US History

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• Y—Young (PreK-3rd)
• M—Middle (4th-6th)
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Columbus Day Controversy  (M, O, T)
Each October, a holiday celebrating Christopher Columbus ushers in debate about the man’s character and accomplishments. Most people now know that Columbus didn’t actually discover America, nor did he discover that the earth was not flat. Beyond that, there are 3 main issues with Columbus’ activities in the Americas at the heart of the debate about whether Columbus Day should exist: “the use of violence and slavery, the forced conversion of native peoples to Christianity, and the introduction of a host of new diseases that would have dramatic long-term effects on native people in the Americas”. Learn more from this History.com feature on the man, the controversies, and the consequences.

The Truth about The First Thanksgiving by James W. Loewen  (O, T)
Reproduced from Loewen's book "Lies My Teacher Told Me," this excerpt describes the original non-native settlers of what is now the United States and the impact they had on the natives.

Lesson Plans for Young Heroes of History  (M,O)
The homepage of the author of this series of Children and Young Adult historical fiction

Life on the Great Plains  (O)
In this four-part lesson, students examine the concept of geographic region by exploring the history of the Great Plains.

Eyewitness to History  (M,O)
EyeWitness to History is an award-winning website presenting history through the perspective of those who actually lived it - from the ancient world through the 20th century. Be aware that it is not white-washed or edited for children, but with proper supervision it is an awesome resource for studying history from the point of view of those who were living it.

The Flag of the United States  (M,O,T)
Students learn the history of the flag, flag etiquette, meanings behind traditions surrounding the flag, and more.

Interpretation and Education - Historic Places  (T)
To celebrate going back to school, Teaching with Historic Places highlights on the web the following lesson plans that consider important aspects of the history of education and educational facilities. Based on historical sites listed in the National Register of Historic Places, these lessons were created by National Park Service interpreters, preservation professionals, and educators. The lessons are free and ready for immediate classroom use by students in history and social studies classes.

The Library of Congress - American Memory  (Y,M,O,T)
American Memory provides free and open access through the Internet to written and spoken words, sound recordings, still and moving images, prints, maps, and sheet music that document the American experience. It is a digital record of American history and creativity. These materials, from the collections of the Library of Congress and other institutions, chronicle historical events, people, places, and ideas that continue to shape America, serving the public as a resource for education and lifelong learning.

The Learning Page  (Y,M,O,T)
The Learning Page is designed to help educators use the American Memory Collections to teach history and culture. It offers tips and tricks, definitions and rationale for using primary sources, activities, discussions, lesson plans and suggestions for using the collections in classroom curriculum.

American Providentialism  (Y,M,O,T)
The hand of God in American history. Many Americans today are ignorant of their own history and ignorant of the Founding Fathers wise words of wisdom to the country. Some want to remove God from government, society and the minds of Her people, especially children. It won't be done and it can't be done because it is basis and reason of our existence as a country. God was "The Original Intent" behind the country's formation and it is only by His hand the country still exists today

Picturing America  (Y,M,O,T)
Brings masterpieces of American art into classrooms and libraries nationwide.

HippoCampus  (Y,M,O,T)
HippoCampus provides free, multi-media content in many subjects, including Algebra, Physics, Calculus, Environmental Science, U.S. History and more. It is a bit awkward to navigate around entire books on the site, but there is a wealth of information online at no cost.

Digital History  (Y,M,O,T)
I have been working on my family history and have found the Interactive Timeline on this site to be very useful. In addition, the site has primary sources, multimedia resources, historical music, and teacher resources. Digital History is an excellent place to look for anything to do with American (and some world) history. The Interactive Timeline allows you to move a slider bar approximately one generation in length across a timeline which changes the events displayed on the US map above. Mouse over any of the events for a brief summary, or click on them for more detailed information.

Wild West.org  (Y,M,O,T)
This site presents a look at the American West, the history and legends of Native Americans or American Indians, if you prefer, western cowboys, western cowgirls and women of the west, guns (like the legendary 1873 Colt Peacemaker) and other western facts, lawmen and outlaws. Look for info on ShowBiz cowboys too. We also offer cowboy poetry, cowboy songs, western cowboy recipes, plus links to great cowboy and American Indian greeting cards.

BMAG for Kids  (Y)
From the Birmingham Museum, an online time line of activities for kids. Units include ancient Egypt, ancient Greece, Roman Empire, the Victorians, WWII and Art Gallery.

History and President Quizzes  (M)
Learn facts about the 20th Century in the United States and about 20th Century Presidents. Each quiz selects 20 trivia facts at random from a total set of 600, offering unlimited play.

America's Story from America's Library  (Y,M,O,T)
From the Library of Congress. Games and stories of America's past.

Primary Documents in American History  (Y,M,O,T)
From the Library of Congress: Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution, The Bill of Rights, The Federalist Papers, Documents from the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention, 1774-1789, Guide to American Historical Documents Online, and Charters of Freedom from the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration

Declaration of Independence  (Y,M,O,T)
From the Library of Congress - Primary Documents in American History

Human Migration Within and Into the United States  (O)
From Xpeditions, National Geographic Society. A lesson that examines human migratory behavior. Grades (9-12)

How Was the White House Designed?  (Y)
From EDSITEment, National Endowment for the Humanities. Students learn about design issues for the official residence of the President of the United States. Grades 3-5

Popular Songs in American History  (Y,M,O,T)
If your student loves music, he will love learning these songs and their place in history. My kids have enjoyed learning songs like Wait for the Wagon and Yankee Doodle Dandy and this site offers not just the songs, but the background and lyrics.

History Central Com  (Y,M,O,T)
"History's home on the web" - too much information to list; includes an online store

History of the Age of Imperialism  (O)
During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the United States pursued an aggressive policy of expansionism, extending its political and economic influence around the globe.

Teacher's Guide for Imperialism Unit Study  (T)
"The Age of Imperialism" unit combines an engaging narrative with the broad resources available to students on the Internet. You can use this chapter in place of a standard textbook treatment of nineteenth-century American expansionism, or you can use it to supplement your existing Social Studies materials. The following lesson plan helps you establish and extend historical and instructional contexts and integrate the material into your United States history curriculum.