Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

Discover an interactive digital lesson that explores how the Inka Empire engineered a 25,000-mile road network across challenging Andean terrain without the use of wheels or metal tools. The lesson incorporates maps, videos, historical illustrations, and inquiry-based activities to examine Inka innovations in transportation, agriculture, and water management. It also highlights how Indigenous communities continue to use and preserve these technologies today.

tag(s): inquiry (30), south america (77)

The Holocaust Museum Houston's Educators page provides a comprehensive collection of resources tailored for teachers at both elementary and secondary levels. It offers specialized lesson plans, classroom activities, and professional development opportunities to enhance Holocaust education. These materials are designed to support educators in delivering accurate and engaging content about the Holocaust, fostering critical thinking and empathy among students. Additionally, the museum provides contact information and avenues for further assistance, ensuring educators can access the support they need. The videos are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable.

tag(s): critical thinking (137), ebooks (47), empathy (37), holocaust (43), immigrants (48), immigration (84), jews (52), professional development (393), religions (113)

Britt Hawthorne's blog post on Jewish American Heritage Month activities provides teachers with engaging ways to celebrate Jewish contributions to U.S. history in the classroom. The site includes book recommendations, discussion prompts, hands-on crafts, and interactive activities suitable for elementary and middle school students. Educators can use these resources to foster inclusivity, cultural appreciation, and meaningful conversations about Jewish identity and history. The activities are adaptable across subjects and promote critical thinking, making them a valuable addition to classroom celebrations during Jewish American Heritage Month.

tag(s): blogs (73), crafts (76), cross cultural understanding (178), cultures (226), identity (37), immigrants (48), immigration (84), jews (52), religions (113)

The PBS article "Jews & The Arts: 10 Innovators" introduces students to ten influential Jewish-American artists who have significantly impacted various creative fields. The resource provides brief biographies of figures such as lyricist E.Y. "Yip" Harburg, feminist artist Judy Chicago, and graphic designer Milton Glaser, highlighting their contributions to music, visual arts, and design. This compilation serves as a valuable tool for educators aiming to explore Jewish Americans' diverse cultural and artistic contributions in their curriculum.

tag(s): artists (87), composers (20), cultures (226), famous people (28), immigrants (48), jews (52), religions (113)

Inca Empire for Kids: Myths, Legends, and Stories highlights how studying myths, legends, and stories tells the story of the civilization. Featured are links to the Incan creation myth video, the llama legend, the myth of Mano Capac, the myth of the Rod of Gold, and more.
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tag(s): myths and legends (42)

View this in-depth look at how the Inca civilization thrived through practical innovation. The site explores topics such as the role of llamas in daily life, strategies used to unite newly conquered tribes, the purpose and design of Incan roads, and how messengers navigated the empire. The site also covers the empire's defense systems, the way Incan architecture blended with the landscape, and how they communicated without a written language. Rich in content, the site includes photos, videos, and maps to enhance student understanding.

tag(s): architecture (84), south america (77)

Ghosts of Machu Picchu is a free site that explores careers related to Machu Picchu. The site offers a video on the Ghost of Machu Picchu, an interview on the Incas' ice mummies, a profile of a climate expert, and a lesson on ice mummies. The lesson is divided into grades 5-8 and 9-12, with an extension activity on falling on the leaning tower.

tag(s): climate (86), south america (77)

Peru's Machu Picchu site offers a virtual tour of Museo de Sitio and a link to Machu Picchu viewed through the eyes of Fernando Astete. The site can be translated into Spanish and French.

tag(s): cultures (226), south america (77)

Discover an entire unit in which students will gain knowledge of the geography of South America, how mountains affect climate, plant and animal ecology and the daily life of humans living in the region, the history of the Incas, the economy and social life of the Inca Empire, the impact of the Spanish Conquest on the Andean people, the archaeological site of Machu Picchu, and more. The lesson plans themselves consist of materials needed, an overview, an introduction, procedures including inquiry questions, discussion, assessment, and homework. A teacher and student guide are included as well as additional resources, word match, and glossary. The unit aligns to the Connecticut Social Studies Framework.

tag(s): cultures (226), south america (77)

The Google Arts & Culture "Inca Exhibition" offers an interactive and visually rich exploration of the Inca civilization, ideal for upper elementary through high school students. Through curated images, artifacts, and concise text, the exhibition covers key aspects of Inca life, including architecture, engineering, religion, and societal structure. Students can virtually explore items like Inca textiles, tools, and ruins, making it a powerful tool for visual and inquiry-based learning.

tag(s): art history (108)

The "Who Are American Jews?" section on the Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM) website offers educators valuable resources to explore the multifaceted nature of Jewish identity in the United States. It includes materials such as Facing History & Ourselves' insights into Jewish identity, Pew Research Center's "10 Key Findings About Jewish Americans," and the "Perspectives and Lived Experiences of Jews of Color" report by the Jews of Color Initiative. These resources provide a comprehensive understanding of the diversity within the American Jewish community, making them ideal for classroom discussions on cultural identity and diversity.

tag(s): cultures (226), diversity (46), identity (37), immigrants (48), immigration (84), jews (52), perspective (20)

The Jewish Educator Portal offers four lesson plans based on the 2008 PBS series The Jewish Americans. These lessons guide students through identity, assimilation, immigration, discrimination, and cultural change. The plans can initiate broader explorations of American Jewish history and facilitate comparisons with other immigrant groups' experiences.

tag(s): cultures (226), immigrants (48), immigration (84), jews (52)

The NYU American Jewish History research guide provides a curated collection of primary sources, including historical documents, newspapers, photographs, and archival materials related to Jewish American history. This resource is ideal for teachers looking to incorporate authentic historical evidence into their lessons, helping students analyze Jewish immigration, cultural contributions, and civil rights efforts. With links to digital archives and research databases, this guide supports inquiry-based learning and critical thinking in middle and high school social studies, history, and civics classes.

tag(s): civil rights (219), critical thinking (137), cultures (226), immigration (84), inquiry (30), jews (52)

The American Jewish Committee (AJC) website provides a collection of resources for Jewish American Heritage Month, helping educators highlight the impact of Jewish Americans on U.S. history and culture. It features historical background, profiles of influential Jewish figures, videos, and articles covering topics such as civil rights, immigration, and contributions to various fields. These materials support meaningful classroom discussions and activities, making them valuable for middle and high school social studies, history, and civics lessons. The videos are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable.

tag(s): civil rights (219), cultures (226), immigration (84), jews (52)

The PBS Jewish Americans website provides educational resources exploring Jewish history, culture, and contributions in the United States. It includes lesson plans, discussion guides, and primary source materials that help teachers integrate Jewish American experiences into their curriculum. The site covers topics such as immigration, civil rights, and notable Jewish figures, making it a valuable tool for fostering historical understanding and cultural appreciation in the classroom.

tag(s): civil rights (219), cultures (226), immigration (84), jews (52)

The Alaska Purchase Treaty: Primary Documents is a free resource from the Library of Congress for social studies teachers of 5th through 12th grades. This resource includes primary documents for William Steward, the Treaty concerning the succession of Russian possessions, and the message from the U.S. President regarding the new territory transferred from Russia. These primary documents comprise a set of original documents in the form of photographs and images of the historical record. This site contains an introduction, digital collections, external websites, and print resources for how the United States gained this territory in 1867. This is a public resource; therefore, no registration is required.

tag(s): alaska (22), gold rush (17), primary sources (119), visual literacy (4)

The Louisiana Department of Education's "Unit 4: The Inca and Aztec Empires" resource provides teachers with a structured collection of activity pages, assessments, and learning materials focused on the rise, achievements, and decline of the Inca and Aztec civilizations. This PDF includes reading passages, vocabulary exercises, map activities, comprehension questions, and writing prompts to support student engagement and understanding. This resource is designed to align with curriculum standards, and is ideal for reinforcing key concepts, assessing student knowledge, and facilitating discussions on Mesoamerican and Andean civilizations.

tag(s): aztecs (10), letter writing (20), maps (224), south america (77), vocabulary (241)

The BrainPOP Inca Civilization page provides an engaging multimedia approach to teaching students about the history, achievements, and daily life of the Inca Empire. This resource includes an animated video, quizzes, vocabulary activities, and interactive features that help students explore Inca engineering, agriculture, government, and communication systems. BrainPOP's content is great for introducing or reinforcing key concepts in social studies, and is designed to support diverse learning styles. Teachers can use the provided lesson ideas and extension activities to promote critical thinking, discussion, and hands-on learning in the classroom.

tag(s): agriculture (52), communication (130), engineering (137), south america (77)

The EDSITEment lesson plan "Couriers of the Inca Empire: Getting Your Message Across" provides educators with an engaging way to teach students about the Inca Empire's communication system. This resource explores how the chasquis (Inca messengers) used an extensive relay network and quipu (knotted cords) to transmit information across the vast empire. The lesson includes primary sources, interactive activities, and discussion prompts to help students understand the challenges of communication in a pre-modern society. It supports inquiry-based learning, critical thinking, and cross-curricular connections in history, geography, and STEM.

tag(s): communication (130), inquiry (30), native americans (116), south america (77), STEM (312)

The Inka Road History Timeline highlights the Incan civilization via a timeline from 100 BC to 1825 AD. As you learn about the ancient civilization, maps and images are featured. To interact with the site, click on the timeline at the top. The site also pronounces some of the words from the ancient civilization.

tag(s): native americans (116), south america (77)