Money as You Grow – Kids and Money – President's Advisory Council on Financial Capability | The Black Past: Remembered and Reclaimed John Smith - Triangular Trade In this thirteen colonies rap song, we teach the true facts on the Pocahontas scandal. It also covers the establishment of the thirteen colonies, their first government system and the Wampanoag Indians, who played a crucial role in the Pilgrims’ survival. Check out how the colonies managed to avoid the Navigation Acts, which required them to hand over their profits to England. Columbus might not have discovered America, but his journey certainly changed the world. Following Columbus, the Spanish sent out fleets of ships across oceans to discover and conquer new lands. But it wasn't until the 1600s that white settlers attempted to actually live in North America. The natives, meanwhile, stood and watched as these strange foreigners came in on giant ships. The Spanish dominated naval exploration from 1492 to 1600, a period now known as the Age of Exploration. Thinking that he had arrived in India, Columbus named the New World accordingly. This was the first Thanksgiving. 1. 2. 3.
Newspaper Map We have indexed all newspapers and plotted their correct locations, in 39 countries. Might have missed some. And most newspapers in another 199 countries, a bunch of them not in their correct locations. Add new ones here: add/correct "The immediate usefulness of Newspaper Map is readily apparent." "News of the World, One Click Away" Sam Grobart, New York Times "I think this mash-up of Google Maps & every online Newspaper in the World is very, very cool" Bill Gross, Founder of Idealab & UberMedia A boatload of more press here The Contested History of American Freedom No idea is more fundamental to Americans' sense of ourselves as individuals and as a nation than freedom. The central term in our political vocabulary, freedom—or liberty, with which it is almost always used interchangeably—is deeply embedded in the record of our history and the language of everyday life. The Declaration of Independence lists liberty among mankind's inalienable rights; the Constitution announces securing liberty's blessings as its purpose. Freedom has often been invoked to mobilize support for war: the United States fought the Civil War to bring about "a new birth of freedom," World War II for the "Four Freedoms," the Cold War to defend the "Free World." Despite, or perhaps because of, its very ubiquity, freedom has never been a fixed category or concept. If the meaning of freedom has been a battleground throughout our history, so too has been the definition of those entitled to enjoy its blessings.
Memorial Day in the Classroom: Resources for Teachers For most students, Memorial Day means a three-day weekend, one last mini-break before the end of the school year. But the last Monday in May is the perfect opportunity to use class time to honor the men and women who lost their lives in war. Here are some of the best lesson plan resources for Memorial Day, along with some engaging multimedia resources. It's not always easy to capture student attention late in the school year, but hopefully these resources help. For starters, here's a brief video from The History Channel that looks at the origins of the holiday. In addition, you might also want to check out History.com's Memorial Day resource page. Fun, Insightful Memorial Day Multimedia 7 Things You Didn’t Know About Memorial Day From Time: If you have some extra time, these interesting, little-known facts about Memorial Day are worth a read. Classroom Ideas for Remembering and Honoring Veterans
Wars 8" Self-Propelled Howitzer Photograph by SP6 Cybrary Man Utah Memorial - Pearl Harbor, Hawaii American Wars: Explore Military History Online American Military History The Price of Freedom Americans at War Military History Online War Stories (Newseum: War Correspondents) Books for Understanding The United States at War Military Battles and Campaigns (Maps - Library of Congress) War Atlases Finding Military Records US Military Facilities Experiencing War (Prisoners of War) Fort Drum, New York • History Memorials and Veterans Day Memorial Day Page on Cybrary Man's Educational Web Sites Korean War Veterans Memorial National WWII Memorial Vietnam Veterans Memorial Veterans Day Links Celebrating America's Freedoms Veterans History Project (Library of Congress) Department of Veterans Affairs Facility Directory U.S. The Cold War and Spies Cold War Resources from #sschat Resources for Teaching the Cold War Timeline of the Cold War Cold War Museum Cold War Videos Duck and Cover - Nuclear Safety YouTube Secrets of the Spies
Appraising the Electoral College - Bill of Rights Institute Every four years Americans head to the polls to select the presidential candidate they like best. Most people think their vote is a direct link to the candidate of their choice – but things aren’t quite that simple. In reality, individuals vote for an elector who has pledged to vote for a particular candidate. The Electoral College has many quirks and complexities than can be difficult to explain, and it can create a few problems from time to time. In this eLesson, learn more about how the Electoral College functions and why the Framers thought it was a good idea. Resources What is the Electoral College? Why did the Framers create the Electoral College? Documents of Freedom: Elections “How the Electoral College Works,” How Stuff Works Video: “Do you Understand the Electoral College?” Video: “The Trouble with the Electoral College,” CGP Gray (Anti-EC) “Electoral College Maps Since 1789,” 270 To Win “Interactive 2016 Presidential Campaign Map,” 270 To Win Discussion Questions
13 Good Resources for Social Studies Teachers I recently met an old colleague of mine for breakfast. Steve and I team taught a course together for a couple of years before he retired a few years ago. During our conversation he said to me, "Richard, what I knew you were good at was finding things our students liked." Coming from Steve, whose opinions I hold in high regards, took that as a compliment and as a reminder that I haven't published a good list for fellow social studies teachers in quite a while. Therefore, this evening I sat down and combed through my archives to pick what I think are some off the better free resources for social studies teachers and students. Museum Box is a great tool for creating virtual displays of artifacts that you find online. Mission U.S. offers two interactive journeys through two important eras in U.S. Hip Hughes History is a fantastic YouTube channel that I promoted a few times in 2012. Meograph is a digital storytelling tool that I featured a couple of times in 2012.
Teaching History With Film: 'Lincoln', 'Argo' and 'Zero Dark Thirty' DreamWorks Pictures and 20th Century FoxDaniel Day-Lewis in Steven Spielberg’s film “Lincoln.” Three of this year’s Oscar contenders — “Lincoln,” “Argo” and “Zero Dark Thirty” — invite viewers to look at history, either through the lens of the distant past (as in the case of “Lincoln”) or through recent events (like “Zero Dark Thirty”), and to question the degree of truth and fiction at work in the retelling of these events. These same three movies have also prompted some serious debate and reflection on American politics, and the direction the nation should be headed. Below, we offer ways you can approach each film in the classroom, with critical thinking questions and related Times resources. Overview | “Lincoln” is a historical drama and biopic, written by Tony Kushner, directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Daniel Day-Lewis, that covers the final four months of Abraham Lincoln’s life. Ways to Approach: • Explore the cult of personality. Related Times and Learning Network Resources: