This audio file could be used to enrich a lesson on the French and Indian War. The music could be used to pique student interest at the beginning of class or as background music for a presentation on the Battle of Quebec.
Related links could be used to supplement textbook materials on the French and Indian War. Link to site with materials on how newspapers covered the war provides an interesting alternative to dry textbook summaries and could be used to show students how the events were viewed at the time rather than through the lens of current perspectives.
I like the emphasis on choosing a topic that students know little about -- good for stretching students out of their comfort zones.
encourage students to pick one they know little about or that is particularly relevant to current events (e.g., racial justice, immigrants' rights, or free speech)
This site features recordings of popular songs from various periods of American history, organized by century and searchable by song title. For each song, the site has not only an audio file but also lyrics and background information on the origins of the song.
Background information on songs includes helpful links to additional sites with information about places where and people from whom the songs originated.
Amount of background information varies by song information for some songs includes links to other sites with information about the culture from which the song originated.
This site could be used to help students get a sense of the atmosphere of various periods of American history and to provide soundtracks for presentations about particular periods.
Media gallery for the ThisNation.com site has links to illustrations and reproductions of primary source documents. Also includes a presidents' gallery with links to brief biographical information and copies of inaugural and state of the union addresses for most, if not all, U.S. presidents.
Media gallery has links to illustrations and reproductions of primary source documents. Also includes a presidents' gallery with links to brief biographical information, copies of inaugural addresses, and copies of state of the union addresses for most, if not all, U.S. presidents.
The glossary on this site is extensive but the definitions are straightforward and accessible. Could be a valuable resource for high school students seeking explanations of unfamiliar terms.
This site features an online textbook of Amercian Government and Politics. It was created by a single individual who works for a university, but in a business and not an academic background. Despite its origins, site has a lot of information and links to primary sources.
Given that the author of the site is an individual, materials should be scrutinized for accuracy and bias. No obvious weaknesses in this regard on surface review.
This is a podcast interview of a woman who was suspended from school for protesting the Viet Nam War during the 1960s. Subject talks about the example set by her parents, who were Civil Rights activists.
Site contains a wealth of materials -- legal documents, blogs, news articles, podcasts, etc. -- that are searchable by subject area. Subject breakdown could be very helpful for students looking for a research topic.
This site includes a curricular unit on the Supreme Court and civil liberties. Students work collaboratively on a research project examining a current civil liberties case in federal court.
Given the relatively quick pace of the narration, this video would probably be best used to introduce the featured concepts in preparation for an in-depth lecture, or for review of the material once it has been explored in class.
Given the current cupcake craze, it could be fun to use this video as a starting point from which students could examine the economics of an actual cupcake busines.
The background of the author of this site is in math, computer science and investment management. Thus, videos on the site addressing other topics should be carefully screened for accuracy.
This short (11 minutes) video uses the example of a cupcake factory to explain basic concepts reflected on an income statement, such as revenue, operating cost and profit.
The activity described here is a great way to demonstrate to students the relevance of the First Amendment to their daily lives, as well as to get them to reflect on the ramifications of living in a country that doesn't offer First Amendment protections.
These links link to the texts of the referenced source documents (e.g., the Bill of Rights), as well as to an index of articles from the New York Times that relate to those documents or the rights protected therein. These would be helpful links if students were having trouble locating relevant articles.
This lesson plan from the New York Times web site utilizes the newspaper to teach high school students about First Amendment rights and the daily impact of those rights on their lives.
This lesson plan from the New York Times web site has students locate, summarize and reflect on articles in the newspaper related to First Amendment rights as well as articles illustrating the lack of such rights in other countries.
The drafts featured on this site would be great to illustrate the points of compromise negotiated by the Founding Fathers and to get students to think about how the documents and ultimately, our country's governing principles, might have turned out differently.
This site uses primary sources to document the source and evolution of key phrases and concepts in the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
Seeing the strikeouts and marginalia on the rough drafts of some of these documents brings the process of their creation to life in a way that merely reading about it cannot.
These lessons are very detailed and flexible. Can be used for a single class period or over several periods. Helpful explanation of historical and visual culture background of images used. Links to high quality additional resources.
Primary source visual media depicted include photographs, drawings, paintings, political cartoons, print media, statuary, furniture, collectibles. Supplemented with written explanations for context and quotes from primary source written documents.
Provides lesson plans; annotated guide to web resources; expert-led forums on various U.S. historical periods; essays by forum leaders; reviews of new books, exhibitions and other resources. Lesson plans are engaging; detailed and insightful context provided; thought-provoking questions; good scaffolding from one concept to the next; lots of links to additional resources.