Grades 6-8 - Primary Sources
A National Initiative on American History, Civics, and Service sponsored web site. The Our Documents initiative is a cooperative effort among National History Day, The National Archives and Records Administration, USA Freedom Corps, and The Corporation for National and Community Service. You can download Adobe files of each document, read transcripts, access the teacher source book with lesson plans using the documents, and links to the National History Day web site.
The National Archives and Records Administration
The following Web sites contain additional information about primary sources and links to digitized images and documents.
The Digital classroom has links to Teaching with Documents lesson plans, copies of primary sources, links to www.ourdocuments.gov, document analysis worksheets, and details about professional development workshops offered to teachers and school systems.
The University of Oklahoma Law Center: A Chronology of US Historical Documents
Geography
This site explores and studies rivers, especially those needing protection.
This site includes a lesson that helps to make the relationship between math and maps clear. Students analyze the use of map scales and map coordinates in existing maps and creates pamphlets to help others understand.
A collection of outline maps of the world that both teachers and students can use for projects.
A great site for elementary students to search for regions, countries and cultures around the world.
This is a series of distance-learning expeditions such as: "Running the Nile" and Magellan Global Adventure". Archives of past trips are available for teachers and students.
A game created for students learning about the United States. Students choose one of three regions and respond to various questions about these regions.
This site has a collection of materials on map-making.
Search this database of materials related to the U.S. Census. Maps and Tables are available for quick reference or you can do a comprehensive search for materials relating to your region, state, county, city, etc.
This website uses real census data to make population projections. Lots of graphs and maps.
PDF-formatted maps of the growth of cities in the United States from 1790 to 2000.
Site of a variety of statistical maps for the United States or any of the fifty states.
Political Science
A lesson on the three branches of government. Students go online to learn about the three branches of government and then create a poster that summarizes what they have learned.
This site presents information about the Presidents and their First Ladies with audio clips and primary documents.
Economics
An interdisciplinary lesson using the Internet that helps students understand the logic behind currency and coinage and how currency and coins are made. They graphically present their findings.
This is an easy to use collection of over 1,400 consumer related web sites. Great resource for kids to conduct their own research.
Currency Exchange and the Gang of Fifteen
This is a fun site for students to develop skills to understanding international exchange rates and their relationship to U.S. currency. Students trace international criminals by tracking down their credit cards.
NOVAOnline/Secrets of Making Money
This site will give students the history of money and how it is made. There is a game and teacher guided activities.
American History
A site devoted to the study of Prohibition during the 1920's.
2,900 documents provide a glimpse of the life and work of men and women from various occupations and geographical regions from 1936 to 1940 as part of the Folklore Project.
This web site includes a cooperative learning activity that uses the content of the Donner Party tragedy on the Oregon Trail to teach the skills of historical research.
Several first-person accounts from Civil War participants can be accessed here.
The History Place-The U.S. Civil War
This site includes a timeline to help students understand the sequence of events leading up to the Civil War and following the war.
This site provides links to many primary documents including letters, photographs and unit information.
Poetry and Music of the War Between the States
Great site for students to get a different perspective of the war through music, poems and song lyrics.
This site contains an excellent summary of the battle.
This is web site features a Civil War timeline including related quotations and photographs.
This is web site devoted entirely to our 16th President. Includes links to speeches, books, and other resources for teachers and students.
Immigration in American Memory
A great resource for teachers and their students. This site is divided into four periods - Settlement, The Growing Nation, The Great Surge, and Immigration Today.
An excellent resource for studying black history and culture. The collection includes photographs, recordings, books and music.
This is the home page of one of America's most well known landmarks. Visit the historic "Wall of Honor" or search immigration records.
Maryland History and Government
Maryland Historical Society's Image Collection
Students can search legislation by topic, bill number or by statute. Session information as well as links to the delegates contact information is available.
This web site created by the Maryland State Archives links the user to the www.maryland.govportal and other links to the Maryland Judiciary, Governor's office, General Assembly, Executive Agencies, and much more.
African Americans in the Chesapeake Bay Region
World History
Rabbit in the Moon: Mayan Hieroglyphic Writing
Discover why Mayans continue with some of their age-old traditions. Try your hand and reading and writing in Mayan Hieroglyphics.
Many valuable lessons could involved students in preparing and tasting foods from this historical period.
A comprehensive resource on medieval history. This site offers primary documents and links to other resources.
This is a comprehensive repository of electronic images of 1,373 papyri from ancient Egypt.
Images of 12 scroll fragments and 29 others are featured in this inviting online exhibit. The teacher resource pages are also helpful.
This extensive hypertext guide contains links to Web sites containing early Christian church historical documents.
A lesson where students will use the Internet to research information about the ancient Olympic Games and Greek culture in order to write about the athletes and to describe aspects of the ancient Olympics in an oral presentation.
Simulation where students role-play as members of a fact-finding team to investigate a variety of resources to arrive at policy conclusions and submit a plan of actions to the U.S. government.
What did the common folk to nobility wear in history? This site details the history of costume.
The Canadian Resource Page is a virtual encyclopedia on every aspect of Canada. There are approximately 500 links to information from this site.
This is the official web site of the British monarchy and provides lots of information about palaces, succession and art and jewels of the crown.
African Art: Aesthetics and Meaning
This is a great site for elementary students to study the world cultures of Africa. On-line catalog of African items with vivid photographs.
Great lessons related to the United Nations and world issues are collected in this elegant, professionally done treasury. Excellent lessons for all grade levels. May need to be modified for elementary classes.
This site covers both the prehistoric cultures of Mexico to the society and culture of Mexico today.
This is a site that provides dozens of links to web sites that deal with all aspects of the major world religions.
This site features a variety of recipes for the ancient Romans. Interesting reading and useful if preparing a Roman feast.
Exploring Ancient World Cultures
Designed by a worldwide team of scholars, this tastefully done electronic college-level textbook on-line provides lots of information to various cultures.
This superb on-line version of the National Geographic trek through Mongolia is a fabulous way for students to link history and geography together Links to text, audio or video clips in the most notable site. Speeches that were important in World History can be found on this site. Good way to get primary documents into your classroom.
First-person stories of Jews and non-Jews persecuted by the Nazis and true stories of young people who survived the Holocaust are only two of the features of this very complete site. There is a link to a virtual tour of Auschwitz.
Ancient Medicine/ Medicina Antiqua
Discover how the Ancient Greek healers used a person's dreams to aid in diagnosis. An unusual but interesting site, some translations from Hippocrates.
In addition to much text resources, images of geographical features and archaeological remains of the Nile Valley make this an excellent site. This is a sophisticated site created for a college course.
Students will love going to this site and touring the ancient Olympia. This was really designed for upper elementary and high school.
Students can learn to read and write hieroglyphics. They can make up their own messages and put them into a translator.
This is a great site for students to learn about the development of China including the dynasties. There are fun and creative ways to teach students about the hands-on approach.
Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
How many of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World can your students name and locate? A cyber-guide will help students locate and explore these remarkable structures.
Another huge collection of resources of ancient Rome, organized into several categories: literature, archaeology, etc.
Take a virtual tour of the fascinating tomb of Egyptian King Niusere. Includes various links to other interesting sites.
Most history teachers have heard of the Romans' Twelve Tables or the Code of Hammurabi, but few have actually seen them on-line.
This site gives students plenty of information about both Ancient and Modern Egypt.
Learn about the ancient native peoples of South American and how their culture has evolved over time. Site provides stories, music photographs of this region.
African Art: Aesthetics and Meaning
This is a great site for elementary students to study the world cultures of Africa. On-line catalog of African items with vivid photographs.
