Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

This is a site about mythology and the gods of dozens of different cultures. While its irreverent tone and layout may be attractive to some elementary and middle school students, the design sometimes gets in the way of the content itself. That said, there are resources here that are tough to find elsewhere. Teachers will want to use this one selectively, and only after some previewing.

tag(s): aztecs (9), greek (47), greeks (46), romans (52)

This site from the Science Museum of Minneapolis chronicles the excavation several years ago of a prehistoric settlement in Turkey. The documentation and other content could have applications in a world cultures class, or as part of an introduction to the science involved in archaeology.

tag(s): archeology (28)

Here is a site with a full set of rules for playing the popular Hanukkah game.

tag(s): game based learning (205), hanukkah (12), holidays (187)

This British Museum site about the ancient Middle East and Asia has seemingly endless nooks and crannies, each of which leads to an encounter about the history and culture of of that civilization. Try it as part of a world cultures course, an introduction to Buddhism or Hinduism, or a look at the geography of the Indian subcontinent.

tag(s): art history (103), asia (116), china (81), india (32), middle east (50)

This one's far better than first appearances might indicate. Click one of the many links to see surprisingly detailed, documented images of earth and the moon, complete with full data on location and time. Many of the images include zoom capabilities and other nifty features.

tag(s): latitude (10), longitude (9), maps (220)

African history written from an African perspective is still something of a rarity. While this site was created by the BCC, it concentrates squarely on the cultures and kingdoms that developed in Africa itself, their relationships with one another, and their infamous encounters with Europeans. This is historical content that goes beyond art and artifacts to explore civilizations themselves. Though the "Useful Links" seem to be broken, every thing else on this site works.

tag(s): africa (148), african american (115)

If you're searching for usable texts for a folklore or mythology unit, here's a ready resource. This listing draws from a wide range of sources, so some inconsistency in quality is inevitable. The breadth of selection, which includes tales from many different cultures, more than compensates.

tag(s): folktales (34), greek (47)

BBC's presentation on the key players in today's Iraq will help teachers and students sort out both the individuals and the many movements and factions that are now vying for influence in that nation. This one would make a great backgrounder for a discussion on balancing power in Iraq in the effort to build a democratic government there.

tag(s): iraq (26)

This site has been archived but can be accessed. National Public Radio's web content about the ongoing rebuilding efforts in Iraq offers a nice blend of interviews, factual reporting, and images from the scene. There's an emphasis on political, economic, cultural, and military issues and their relationships with one another. Try this one as a starting point for an in-depth current events discussion.
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tag(s): iraq (26)

One of the twentieth century's real giants, Churchill's accomplishments go well beyond the content on this companion site to the PBS series of the same name. While most famous as a World War II leader, his influence on the British government stretched from the 1920s well into the 1950s. This site is a great introduction, but serious secondary students should be prepared to delve more deeply.

tag(s): churchill (8), middle east (50), world war 2 (161)

Deceptively simple and not at all pretty, this site offers a wealth of information on the historical governance of scores of countries. (Where else could you find a chronological list of the prime ministers of Spain?) It doesn't offer complete histories, but secondary students studying the history of other countries may find its synopsis-by-ruler an interesting starting point.

tag(s): countries (73), presidents (135)

Ancient history isn't always approachable, and this site offers great information on Greek mythology and the history and civilization of Rome in a context that both elementary teachers and secondary students will find interesting. If you teach Latin, "Salve!" - there are great resources here.

tag(s): greece (47), greek (47), greeks (46), latin (23), romans (52), rome (37)

Geography, world cultures, and science students exploring Antarctica may want to prowl through this glossary of terms used at the scientific stations in Antarctica. While the site is useful mostly to give a sense of the off-beat flavor of this environment, it does have some interesting "life in Antarctica" elements between the lines. Teachers and parents should preview this one thoroughly before turning their students loose on it.

tag(s): antarctica (30), arctic (40), slang (15)

National Geographic offers this quiz that will test elementary students on their knowledge of continents, countries, mountains, lakes and more.

tag(s): continents (33), countries (73), maps (220)

Those studying the Indian subcontinent may be interested in the home page of India's constitutional government. It includes schedule and proceedings information for both houses of parliament, as well as links and other facts and information about government in India.

tag(s): asia (116), democracy (24), india (32)

This site documents the recent exhibit about Anne Frank's unpublished writings. The site includes an introduction, excerpts from a number of unpublished works, and a series of links for additional information. This one could be an interesting bridge between a writing assignment and the study of World War II.

tag(s): anne frank (10), holocaust (42), world war 2 (161)

Though not as interactive as other installments in the PBS Empires series, this site has helpful resources for tracing the history of Christianity in the context of High School World Cultures and Western Heritage courses. The timeline, in particular, helps illustrate the simultaneous evolution of the Roman Empire and Christianity.

tag(s): religions (95), rome (37)

A wonderful glimpse of life in Egypt from 1550-1200 BC. This site's ancient Egyptian resources examine each of the pharaohs, as well as provide information about daily life in Egypt. The interactive map and hieroglyph translator provide an interesting lens through which students can view life in this era. Like other PBS empire sites, this site has a listing of lesson plans for expanding on these resources.

tag(s): egypt (56), pyramids (21)

Part of the PBS Civilizations series, this site explores ancient Greece, complete with virtual tours of the acropolis and the Parthenon temple. In the Greeks Interactive section, students can view interactive maps and experiment with the Greek alphabet. There is also an educational resources section, complete with lesson plans for using the site.

tag(s): greece (47), greek (47), greeks (46)

This site, created by High School Students in San Francisco, presents personal oral Holocaust accounts in written and audio formats. The site provides a unique perspective on the manner in which the Holocaust affected so many lives, by providing the detailed accounts of six survivors. Due to the nature of the subject matter, teachers may want to limit access of this site to older students.

tag(s): holocaust (42), jews (33), world war 2 (161)