Recommended Website:
Barb Wire Museum
Note on age range: Keep in mind that kids’ interests are different, as are their learning styles. There may be aspects of this site that appeal to all ages in one way or another.
History is one subject that has been traditionally taught through mind-numbing textbooks. You really don’t need them to learn about history. Everything in our environment has a history.
All you need to do is find out more about an item that piques your interest — and you will inevitably learn some history along the way. To prove the point, take a look at today’s website, The Barb Wire Museum. As explained at the website, it provides “the history of barbed wire, its artifacts, the significance of the invention, and the impact on the development of the Old West.”
When you get to the site you’ll see a welcome message and a menu bar above it. Put your cursor over “Barb Wire Collecting” to see a drop-down menu. Use it to learn about the history of barb wire and why it’s called “The Devil’s Rope,” how to make barb wire, view various illustrations of barb wire, and you can even see a collage of barbed wire images.
As I mentioned, learning about one obscure thing can springboard you to a history lesson that encompasses many topics. For example, barbed wire was instrumental in the development of the Old West. Click on “Western History” on the menu to learn how barbed wire was used in cattle management. From there, you can learn all about the history of cattle brands. Who knew?
If this sparks an interest in any topic about the Old West, then visit a site that has a directory of links to quality academic content about Westward Expansion.
You’ll find information on all kinds of people and events including:
- The Alamo
- Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show
- The Donner Party
- Lewis and Clark
- The California Gold Rush
- The Hatfield-McCoy Family Feud
- Mountain Men & the Fur Trade
- The Oregon Trail
- Pioneer Life in Ohio
- Doc Holliday
- Sakajawea
- The Santa Fe Trail
- The Spanish Missions of California
- The Transcontinental Railroad
- Brigham Young
- and much more!
You may want to bookmark this second site to return often. :)