For Teaching Early American History and the Foundations of American Government

Cool Web Resources

for teaching early American history and the foundations of American government

The Bill of Rights Institute www.billofrightsinstitute.org

·  Founders Online (http://www.billofrightsinstitute.org/Teach/Founders/default.asp)

o  “A Note on the Signers of the Declaration of Independence”

o  “Individual Founders” (more detailed information about 12 of the Founding Fathers)

o  Interactive Flash Games (summarize info about the issues facing Constitutional Convention, crossword puzzle, match quotes to founders)

·  Constitution Day (http://www.billofrightsinstitute.org/teach/freeresources/constitutionday/#new)

o  Activities for teaching a Constitution Day lesson

The Charters of Freedom http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/charters.html

·  Background information about the Declaration, Constitution, Bill of Rights, high resolution images, and the impact of the founding documents

History Now http://www.historynow.org/12_2008/index.html

·  History Now is a quarterly online journal published by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History

o  “Philadelphia and Constitutional Convention “Heat Up,’” an interactive lesson that introduces students to those present at the Constitutional Convention (http://www.historynow.org/03_2007/lp3.html)

Plimoth Plantation http://www.plimoth.org/

·  Online Learning Center has web-based investigative activity called “You are the Historian: Investigating the First Thanksgiving” (http://www.plimoth.org/education/olc/index_js2.html)

·  Plimoth for Kids has recipes, games, stories about colonial kids, colonial lingo (http://www.plimoth.org/kids/)

Colonial Williamsburg http://www.colonialwilliamsburg.com/

·  “Colonial Williamsburg” Journal is online and has articles for expanding background knowledge of this era (http://www.history.org/Foundation/journal/)

·  The “Teacher Gazette” E-Newsletter is geared towards you! Look at past issues or have it emailed to you monthly (http://www.history.org/history/teaching/enewsletter/enewsletter.cfm)

·  Colonial manners as transcribed by a young G. Washington (http://www.history.org/Almanack/life/manners/rules2.cfm)

·  Family life in Colonial America (English, Native American, African American families) http://www.history.org/Almanack/life/family/background.cfm)

·  Picture slideshows and information about colonial trades (http://www.history.org/Almanack/life/trades/tradehdr.cfm)

·  A variety of lessons plans on interesting topics, including one about 17th century modes of travel and one about the trial of Abigail Briggs, a Native American woman accused of murdering an enslaved African American man (http://www.colonialwilliamsburg.com/history/teaching/classroom_plans.cfm)

1704 Raid on Deerfield http://1704.deerfield.history.museum/home.do

·  English Colonial songs (http://1704.deerfield.history.museum/voices/eng_songs.do)

·  Creation and Deeptime Stories from three Native groups of the Northeast (http://1704.deerfield.history.museum/voices/stories.do)

·  Maps (especially the Deerfield/Pocumtuck Area map, which shows differences between Native and English settlement & land use patterns) (http://1704.deerfield.history.museum/maps/index.d

The Monticello Classroom http://classroom.monticello.org/

·  For Kids (http://classroom.monticello.org/kids/home/)

o  Fairly detailed resource information about Jefferson, Monticello, many family members, and enslaved workers, with pictures and written at the elementary level

·  For Teachers (http://classroom.monticello.org/teachers/home/)

o  Some ready-to-go lessons, including one that has students analyze a runaway slave ad published by Jefferson

“Liberty! The American Revolution” http://www.pbs.org/ktca/liberty/

·  PBS video series with interactive online resources, quiz game, lesson plans

Freedom: A History of Us http://www.pbs.org/wnet/historyofus/index.html

·  Has webisodes on ‘Independence,’ ‘Revolution,’ and ‘Liberty for All?’ (http://www.pbs.org/wnet/historyofus/menu.html)

o  Each webisode contains video segments, print information, transcripts of primary source documents referenced, historic images, quizzes, timelines, and teacher lessons

Smithsonian Museum of American History http://americanhistory.si.edu/

·  Using Rice Plantation Tools (http://americanhistory.si.edu/ourstoryinhistory/tryathome/pdf/slave_ricetools.pdf)

History Happens http://www.ushistory.com

·  Modern songs written to help teach history, including one about Abigail Adams and Rev. War hero Jack Jouett

Popular Songs in American History http://www.contemplator.com/america/

·  Songs & Lyrics with some background information