Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

The Annenberg Learner Foundation's goal is to advance excellent teaching in American schools. Annenberg Learner's multimedia resources help teachers increase their expertise in their fields and improve teaching methods in all grade levels in all subjects. There are video resources for all subject areas. Find lesson plans for all subjects by grade level. A variety of interactives accompany lessons or can also stand alone. Follow the monthly updates and blogs for the latest information.
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tag(s): art history (106), butterflies (13), conversions (37), critical thinking (135), dna (43), earth (183), environment (252), geometric shapes (134), immigrants (40), medieval (32), native americans (117), patterns (61), periodic table (43), renaissance (38), rocks (35), russia (36), south africa (13), spelling (98), statistics (121), volcanoes (55), weather (161)

Learn the story behind the year with two U.S. Thanksgivings from this simple, yet interesting site. The short article tells the tale of President Roosevelt's journey to declare the official date for all states to celebrate Thanksgiving. View several documents, including letters and telegrams to the president voicing opinions on setting an official date for Thanksgiving.

tag(s): primary sources (120), roosevelt (15), thanksgiving (24)

What does your zip code tell you about the demographics and lifestyle of your community? Find out with Zip Lookup. Type in any zip code for quick information on the "Tapestry" of your area. View the top three demographic segments of the community such as "Boomburbs" or "Savvy Surbanites." Use the drop-down box for an explanation of each segment. Click on tabs to further narrow down information such as income, age, and population density comparing each zip code to the county, state, and the entire United States.

tag(s): communities (39), demographics (13), population (51)

Cartoons for the Classroom offers over 400 one-page downloadable lessons featuring two or three political cartoons related to current events and several questions for discussion that relate to those cartoons. Alternatively, download the cartoons alone along with space to "draw" your own conclusions. Also find an evaluation form for you and your students use. Click "Home" on the top left of the list to go to the home page and "Interactive Lessons - Updated Every Monday" (usually a political comment). A picture is worth a thousand words, and editorial cartoonists have been boiling down the foibles of politicians and public figures throughout history. One needs only to know about Thomas Nast and his cartoons of Boss Tweed during the 19th century to know that cartoons have a deep impact on political discourse.

tag(s): comics and cartoons (55), politics (118), satire (6)

Find interactive maps examining the results of elections from 1840 through 2008. With US politics increasingly dominated by election year strategizing, a historical look at how Americans have voted in both Presidential and Congressional elections can provide useful context. In a democracy, the power of popular elections to affect the lives of all citizens cannot be understated. In order to understand how changes in population--demography and distribution--have affected popular elections, it's important to see those changes in perspective. On this site, you can look at Presidential elections or Congressional elections, as well as population maps focused on African American and White population changes over the time period. Most of the maps are based on an advancing time line that maps data over time. For Presidential elections, there are also more detailed maps for each separate election.

tag(s): congress (40), elections (82), electoral college (22), maps (223), presidents (136), timelines (58)

Explore interesting history tidbits and background information about world events including topics from Atlantis to Vikings. Scroll through the list of topics and find links to various podcast episodes with archives going back to 2008. Click to play the episodes or download any episode in mp3 format using the download link. Episodes are approximately 30 minutes in length. You can also search for specific topics using the search tool.
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tag(s): archeology (29), black history (134), civil rights (215), civil war (140), cross cultural understanding (176), mental health (49), native americans (117), podcasts (112), religions (107), vikings (10), world war 1 (79), world war 2 (161)

This site accompanies an episode of the PBS production American Experience, taking a new look at the life and legacy of John F. Kennedy. It was created in remembrance of the 50th anniversary of his assassination. The site combines primary sources with more scholarly articles examining the political context of his presidency and the policies and events we associate with that presidency. The primary source collection is rich and diverse, and there is also a nice contextual timeline of world events between 1961 and 1963. The teacher reference guide is designed primarily to be used in conjunction with viewing the American Experience episode itself, but includes important questions for discussion that are appropriate even for students who have not watched the full film.
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tag(s): 1960s (26), civil rights (215), kennedy (20), presidents (136)

View this interactive Google map to discover where "fraccidents" have occurred and a description of what happened. A "fraccident" is when something goes wrong at a fracking site. Hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking" is drilling to fracture shale rocks to release natural gas. Fracking is a controversial technology, and this site is one organization's efforts to slow the pace of industrial gas development. So you will notice some bias. Find out if anything like this has happened near you. At the bottom of the page is a video, "Finding Their Way." It is about a Williamsport, PA couple who developed strategies to stop industrial gas development in Rider Park, land consisting of forests, rivers, and fields. The video also gives statistics about how quickly fracking wells were built in Pennsylvania from 2007 - 2010.

tag(s): disasters (37), energy (133), environment (252), geology (62), natural resources (37), oil (22), resources (83)

Find a constantly updated collection of informational articles about the environment of the Great Lakes. Subscribe to receive news of current feature articles. The variety of article topics is sure to catch the interest of almost any reader. The articles have Creative Commons Attribution - Share Alike licenses so are free to use and recopy (be sure to attribute!).
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tag(s): animals (293), fish (18), insects (67), plants (147), pollution (53), water (105), watersheds (8), weather (161)

Top Documentary Films contains a large collection of documentaries from around the world. Choose "Browse" to explore the films available, or use the Categories menu on the right to view by topics such as Politics, Science, etc. Choose List from the top menu to view a complete listing of all available films. Each listing includes a short description along with a link to view the video. Videos are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, they may not be viewable. Be sure to PREVIEW videos before showing to a class as they are unmoderated. Comments are also unmoderated. There is a wonderful disclaimer at the lower left of the home page about bias and documentaries. It is well worth noting as you watch ANY "documentary."
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tag(s): advanced placement (26), animals (293), artists (86), biographies (94), drugs and alcohol (28), environment (252), evolution (89), hiv/aids (15), humor (15), media literacy (109), mental health (49), money (114), politics (118), psychology (65), religions (107), sports (83), vietnam (38)

NCES Kids' Zone offers enrichment and informational data. Explore This Day in History, updated daily. Take a poll and compare your own answers with others. Try your problem solving skills with the mindbender. Learn (and use) the word of the day. The Dare to Compare button leads to short quizzes where you can compare your knowledge with others. You can also explore data about your local schools and libraries and even find college information. Note that the upper menus do not work in all browsers, so not all areas of the site are readily accessible.

tag(s): charts and graphs (172), probability (99)

The Historical Marker Database is an illustrated and searchable website for finding and viewing historical road markers. Information includes photographs, marker locations, and more. Search and browse the site in several ways. Find markers near your location, enter a keyword in the search bar, or choose from category options. Most entries include a short description, map location of the marker, the transcription, and links to other nearby markers. This site is rather text-heavy. It is full of great information. There is also a link to a free Google Field Trip app that uses these markers.
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tag(s): 20th century (62), american revolution (83), anthropology (10), california (17), civil rights (215), civil war (140), disasters (37), explorers (64), heroes (24), hispanic (36), immigration (76), labor day (5), mexico (46), native americans (117), natural disasters (19), natural resources (37), texas (7), vietnam (38), war of 1812 (15), world war 1 (79), world war 2 (161)

Texas Law Related Games provides many civics-related games, and many are not specific to Texas laws. Topics include American Symbols, Branches of the Federal Government, Constitution, Bill of Rights, and others. There is a pledge of allegiance that is TEXAS ONLY and one that is U.S. so be sure you click the one you want. There is also an interactive Safety game available in both Spanish and English. Click any game to begin play; most include short instructions. If using an iPad, be sure to choose the link to access game versions that work with iPads. There is a link for teachers to access Lesson Plans and Curriculum in the footer of the page.

tag(s): bill of rights (34), branches of government (65), declaration of independence (16), game based learning (206), presidents (136), safety (68), symbols (16)

Pumarosa is a totally bilingual Spanish-English site. The three levels orally teach helpful English words in translation from survival skills at the beginning level to citizenship topics at the highest level. (The Civics section is actually bilingual, basic U.S. social studies!) All words, phrases, and dialogues are available so you can hear (by clicking the little ear icon) and repeat the item as often as desired. Most lessons are based on learning vocabulary and dialogue, and everything is available in both languages simultaneously. After you do the initial lesson, a wide variety of exercises help you practice what you are learning. You can select as few or as many as you feel you need. The spoken Spanish is at a more natural rate than the English, which is a bit slower than normal speech. An additional phonics section explains and pronounces basic sounds in English. The language of instruction is Spanish and the target language to be learned is English. Accompanying workbooks and printed materials are available for a cost but are not necessary for you to learn.

tag(s): american flag (8), branches of government (65), declaration of independence (16), listening (93), spanish (111), vocabulary development (93)

The State Archives of Florida provides online access to resources that had a significant impact in Florida's history. The collection includes over 176,000 photographs, more than 110 videos, an audio collection, historical and genealogical collection, exhibits, and an online classroom. The online classroom contains lesson plans, online activities, and primary documents of Florida's past. Enjoy folk music from Florida's past or look at Florida in the Civil War. There is a lot here to explore about Florida and beyond.

tag(s): black history (134), civil war (140), florida (12), hurricanes (33), states (125)

Try your hand at newspaper editing for a dystopian community. Explore the limitations of not having a free press. Your task is to select which articles paint a positive picture of the world by reading a one sentence summary and looking at the headlines. There is a time limit for editing (within 3 virtual days -- about 45 seconds). As the editor, you must make sure the bosses stay happy and also that the public interest is substantial in reading the selected stories. At the end of the given time, editors receive two grades, one on successfully completing the paper and the other on engaging your readers. Editors continue work for three days, each day trying to improve the positive attitude and interest more readers. A threat to the editor adds to the suspense and tension of selecting articles carefully.

tag(s): bias (27), freedom of speech (14), game based learning (206), media literacy (109), newspapers (93), propaganda (8)

Explore award-winning resources related to British History presented by the British National Archives. Choose from Medieval Times through the present. You can also choose by Key Stage (similar to grade level bands). If you aren't familiar with Key Stages: Stage 1 is K-2, Stage 2 is grades 3-5, Stage 3 is grades 6-8, Stage 4 is grades 9-10, and Stage 5 is grades 11-12. While this site does have materials for all stages, there isn't a huge selection for Stage 1.

Download 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 (79), world war 2 (161)

The Authentic History Center provides a catalog of popular culture images and primary sources from the 1600's throughout American history (final timeframe is 2009 - 2020). Explore by time period: World War I, The Decision to Use the Atomic Bomb, Great Depression, and more. Artifacts range from posters to magazine covers to cartoons. There are also audio and video recordings. You can "hear" what popular music was like in the lead-in to World War II, for example. Many topics include a great deal of text to read and explore. Choose a specific time period and category such as photographs, music, or technology to explore content. Most sections include a short overview of the time period with links to artifacts. What makes this collection especially useful is the sorting and grouping they have done for you so you can choose and experience an era. A few of the video clips are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, they may not be viewable. Most of the materials are Creative Commons licensed, so they can be used in multimedia projects if you give proper credit. Click the CC icon on the page where you find a clip or source to see specific rights.

tag(s): 1600s (20), 1700s (36), 1800s (75), 1900s (72), 20th century (62), civil war (140), cold war (31), great depression (30), photography (132), vietnam (38), world war 1 (79), world war 2 (161)

Find news features on current events, politics, space, weather, sports, and more. This would be useful in any classroom where a "knowledge of the now" is a focus. At the time of this review some of the specific topics included What's New on the Climate Crisis, remembering Children's Author Beverly Clearly, Huge Container Ship Blocks Suez Canal, the discovery of new planets, and much more. Of course, as the news changes so will the features on this front page. Subscribe to their newsletter to receive updates on new articles.

tag(s): news (228)