Online Nevada Encyclopedia

Image
image of a Cornish immigrant in Nevada with child
Annotation

Online Nevada Encyclopedia (ONE) is a succinct website focusing on themes related to the state’s history, geography, politics, economy and society. Ten thematic sections, such as "Mining," "Gaming and Tourism," and "Nuclear Nevada," appear on the left side of the homepage. When clicking on a topic, a short introduction appears followed by three to 24 article subcategories (104 subsections in all.) Educators will find the "Media Gallery" helpful in these subsections; the rich imagery is one of the positive elements of this site. Suggested readings and website links can be found at the conclusion of many articles, providing meaningful connections for teachers and students.

Viewers can easily access the virtual galleries, as well as maps that highlight popular destinations and topics of interest, from the homepage or content entries. Alphabetical indices list authors, content, and media, and exhibit galleries offer more information on people and topics in Nevada.

ONE, a project of Nevada Humanities, gives a clear representation of this state. Utilizing the website as a resource will help students understand the diversity of Nevada.

Education by Design: Using Visual Aids

Image
Puzzle, Kindergarten cut-outs
Annotation

This site offers an online exhibit and an image database of more than 70 historic educational visual aids created for use by schools, libraries, and museums beginning in 1935 by the WPA's (Works Progress Administration) Museum Extension Project. The collection features items such as puppets, toys, architectural models, dioramas, jigsaw puzzles, handbooks and pamphlets, lantern slides, miniature furniture models, prints, and posters. Each item contains information about its size and place of production.

The collection is searchable by item and by state of manufacture and contains materials from Connecticut, Illinois, Kansas, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Suitable for those interested in material culture or government-sponsored education projects.

Carnegie Libraries of California

Image
Library, San Francisco, Richmond Branch, Bliss and Faville, 1914
Annotation

Designed to document the many thousands of dollars Andrew Carnegie donated to establish public libraries in California, this site includes modern and contemporary photographs of each of the 144 libraries built between 1889 and 1923. San Diego was the first to receive a Carnegie grant, receiving $60,000 in 1889. Although many of the libraries have been demolished, this site includes photographs and short (250-word) descriptions of each. The date and amount of each grant is documented, as is the style of architecture and the architect. The site also features three essays: a 1,000-word history of the California library building boom; a 3,000-word analysis of the California Carnegie Libraries' different architectural styles; and a 2,000-word biography of Carnegie. Particular emphasis is paid to Carnegie's philanthropy, and the site points out that he donated money to 1,681 public libraries across the United States. The 144 library photographs are the only primary sources included on the site.

San Luis Obispo County Historical Society, Museum, and the Dallidet Adobe [CA]

Description

The San Luis Obispo County Historical Society seeks to preserve and share the history of San Luis Obispo County, California. To this end, the society operates the Historical Museum and the Dallidet Adobe. The museum, housed within the circa 1905 Carnegie Library building, offers exhibits of local historical interest. The Dallidet Adobe is decorated with furnishings which once belonged to the Dallidet family. The grounds include an arbor and Mediterranean garden.

The museum offers exhibits, a children's activity room, student tours, research rooms, and research assistance. The Dallidet Adobe offers gardens and school tours. Reservations are required for school tours.

Kaua'i Historical Society [HI]

Description

The Kaua'i Historical Society is dedicated to preserving the unique historical heritage of the Hawaiian island of Kaua'i. The society works with local historic sites in order to expand their offerings, often offering tours and other special events across the island.

The society offers tours of local historic sites, special events including presentations and performances, and a historical archive. The website offers information about historic sites on the island, information regarding upcoming events, and a history of the island.

Lewis and Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery

Image
Logo, Lewis and Clark, The Journey of the Corps of Discovery
Annotation

A PBS companion site for the film The Journey of the Corps of Discovery by Ken Burns. The site contains brief biographies of members of the expedition, historical sketches of the Native American tribes encountered by Lewis and Clark, a semi-searchable selection of transcribed journal excerpts from seven expedition members, over 800 minutes of unedited interviews with scholars and other specialists, over 30 links to related websites, a bibliography, and an interactive story section.

The site also offers teaching resources, including lesson plans and printable activity sheets, as well as a video interview and email forum with filmmaker Ken Burns. An easily navigated site.

John Brown's Holy War

Image
Logo, John Brown's Holy War
Annotation

This companion site to the 1999 PBS documentary on John Brown uses special features, a timeline, an interactive map, short biographies and histories, and a teacher's guide to explain the story of Brown's life and times. The site offers special features on the Maryland farmhouse where John Brown assembled his men before their raid on Harpers Ferry, the Harpers Ferry firehouse where Brown's raiders were captured, a history of the famous song "John Brown's Body," and a short essay on Brown's failures as a businessman before he became a radical abolitionist. The timeline traces the major events of Brown's life from 1800 to 1865. An interactive map follows Brown's movements across the country from his birth in 1800 to his execution and burial in 1859. The "People and Events" section features short biographical essays on Brown, abolitionist Frederick Douglass, abolitionist newspaper editor James Redpath, writer Henry David Thoreau, 1859 Virginia Governor Henry A. Wise, and "The Secret Six"--the radical abolitionists who funded Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry. The section also features short histories of four events of Brown's radical abolitionist crusades: the Pottawatomie Massacre in Kansas, Brown's Missouri raid, the Harpers Ferry raid, and Brown's hanging. The teacher guide offers discussion questions and four classroom activities.