Smithsonian Institution
Cold War
The Cold War was not necessarily always cold in temperature, but the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union sure was frigid! Scholars read various passages, view exhibition graphics, and observe an artifact from the...
ProCon
Voting Age
Should age matter when it comes to voting? Scholars read an article discussing the pros and cons of lowering the voting age to 16. They then consider both the advantages and disadvantages of having younger voters. After thinking about...
American Museum of Natural History
What's the Big Deal About Paleontology?
Paleontologists could be considered detectives of the past. A quick online lesson describes the science of paleontology and the importance of fossils. Young scientists read about how paleontologists analyze the features of fossils to...
Judicial Learning Center
Levels of the Federal Courts
The Supreme Court gets all the glory, but very few federal cases make it to the highest court. An interesting lesson explores the structure of the lower levels of the federal court system. In addition to outlining the organization of...
American Museum of Natural History
The Tree of Life
Groups of species can have more in common than meets the eye. An interactive cladogram shows some of the connections between important groups of species. Learners click on sections of the diagram to learn more about the connections or on...
Other
Reading Quest: Making Sense of Social Studies
Teaching students to read well in areas other than language arts requires teaching and reinforcing the kinds of reading strategies taught here. There are 27 strategies, ranging from brainstorming to word mapping. The site includes PDF...
University of South Florida
Educational Technology Clearinghouse: Lit2 Go
Find stories, novels, and poems from more than one hundred authors. Download select works as MP3 files or read or listen to them online. Available selections span a wide range of literature, from nursery rhymes to the philosophy of...
PBS
Pbs Teachers: Story Writing With Arthur
This series of 12 downloadable activities teach students some basics of story writing, using books or videos from the PBS "Arthur" series as a springboard. Activities include creating story maps, asking questions about characters and...
Other
Kidspiration: Reading and Writing
Use Kidspiration 2 to retell a story using both pictures and words. Make sure to click on highlighted words at bottom of the page to see some examples.
Other
Nabj: National Association of Black Journalists
From the largest media organization for people of color, this imaginative site is graphically clever with content to support it. Interesting reading for all journalists, as well as a great teaching tool for anyone interested in effective...
Other
Project Happy Child: Mind Mapping
This British web site gives a basic overview, answers questions about mindmapping, and offers suggestions on this topic. Several books are recommended. Explore the links for more information.