Go back to Site of the Week archive index
- Social Studies Central (http://www.socialstudiescentral.com/)
Visit this site to find social studies lesson plans, virtual field trips, interactive online resources, weekly tips, links to standards, and assessment advice. Learn new strategies to enhance your social studies lessons and much more! - Classroom Clues (http://classroomclues.com/)
Classroom CLUEs (Childrens Literature for Understanding Economics) is an online, searchable database of childrens books and lessons useful for teaching basic economics to K-6 grade students. It is a program of the Center for Economic Education at the University of Kansas(http://kueconed.info/) - National Geographic Maps: Tools for Adventure (http://www.mywonderfulworld.org/toolsforadventure/index.html)
This site contains online map games, lesson plans, and map activities for K-12. The lessons and activities are aligned with national standards and the site was created by National Geographic and the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. - Mayflower History (http://www.mayflowerhistory.com/index.php)
Use this site to teach your students the complete history of the Mayflower. Read a biography and lineage of each passenger, the voyage, life in Plymouth, modern Plymouth, and much more! - Time for Kids Election Connection 2008 (http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/election08/)
This site has teacher tools, worksheets, activities, games, and kid-friendly information about the candidates for the 2008 election. - American Memory (http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/index.html)
is a very comprehensive digital record of American history and creativity that offers access to a variety of documents including written and spoken words, sound recordings, still and moving images, prints, maps, and sheet music. - LewisandClarkTrail.org (http://lewisandclarktrail.org/)
offers you the opportunity to re-live the adventure of Lewis and Clark on their 4,600-mile trail. Click on any area of the interactive map to explore or to find out more about this bicentennial event. Teachers check out the For Educators section. - History Detectives (http://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/index.html)
explores the complexities of historical mysteries, searching out the facts, myths and conundrums that connect local folklore, family legends and interesting objects. There is a video library, games and a section for educators with interesting ideas to use in the classroom. - Ancient China (http://www.ancientchina.co.uk/menu.html)
presents five sections that address topics relevant to ancient China, such as: crafts, geography, beliefs, writing, and history. Each one of these sections is divided into three other sections, which allow you to read stories, explore topics in more detail and do other interesting activities. - Time For Kids (http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/)
is a weekly classroom news magazine that motivates kids to read. The issues cover a wide range of real-world topics, build reading and writing skills and can be easily integrated across your curriculum, including social studies, science and math. - The Democracy Project (http://pbskids.org/democracy/)
helps you understand how government affects our everyday lives. You can also identify the duties of the U.S. president, understand the history of voting rights in America and other forms of civic involvement that are essential to a healthy democracy. Check out the Classroom Resources! - The Price of Freedom (http://americanhistory.si.edu/militaryhistory…flash.html)
is an exhibition from the Smithsonian Museum that examines how wars have shaped this nations history and transformed American society. It highlights the service of generations of American men and women from the 1800 to the present. There are supporting images and worksheets to download. - Ancient Egypt (http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/menu.html)
is a site to explore Egyptian life, geography, the pyramids, and other interesting topics. Learn also about writing in Ancient Egypt. Interactive activities are included for each of the ten chapters of study. Check out the Staff area for descriptions of resources and a glossary. - CongressLink (http://www.congresslink.org/)
provides information about how the U.S. Congress works, its members and leaders, and the public policies it produces. It is directed to teachers of American Government and civics offering original content: lesson plans and historical materials. - Social Studies Online (http://classroom.jc-schools.net/SS-units/)
is an innovative project that emphasizes the use of technology to deliver the social studies curriculum for grades K-8. This site integrates technology toward the mastery of standards, learning expectations and performance indicators. There are lesson plans, interactive activities, worksheets and links. - SCORE History/Social Science (http://score.rims.k12.ca.us/)
evaluates, aligns, and annotates quality resources from the World Wide Web to the California History-Social Science Content Standards and curriculum. It features over 3500 primary and secondary web resources. These sites may be accessed through a search by grade, level, topic, content standard, or keyword. There are also over 1200 lessons and activities. Some require Internet access in the classroom, but others may be printed off for use. - econoclass.com (http://www.econoclass.com/index.html)
promotes active learning in economics classes. This site features many resources for economics teachers. Students can participate in games and simulations, case studies, debate topics, brainteasers, and other interactive activities. These activities comply with The National Council on Economic Education (NCEE) content standards. If you have concerns or questions, you can ask Max Profit. Also, you can participate in the Discussion Forum. - Learning Curve (http://www.learningcurve.gov.uk/default.htm)
is a free educational website for history teachers and students. Much of the content is British history, but it also includes other topic areas as well. There are short lessons, in-depth exhibitions, activities and games – all featuring original sources from the amazing collection of the National Archives. There are three main sections. In Sources, you can see documents, photos and film from the National Archives. History unlocks the meaning of these records. In Education, you can enjoy games and activities for thinking and learning about our past. - The Biography Maker (http://www.bham.wednet.edu/bio/biomaker.htm)
is designed to help you write a fascinating and effective biography. It is meant to inspire lively story telling and vivid writing, which will make your readers want to know more about your subject. To create an exciting biography you will follow four steps (Questioning, Learning, Synthesis, and Story-Telling) that will guide you through the writing process. As the final stage, you will have an opportunity to review your biography by considering the Six Traits of Effective Writing. - EASE History (http://www.easehistory.org/)
is a rich learning environment for the learning of US history. There are over 600 videos and photographs currently available through three entry points: Historical Events, Campaign Ads, and Core Values. Learn about US History through the prism of US presidential campaign ads, better understand the complexities of campaign issues and their historical context by looking at historical events, and explore the meanings of core values by examining how they have been applied in both historical events and campaign ads. EASE History’s goal is to support experience acceleration- to help learners think more like historians. A learning guide has been designed to support its use in classrooms grades 6-12. - Geography Action! (http://www.nationalgeographic.com/geographyaction/)
is an annual conservation and awareness program designed to engage students, educators, and communities in taking action to protect the Earth and its people. Each year a different topic related to conservation and the environment is celebrated. This year’s theme is Migration: The Human Journey, which encourages kids to explore and honor their diverse heritages. Students examine and photodocument distinctive features of their cultures and communities. Teachers can find lesson plans, activities, maps, photos, news stories, and much more in the resource library, see how their peers are teaching Geography Action!, and share their own ideas, triumphs, and tribulations in threaded discussion boards. - Social Studies Units (http://polk.k12.ga.us/cherokee/SS%204th%20Units.htm)
offers you a lot of units to help you enhance learning in the 4th grade Social Studies class. You can choose among the following categories: Geography, Explorers, 13 Colonies, Native Americans, American Revolution, Government, and Civil War. There is also a section devoted to Study Helpers. Some of the activities you can find are in these units include study sheets, games, reading comprehension exercises, and pictures. - History Matters (http://historymatters.gmu.edu/)
is the site for U.S. History teachers. All of the different sections provide excellent information. Students as Historians presents examples of the kinds of projects history students have done on the Internet. Talking History offers online dialogues with leading historians and teachers about the teaching of major topics in U.S. history. Digital Blackboard provides successful Web-based assignments as practical models for integrating new media into the classroom. Making Sense of Evidence helps students and teachers make effective use of primary sources, and Syllabi Central provides annotated syllabi that offer creative approaches to teaching. - Bens Guide to U.S. Government for Kids (http://bensguide.gpo.gov/index.html)
provides information and activities specifically tailored for K-12 students, parents, and teachers. Learn about how our government works and how to carry out ones civic duties. All of the topics are organized according to the specific grade level. Students can choose the Games and Activities section to select Print or Interactive games. Parents and Teachers can learn how to use this site as a learning tool and how to find other useful curriculum links. - American Centuries: Views from New England (http://memorialhall.mass.edu/home.html)
includes a library of approximately 1,800 objects and document pages from Memorial Hall Museum presented in age-appropriate, user-friendly formats. An interactive exhibit focuses on 1700, 1800, and 1900 with slide shows and roll-over activities to enliven the different themes explored. A collection of lessons and activities designed for the elementary, middle, and secondary levels provides fun ways of looking at the past. You can also create a chronology for historical context and meet some of the personalities in American History. - Ancient History (http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/)
aims at getting you more interested in history by offering in-depth articles, games, virtual tours, animations, timelines, and short biographies of historic figures. You can select a broad range of topics and subtopics to explore. The Multimedia Zone is a quick way to get to games and activities such as Viking Quest, the construction of an Iron Age roundhouse, and the World War One trench virtual tour. Each month you will find a selection of articles by leading historians and journalists in the Reading Room, and if you want to share your ideas about any topic or if you have a query that needs an answer, go to Talk History to chat with experts. - America Dreams through the decades (http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpedu/lessons/9…index.html)
invites teachers and students to investigate Americas past through rare print documents, motion pictures, photographs, and recorded sounds from The Library of Congress. This quest challenges students to think about the American Dream, decide if it is just a myth in Americas collective memory or not, and encourages them to compare their dreams to those of the people who have lived before them. In addition, teachers have access to detailed teaching suggestions for implementing and assessing the different activities leading to the successful completion of this American Dreams project. - Teaching Tolerance: (http://www.tolerance.org/teach/)
is the site for information about anti-bias programs and activities being implemented in schools across the country. The ideas presented are innovative and useful initiatives. There are also free, high-quality anti-bias materials for various academic subject areas and grade levels. - Geography World (http://members.aol.com/bowermanb/101.html)
is superb for the amount of useful resources it provides as well as for the links to maps and games that will make your learning experience exciting and interesting. Students can learn about cities, plate tectonics, farming, the rain forest, volcanoes, and much more. Teachers can easily incorporate many of these resources into interactive lessons that meet geography standards. - 3Plus-U (http://www.cyberschoolbus.un.org/3PLUSU/intro.html)
learn more about the importance of work and the need for protecting people in their workplace. Toshi, Kaia and Isabelle introduce you to the site and lead you into their tree house. Through stories, quizzes, challenges and adventures you can learn about how the world of work affects everyone. - Wayback (http://pbskids.org/wayback/tech1900)
Learn about the first telephone operators, early racecars, and music videos. Read some of the predictions made for the future in 1900. - Sahara (http://www.pbs.org/sahara/index.htm)
introduces you to the civilizations that flourished on its edge and its inhabitants now. You can watch video clips and slideshows of the animals that withstand the heat of this desert, and listen to the diverse music of the region. - CNN Interactive Learning Resources (http://literacynet.org/cnnsf)
gives you the opportunity to improve your reading skills. Each of the offered modules includes the full text of the stories, which you can read, listen or view, and interactive activities to test your comprehension. - The Media Awareness Network (http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/index.cfm) is one of the world’s most comprehensive collections of media education and Internet literacy resources. The Parents section offers tips for talking to kids about the media, and advice on managing media use in the home. The Educators section includes teaching units and supporting materials. The Media Issues section examines topics such as stereotyping, privacy, and marketing to children.
- America’s Story (http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi)
offers you more information about important Americans such us Harriet Tubman, Thomas Edison, about types of music and unusual musical instruments, and about the events that happened when you were born. Jump back in time and enjoy! - Best of History Web Sites (http://besthistorysites.net/index.shtml)
provides access to many history-oriented resources in a wide range of categories. Check out the special section called Teaching With Technology (http://thwt.org/) that contains different articles about integrating computers in the classroom. - Humanities-Interactive (http://www.humanities-interactive.org/a_base.html)
offers a great variety of resources to learn about history, literature, and art. Each exhibit contains an interactive game and many other useful learning activities. - American History (http://www.mrburnett.net/ushistory1.html)
offers information on topics like The Revolution and Nation Building, The Civil War and The Reconstruction, America Today and many more. It also provides you with links to different resources including timelines, maps, and historical documents. - FFFBI Headquarters (http://www.fffbi.com)
this site draws students into conducting entertaining investigations with backdrops of contemporary culture. Take a look at Rainforest Undercover (http://www.fffbi.com/missions/m2/). Enjoy the activities! - Global Connections: Putting World Events in Context (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/globalconnections)
produced by WGBH, is a new web site designed to provide the background information needed to understand events occurring in the Middle East. This site also includes materials and resources from public broadcasting. - African Voices (http://www.mnh.si.edu/africanvoices)
offers you useful information on how America’s own history is linked to Africa, and how Africa’s history and peoples have influenced global culture and thought. - Colonial America (http://www.mce.k12tn.net/colonial_times/colonial_america.htm)
gives you the opportunity to learn more about colonists. This site contains lessons, activities, assessment tools, and related links. - History/Social Studies for K-12 Teachers (http://home.comcast.net/~dboals1/boals.html)
a comprehensive database on many different topics.
