Documenting the American South
Documenting the American South (DocSouth) is a digital publishing initiative that provides Internet access to texts, images, and audio files related to southern history, literature, and culture. Currently DocSouth includes twelve thematic collections of books, diaries, posters, artifacts, letters, oral history interviews, and songs.
The Importance of Religion in Political Life in the 19th Century: Abraham Lincoln's Experience
In this lesson, students will explore the importance of religion in community building in frontier America. They will also analyze the importance of religion in political life in the 19th century.
North American Slave Narratives
This site offers more than 250 memoirs, autobiographies, and narratives from individuals who were slaves. An African king who was sold into slavery, the dress maker for Mary Todd Lincoln, the servant of Robert E. Lee during the Civil War, and the nurse of George Washington are included, as are stories of Sojourner Truth, George Washington Carver, Booker T. Washington, and others. These firsthand accounts describe the conditions and sufferings of slaves and a number of escapes to freedom.
Reel American History Project
The general goal of the Reel American History project is to foster critical thinking about a matter of enduring cultural attention, especially where young people are concerned: the formation of our national identity.
Reel American History is designed to be a "Collaborative Shared Resource". It aims at being a large, ongoing, cumulative, collaborative project that involves many students and many faculty over a long period of time. We strive to engage students in authentic learning – making st
Intervention Strategies - Early Intervention in Primary Schools
From England: How early intervention strategies in KS1 and KS2 are helping pupils in three school improve their attainment levels in speaking, listening, reading and writing. Very small class, but the ideas are good; use more senses.
Entrepreneurs in American 2nd Industrial Revolution
This video is accompanied by text. "The small businesses that supported the pre-Civil War economy could not satisfy the rapidly growing national markets. Entrepreneurs quickly developed systems of mass production and distribution to meet growing national needs. The resulting expansion in industry went hand-in-hand with industrial combination and concentration, enabling a few business leaders to dominate the largest markets of the time..." (Professionally produced material with scholarly ide
Nineteenth Century Banking
Video accompanied by text. "In the early 1800s, the United States government did not print paper money but instead minted gold and silver coins called specie. The value of these coins was determined by the value of the metal in the coins themselves. People wanted a safe place to keep their savings of gold and silver coins, so they stored them in banks, which had strong vaults and other measures of security. The bank would give the depositor a receipt, or banknote, as a claim against the gold or
Native American Folklore
In this lesson students will familiarize themselves with the Western landscape through both Native American folklore and George Catlin's paintings of the prairie. After reading several Native American legends, students will compose and illustrate their own legend.
Smithsonian Source: Native American History
This section is intended to supplement the curricula, textbooks, and materials you currently use for lessons on Native history. The teacher-developed resources in the section will enhance the classroom experience for both you and your students. You might get started by reviewing the video on Lakota winter counts.
Smithsonian American Art Museum Education
We have digitized and indexed dozens of SAAM's free educational materials for your use. Teacher guides are listed with corresponding standards and grade levels for your convenience. Be sure to check back periodically, as more resources will be added.
SAAM's online features contain interactive or media-rich assets that can easily be used by educators in the classroom. Students can learn by viewing media or taking part in various online activities.
Online activities such as Catlin Classroom have
The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden
This site examines the job of a president, the balance of power with the Supreme Court and Congress, and ways presidents have communicated with the public. Features include the battle sword of George Washington, the lap desk on which Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, and the top hat worn by Abraham Lincoln the night he was assassinated.
North American Mammals
Welcome to the National Museum of Natural History's North American Mammals Web site. This is a searchable database of all living mammals of North America.
Images of the American Revolution
This lesson focuses on the American Revolution, which encouraged the founding fathers' desire to create a government that would, as stated in the Preamble, insure domestic tranquility and provide for the common defense. This lesson correlates to the National History Standards and the National Standards for Civics and Social Sciences.
Edward S. Curtis's The North American Indian: Photographic Images
This is one of the most significant and controversial representations of American Indian culture ever produced. Issued in a limited edition from 1907-1930, the publication continues to influence the image of Indians in popular culture. In over 2000 photos and narrative, Curtis portrayed the traditional ...
American Indians of the Pacific Northwest
This digital collection integrates over 2,300 photographs and 7,700 pages of text relating to the American Indians in two cultural areas of the Pacific Northwest, the Northwest Coast and Plateau. These resources illustrate many aspects of life and work, including housing, clothing, crafts, transportation, ...
Baseball: As American as Apple Pie
This is an annotated collection of Library of Congress resources about America's pastime. It includes early baseball pictures, baseball songs and stories, baseball cards, the first all-professional baseball team in America (the Cincinnati Red Stockings, 1869), Cy Young, Ty Cobb, home run kings, and ...
American Women: A Reference Guide
This is a first stop for using Library of Congress resources to do research in the field of American women's history. It presents some digital items; however, it serves primarily as a comprehensive guide to the entirety of the Library's holdings on women's history. It includes exhibits that feature ...
Tapping the Roots of American Music
Teacher's Guide for using the American Roots Music documentary series in the classroom. The resources offered here are designed to help you use the PBS American Roots Music video series and companion Web site in middle school and high school social studies and history classes. American Roots Music may be taped off-air and used for up to a year following broadcast, or you may choose to purchase it through Shop PBS for Teachers.
School: The Story of American Public Education
This is the companion website for a documentary that chronicles the development of public education in America from the late 1770s to the 21st century. It provides photos, stories of innovators, and more.
Ralph Bunche: An American Odyssey
Social studies teachers will find that the film presents an informative, complex and issue-oriented story that raises controversial questions and provides an exciting way to introduce a number of important concepts in 20th century United States and world history. It offers an opportunity to explore the historical background of current events and issues in the news today; the Middle East crisis, the struggle of developing nations to create stable economies and democratic governments, the legacy o
