SOCIAL
SCIENCE RESOURCES, LESSONS & INTERACTIVE SITES
|
Social Science Sites |
Social Science Sites. |
UNITED STATES HISTORY/SOCIAL SCIENCE SITES.
AARON BURR - https://www.surfnetkids.com/resources/aaron-burr/
Links to all things about Aaron Burr by Barbara J. Feldman.
AMELIA EARHART - http://www.surfnetkids.com/resources/amelia-earhart
These two pages are part of Surfnetkids site by Barbara J. Feldman. Check them out as well as a page for SOJOURNER TRUTH - http://www.surfnetkids.com/resources/sojourner-truth/
THE AMERICAN COLONIST'S LIBRARY - http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1294965/posts
A treasury of Primary Documents pertaining to early American History,
the site claims if the documents are not on the site, they are probably
not available anywhere online. They are arranged in chronological
sequence from 500 B.C. to 1800 A.D.
AMERICAN EXPERIENCE: SURVIVING THE DUST BOWL - https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/dustbowl/
Online extension of PBS series on the 1930s Midwest ecological
disaster.
AMERICAN
FACT FINDER - https://data.census.gov/cedsci/
From the U.S. Census bureau, this site offers tables and maps for
states,
counties, cities, towns, American Indian reservations, metropolitan
areas
and zip codes. Based on the year 2000 census data, students can make
all
kinds of comparisons between states that encourage critical thinking
and
higher level data analysis skills.
AMERICAN HISTORY FOR KIDS - http://www.americanhistoryforkids.com/
"From the first Thanksgiving to the first man on the moon, you’ve come to the right place to learn about American history. We cover the Pilgrims’ arrival, the Jamestown settlement, and the Revolutionary War and keep going through the Industrial Revolution, World War I and II and into modern American history.
<>AMERICAN MEMORY - http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/index.html
AMERICA'S
QUILTING
HISTORY - http://www.womenfolk.com/historyofquilts/
The history of American quilting covering women and their quilting
from Colonial America to the Great Depression plus Native American,
African
American and Amish quilts. Please take special note of the page
on
quilting myths at http://www.womenfolk.com/historyofquilts/research.htm
as many teachers are unaware of them . Teachers need to know if they
are
teaching information that is historically accurate.
ANIMATED
ATLAS: GROWTH
OF A NATION - https://www.facebook.com/AnimatedAtlas
A ten minute narrated movie, divided into smaller segments, which
depicts
the geographic history of the United States from the beginning of the
nation
to fifty states. Geographic elements are interactive, as is the
timeline. A teachers' guide
is located at http://www.animatedatlas.com/teachersguide.html#growth-class
(Requires
Flash 6.)
ANIMATED
ATLAS OF HISTORICAL GEOGRAPHY OF THE U.S.
- https://www.freetech4teachers.com/2013/12/an-animated-atlas-of-historical.html
This atlas contains over 700 historical maps of the U.S. arranged into sections, many of which are animated to show changes over time. Some include a text option. Check it out. Teacher’s guides are available.
ARCHIVING EARLY AMERICA - http://earlyamerica.com/
Historic early American documents, trivia, life in Colonial times,
Colonial crossword puzzle - lots of fun.
CALIFORNIA
MISSIONS - https://californiamissionsfoundation.org/
This site was created for the study and preservation of the California
Missions, Presidios, Pueblos and ranchos, and their Native American,
Hispanic
and Early American past. It has great pictures in the glossary,
annotated
links, including links to on-line projects.
CAMP SILOS - http://www.campsilos.org/
From Native Prairie to Present, Exploring our Cultural Heritage is
the alternate title. You can Explore the Prairie, check out
Pioneer
Farming, The Story of Corn and Farming Today and Tomorrow. Each area is
divided into a Student area, a Teacher area (with lesson plans), and
Resources.
This is a great site for combining the study of US westward expansion
and
biomes.
CIVIL WAR
- http://www.surfnetkids.com/resources/civil-war/
From Camp Life - http://www.nps.gov/museum,
to Civil War for Kids, and Letters from an Iowa Soldier, the listing of
sites on this page by Barbara J. Feldman is great.
COLONIAL HALL - A LOOK AT AMERICA'S FOUNDERS - http://www.colonialhall.com/index.php
John Vinci has transcribed the biographies of all the Signers of the
Declaration of Independence from an 1829 collection by Rev. Charles
Goodrich.
The site includes a daily trivia question about the Signers, a Signer
of
the Day, and a forum for questions and discussions. Watch to see
if this site is working. 9/02
COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG - http://www.history.org/
The premier site on daily life in Colonial America - the only way to
see more is to visit there in person
COLOR
LANDFORM ATLAS
OF THE UNITED STATES - http://fermi.jhuapl.edu/states/states.html
This site offers a nice range of maps on each state, from
the political and topographic to shaded relief maps and satellite
images. It includes a post script map format which allows the user to
download
and print a map image of a state.
CONGRESSIONAL DOCUMENTS AND DEBATES 1774-1873 - http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/amlaw/lawhome.html
Law titles, House and Senate journals, Annals of Congress, covering
the U.S. Congress from 1774 through 1873: all authentic documents
online
for easy access to enrich the Social Studies curriculum. Featured
is the impeachment trial of Andrew Johnson.
CONTACT A U.S. REPRESENTATIVE - http://clerk.house.gov/
CONTACT A U.S. SENATOR - http://www.senate.gov
DIGITAL
HISTORY
- http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/
A U.S. history textbook; over 400 annotated
documents, supplemented by primary sources on slavery, Mexican American
and Native American history, and U.S. political, social, and Legal
history;
essays on the history of film, ethnicity, private life, and technology;
multimedia exhibitions. Includes a searchable
database of links, classroom handouts, chronologies,
glossaries,
an audio archive including speeches and book talks by historians, and a
visual archive with hundreds of historical maps and images. There's an
Ask the HyperHistorian feature which allows users to pose questions to
professional historians. This Web site was designed and developed to
support
the teaching of American History in K-12 schools and colleges.
DOCUMENTS FROM THE CONTINENTAL CONGRESS & THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION, 1774 TO 1789 - https://www.loc.gov/collections/continental-congress-and-constitutional-convention-from-1774-to-1789/about-this-collection/
FACTS AND
SYMBOLS
-
THE
FIFTY STATES - http://www.angelfire.com/or/rosad/states.html
Great information presented here in concise, fast-loading format,
contains
lots of facts including the capital, the date admitted into the union,
the state flower, bird and tree, the state mineral, gem, insect, fish
and
marine mammal, as well as fossils, songs and the region in which it is
located.
THE FEDERALIST PAPERS
-
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/help/constRedir.html
The Library of Congress houses this complete collection of the
discourse
between Madison, Hamilton and Jay on the nature of democratic
government
that was so influential in creating consensus to ratify our
Constitution.The
papers are listed here chronologically, but you can also search for
topics
by keyword or browse the collection by titles. Did you know originally
this collection was published anonymously one paper at a time as
letters
to the editor of several New York newspapers?
50 STATES OF
THE USA
- http://www.teacheroz.com/states.htm
School-friendly information for students on the fifty states, includes
maps, rankings, governments, laws, genealogy sites and quizzes. You can
look up any specific state and find at least half a dozen links that
cover
all kinds of aspects about its history and people.
FLAGS OF THE
WORLD
- UNITED STATES - http://www.crwflags.com/contents.html
This site has been setting the standard for flag sites on the Web for
several years now, and this particular section on state flags includes
both printable images and trivia behind the flag of each state. It
includes
alternate flags used in the past and the choice of a clickable map or a
text-based list for finding any state of interest
<> HIPPOCAMPUS:
US HISTORY - http://www.hippocampus.org/US%20History%20I
A must -- VIDEOS - check them out!!
HISTORY AND POLITICS OUT LOUD - http://www.hpol.org/
Hear some of the voices of US History: Franklin D. Roosevelt, John
F.Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr, Richard Nixon and more. HPOL is a
searchable,
browsable site with public domain audio files relevant to American
history
and politics
HISTORY MATTERS - http://historymatters.gmu.edu/
Designed for high school and college teachers of U.S. History
survey courses, this site serves as a gateway to Web resources and
offers
unique
teaching materials, first-person primary documents and threaded
discussions
on teaching U.S. history.
ILLINOIS
FIRST AMENDMENT CENTER - http://www.illinoisfirstamendmentcenter.com/
Explore the five freedoms provided by the First Amendment: freedom of
religion, speech, press, assembly and petition. There is a First
Amendment Quiz (found in Students.) Teachers and home schooling
parents can request free curriculum for grades eight through twelve.
Watch out for the music.
JUNETEENTH - https://www.surfnetkids.com/resources/juneteenth/
“Juneteenth (a blend of the words “June” and “nineteenth”) is an annual celebration of June 19, 1865 when Union general Gordon Granger read that all previously enslaved black Texans were free.” Barbara Feldman has gathered websites that explain the day and the celebrations that have ensued in the 21st Century. Check it out.
KIDS IN THE HOUSE
-- https://kids-clerk.house.gov/young-learners/lesson.html?intID=29
.
Great learning tool for kids about the three branches of government, but specifically Congress.
MARTIN
LUTHER KING SCAVENGER HUNT - http://tstrong.com/Martin.htm
This site can be used with children of all ages. It has audio,
pictures,
questions to download, a lesson plan, and a PowerPoint template.
MOUNT RUSHMORE: AMERICAN EXPERIENCE - https://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/mount-rushmore-1
This online exhibit chronicles the planning, design, implementation
and minutiae of Mount Rushmore, the U.S. monument commemorating
four
presidents.
MR.
NUSSBAUM: INTERACTIVE 13 COLONIES -
http://www.mrnussbaum.com/13.htm
A must-see activity is the interactive thirteen colonies map. Click on
any of the colonies or cities to view the information. There are
quizzes, crosswords, scavenger hunts, and fill-in-the-blank cloze
exercises in the left-hand menu under Integration.
<> MUSIC OF
THE WAR
BETWEEN THE STATES -
http://www.pdmusic.org/civilwar.html
Midi files of music used during the Civil War, based on the Civil War
songbook.
NATIVE AMERICAN SITES - http://www.nativeculturelinks.com/indians.html
Hosted by a mixed-blood Mohawk Indian, this page provides access to
sites that provide solid information about American Indians.
NATIVE
AMERICAN LANGUAGES -
http://www.native-languages.org/kids.htm
From the Native American sites, here is a site with info on many Native
American Indians--kid friendly.
THE PRESIDENTS -
http://ginaotto.com/presidentsites.html
Great sites about the presidents, Washington to Biden
PRESIDENTS
OF THE UNITED STATES - http://www.presidentsusa.net/
Alphabetized subject headings linked to web sites about the
presidents.
REVOLUTIONARY
WAR - http://www.surfnetkids.com/resources/revolutionary-war/
Links to interesting sites about the Revolutionary War by Barbara J.
Feldman.
<> ROAD TRIP: HISTORICAL UNITED STATES LANDMARKS - http://www.shearcomfort.com/road-trip-historical-us-landmarks.asp
This site was discovered by Dakota L. and sent to me for evaluation. Great job Dakota. You can study or take a virtual tour of the Statue of Liberty, learn about theWhite Housek the Liberty Bell, Mount Rushmore, the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, Yellowstone Park, theRedwood Forest, and the Golden Gate Bridge.
STATE AND
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
ON THE NET - http://www.statelocalgov.net/index.cfm
This site stockpiles every link imaginable on every state and federal
government agency students might need to learn more about a state.
There's
even listings of regional agencies and national organizations that work
with government to deliver services to the public. Use the text listing
or the quick-reference drop down menu to access information easily.
STATE FACT
SHEETS
- http://www.ers.usda.gov/statefacts/
A USDA site that compiles data from the 1980 census forward to allow
students the chance to track demographic and economic switches over the
last quarter of a century for every state. Data covers population,
income,
employment and agricultural statistics as well as links to current
news.
STATELY KNOWLEDGE - http://www.ipl.org/youth/stateknow
Do you have to do a report on a state? This site has links to
all the states in the Union and Washington, D.C. with size comparisons,
charts of information and links to other places, written by the people
at the Internet Public Library
TEACHING
WITH HISTORIC
PLACES - https://www.nps.gov/subjects/teachingwithhistoricplaces/index.htm/
Teaching with Historic Places (TwHP) uses properties listed in the
National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places to enliven
history, social studies, geography, civics, and other subjects. TwHP
has
created a variety of products and activities that help teachers bring
historic
places into the classroom. You can even create your own lesson.
TEST YOUR
GEOGRAPHY
KNOWLEDGE - http://www.lizardpoint.com/fun/geoquiz/usaquiz.html
A fun review of visual identification of the 50 states, this site gives
you three chances to click on a state on the map, given the name of the
state in the right hand frame. If you get it right on the first try you
earn three points, on the second try two points and one point on the
third
try. A nice way to reinforce basic state knowledge on a classroom
computer.
TITANIC MOCK
TRIAL - http://titanic.andersonkill.com/facts.htm
Can Captain Smith be held accountable for this historic maritime
tragedy?
Check the evidence... (high school).
THROUGH THE
LENS OF
TIME: IMAGES OF AFRICAN AMERICANS FROM THE COOK COLLECTION OF
PHOTOGRAPHS
- https://digital.library.vcu.edu/islandora/object/vcu%3Acook#:~:text=Through%20the%20Lens%20of%20Time%20is%20a%20joint,held%20piles%20and%20boxes%20of%20negatives%20and%20prints.
The photographs of African Americans in this collection provide an
interesting combination of examples of African American life and the
white
photographers' perceptions of that life, often at least tinged by
stereotypes.
300 photographs of African American life in turn-of-the-century Central
Virginia are searchable. From the VCU Libraries, Special Collections
and
Archives
THE UNITED STATES MINT H.I.P. POCKET CHANGE - http://www.usmint.gov/kids/
A kid friendly (K-up) site with an animated search for the birth of
a coin. Cute animations and short interesting panels make this a
must see.
US STATES
PROFILES
- http://www.infoplease.com/states.html
In Information Almanac format this site allows your eye to quickly
scan and find significant facts. And they're all here. It has it all!
U.S. CONSTITUTION RESOURCES - http://www.surfnetkids.com/resources/us-constitution/
Another great page by Barbara J. Feldman. Links to all things about the Constitution, including other sources that appear here.
USA STATE
MAP/QUIZ
PRINT OUTS -http://www.EnchantedLearning.com/usa/statesbw/
Enchanted Learning presents this handy collection of maps and quizzes
of states, regions and flags. Ready to print out and use with your
students,
this site is surely already well-used by classroom teachers. Why not
join
the bandwagon and see if there's something here for you? Site comes up
and you need to type in the name of the state you wish.
WESTWARD HO WEBQUEST - http://www.digitalwish.com/dw/digitalwish/view_lesson_plans?id=1747
4th or 8th grade? The purpose of this Web page is to give you a
sampling
of some of the aspects of Westward Expansion and the journeys alongthe
Oregon Trail between the 1830s and 1869. Also http://zunal.com/webquest.php?w=66530
a lesson plan for grades 3-5 where students can begin a hunt
for information and find answers on this site.
WITHIN THESE WALLS - http://www.americanhistory.si.edu/house/
This website from the Smithsonian looks at a house in Massachusetts,
and follows its inhabitants over two hundred years. Students can find
out
about the five families that lived there, artifacts from each time
period,
and how to uncover more information about your own house or
neighborhood.
<><>YOUR
MISSION: THE LAST MISSION - http://score.rims.k12.ca.us/activity/the_last_mission/
This is a lesson from the SCORE site. Your students are charged with
finding a location for the last California Mission, and work as a team
to research the geography, native peoples, and natural resources of the
region. This can be a great alternative to the traditional
“mission
model.” Teachers can also use the hotlist of resources to
supplement
the fourth grade curriculum.
Also see Innovative
Ways to Teach and other Interesting Lessons
Or Projects
on Line
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Last Updated April, 2021