Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

Keeping Score takes you on a creative historical journey through the composers, conflicts, and culture of some of music's most beloved and classical works. This first-class website contains interactives for composers such as Beethoven, Copeland, Stravinsky, and Tchaikovsky. You can see pictures and listen to stories about the lives and times of the composers, hear the music, read personal reflections or quotes of the composers, and listen to commentary of other musical professionals. Also included are podcasts of the San Francisco radio show, 13 Days When Music Changed Forever which is about musical revolutions. The education link is full of ideas for incorporating music into any and all subjects. It also has time saving, standards guided lesson plans to be used in all educational settings. Musical education websites do not get cooler than this! This type of site can connect with today's learners by bringing them all the information that they need in a one stop, multimedia package. It is classy, concise, and easy to navigate.

tag(s): composers (14), music theory (46), musical instruments (52), songs (46)

This site features a wonderfully specific pictorial database of "every day" images that define cultures. Images are Creative Commons licensed and can be used by download (three sizes) or direct link. At the time of this review, general topics included German, ESL (American,) French, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, Spanish, Russian, Ukrainian, and a few others. Besides offering a photograph (in three sizes) of something specifically Chinese or something only found in Japan, the vocabulary label for the object shown as well as its translation into its language of origin is available and indexed. There is also a detailed guide for teachers offering many wonderful suggestions of how to use CAPL in the classroom. The suggested activities include using images as objects, visual "texts," media illustrations, and narratives as well as ideas for using the images to teach vocabulary and culture. More is added to this site frequently, so be sure to check back!

tag(s): arabic (13), architecture (75), china (81), cross cultural understanding (173), cultures (180), france (41), germany (28), japan (57), russia (36), spanish (109)

This site, created by the Kennedy Center, offers a wealth of interactive lesson plans for grades K-12 dealing with a variety of topics, all with an "arts" spin. Search by subject, keyword, or grade level (K-4, 5-8, or 9-12). Some examples of topics include Native Americans, Civil War, Shakespeare, myths, melodrama, adjectives, monsters, baseball, and countless others! Be sure to check out the category "Our Best Resources Organized by Subject." After that click on the the top menu for Education and get even more resources. There are many interactive lessons: some with video, audio, or slideshows. The lessons provide an estimate of time required and complete, step-by-step instructions. There are printables included with some of the lessons.
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tag(s): african american (115), baseball (32), civil war (139), comics and cartoons (55), dance (31), folktales (34), greece (47), habitats (92), immigration (68), literature (221), mexico (37), musical instruments (52), myths and legends (37), native americans (109), painting (55), surrealism (2)

Find out what happened on any date in history with this informative site. Each event is listed with a short description. Historic events are listed chronologically from oldest to current times. (Some dates are several pages long, be sure to click the "read more" link to continue to newer dates.) Information includes birthdays, discoveries, events, and more. Searches by specific years, months, and famous birthdays. You are able to add events and comments. Note that the general public can also add comments, so preview before projecting in class!
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tag(s): calendars (37), timelines (56)

The tragic story of the lost princess Anastasia is often of interest to students and can serve as an introduction to the story of the Russian Revolution. The Alexander Palace site certainly illustrates the extreme wealth and extravagance of the Romanov court and how this brought about the Russian Revolution and the rise of communism. This site includes everything: diaries and letters, photographs of the palace pets, and information about the life of Tsar Alexander, the last tsar of Russia. Although the level of detail would be very useful for someone doing research into Russian history, the chief benefit of this site for classroom teachers is its photographs of the palace and its treasures. There are photo tours of the palace and each of its rooms. Of particular interest are zoom-able photos of eleven jeweled and decorated Faberge eggs. The site would also be useful for art teachers in illustrating the craftsmanship and beauty of the Faberge eggs, perhaps before asking students to design their own.

tag(s): eggs (5), evolution (89), russia (36), russian (26)

This online tool lets you create a timeline of an individual's life using dates from 1000 AD to the present year. Enter the person's name and dates, add events (historic or personal) and their beginning/ending dates, and click the "generate" button.

tag(s): timelines (56)

This site is part of a set of detailed cultural, political, and historical summaries created by the Library's Federal Research Service. The emphasis is on less commonly studied nations, and the material will be challenging for some students.

tag(s): asia (116), europe (84), russia (36)

PravdaReport (english.pravda.ru) is an online Russian news and opinion platform that publishes articles on global politics, science, society, culture, and current events. The site states that it aims to give "voice to the voiceless," providing a space for diverse perspectives and reporting through openness and diversity. PravdaReport's mission centers on offering its engaged audience unbiased and plural viewpoints, with a strong belief that accurate information can only emerge from transparent and inclusive dialogue. While the content may reflect distinct editorial choices and cultural viewpoints, the website can be used as a resource for exploring international perspectives and media literacy in the classroom.

tag(s): diversity (40), media literacy (109), perspective (14), russia (36), russian (26)

This is a simple site that has recorded greetings and farewells in Russian, along with the various translations in English. The phrases are set up in chart form, which include a column that comments on whether the phrase is formal, informal, and other helpful tips. An easy way to get an idea of the Russian language if you haven't heard it.

tag(s): russian (26)

This site is designed for tourists, and contains lots of good basic information on Russia. Colorful graphics and an easy-to-follow layout allow you to virtually explore Moscow, St. Petersburg, the Trans-Siberian Railway or the main waterways. You'll also find links to Russian history, art, architecture, and other interesting facts. Click on "The Gazeteer" for a summary of Russia today, or follow the "Activities" link to find out about wildlife preservation of the Siberian tiger.

tag(s): russia (36)

This site from Fordham University offers a college-level treatment of the Russian Revolution and the personalities and factions which contributed to the political turmoil. Using a combination of on-site and metasite resources, the author's treatment allows users to follow the narrative at varying levels of depth. This site could be useful for teachers preparing a Western Civilization survey, or for AP students working on a research project.

tag(s): russia (36)

This site from the Library of Congress compares the settlement of the American west with the Russian migration and expansion eastward, and highlights the meeting of the Russian and American frontiers in the Alaskan wilderness. Developed in both English and Russian, the site covers a half dozen major topic areas, offering combinations of narrative and archival images. This is a "compare and contrast" study that students don't frequently encounter, and it could be an interesting sidebar to discussions of either the American west or the history of Russia in the 19th century.

tag(s): alaska (21), states (124)

This site, developed in part by the Moscow tourism bureau, offers a glimpse of some of the city's most famous landmarks, and a very complete section on the Kremlin. There are also sections dealing with life in the city and cultural events. This could be useful for cultural or historical research.

tag(s): russia (36)

The Bulgarian Government Web Site was launched on December 27, 1999.

tag(s): europe (84)

This is a truly extraordinary collection of images of Russia during the period 1900-1915. The photographer's techniques enabled the Library of Congress to recreate high quality, full-color images of 100 year old scenes that look as though they were taken yesterday. Though the site has a wealth of technical information, the images themselves will be most useful. The site includes numerous buildings that were destroyed during the Russian revolution of 1917.

tag(s): photography (130), russia (36)

Take a look at Sochi, Russia as it prepares for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games. This site offers 26 images starting in December 2012 showing progress in constructing Olympic venues and infrastructure in preparation for the February 2014 event. Some images demonstrate the effect on local people as well as showing construction progress.
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tag(s): olympics (45), russia (36), sports (82)

This site offers a wonderful list of X (formerly known as Twitter) feeds to consider if you are just starting out or if you are adding to your feed related to history. The list is categorized by General, Media, Eductors and Students, Departments and Publications, Military, Historical Tweets, and includes the X (Twitter) name with a link and a short description. Feeds include the Library of Congress, quotes and sayings from Thomas Jefferson, and HistoryDay (see what happened on this day in history), and many more.

tag(s): congress (40), history day (39), social media (48), social networking (61), twitter (13)

This website introduces students to the homeless children in Russia. Learn how some of the children live and why they are homeless. There are videos, quizzes, articles written by students, and more. Though the videos and quizzes require Flash, there is plenty to learn and discuss at this site.

tag(s): russia (36)