (169), civil rights (218), presidents (145), womens suffrage (63)
In the Classroom
Use this site to introduce any lesson or unit on 20th century America with an interactive whiteboard or projector. At the end of a 20th century unit, have students create their own list individually or as a group before sharing this site. This site contains many events that may be unfamiliar to most younger Americans, use it as an opportunity to explore these events further. Have students create an annotated image including text boxes and related links using a tool such as Google Drawings, reviewed here, to share information from different events. Google Drawings allows you to annotate an image with links to videos, text, websites, and more.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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State of the Union Bingo - National Constitution Center
Grades
7 to 12tag(s): presidents (145), speeches (22)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of this free lesson plan as a supplement to your current events lessons. The Bingo sheet was created in 2012, you may need to modify some terms to adapt to current events. Divide students into groups and compare State of the Union addresses from throughout any one president's terms. Have students create a simple infographic sharing their findings using Venngage, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Classroom Materials - Primary Source Sets - Library of Congress
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): 20th century (169), authors (107), black history (132), civil war (141), constitution (101), evaluating sources (29), hispanic (45), history day (38), immigration (79), jefferson (20), lincoln (65), new deal (5), primary sources (118), Research (78), segregation (20), thanksgiving (25), veterans (29), washington (32), westward expansion (41), womens suffrage (63), wright brothers (16)
In the Classroom
When introducing a new unit, show students photos from the era (on the left menu) and have them describe what they see and what period they think it is. Find plenty of questions and activities (including a blank analysis organizer for students) in the Teacher's Guides. Also look at Library of Congress: for Teachers, reviewed here. Encourage your students to use this tool for projects. Challenge students to find a photo (legally permitted for reproduction), and then narrate the photo as if it is a news report. Have students create a multimedia presentation using Google Slides, reviewed here. Google Slides allows you to narrate a picture (choose Insert from the top menu, then audio) modifying student learning. Include this site on your class webpage for students and parents to access as a reference.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Preparing For The Oath - Smithsonian National Museum of American History
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): immigration (79)
In the Classroom
Share this site on a projector or interactive whiteboard as an anticipatory set or "activator" to introduce a unit or lesson on US history or citizenship. Take advantage of the video lessons on this site to teach and review topics pertaining to the United States. Be sure to share with your school's ESL/ELL teacher as an informative resource for students and parents.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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George Washington's Mount Vernon - Virtual Tour - Mount Vernon
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): 1700s (31), presidents (145), virginia (15), virtual field trips (132)
In the Classroom
Ideal for use on an interactive whiteboard or for students to access individually, this virtual tour has many features. You can explore the buildings, zoom in on items in the buildings, access stories and discussions that highlight features of the property and the daily lives of those who lived at Mount Vernon. Enhance learning by having students share their impressions of and questions about Mount Vernon and more with video, using a tool like Gravity, reviewed here. Gravity provides a means for video responses to a question along with comments from peers. There are additional links to lesson plans and other student resources.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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