Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

While most of this site deals with visiting Versailles, students will find sections dealing with the King's daily routine and the life of the French court in the 17th and 18th centuries. In addition, there are images of some of the more notable artwork, and of course, large sections available "seulement en Francais," which we hope will please the world language teachers. There's nothing like it elsewhere. There is an incredible amount of information to discover at this site by scrolling down the home page AND click on the Explore tab at the top of the home page. There are a few videos that are hosted on YouTube, if your district blocks YouTube they may not be viewable.

tag(s): france (40)

OK, it's a site that list flags...but there are LOTS of flags. Thousands of them. Flags of countries, states, historical groups, religious organizations, darned near everything. On top of that, there's lots of interesting narrative about many of these. It's a great place to look for flag information for research projects.

tag(s): flags (20)

Developed by the National Japanese American Historical Society, this page is a well-organized meta-list of lessons relating to the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. The lessons include material for all grade levels, and they address the historical, literary, and constitutional aspects of these Americans' experiences. Today's students can learn much from this experience.

tag(s): constitution (99), japan (61), japanese (54), world war 2 (162)

World cultures or government classes will find the multidimensional counters on this site a wonderful way to illustrate the growth (or depletion) population, resources, and other global activity. It's a very tangible illustration of the rate at which things are changing in our world. Teachers can be creative with this one.

tag(s): ecology (103), population (51), resources (83)

Chicago's Adler Planetarium offers this interesting introduction to the way in which early cultures interpreted the heavens. There are dozens of examples drawn from as many ancient cultures, and all organized into themes that would have been essential to these civilizations. A set of lesson plans rounds out this intriguing unit.

tag(s): calendars (37), stars (71)

This web site - a companion to the PBS program of the same name - offers pofiles of both the prophet Muhammad and several contemporary American Muslims who describe the meaning of their faith. The web site contains additional historical and biographical information as well as background information on Islam.

Here's a guide to Peru created by a pair of students. There are links on Peruvian history, climate, and lots more. While not fully authoritative, this content seems well suited to a student-to-student application.

tag(s): peru (5)

Here's the personal side of AIDS, told from an international perspective in an MTV-style presentation that should hold the attention of teens and other students. Combining facts with personalities, the site offers facts, opportunities for action, and examples of other teens' experiences. Share this one with your students; it's available in several languages.

tag(s): difficult conversations (57), diseases (66), hiv/aids (15)

We have great difficulty finding understandable, unbiased sites about the Arab world. This one, created by an independent British scholar, does a credible job of making a very different culture accessible and understandable to Western readers. There is a wealth of resources, including news summaries and extensive cultural information.

tag(s): arab (12), egypt (59), iran (8), iraq (25), jordan (4), palestine (5)

We suspect that this very nice introduction to Hanukkah was written for non-practicing Jews. As a result, it works for both Jews and non-Jews. You'll find information on the history of Hanukkah, descriptions and instructions for Hanukkah observances, and other information about Judaism.

tag(s): hanukkah (12), holidays (194)

Here's a really first-rate treatment of the Middle East, its three primary religious subtexts, and the relationship of these to issues like global economics, literature, and history. Users will find a wealth of time-lines, as well as a series of "connecting questions" about issues like the role of women, nation-states, and the impact of stereotypes on international perceptions about this region. Lots of "extended thinking" opportunities here. The video trailers on this site require QuickTime, however all the other available information make this site worth a visit.

tag(s): arab (12), israel (14), middle east (50)

This lesson from the National Park Service series "Teaching with Historic Places" outlines the background for the outbreak of the war with Japan and uses maps and historical photos to teach about the battle of Midway and the island's strategic importance in World War II. This site could be a nice add-on to a study of World War II, Japan, or the geography of the Pacific region.

tag(s): world war 2 (162)

Here's the BBC's collection of profiles on dozens of countries. Written with a decidedly Euro-centric focus, American teachers will find this collection an interesting resource for comparing perspectives on international relations. Well worth a visit for its depth of information.

tag(s): africa (170), asia (125), countries (73), europe (84), north america (15)

This web site from the PBS program by the same name offers a biography of the author and Nobel Peace Prize winner, as well as a teaching guide linked to the program itself. History, social studies, or English teachers may find this content useful in a unit on the holocaust or in a discussion of World War II.

tag(s): holocaust (43), jews (50), nazis (8), world war 2 (162)

The San Diego Zoo's panda pages offer a plethora of photos and other information about China's most reclusive citizens. Besides being undeniably cute, pandas make a great preservation study with some interesting international overtones. It now includes a live webcam stream of the pandas 24 hours a day
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): animals (293), china (81), endangered species (27), species (16)

No matter what you want to measure, you'll find information on how to quantify it here. While some browsing is required, teachers will find applications for this information in science, math, geography, and other subject areas. The reference possibilities are also extensive. Add this one to your toolkit of web reference specialties.

tag(s): measurement (123)

howstuffworks offers an explanation of this high holy day at the start of the Jewish new year, along with a description of customary holiday observances.

tag(s): holidays (194), yom kippur (15)

howstuffworks offers a brief explanation of this Jewish high holy day, along with a description of customary holiday observances.

tag(s): holidays (194)

The Islamic Arts and Architecture Organization offers an almost encyclopedic site on art and design in the Islamic world. The site includes extensive galleries and detailed articles on the various topics presented. Art or art history teachers will find this one an outstanding source of examples of art and craft from this complex culture.

tag(s): crafts (74), middle east (50)

This is an elegantly designed geography site offering vital statistics and more for many, many countries. It's a "just the facts" approach, but there are lots of them. The site includes a novel currency converter feature.

tag(s): demographics (13), maps (224), population (51)