Comprehensive Guides
A Biography of America 
This companion web site to the Annenberg/CPB series Biography of America, features separate sections for all 26 episodes with key event timelines, maps, an interactive feature, program transcripts, and web links. The site covers American history from New World encounter to the present day.
Intended Audience: High School, Adult Reading Level: High School Teacher Section: No Searchable: Yes
American Centuries ... View from New England
This site from Memorial Hall Museum in Deerfield, Massachusetts lets students explore American history using historic artifacts and documents form New England. The site includes lesson plans and activities, background essays for teachers and students, online exhibits, and lots more!
Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes
 American History:Revolution to Reconstruction & Beyond
This site from the Department of Humanities Computing, University of Groningen, The Netherlands contains a comprehensive hypertext on American history from the Revolution to present day based on publications from the United States Information Programs at the US Department of State. You will find essays, biographies, and primary documents.
Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle/High School Teacher Section: No Searchable: No
Ben's Guide to U.S. Government for Kids
Ben Franklin is your guide at this site that explores U.S. history, geography, civics, and citizenship from the U.S. Government Printing Office. With separate guides designed specifically for grades K-2; 3-5; 6-8; and 9-12, the site can be used by students of all ages. In additions to sections on our nation; how laws are made; the branches of government; the election process; and citizenship, you will also find interactive games and activities.
Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Varies Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: No
Life in the White House
Celebrating the West Wing's 100th anniversary, this online presentation from the White House provides a look at life and work in the White House from the people that live and work there. You can take a tour of the Press Room with Ari Fleisher; look at the Roosevelt Room with Andy Card; or take a tour of the Oval Office with President Bush. In addition you can take a panoramic tour of rooms in the White House with 360 degree movies; and learn about some of the art and furnishing in the White House with White House Curator William Allman.
Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Elementary Teacher Section: No Searchable: No
Time Capsule
How much was a loaf of bread the year you were born? How about a house or a car? What was the average wage? What were the top songs and movies? What stories led the news? Who shares your birthday? Just enter a date between 1800 and 2002 and find the answers to these and other question!
Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Elementary Teacher Section: No Searchable: No
White House for Kids
Take a tour of the White House with Flat Stanley, test your White House and American history knowledge with a quiz, find out about life in the White House, read about the Presidents and print out coloring sheets for them, or play some games.
Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: Elementary Teacher Section: No Searchable: No
American Currency Exhibit
Take a trip back to the past and tour the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco's American Currency Exhibit and learn how our country's history is closely tied with our money.
Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle/High School Teacher Section: No Searchable: Yes
H.I.P. Pocket Change
Travel back in time and learn about United States history at this site from the U.S. Mint. You can travel west with Lewis and Clark, join a group of women picketing the White House for the right to vote, travel the Underground Railroad, and build ships for World War II. When you get back from your time travels, play some games with a money theme, or try your hand at a United States WebQuest!
Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: Elementary Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: No
Desert USA
Bask in the desert sun at this site as you learn about desert animal and plant life, peoples, culture, geography, and geology.
Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Elementary/High School Teacher Section: No Searchable: Yes
National Register of Historic Places
Find places listed in the National Register in a searchable database, visit historic sites around the country with Travel Itineraries that highlight different geographic regions or important themes in American history. You can visit places where women made history, follow the Underground Railroad, visit key sites in the Civil Rights Movement, take a walk on the Shaker Historical Trail and more. Younger students can go onThe Great American Landmarks Adventure, where they can visit 42 American landmarks and print out coloring sheets.The site also includes over 100 lesson plans exploring history, art, geography, and civics.
Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes
Growth of a Nation
This ten minute movie depicts the geographic history of the United States from the beginning of the nation to fifty states. Geographic elements are interactive. Click on a state for a pop-up screen with more information about the state, place your cursor over a river to learn its name. Click on the timeline and a new page will open with key event for the period you selected.The faster your Internet speed the better!
Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: N/A Teacher Section: No Searchable: No
Black History Month
Discover the contributions of African American's to American history and culture at this site form InfoPlease. You'll find articles, profiles of prominent African Americans, timelines, and quizzes.
Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle/High School Teacher Section: No Searchable: No
African American World
PBS and NPR have joined forces to create a site that explores African American history and culture. Profiles of famous African Americans, audio files, quizzes, and essays help illustrate the African American experience. A special section for kids features games and additional resources.
Intended Audience: General/Students Reading Level: Varies Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: No
Within These Walls
This site from the Smithsonian Museum of American History tells the stories of five families who lived in a house in New Ipswich, Massachusetts over a 200- year period. Starting with Abraham Choate who built the house in the mid-1760s for his growing family, to Mary Scott and her family who lived in an apartment in the house during World War II, the site looks at the American story though the lives of the people who called the house home. Focus is placed on Life in Colonial New England, Life during the Revolutionary War, the fight against slavery, the immigrant experience, and life on the homefront during World War II.
Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle/High School Teacher Section: Yes, see the resources section Searchable: No
Devices of Wonder
Learn about some of the mechanical inventions, toys, and parlor games that were the predecessors of today's movie, robotic, optical, and computer technologies. From the Magic Painter Game to Magic Lantern Slides, this site takes you back in time to explore the sometimes surprising paths that led to today's technologies.
Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle/High School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: No
When They Were Young
A boy soldier in Tennessee, a girl raking leaves, Jewish children in Warsaw Poland, English children in a ditch during a German air raid, a boy playing with his shadow. This site from the Library of Congress tells the story of children from across cultures, socio-economic groups, and eras with images.
Intended Audience: General Reading Level: N/A Teacher Section: No Searchable: Yes
A Brush with History
What do Benjamin Franklin, Mark Twain, Tallulah Bankhead, and Michael Jackson have in common? They all are the subjects of portraits at the National Portrait Gallery. Tour this online exhibit and learn about these and other famous Americans and discover the background stories of the portraits and the artists who painted them.
Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School Teacher Section: No Searchable: No
Cultures
Animations, images, and essays illustrate cultures around the world from the Hopi and their Anasazi ancestors to the the Greek shrine of Dodona. Other stories include the Amistad slave ship rebellion; the Muwekma Ohlone and their Pacific Islander cousins; Angkor Wat in Cambodia; and Timbuktu, Great Zimbabwe and Afropop.
Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: No Searchable: No |
