Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

Two friends with opposing political views created I Side With as a resource for engaging in political discussion and learning about different points of view. Take the online quiz to learn which candidate aligns with your beliefs the most. Explore the many polls on the site to view results from across the country. Break down information from the polls into additional information such as by state, city, party affiliation, ethnicity, and income.

tag(s): elections (82), politics (118), polls and surveys (49)

Make history relevant to the world today and learn more about First Amendment issues at the same time. Find lesson plans, a multimedia collection of primary sources and artifacts, interactive tools, and worksheets. These are searchable by type, topic, collections, and time-period. The focus of the lessons is historical connections, media literacy, and civics and citizenship. There are several EdCollections with titles like "Election 2016: Stumped!?," "Making a Change," "Women, Their Rights and Nothing Less," and "Freedom in the Balance." The latter focuses on teaching and learning about 9/11 and the attacks in Paris, France 2015, and adhering to the First Amendment freedoms and concerns for safety and the public good. All of this is free with an email sign up. Check back frequently to see NewseumEd's newest EdCollections.

tag(s): civil rights (209), elections (82), evaluating sources (29), freedom of speech (14), media literacy (109), politics (118), primary sources (119), sept11 (18), terrorism (41), terrorist (12)

Over the years Tom Richey has taught several different history courses. His site shares many of his teaching materials. Choose the Courses drop-down box to go directly to different courses including AP History, AP European History, Modern World History, and more. Each course includes assignment information, primary sources, videos, and all information needed to set up a curriculum. Click on the PowerPoint selection to find a large variety of PowerPoint presentations for free download. Other links lead to review guides, video lectures, and flashcards. Be sure to check out this site when you have lots of time to explore the many resources included! If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable.
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tag(s): advanced placement (26), american revolution (82), colonial america (95), europe (84), greece (47), israel (14), medieval (32), native americans (109), primary sources (119), renaissance (38), romans (52)

You don't need to take an actual visit to Mount Vernon to enjoy a look at the life and times of America's first president with this comprehensive website. Choose from The Estate and Gardens or George Washington links to explore information about Washington's life and home. Each section includes full articles, including images and some videos. Be sure to check out the Educational Resources for students and teachers including lesson plans, interactive maps, animated presentations, and more.
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tag(s): american revolution (82), presidents (136), primary sources (119), slavery (79), washington (28)

Explore America's History of Immigration through the thirty-two interactive events on this timeline beginning in 1492. Scroll the timeline bar to any area on the timeline to view events for that period. Click the arrows on each box to read more about that event.
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tag(s): immigrants (34), immigration (68), timelines (56)

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 (43), primary sources (119), professional development (385), social networking (61), Teacher Utilities (200)

Mr. Beat's YouTube Channel provides educational Social Studies videos in a storytelling format. There are a few other topics: Primary and Secondary Sources, Guide to Critical Thinking, and others. Be sure to check out the music video and song for each of the presidents. Other topics include using Google Earth, Presidential Elections, and Story Time with Mr. Beat. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable.
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tag(s): alaska (21), elections (82), explorers (64), gettysburg address (12), lincoln (67), presidents (136), primary sources (119), washington (28)

FutureLearn for Schools offers a large variety of free online courses presented by leading universities for students aged 13 and older in a variety of topics. Choose a category to begin browsing topics offered. Content includes history, creative arts and media, literature, and much more. Watch a short video to learn specifics about the course offerings and objectives. This site was created in the UK, so some of the pronunciations and spellings may differ from those in American English.

tag(s): advertising (26), business (52), computers (109), creative writing (124), cultures (181), dental health (14), environment (252), financial literacy (94), gifted (66), literature (221), photography (131), politics (118), professional development (385), psychology (65)

The Television Archive News Search Service is a comprehensive resource for finding news video clips from the United States and Great Britain. Scroll through to view clips by most popular or sort by title, date, archived, or creator. Use the search bar to search by keywords for specific information. Choose any clip, and then choose any minute from the filmstrip to view clips.

tag(s): d day (11), journalism (74), news (228), world war 2 (161)

Browse and read hundreds of newspaper archives from around the world at Google Newspaper Archives. Information under each publication title includes the number of issues included and dates of publication. After choosing a publication, view thumbnails of available issues and click on the title of any article to read. Share articles using the link provided.

tag(s): cross cultural understanding (173), media literacy (109), news (228), newspapers (93)

Civil Rights at 50 offers free lesson plans based on the book, Wherever There's a Fight, by Elaine Elinson and Stan Yogi. The six middle and high school lesson plans revolve around the struggle to develop and protect rights in California. Click the download link to access and print the lessons in PDF format.

tag(s): california (17), civil rights (209)

Take a look at what leading experts consider the 25 moments that changed 20th century America in this interesting list from Time. Click through the slideshow or view all moments in one list. Each event, listed in chronological order, also includes a summary and photograph. A few also include a video clip. Click on the links at the bottom of each moment to view more information from the Time Vault.
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tag(s): 1900s (72), 20th century (62), civil rights (209), presidents (136), womens suffrage (52)

Engage student interest in the annual State of the Union Address with this Bingo lesson plan. Background activities provide historical knowledge of the traditions of the speech. Follow up activities guide students through understanding current events.

tag(s): presidents (136), speeches (23)

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.

tag(s): 20th century (62), authors (107), black history (133), civil war (139), constitution (98), evaluating sources (29), hispanic (36), history day (39), immigration (68), jefferson (19), lincoln (67), new deal (5), primary sources (119), Research (88), segregation (18), thanksgiving (24), veterans (27), washington (28), westward expansion (39), womens suffrage (52), wright brothers (16)

Commemorate Black History Month with 20 lesson plans and resources covering a variety of topics including racial discrimination, civil rights, and discussions about race in current events. Scroll through the page to view topics and grade level suggestions. Content ranges from a history of discrimination through current events such as debating race through the Trayvon Martin shooting. Some lessons also contain Common Core correlations.

tag(s): black history (133), civil rights (209), cultures (181), martin luther king (45), racism (79), video (266)

Could you pass the U.S. Naturalization Test? Preparing For The Oath offers learning opportunities and a practice test. Practice listening, reading and oral skills as you take the practice test. As you check for correct answers, use the Review This Question link to learn and practice more information. Additional links offer lesson plans and guides for teachers, word lists, and full transcripts of resources.

tag(s): immigration (68)

Take a virtual tour of Mount Vernon, the home of the first President of the United States, George Washington. Beautifully executed, and packed with special features, the tour is billed as the "second best way to visit Mount Vernon," and doesn't disappoint. Click on the three dots with a checkmark in lower right corner to find a menu of places to look. Click the video play button in the middle of the page and watch the tutorial so you don't miss any of the many tips and tricks to get the most out of your virtual tour.

tag(s): 1700s (36), presidents (136), virginia (15), virtual field trips (130)

Looking for videos and resources that peer into Global Issues? Start with this resource! Click the Video Bank to view resources by themes: conflict, power, human rights, social structures, migrations, economic systems, factors of production, or political systems. Also, view the video bank by location in the world. Videos in each theme are up to several minutes in length and are clips of larger videos. Click on the video of choice, to view the video on a larger screen, see the guiding questions, read the background essay and transcript, and find related links. Text can easily be printed using the print function along the bottom. Videos are easily downloaded, with directions for both PC and Mac users. View the country and region map along the left side along with the accompanying lesson plan. Additionally, click on Lesson Plans instead to display the following for each global issue: overview, learning objectives and standards, media components (with links), and materials. Be sure to note the Prep for Teachers along the bottom of each lesson plan.
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tag(s): cross cultural understanding (173), cultures (181), maps (220)

Zoom In! is a set of digital tools that support social studies teachers in aligning teaching with the Common Core Literacy Standards. In each lesson, students solve a historical problem by analyzing and collecting evidence, organizing research, and creating a rough draft communicating the solution. Create your teacher account to begin. Browse through 10 lessons with topics as diverse as propaganda and Paul Revere, Labor on the World War II Homefront, Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers, and music in the Vietnam War. Create a class within each lesson to receive a class code for student access.

tag(s): american revolution (82), civil war (139), constitution (98), immigrants (34), immigration (68), lincoln (67), slavery (79), vietnam (38), westward expansion (39), world war 2 (161)

PBS offers this series of lessons aligned to their popular mini-series, The Roosevelts. All lessons include alignment to standards, background information, discussion questions, and evaluation rubrics. Choose from full-length Lesson Plans or Snapshot Lessons containing quick, adaptable activities for classroom use.
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tag(s): 1900s (72), presidents (136), roosevelt (15)