Posts Tagged ‘American history’

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American History Videos, Games, & Timelines!

April 11th, 2013

Hi!  It’s Thursday, April 11, 2013 and time for Social Sciences at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:

Have Fun with History  

Age Range: 9 and up (with parental supervision; younger children may enjoy aspects of the site)

This ad-supported website provides free streaming videos, interactive games and activities, history timelines, and links to many other resources to bring history alive “for students, educators and all lovers of American History.”

When you get to the website you’ll see an icon menu and some features and highlights. Use the icon menu to access:

*History Videos - Watch video recordings by news reporters and eye-witnesses, as well as animations, documentaries, and films of people and events that shaped American history. Selections range from the 1895 Edison experimental talking movie to educational films from the 1950s.  You’ll also find  history-themed television dramas, modern well-made documentaries, and even Hollywood movies.

*History Activities – Enjoy fun interactive games that teach about history while they entertain. Some games are hosted on the site, and some games are hosted on other websites. Tpics include:

  • The Boston Tea Party
  • Presidential Turkeys
  • Jamestown Online Adventure
  • Animated Atlas
  • Lewis & Clark Expedition Game

*History Topics Timeline – Explore an interactive timeline covering topics such as:

  • Native American
  • African American
  •  Colonial American
  • Revolutionary War
  • Civil War
  • Frontier/Pioneers
  • Railroads/Trains
  • World War I
  • Great Depression
  • World War II
  • Science & Inventions
  • Space Race
  • And many more!

This is a great resource for supplementing any study of history, or exploring your interest in various historical eras.

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Happy Birthday Booker T. Washington!

April 4th, 2013

Hi! It’s Thursday, April 4, 2013 and time for Social Sciences at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:

National Park Service: Booker T. Washington

Age Range: 9 and up (approximately, with parental supervision)

Booker T. Washington, who rose from slavery to become the founder of Tuskegee Institute for African-American students in Alabama, was born on April 4, 1856. At this website, the National Park Service presents a free, online slide show of Booker T. Washington’s life and the impact he made on American history. You can even print out a text version (see link on first page at site) to read offline.

When you get to the site, you’ll see an introduction. Simply click on the “Next” buttons to follow this remarkable presentation that includes historical information, photographs, and memorable quotations. You’ll learn about Washington’s roots in slavery, his personal life, how he built Tuskegee university, his influence as a speaker, and how he became a major political force.

If this presentation piques your student’s interest, you may enjoy the online biography with free printable word search, crossword puzzle, study sheet, worksheet and coloring page about Booker T. Washington HERE.

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Free U.S. History: Pilgrims, Mayflower, & 1st Thanksgiving!

November 15th, 2012

Hi! It’s Thursday, November 15, 2012 and time for Social Sciences at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:

U.S. History

Age Range: 9 and up (approximately, with parental supervision)

ClickScholar Nisa suggested this ad-supported website, sponsored by the non-profit Independence Hall Association whose mission is to educate the public about the Revolutionary and Colonial eras of American history. At the site, you’ll find a free virtual textbook of American history from Pre-Columbian to the New Millennium, including an entire section on “The New England Colonies” that includes:

  • The Mayflower and Plymouth Colony
  • William Bradford and the First Thanksgiving
  • Massachusetts Bay — “The City Upon a Hill”
  • Puritan Life
  • And more!

When you get to the site you’ll see a Table of Contents of all 60 chapters. Click on a topic of interest and a new page opens where you can read the articles and see pictures and illustrations. Use the “Next” button near the top of each page to read each entry in this virtual textbook.

Look in the left margin to see comments provided by visitors to the website, who often provide additional resources and links to reference materials.

Note: Because this site contains randomly generated ads and allows comments by visitors, parents (as always) should preview the site and supervise all Internet activity.

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Free Native American History Video & Lessons!

November 8th, 2012

Hi! It’s Thursday, November 8, 2012 and time for Social Sciences at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Websites:

See Below

Age Range: Varies

National Geographic Kids: Native Americans

Students ages 8 and up may enjoy this 3-minute video that provides a very brief introduction and overview of Native American history in the United States and Canada.

Ducksters: Native Americans

This ad-supported website provides a brief history of Native Americans (designed for kids) that covers topics such as:

  • Tribes and Regions (with more specific info about the Apache, Cherokee, Iroquois, Navajo, and Sioux Nations.
  • Agriculture and Food
  • American Indian Homes: The Teepee, Longhouse, and Pueblo
  • Famous Native Americans

You’ll also find quizzes and links to further resources.

Discovery Education: Native American History

Students in grades 9-12 can follow a lesson plan about breaking stereotypes about Native Americans, using an article written by the Nez Perce tribe leader, Chief Joseph.

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Free Native American Audio Stories & More

November 7th, 2012

Hi! It’s Wednesday, November 7, 2012 and time for Language Arts at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Websites:

See Below

Age Range: Varies

It’s November and in the U.S. learning activities are often themed around the contributions of Native Americans to American history. Here are some language arts activities inspired by the same:

Free Audio: American Indian Fairy Tales

Listen to “American Indian Fairy Tales” for free courtesy of LibriVox. As explained at the website, “Native Americans living in the Lake Superior region passed their cultural identity down through the generations by way of stories. Far more than mere tales to amuse children, they passed along the collective wisdom of the tribes. In the 1830s, government Indian Agent and ethnologist Henry R. Schoolcraft learned the language of these people and went out to collect and preserve their stories before the tribes disappeared under the westward rush of American civilization. Though these stories were recast as children’s fairy tales in the 1920s, they contain much of the old wisdom of a culture which has largely disappeared.” You can listen online or download mp3 files and listen offline or on the go!

Printable Native American Stories

Enjoy printing and reading legends told by tribal storytellers that explain nature and life.

Native American Tribes Wordsearch

Here’s a fun language arts activity to reinforce your knowledge of various Native American tribes.

Write a Rebus Story with Sign Language

Use this free printable to discover the meaning of some Native American symbols, and write a rebus story.

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Native American Science Lessons & Activities

November 6th, 2012

Hi! It’s Tuesday, November 6, 2012 and time for Science at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Websites: See Below

Age Range: Varies

It’s November and in the U.S. learning activities are often themed around the contributions of Native Americans to American history. Here are some science lessons and activities inspired by the same:

ThinkQuest: Native Americans in Science

At this website you’ll find a simple and very brief overview of the ways Native Americans have contributed to Astronomy, Geology, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics that is suitable for all ages/grades. Be sure to click on the image of the “Back Button” to find find similar lists of Native American contributions to Medicine, Invention, Art, the Military, and more.

After reading the above overview, try this activity:

Lesson: Can-Do Canoe

This free classroom lesson and activity (for ages 8-17 or grades 3-12) can be tweaked for homeschoolers. As explained at the website, “Explore the engineering design process by building model canoes from everyday materials and testing their design. The canoes must be able to float for three minutes and, for older students, support a load.” Students then evaluate the effectiveness of their canoes and discuss their findings.

And for those who are looking for content for more advanced learners…

Native American Science

This website, sponsored by the National Science Foundation and several universities, provides a free university-level curriculum (that high school students and accelerated learners may also enjoy) that shows how Indigenous traditions are based on a solid understanding and description of natural phenomena. Topics include: Native and Western Views of Nature, Indigenous Research Methods, Environmental Justice, Indigenous Perspective, and more.

As explained at the website, “Our goal is to avoid romantic cliches and characterizations of Indian people and their traditional knowledge and to present this knowledge as well documented but different in approach from ‘Western science.’ These traditions are based on connection to the natural world, rather than separation from nature–in other words we are working with a science based on relationships, reciprocity and respect rather than solely on exploitation and economic concerns.”

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