My Quest for the Perfect Social Studies Lesson

New Mexico Historic Atlas and Lesson Plans

2009-10-03T09:56:00.003-06:00

The New Mexico Humanities Council has posted onto their website an Atlas of Historic New Mexico Maps. The page has 20 annotated maps with images from the various period. Included with this atlas are lesson plans for fourth, seventh and ninth grades, with internet resources and handouts.

In 2010, the University of New Mexico Press will be publishing the print version of the Atlas of Historic New Mexico Maps, which will include over 100 maps.

To view this website, click on the following link.

Civil Rights and Segregation Comic Books

2007-08-15T11:08:00.000-06:00

Learning history from comic books? You betcha! Here are two comic books that deal with the civil rights era of the 50s and 60s:

* Martin Luther King and the Montgomery Story

* George Wallace for the Big Job

The George Wallace comic book is especially interesting. This was distributed in Alabama during his campaign for governor in 1962. It could be considered a primary source document.

The comic book offers testimonials of how as a state legislator he helped out war widows and orphans, increased pensions for the elderly and supported fledgling industries in the state. As a judge he was "fair, but firm in enforcing the law." He sounds like he was an outstanding public servant. Oh, and then there was the fact that he believed that "education in segregated schools is the foundation upon which our whole future must be built." And let us not forget candidate Wallace's promise:

These comic books can be found on Ethan Persoff's web site. Warning: some material on the site may not be appropriate for children.

I found the link to these comic books on the Boing Boing blog. Once again, Warning: some material on that blog is definately not appropriate for children.

Teaching English

2007-08-14T17:20:00.000-06:00

I begin my first year of teaching as an English teacher instead of as a social studies teacher. It will be a challenge; however, I am up to that challenge. Since I will be focusing on English, I will put this blog on temporary hiatus. That does not mean that I won't post items on this site from time to time. I intend to infuse some social studies into my English classes. Until then, join me on My Quest for the Perfect English Lesson.

Thomas Jefferson

2007-07-06T16:20:00.000-06:00

The Library of Congress has an online exhibit about Thomas Jefferson's life. The exhibit includes stories, documents, maps and drawings about this former President of the United States.

Independence Day

2007-07-03T22:18:00.000-06:00

Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence
Tomorrow is July 4th. To celebrate, I give you the document that started it all. Here, here, and here are transcriptions of the Declaration of Independence.

However, what worth is the document if you can't teach it? As good citizens, your students should learn about the document by examining and evaluating it. Therefore, here, here, and here are some good lesson plans that you can use to teach them how to do that.

Oh, by the way, would you like to buy a copy of the document so that you can put it on your classroom wall?

1492

2007-07-03T14:28:00.000-06:00

Here's a great site that you can share with your students: 1492: An Ongoing Voyage (an Exhibit of the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.) It includes text, photos, artwork, and primary sources. It details not only what the Europeans were doing, but also what was happening in the Americas before Columbus.

Calisphere: A World of Primary Sources

2007-07-03T12:30:00.000-06:00

Here is a link to the University of California "Calisphere" site. This site has priamry source photographs on California history from 1848 to the 1970s. The photographs are divided into historical periods. Each section contains an brief overview of the period, questions for students to consider about the photographs, activities and worksheets.

Although the site focuses only on California history, teachers should find stuff they can use in a U.S. History class. For instance, the site has photos that relate to Western Expansion, the Chinese Exclusion Act, the Dust Bowl and the Depression, Japanese Internment Camps, etc.

Making of America Books

2007-07-03T12:15:00.000-06:00

From the website:

Making of America (MOA) is a digital library of primary sources in American social history primarily from the antebellum period through reconstruction. The collection is particularly strong in the subject areas of education, psychology, American history, sociology, religion, and science and technology. The book collection currently contains approximately 10,000 books with 19th century imprints.

Enough said. Click on this link to find out more about this website.

Using Primary Sources on the Internet

2007-07-03T11:57:00.000-06:00

Using primary sources on the internet can be tricky. The main problem is figuring out which documents are accurate and which are not.

On the University of Washington Library website, I found an excellent article titled Using Primary Sources on the Web. The website lists good sites, explains how to evaluate a website for accuracy, and how to cite material from the web.

History Detectives

2007-07-03T11:53:00.000-06:00

One of my favorite shows is "The History Detectives" on PBS. On the show, investigators search out the history of certain artifcats. Not only is it interesting history, but the program also demonstrates research methods that historians use to gather facts.

The program's website includes do it yourself activities, games and lesson plans that teachers can use in their classrooms. Click on this link for more information.

The Fight for Iraq: A Regional Powerplay

2007-05-11T14:26:00.000-06:00

I found a great link that summarizes regional, ethnic and religious issues regarding Iraq and its neighbors: The Fight for Iraq: A Regional Powerplay. This interactive site is on the MSNBC website.

Scopes Monkey Trial

2007-04-23T16:16:00.000-06:00

Here's a great site about the Scopes "Monkey" Trial:

Famous Trials in American History: Tenessee v. Scopes

The site includes photos, trial transcripts, the textbook that Scopes used to teach evolution, and biographies of all the important figures of the trial. It's a fantastic site!

March is National Women's History Month

2007-03-01T15:56:00.000-07:00

Bella Azburg, Abagail Adams, Maya Angelou, Susan B. Anthony. These are just a few of the women who have made a difference in our nation’s history, and these are just the women whose last names end in “A”!

Women have had a rich history in our country, but we have not always recognized their contributions. Therefore in 1978, the Educational Task Force of the Sonoma County (California) Commission on the Status of Women declared Women’s History Week . Women’s History Week focused around March 8th, which is International Women’s Day. In 1987, the United States Congress declared March to be National Women’s History Month. Since that year, more and more communities have celebrated this month by sponsoring activities in schools and in the workplace. To learn more about women’s history and how you too can celebrate women’s achievements in the United States visit the National Women’s History Project website.

Civil War site

2007-02-24T13:04:00.000-07:00

Civil War.com is an excellent website about the war between the states. It includes:

* War photos;
* An interactive map on the battles; and
* Thousands of pages of primary documents.

Oh, say can you see...

2007-01-19T15:10:00.000-07:00

Here is the history of the "Star Spangled Banner." It includes lesson plans that you can use.

Photo Credit The Star Spangled Banner (The Story of the Flag)

All of American History on one Web Site

2007-01-18T16:20:00.000-07:00

From Revolution to Reconsturction ... and What Happened Afterwards is a great website that includes Outlines of American History, Documents and Biographies . Don't let the name confuse you either. It has stuff from 1492 to the present.

The French and Indian War...

2007-01-18T15:58:00.000-07:00

... or if you wish, you may call it the Seven Years War. This war did two things: it expanded British Territory in the New World and helped create a furvor for Indepence in the colonists.

There's a great television program that I discovered a few months ago on PBS about the war called "The War that Made America". The website has a lot of resources that the teacher can use, which can be found by clicking on here.

I've got one point that I would like to make about the French and Indian War. Isn't it interesting that the war was caused by a British military action that was led by George Washington? After the war, the British would begin taxing the colonies, which would lead to protests about "taxation without representation". These concerns would be among the major causes of the Revolutionary War. After winning the war, delegates from the states would write a constitution that would include the creation of the office of the President of the United States. Geo. Washington would be our first President.

So it could be said that Washington in starting the French and Indian War ensured that he would eventually become President of the United States.

Hmmm ... very interesting.

So, You Say You Want a Revolution....

2007-01-15T16:31:00.000-07:00

It's a living history museum, it's a research center, it's a website ... it's Colonial Williamsburg. This site is a great resource for U.S. colonial and revolutionary history.

Check out the Teacher Resources which includes lesson plans, journal articles and activities.

Archaeology Teacher Resources

2007-01-15T11:58:00.000-07:00

Here are some archaeology teacher resources from The Achaeology Channel.

Mighty Times: The Legacy of Rosa Parks

2007-01-15T10:30:00.000-07:00

Speaking of Civil Rights: how about having students learn about Rosa Parks? There is an excellent video issued by "Teaching Tolerance" called Mighty Times: The Legacy of Rosa Parks. It shows the true history of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. For instance, it is often taught that Rosa Parks was tired one day coming home from work and decided on the spur of the moment to sit down in the white section of the bus. Because she was arrested for breaking the law, blacks spontaneously protested her unfair treatment by refusing to take the city buses. The true history is that this was not the first time that Mrs. Parks deliberately broke the law regarding bus segregation. Also, she was not some random person who decided to challenge the system. She was very active in the civil rights movement. For years civil rights leaders were looking for the ideal case to challenge segregation. Mrs. Parks was the perfect person for this cause - she was strong willed and idealistic. They knew she could handle herself when death threats came her way.

Best of all: the video is FREE to schools and teachers!

Teaching with Music: U2's "Pride"

2007-01-15T09:46:00.000-07:00

"Early Morning, April 4..."

U2 lyricist and lead singer Bono might not be the most accurate historian, but he did write a good song about Martin Luther King. Dr. King was shot in the evening, not the morning, of April 4, 1968.

Here are the lyrics to Pride (In the Name of Love).

I am not sure if high school students still listen to U2, but it might be a good way to segue into a discussion about MLK and civil rights.

Video for MLK Day

2007-01-15T09:34:00.000-07:00

On this MLK Day, MSNBC has posted video of newsreports, speeches and interviews about, by and with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.. Although Dr. King was not the only important civil rights leader in American history, he is certainly the most celebrated. Have students discover why we celebrate Dr. King's legacy with a national holiday.

Photo Credit: MSN Slate: Today's Pictures

U.S. History for Kids

2007-01-13T20:45:00.000-07:00

U.S. history is brought alive for kids through stories, trivia and activities at America's Story. This site, which was created by the Library of Congress, is geared for the younger audience. However, as an adult, I found myself perusing the site for couple of hours. It's very entertaining and informative.

A Little Humor....

2007-01-11T14:53:00.000-07:00

Want to learn about the history of European / Native American relations in five minutes? Read this transcript from a radio play done by the Firesign Theatre titled Temporarily Humbolt County. It's really funny!

I especially like when the Spaniards start signing "God Bless Vespucciland". The joke is that America was named after Amerigo Vespucci. However, why would it have been named after his first name and not his last?

Enjoy!

National Geographic has great lesson plans

2007-01-10T14:44:00.000-07:00

You can find lesson plans everywhere, and often they are free! Check out the National Geographic Xpeditions website. It includes lesson plans, activities, maps and geographic standards for all grades, K-12. Where else could you find better geography lessons than in National Geographic?

Here's an example of a lesson plan that I liked: The United States at Night. In the lesson, students hypothesize how the United States might look like at night based settlement patterns and other factors.

A good teacher resource

2007-01-05T10:24:00.000-07:00

The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History includes a number of primary documents, exhibitions, and lesson plans that teachers can use in their classrooms.

Popular History Magazines

2007-01-05T09:58:00.000-07:00

Although I love to read scholarly journals, there a lot to be said about articles found in popular history maganizes. Although these articles tend not to include references, often many are still well researched and written.

Weider History Group publishes a number of history magazines. The company's website HistoryNet.Com includes many articles from its magazines.

Online American History Journal

2007-01-05T09:43:00.000-07:00

I found a great online American history journal called History Now. It is published quarterly on the web with each issue focusing on a specific topic. For instance, the December, 2006 issue is about nineteenth century technology. Each issue includes five or six short articles, links, and lesson plans. It appears to be a good resource for teachers, students, and anyone else who wants to learn a little about American history.

History of the Middle East in 90 seconds

2007-01-03T15:21:00.000-07:00

So, I take it that you don't like to spend a lot of time studying history and geography? Well, how about spending just 90 seconds learning about the Imperial History of the Middle East?

What a time saver!

History of Religion in 90 seconds

2007-01-03T15:09:00.000-07:00

In the past 5,000 years, five major religions have spread throughout the world by conversion and conquest. You can spend years studying this history, or you can take a 90 second tour of the History of Religion.

How much time do you have?

Slave populations prior to the Civil War

2007-01-03T14:57:00.000-07:00

Did the issue of slavery cause the Civil War? This is debatable. However, one can say that slavery was at least one of the important factors that lead to divisions between the North and the South.

How important was slavery in the United States before the war? One way we can understand this is to look at slave populations figures. Take a look at the 1860 U.S. Census.

Some facts:

* 8% of households in the United States owned slaves.

* 13% of the population were slaves.

* Two states had slave populations that were more than 50% of the general population: South Carolina (57%) and Mississippi (55%).

* Four slave states would stay in the union during the Civil War: Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland and Deleware.