Social Science/U.S.History Sites

K-12 Social Science Sites
U.S. History
by
Gina Otto

SOCIAL SCIENCE RESOURCES, LESSONS & INTERACTIVE SITES

General History/Social Science Sites United States History
Social Science Sites World History
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
From the Library of Congress, a searchable database of its online digital collection - priceless.

AMERICANPRESIDENT - http://millercenter.org/academic/americanpresident
When the site opens, you are presented with selecting either History or Presidency in Action. The History section includes information on the Presidents, biographies of each first lady and each cabinet member, listings of presidential staff and advisers; and timelines. Presidency in Action features the functional side of the American presidency, outlining the responsibilities of the President and the resources at his disposal. Includes essays, a graphically rich Organization Chart, and details about the offices the President relies on and the personnel inhabiting them. Biographies of leading staffers and advisers add further depth to this portrait of the White House at work.

AMERICAN PRESIDENTS: LIFE PORTRAITS - http://www.americanpresidents.org/
Contains a complete video archive of all American Presidents: Life Portraits programming, plus these additional resources: • Biographical facts_• Key events of each presidency_• Presidential places_• Reference material.

AMERICAN REVOLUTION FOR KIDS - http://mrnussbaum.com/american-revolution//
A site by Mr. Nussbaum, set up in a unique, easy form for kids to learn about the Revolution. I love it.

THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION TIMELINE - http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/revolution/index.html The History Place presents this comprehensive look at the events that shaped The war for Independence, from Colonial times through the Federal era. There are links to images and documents, and a chronological journey. Bookmark this site as a handy reference for your class as well as for research and other projects!

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.

<><>BEN'S GUIDE TO U.S. GOVERNMENT - http://bensguide.gpo.gov
Choose a grade level to explore from K to 12, then a topic from the page. The guide includes information and games and activities, as well as government web sites for kids.

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.

<>CONGRESSLINK - http://www.congresslink.org/
CongressLink provides information about the U.S. Congress -- how it works, its members and leaders, and the public policies it produces. CongressLink is directed to teachers of American Government and civics. It is multi-featured, offering original content (including lesson plans and historical materials) and up-to-the-minute information about Congress.

CONQUISTADORS - https://www.thoughtco.com/the-conquistadors-2136575
Ten notable Spanish Conquistadors in history, starting with Hernan Cortes. The site includes failed conquerors like Narvaez and Aguirre, and videos. Interesting stuff!

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.

<>THE JAMESTOWN ONLINE ADVENTURE - http://www.historyglobe.com/jamestown/
Put your students in the situation of landing in the New World and making all the decisions needed to found a colony. This simulation lets them decide where to land, what to do when they get there, and even how many will be required to do hard labor. There are online helpers in the form of the London Company's Instruction and a Native American neighbor. Players will be scored as to how well they fared given the choices made, and will review what actually happended in Jamestown.

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.

<>MONTICELLO--THE HOME OF THOMAS JEFFERSON - http://www.monticello.org/
Monticello was the home of Thomas Jefferson, third president of the United States. Explore the house, gardens, and plantation. Includes: biographic info, "A Day in the Life" with images, Jefferson's West (Thomas Jefferson and the Lewis and Clark Expedition), an interactive floorplan, biographies of people who lived and worked at Monticello, an exhibit on Oral Histories, a narrative on slavery, pictures and descriptions of plants and gardens,recipes, and more.

MOUNT VERNON - http://www.mountvernon.org
The official site of our first president, George Washington.

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

<><>STATE REPORTS - http://www.50states.com
An excellent source of facts, pictures and information about state birds, and links to favorite 5th grade sites including Mayan folktales translated, Biographies of Famous Americans - updated monthly.

<>SUPREME COURT - http://www.supremecourtus.gov/
The official U.S. Supreme Court site has oodles of educational material (downloadable in Adobe Acrobat PDF) in the About the Supreme Court section. Skip the Brief Overview (which only lists hours and other administrative details) and jump into The Court as an Institution, The Court and Its Traditions, The Court and Its Procedures and The Court Building. Biographies of the current justices, and a listing of all past justices, are also found here. A fabulous photo gallery and info for D.C. visitors wanting to hear oral arguments await you in Visiting the Court.

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.

>VIKINGS - https://www.surfnetkids.com/resources/vikings/"
“Ten centuries ago, Vikings lived in northern Europe, in an area that now includes Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Vikings were infamous pirates and warriors, terrorizing Europe for hundreds of years. But warfare was not their only pursuit. They excelled on the sea, and were among the best shipbuilders of their time. Learn more at the following sites” researched by Barbara Feldman.

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.

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Last Updated April, 2021

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