Teacher's Pick
African American History Month 2011
For African American History Month, don’t just focus on the heroes—use primary sources to explore the lives of ordinary people.
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6-8 Resources
View All →Popplet
Brainstorm and organize ideas with this easy-to-use visual tool.
Resources on Native American History
When the resources readily available to you are just not comprehensive enough.
Prologue to Studying the Emancipation Proclamation
An 8th-grade class analyzes letters about the Emancipation Proclamation.
VoiceThread
A multimedia collaborative tool with the American Association of School Librarians’ stamp of approval.
The Thomas Jefferson Building: Secret Messages
What messages are hidden in art and architecture? Explore the Library of Congress’s Jefferson Building in this online …
Jamestown: The Starving Time
Only 60 settlers out of 600 survived the winter of 1609–1610 in Jamestown Virginia. Was “the Starving Time” due to …
Amy Trenkle on Interactive Whiteboards
New technology in the classroom means new techniques and challenges. Eighth-grade teacher Amy Trenkle’s new whiteboard …
In Remembrance: September 11, 2001
September 11, 2011 marks the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. When does the recent past become history?
The Short-Handled Hoe
History is imbedded in the smallest objects. In this lesson, students examine how a simple farming tool connects to the …
SurveyMonkey
Digitize class surveys and poll student knowledge with this tool.
Using Visuals to Build Interest and Understanding
Teaching history to English Language Learners poses special challenges owing to its conceptual density and assumed …
The Cost of Industrialization
Use the Triangle Shirtwaist fire to examine the benefits and costs of industrialization.
Win the White House
What does it take to win a presidential campaign? Try it yourself with this online game from iCivics!
Historical Thinking Poster!
Looking for ways to promote thoughtful, critical reading of primary and secondary sources in the classroom?
Stop Action and Assess Alternatives
Teach students to explore contingency with this great lesson plan idea.
Nominations Open for Gilder Lehrman Teacher of the Year Award!
Know a K-6 educator who goes above and beyond in teaching U.S. history? Nominate them for Gilder Lehrman’s state and …
Frederick Douglass National Historic Site Virtual Museum Exhibit
What was life like in abolitionist Frederick Douglass’s home in Washington, DC? The NPS takes a look.
Using Non-Linguistic Representations to Strengthen Historical Thinking
The classes at the urban San Diego charter school where I teach are not tracked. As a result, 100% of the juniors on …
Bracero History Archive
The Bracero History Archive—a collaborative project of George Mason University, the Smithsonian, Brown University, and …
Jennifer Orr on Making Technology Work for Primary Students: Part Two
Conventional applications of Web 2.0 tools expect students to read and write confidently. How can you adapt these tools …
Classroom Tools
View All →Voki
Bring history to life and protect student identity with personalized speaking avatars.
Flickr
Use pictures to teach and learn history—and explore copyright issues.
Document Cameras
Liberate yourself from overhead projectors with these versatile pieces of hardware.
Mind Mapping: Visualizing Historical Thought
Discover the extent of students’ understanding of historical subjects with this tool.
Google Docs
Create, share, and collaborate with this free word-processing tool!
NewsTrust
Do more than read the news—assess it, with the help of NewsTrust’s community and reviewing tools.
Does Facebook in the history classroom take social networking too far? Maybe not.
Blogs
Learn how to use blogs as communication channels and pedagogical tools.
Advanced Whiteboard Techniques
In this video, UK teacher Simon Botten demonstrates beyond-the-basics whiteboard techniques for use in history and …
RSS
Keep up with your favorite places on the Web with Really Simple Syndication (RSS).
Social Pinboards
Organize and share your online finds using online social pinboard services.
Diigo
Bookmark, organize, annotate, and share research and resources with Diigo.
PrimaryAccess
Construct your own short films demonstrating historical thinking.
Using Skype in the Classroom
In this video (20 min. 49 sec.), educator Silvia Tolisano narrates a comprehensive overview of Skype and its use and …
LucidChart
Map the twists and turns of a process or historical narrative with this charting tool.
Skype
Bring experts into the classroom or meet students from around the globe with Skype!
Padlet
Facilitate dialogue in the history classroom with this online bulletin board maker.
Social Explorer
Navigate census data from 1940 to 2000 using interactive maps.
IWitness
Delve into 20th-century history with Holocaust survivor and witness testimonies.
Google Maps
Discover a whole new world of mapping and geography with Google Maps!