War rations is a concept that is difficult for students to understand. This site uses a painting of people shopping at a grocery store during WWII and makes it interactive. Visitors to the site can examine the picture and click on details to learn more about what is happening in the photo. For instance, it shows pictures and explainations of actual ration booklets, propaganda, posters, grocery prices, etc. There are also nice "Did you know" buttons to learn more and all the primary sources can be downloaded and printed as PDF's.
This site is part of the Eisenhower Presidential Library. It would be extremely useful for civil rights units. This is a nice collection of some of Eisenhower's most important correspondence during the Little Rock High School integration crisis. It is also neat to read them because they are scans of the actual typed documents and not just transcriptions. It seems more authentic when students can see the real thing. His notes, diaries, telegrams, letters and press releases really help to show how Eisenhower handled the situation. (Note: There is even an exchange of letters between Jackie Robinson and the president in which they discuss how blacks need to be patient for civil rights)
This is a primary source document . . . in Spanish! It is purported to be (as I'm no hispanohablante) a letter from 1570 that "describes the settlement at Ajacàn and requests that Juan de Hinistrosa, the Royal Treasurer of Cuba, send a ship of grain to sustain the settlement." This would be great for Spanish class, obviously, and then maybe for world history after the other students translate it. :-)
This site gives an excellent explanation of the Nebraska Unicameral. There is a special section devoted to help teachers and students understand the Unicameral and the state of Nebraska
This website is a great source to go to find information about Nebraska. It is the Nebraska Historical Society website. The site has many links that will lead to a wealth of information on the state of Nebraska
This internet site provides a variety of resources for learning about the state history of Nebraska. Searching through the wide historical collections online, I discovered a wealth of photographs, maps and even information about individuals and families. The society does provide a specific "Teacher Materials" link. For fourth grade Nebraska social studies standards!
This site offers teachers and students access to archival photos, documents, letters, video segments, maps, and a timeline that starts in the early 1500's
I like the chronological organization of this website and the way authors have embedded primary sources into the text about Nebraska. I also appreciate they way the timeline focuses on "Nebraska Events and Themes" but also includes "National" and "International" events. With each event the site offers Teacher Activities with lesson plans, tools, and media to share with students.
This site has everything Nebraska. Click on the Nebraska Time line and you are taken to a more detailed timeline for that period. Then click on an event and you are taken to a page with specific resources and information. There are also lesson plans to download for grades 4, 8, and 12. It is pretty easy to navigate this site.
The American Memory collection is such a treasure trove, including this old photograph of Sioux City (as well as many other Iowa towns). This would be really useful in a unit about local history or even for younger students, talking about communities and maps. Students would find it interesting to match up today's view of the city with this one.
An excellent child friendly website for the student of Native Americans. Included on the site are links to many tribes, their legends, treaties and agreements.
This government website has an enormous amount of information about the history of the White House and the presidents. There are also pages about the administration, issues and photos/videos. I like the briefing room page with the latest news and current events. Students will like the first pets photo gallery.
Labeled "Facts and Fun for all Ages." Photos and basic information about the White House, the presidents, presidential pets and fun historical facts. Main focuses: presidents and White House. Visually pleasing, easy-to-use.
This site provides information about the various branches of the U.S. government, all of the U.S. presidents, the current administration, current issues, and the White House itself. It would be a good resource for social studies or history students
This site provides learning tools for K-12 students and teachers. The resources teach how our government works. It is divided into K-2, 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12 sections. It is an excellent website for the student of the U.S. Government.
This is going to be one database which I will go to over and over again. It has an awesome section titled Teacher Resources which looks like a very interesting place to visit often. It has a section on the 21st Century literacies. It also has a curriculum collaboration section. This will be helpful because many schools are going to a lot of cross curricular activities. It has another section about ethical researching. This is one of the things that I think students have difficulty understanding and especially internet based information. Many students think because it is on the "net" it is true. I found an awesome feature. If a school is using google apps there is support on this site for them if they are having trouble with this application. There is a blog on this site as well. The last section which I thought is really nice is the sticky note cards which are available. Be sure to check out this site; its features are great.
This site explains to kids how our government operates on their own level. The branches of government are explained, website links are included and there are games that can be played. There are great lessons that can be used for every grade.
Colorfully animated character of Benjamin Franklin. Follow Ben as he explains many aspects of American government. Explore through all grade levels. Text rich information with animation, games and activities. Fifth graders in Lincoln learn about the American government so this would be a great, fun site to utilize in teaching this information.
This is a wonderful site to use with Character Counts. One of the pillars is citizenship and there is a page devoted to citizenship. Fifth grade is all about the U.S. and so if you need example and a site that is kid friendly, this is it.
Great site for all ages. This site gives great information on all aspects of our government. Kids love this site because of the animation and colorful appearance. The vocabulary is geared towards kids so that all information is easily understood.
This is an amazing site, fun for kids and perfect for all grades. As a 3rd grade teacher, I found many items on the 3-5 grade level applicable to my SS program. For example, Citizenship, Your Neighborhood and Beyond, and How Laws are Made all match my curriculum and clarify these complicated processes into simple terms. I know my kids would love to match the states game under Interactive Games.
This is a good site for information on the Federal government, and it is broken down by age levels. There are games and activities for each age level. There are also links at each age level to different government sites.
This site would be a great resource when studying explorers. There are letters and journals written by explorers that students can read that date further back than Christopher Columbus. The articles might give the reader a better idea of how the people were feeling while they were on these explorations.
This is a great source when studying southern history, literature or culture. In this source you will find slave and other first-person narratives of the South, as well as a collection of southern literature. It could be used when studying the Civil War to get more of a southern point of view.
Site includes maps, pictures, thematic packets for teachers and more. Teachers are able to navagate throughout the site to access all aspects of history. Site also provides sources for professional training and outside resources. Site provides training on how to use primary sources.
Library of Congress Teachers Page, with links to using primary sources, etc. The LOC has created "Themed Resources" that include specific, common topics into easy to use sets. The combined resources include grouped primary source sets, lessson plans, exhibitions, etc. Love IT! Also provides user with pre-made LOC professional development sessions called "Teaching with Primary Sources."
This site is organized by subject area and links to many resources. The site includes primary documents and lesson plans in all the content areas. The catagories are organized in abc order and the front page includes the number of items in each catagory.
Stunning photographs of the harsh conditions of Antartica taken during a 1911-14 expedition. Photographs of many geological formations (ice caverns, ravines, sastugi), climate images (harsh winds, extreme cold), and scientific equipment used in biology, geology, and meteorology. K-12 resource.
Create professional looking bar, line, area, pie, and XY graphs. This would give children great manipulation experience with graphs. It has options for labeling, color, and the ability to print and save.