First Battle of Manassas: An End to Innocence
looks at the first conflict of the Civil War, the battle of Bull Run. More than 5,000 people perished -- Northern and Southern troops, as well as private citizens who came from Washington, D.C., to watch. Personal stories, maps, and photos show how this battle shocked the nation into realizing that the conflict was not some romantic adventure and that it would be longer and more costly than anyone had imagined.
Choices and Commitments: The Soldiers at Gettysburg
aims to help students understand the Gettysburg Campaign and the major actions of the armies during each day of the battle, as well as the motives and experiences of several participants in the battle. It offers readings, maps, photos, and activities for students.
Chicago's Black Metropolis: Understanding History through a Historic Place
is a curriculum-oriented site concentrating on the area, south of the main business district, where blacks lived in Chicago, Illinois. The site shows photos and maps of historic buildings in the area and gives suggestions for student assignments.
Boston's Arnold Arboretum: A Place for Study and Recreation
provides readings, maps, and lesson ideas about the first arboretum in the U.S., which opened to the public in the 1880s. This site, though focused on a place devoted to the study of trees, can help students learn how 19th-century urban conditions influenced the development of parks and how to research the history of parks in their own communities.
General Science
The course focuses on the underlying concepts of science. Content coverage includes the scientific method, measurement in science, the human body, the nature of matter, humans and technology, and safety in science. The content will be presented in themes which in turn will draw upon students' understanding of themselves and their everyday experiences. The self-paced structure of the course will allow students to work through the material at a pace suitable to their individual needs. The course i
Modeling Research Skills
The fifth lesson in the Family, History and Memory module centers on developing students' research skills. Using the book The Diary of Anne Frank as a starting point, it guides students through the necessary steps for conducting good-quality research and developing a subsequent presentation. Students work as a group to develop their presentation. The lessons can be delivered as a module or as individual units.
Learning Styles
The aim of this lesson is to help students identify their personal learning styles so they can study and learn more effectively. It is the ninth lesson in the study skills series and it introduces adult learners to the concept of learning styles. Students will have an opportunity to reflect on different ways of learning and to validate different abilities and capabilities, both their own and those of others. The lessons are designed as a package with key skills reinforced in each subsequent less
First Person Narratives: Tamalpais High School's Conservatory Theater Ensemble
SPARK visits students in the Conservatory Theatre Ensemble at Mt. Tamalpais High School and follows their production from first interview to finished performance, as they document the history of protest in the Mill Valley community. This Educator Guide explores the history of documentary theatre.
Exam Skills
The aim of this lesson is to help students acquire skills that help them prepare for examinations in a focused and organized way. Students devise strategies for reviewing material and developing a revision timeline, and learn to identify the areas of study on which they should concentrate to prepare for tests. They review helpful tips and learn to use past examinations as a guide for future ones. It is the seventh lesson in the study skills series and is intended to support adult learners who ar
Active Learning
The aim of this lesson is to enable students to take control of their learning in a positive way. It is the third lesson in the study skills series and is intended to support adult learners who are embarking on a course of study and need to acquire skills which will help them to be successful. The lessons are designed as a package with key skills reinforced in each subsequent lesson so that a study culture is developed over time. They can be delivered sequentially or used individually, as a whol
History of the American West, 1860-1920
This site features 30,000 photos of Colorado towns and landscapes that document the role of mining in the history of Colorado and the West. Photos of Native Americans from more than 40 tribes are included.
From Slavery to Civil Rights
This is a timeline of African-American history. Photos, broadsides, maps, and other items are organized around time periods: slavery, abolition, antebellum, Civil War, reconstruction, progressive era, World War I, between the wars, World War II, and civil rights.
First American West: The Ohio River Valley, 1750-1820
This site consists of letters, journals, books, newspapers, maps, and images documenting the land, peoples, and exploration of the trans-Appalachian West. The first European travelers, their relations with Native Americans, new settlers' migration and acquisition of land, navigation down the Ohio River, planting of crops, trade in tobacco and horses, and the roles of African Americans, women, churches, and schools are documented.
Fill up the Canvas
features journal entries from 20 points in the journey of Lewis and Clark: mission preparations, winter in St. Louis, first council with Indians, death of Sergeant Floyd, first killing of a buffalo, Sioux camps, near run-in with Teton Sioux, Rocky Mountains, Nez Perce, falls of the Columbia River, and others. The site also provides letters from Thomas Jefferson to Lewis and Clark; images of people, places, plants, and animals; and maps.
The Experience of MADD’s Protecting You/Protecting Me: Using Evaluation to Enhance Program Develop
Protecting You/Protecting Me (PY/PM) is a classroom-based alcohol-use prevention program developed by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) for students in grades 1–5. The goal of the intervention is to prevent injury and death of children and youth due to underage consumption of alcoholic beverages and vehicle crashes when riding with impaired drivers. Development of PY/PM began in the summer of 1998. In spring 2002, PY/PM was named a Model Program by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Serv
Civil War Maps
This site features detailed battle maps made by Major Jedediah Hotchkiss for General Lee and General Sherman, and maps taken from diaries, scrapbooks, and manuscripts -- all available for the first time in one place. An essay, History of Mapping the Civil War, looks at Union maps, Confederate maps, battlefield maps, commercial maps, and others.
Drafting the Constitution
This lesson, a supplement to a study of the Constitutional Convention, focuses on The Committee of Detail's draft of the Constitution submitted on 6 August 1787. The delegates debated its contents for a month before referring the document to the Committee of Style. The Committee's report, presented to the Convention on 12 September, became the Constitution of the United States.
American Landscape and Architectural Design, 1850-1920
This collection of approximately 2,800 lantern slides represents an historical view of American buildings and landscapes built during the period 1850-1920. It represents the work of Harvard faculty, such as Frederick Law Olmsted Jr., Bremer W. Pond, and James Sturgis Pray, as well as that of prominent landscape architects throughout the country. The collection offers views of cities, specific buildings, parks, estates and gardens, including a complete history of Boston's Park System. In addition
American Environmental Photographs, 1891-1936
This collection consists of approximately 4,500 photographs documenting natural environments, ecologies, and plant communities in the United States at the end of the nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth century. Produced between 1891 and 1936 by a group of American botanists generally regarded as one of the most influential in the development of modern ecological studies, these photographs provide an overview of important representative natural landscapes across the nation. They demonst
Information literacy: not just for students
Good Internet research skills are important for teachers, too. This article provides an introduction to "information literacy" concepts and a list of references for teachers and media specialists.
