history websites for elementary students

Biographies

• Albert Einstein Albert Einstein
• Amelia Earhart Amelia Earhart
• Mummy Mystery: King Tut Mummy Mystery: King Tut
• Leonardo da Vinci Leonardo da Vinci
• Taking Flight With the Wright Brothers Taking Flight With the Wright Brothers
• Alexander Hamilton Alexander Hamilton

world history

• Inca civilization Inca civilization
• Aztec civilization Aztec civilization
• Ancient Egypt Ancient Egypt
• Ancient Rome Ancient Rome
• The discovery of King Tut’s tomb The discovery of King Tut’s tomb
• Rediscovering the lost "Endurance" Rediscovering the lost "Endurance"

History and Culture

What is hanukkah, building the face of a newly found ancestor, ancient autopsy, ng live: walking with giants: how the easter island moai moved, 2013 national geographic bee's final moments, “lost” language found, india.

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History for Kids

Want to learn more about history? Try here for practice history questions on historical events from the US Revolutionary War to Ancient Egypt.

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American History for Kids and Teachers

Our lesson plans & resources for teachers:.

American Revolution Unit

Civil War Letters - Primary Documents

Supreme Court Landmark Cases - Plessy v. Ferguson (lesson plan)

Progressive Party - La Follette Platform (lesson plan)

Great Depression - FDR's Fireside Chats (lesson plan)

Great Depression - Music of the Great Depression (lesson plan)

1930's - Life on the Farm (short stories)

WW1 lesson plans

WW2 Homefront (mini-unit)

Segregation - 1935, 1945, 1955

Symbols - Smokey Bear

Visit the 1962 Seattle World's Fair

Free Use Video Clips

American History Projects and Classroom Activities Ideas

American Government Project and Classroom Activities Ideas

History for kids

Welcome to History for Kids the free online history network. We hope you enjoy and have fun exploring our history. The website is packed with articles, worksheets and even a quiz on each section.

You will find cool games, videos, worksheets on many historical events that will help you understand those that have gone before us.

Learn about the ancient Egyptian civilization and what they did in their daily lives. Many things like metal work, paper making and amazing architecture all came from the Egyptians.

When where the Pyramids built check here

There is so much to learn about ancient Greece. This civilization was around almost 4000 years ago. You will learn about Daily Life and the amazing art and architecture that they are famous for. Greek mythology is also very interesting to read about and your have fun learning.

Rome was the greatest city in the ancient world. The Roman Empire stretched across Europe and they had vast armies to help conquer other cities and countries. Enjoy reading about this amazing time.

• Medieval Literature
• Medieval Architecture
• Medieval Daily Life
• The Crusades

World War 1

World War 1 (also called The Great War) started on July 28th 1914, you can read the article on the Causes of the War below which will give you a better understanding. War is never nice and a lot of people lost their lives in the battels

• World War One Timeline
• Battle of Jutland
• World War One Aircraft
• The Red Baron

World War 2

World War 2 started in September 1939 when Germany attacked Poland. The Axis powers were those countries that joined to attack Europe, Africa, the Mediterranean and the Pacific. The Allied Powers generally consisted of Great Britain, The Soviet Union, China and the United States.

• World War two Timeline
• Causes of World War 2
• D-Day the Invasion of Normandy
• Aircraft in World War Two

Middle Ages

The middle ages happened after the fall of the Roman Empire. We have put together some fun and interesting information that talks about daily life and great leaders like Joan of Arc. You’ll also find a nice range printable worksheets. Checkout our fun quiz also.

Enjoy our information on Asian History and lots more as we add information. You’ll find lots of pictures, art and worksheets to help with you’re homework and school projects.

Learn all about Ancient China, we cover the Chinese Daily Life and from what type of food they liked to games and music. Checkout the quiz and woeksheet for project and school work.

Our American History section covers many different topics like Native People, Religion, Declaration of Independence and much more. You’ll have fun learning about this wonderful topic. Once done try our quiz and worksheets.

• American History
• Bill of Rights
• U.S. Government
• Constitution

Mesopotamia

Mesopotamia is an area in south western Asia where the first human civilisation emerged. The people who lived in Mesopotamia were nomads.

• Great Cities of Mesopotamia
• Persian Wars
• Babylonian Empire
• Daily Life of Mesopotamia

Test your knowledge with our quiz section. We have it broken into different sections, all the answers can be found on the pages within the website and we hope you have fun learning all about history.

• Ancient Egyptian Quiz
• Ancient Rome Quiz
• American History Quiz

Checkout our printable PDF files all about history. Take your time and enjoy by downloading, we hope you enjoy these extra teaching resources that we have provided.

• American History Worksheets
• Chinese History Worksheets
• Ancient Egyptian Worksheets
• Ancient Greece Worksheets
• Ancient Egypt
• Ancient Rome
• Ancient Greece
• Asian Middle Ages

© 2024 History for Kids. All rights reserved.

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The History Cat’s US History

Written by a high school teacher in teen-speak, The History Cat presents US history topics in a more approachable way than textbooks. Sections cover colonial America through the Civil Rights era. Topics include:

• The Colonial Age
• Road to Revolution
• American Revolution
• Creating a Constitution
• Westward Expansion
• Trail of Tears
• Reconstruction
• Industrial Revolution
• Women Get the Vote
• Ellis Island
• World War I
• Roaring 20s
• The Great Depression
• World War II
• The Civil Rights Movement

The content is complete. But the author has other interactive elements planned but not yet available as of this writing. They will include critical thinking questions, document analysis, history detective, and quiz.

Jamestown Settlement & Yorktown Victory Center

Educational Adventures at Jamestown Settlement & Yorktown Victory Center give kids a window into what life was like for the Powhatan Indians and settlers in the Tidewater, Virginia area.  There are videos and podcasts on food, customs, traditions, economy, and the historic conflict with England that lead to the Revolution.

There are curriculum materials and activities for elementary age students, as well as information on field trips and programs available to homeschool students.

Tennessee History for Kids

TN History for Kids! has resources about Tennessee history and geography for K-12 students at every grade level.  You can find activities and information by grade level, or by topic.  Take a virtual tour of more than 40 historic sites from Burgess Falls to the Cumberland Gap, Hermitage Park and so much more.  Learn the history of each of TN’s 95 counties and several major cities.  View videos of historic re-enactments.  Learn about the famed sons and daughters of TN.  Find out how the state government is structured.  Take an interactive quiz based on Tennessee’s curriculum for state knowledge.

Mission US is a set of multimedia interactive games, designed for kids in grades 5-8, that immerses them in U.S. history at the time of the American Revolution and the Civil War.  Additional missions are planned for coming years.

• Mission 1 , “For Crown or Colony,” students role play as Nat Wheeler, a printer’s apprentice in 1770 Boston. They encounter both Patriots and Loyalists, and when rising tensions result in the Boston Massacre, they must choose sides.
• Mission 2 , “Flight to Freedom,” students play the role of Lucy, a 14-year-old slave in Kentucky. They must navigate her escape and journey  to Ohio.  In the process, they learn that life in the “free” North has its own dangers and difficulties. With the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, will Lucy ever truly be free?
• Misson 3  takes students to the northern plains to help the Northern Cheyenne tribe to track and hunt a buffalo herd.
• Mission 4  takes students on an immigrant’s journey in the Progressive era as she works to save the money to bring her family to America.
• Mission 5  takes students on a exploration of New Deal construction projects.

Each mission has about 10 timed questions, and opportunities to replay with different question sets.  Also available as an iPad app .

There is also a short quiz in game format to check students’ understanding of causes and events of these two periods.

Teachers, there are accompanying educator guides with additional activities and links to resources, including primary resources.

Teaching History

Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Teachinghistory.org is designed to help K-12 history teachers access resources and materials to improve U.S History education in the classroom.

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Best Kids Websites

Just reading about history in a textbook isn’t very exciting. Visiting a website that allows kids to read unique stories, play games, and interact with history in other ways can pique their interest in history and make it seem a lot more exciting.

The best history websites for kids found on Best Kids Websites help bring history to life. Kids will gain access to online museum exhibits, watch videos, and complete a selection of interactive activities. They’ll have fun learning about the people, places, and events that have helped shape the world.

History.com

This website for the History Channel features resources for learners of all ages.

Continue reading →

Mr. Nussbaum

Greg Nussbaum has developed this excellent site that covers a wide variety of topics including history. Continue reading →

The Library of Congress

The Library of Congress is the biggest library in the world, and it welcomes anyone to its website, including children, teens and adults. Books are not the only resource available through the library.

The Michael C. Carlos Museum of Emory University developed this fantastic site, which features animated illustrations and important facts about Egypt, Greece, Rome, Africa, the Ancient Americas and the Near East. Learn more about these cultures through puzzles and interactive games. Continue reading →

BBC: History for Kids

Explore a wide selection of historical games and activities through the BBC’s History for Kids. It will allow you to travel back in time and learn all about ancient, world and British history. Play games, take quizzes and view animations to help make history come alive. Continue reading →

At Home in the Heartland

This online exhibit from the Illinois State Museum in Springfield, IL is designed to teach children about life from the 1700s through the present. Continue reading →

Collapse – Annenberg Media Exhibits

Learn and explore four different ancient civilizations including the Mayas while visiting this fun, interactive site. Continue reading →

The Origins of Labor Day

This section of PBS Newshour, explains in depth the history and origins of how Labor Day came to be.

Ben’s Guide to U.S. Government for Kids

Ben’s Guide to U.S. Government for Kids is a superb website that teaches kids about U.S history and government. Continue reading →

America’s Story from America’s Library

This entertaining and fun website was created by the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. Continue reading →

With so many websites available for kids, it takes a long time to find which ones truly stand out from the pack. Kids may gravitate towards websites with exciting games and popular characters, but that doesn’t always make them the … Continue reading →

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Welcome to American History for Kids

From the first Thanksgiving to the first man on the moon, you’ve come to the right place to learn about American history. We cover the Pilgrims’ arrival, the Jamestown settlement, and the Revolutionary War and keep going through the Industrial Revolution, World War I and II and into modern American history.

But that’s not all. American history began long before Christopher Columbus set sail from Spain. Researchers believe the first Americans arrived in North America 12,000 to 18,000 years ago! And don’t forget the Vikings and other explorers.

History isn’t just about dates and facts. History is about stories – about real people and their dreams, challenges, successes, and conflicts. We’ve included biographies of interesting and influential people, as well as videos, photos, and other important documents. History is all around us.

We believe it’s vitally important to understand our country’s history and the values of liberty and democracy. We hope you enjoy learning...... Read More

Colonial Period

The revolutionary war.

• George Washington Lends a Hand
• Anne the Brave Rebel
• Daniel Boone

Early Explorers of Colonial America

• Jamestown, Virginia: Tobacco King

Can not find what you looking for? Search Here

Early america.

• Fremont Indians
• Beyond the Facts and Figures: The Rise of Civilization
• Early Expeditions to American
• The First European Explorers to America
• Christopher Columbus
• Before the Explorers: The First Americans

The Confederation Era

• The Reform of Religion
• Women’s Rights
• Early American Literature and Art
• The Industrial Revolution

• Benjamin Franklin
• John Hanco-ck
• Thomas Jefferson
• Paul Revere
• Paul Revere’s Ride by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Symbols & Monuments

• Prehistoric Rock Art of the Southwest
• Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House
• Great Smoky Mountains National Park
• Dinosaur National Monument
• Lake Powell
• Grand Canyon
• Chautauqua Institution and Movement
• The Breakers
• Sweet Grass Hills

World History Matters is a portal to world history websites developed by the Center for History and New Media

World History Commons

This is an open education resource with peer-reviewed content for world and global history teachers, scholars, and students. It combines content from most of the websites listed in World History Matters.

Visit the Site

Amboyna Conspiracy Trial

Examine a famous 17th-century conspiracy trial involving Japanese mercenaries, Dutch officials and English merchants. Designed for teachers and students interested in European empire, the place of Japan in global history, and the politics of torture and waterboarding.

Children and Youth in History

Explore the history of children and youth through primary sources, website reviews, teaching modules, and case studies.

Gulag: Many Days, Many Lives

An online exhibit that immerses viewers in the varied experiences of gulag prisoners.

Liberty, Equality, Fraternity: Exploring the French Revolution

This site offers a lively introduction to the French Revolution with an extraordinary archive of documentary evidence.

Maritime Asia

This site explores the fierce rivalry between the Dutch East India Company and the Zheng maritime network as they fought for control over key trades and sea routes.

Imaging the French Revolution

In essays, seven scholars analyze forty-two images of crowds and crowd violence in the French Revolution.

Making the History of 1989

Explore the fall of Communism in Eastern Europe through essays, primary sources, and case studies.

Women in World History

An online curriculum resource center designed to help high school and college teachers and students analyze online primary sources.

World History Sources

A resource center designed to help high school and college world history teachers and students locate, analyze, and learn from online primary sources and further their understanding of the complex nature of world history issues.

• Grades 6-12
• School Leaders

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55+ Best Social Studies Websites for the Classroom

Don’t you love it when other teachers do the research for us?

Social studies takes a look at the different branches of human society, and as we’ve navigated this global pandemic, we’ve watched a major moment in history unfold. Why not use this opportunity to push our kids and students to explore humanity? Whether you’re teaching online or in-person, this list of the best social studies websites will help you create lessons that are informative, fun, and interactive. We’ve categorized over 55 of the best social studies websites as follows:

Social Studies Lessons

• Virtual Museum Tours

Virtual Field Trips

• Games and Simulations

American Panorama

This historical atlas of the United States combines cutting-edge research with innovative interactive mapping techniques.

American Social History Project

This resource challenges traditional ways of learning about the past by exploring the diverse social and cultural histories of the United States. The site also offers professional development seminars for teachers.

Big History Project

Focused on high school students, the Big History Project is a joint effort between teachers, scholars, scientists, and their supporters to bring a multi-disciplinary approach to knowledge.

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Crash Course World History

This fantastic YouTube channel provides an engaging glimpse into some of the most notable events and developments in history. With sequences of videos on the World Wars, the history of science, U.S. History, and more, it’s a great first introduction or review.

Crash Course Kids

The creators of Crash Course have also created a second channel geared towards younger students. This biweekly show is meant for elementary school kids and covers topics ranging from Earth science to chemical reactions.

EdTechTeacher

Need a list of some great history websites? EdTechTeacher has done the hard work and compiled them all for you!

The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History

A nonprofit organization that has developed an array of programs for schools, teachers, and students that now operate in all fifty states, including a website that features more than 60,000 unique historical documents.

The Idea of America

At its heart, America is an idea. What keeps this idea vibrant? The Idea of America is a digital U.S. history program that presents our nation’s rich history through an original framework that views America as an enduring “Great Debate.”

Inquiry Journeys

A free inquiry-based distance learning curriculum created by inquirED. The 20-minute social studies lessons can be done at home and address questions like How can I capture where I am in time and place? , How can we communicate with others to share our thoughts and ideas? , and How can we celebrate our everyday heroes? . New inquiries are being released weekly.

Library of Congress

It’s hard to beat the National Library of Congress. It’s one of the best social studies websites and even features an entire portal just for teachers.

National Archives

Use the online tool to access countless primary source documents to enhance learning. Find lesson plans and more on the Educator Resources page.

Rozzy Learning

This colorful site contains lessons that meet national and state standards as well as STEM and College and Career Readiness goals. They’ve even got lessons on coronaviruses!

Smithsonian’s History Explorer

Developed by the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian’s History Explorer is designed for K-12 teachers and students and offers hundreds of free, innovative online resources for teaching and learning American history.

Stanford History Education Group

The Reading Like a Historian curriculum promotes historical inquiry while engaging students. The lessons are designed to explore a central historical question and include a set of primary documents for students of various reading skills.

Studies Weekly Online

It’s easy to see why we’ve included this on our list of the best social studies websites. Studies Weekly Online allows you to create a customized, standards-based curriculum for social studies and offers a free trial.

TCI offers the full package! You’ll find resources to help you better prepare, present, assign, grade, and teach—even through distance learning!

Teaching American History

The Ashbrook Center at Ashland University worked with the National Endowment for the Humanities to develop web-based lesson plans for U.S. history and American government teachers.

Teaching History

This site is designed to help K–12 history teachers access resources and materials to improve U.S. history education in the classroom and through distance learning.

Teaching Tolerance

Teaching Tolerance is dedicated to reducing prejudice, improving intergroup relations, and supporting equitable school experiences for our nation’s children. There is even a special module specifically designed for the racism surrounding the coronavirus pandemic.

Utah Education Network

This interactive site is designed for 3-6 grade students and includes lessons on geography, environment, U.S. history, and U.S. government.

Voices of Democracy

On this site, you will find scholarly articles offering critical analyses of significant speeches, curriculum units designed for undergraduate teachers and students, lesson plans for high school and middle school teachers, and a blog with brief commentaries on speeches and pedagogical issues.

World History Matters

A portal to world history websites including Women in World History, World History Sources, and more.

World History Project

This infinitely adaptable, free standards-aligned world history course for high school students connects to the past to the present, with an eye to the future.

Museum Tours

Art institute of chicago.

Enjoy virtual visits to the galleries, go behind the scenes, and engage with art from anywhere with our virtual events, videos, and themed audio tours.

Boston Children’s Museum

Explore three floors of the Boston Children’s Museum on this virtual tour which includes fun stops at the Explore-a-Saurus and Japanese House exhibits.

British Museum, London

Located in the heart of London, students can explore this iconic museum with exhibits dedicated to everything from Egyptian mummies to the Rosetta Stone and Egyptian mummies.

Detroit Institute of Arts

Explore the “ At Home With DIA ” museum experience at the Detroit Institute of Arts that offers virtual field trips, online exhibits, weekly film screenings, and more.

Guggenheim Museum, New York

This is definitely one of the best social studies websites around! Use Google’s Street View feature to tour the world-famous Guggenheim museum, including works of art and the breathtaking spiral staircase.

J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles

The Street View tour of this California museum gives students access to European artworks that date back as far as the 8th Century.

Musée d’Orsay, Paris

Travel to Paris might be out of the question right now, but students can virtually walk through this gallery which includes works from Monet, Cézanne, Gauguin, and more.

National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

Scope out two incredible online exhibits through Google: one dedicated to American fashion and another featuring a collection of works from Dutch Baroque painter Johannes Vermeer.

National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico City

Dig into the archaeology and history of Mexico’s pre-Hispanic heritage with a virtual tour of 23 exhibit rooms , including artifacts from the Mayan civilization.

National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul

South Korea might be on the other side of the Pacific, but you can still visit one of the country’s most popular museums through this extensive virtual tour of Contemporary art  from Korea and more.

Pergamon Museum, Berlin

This historical museum in Germany provides a virtual glimpse of ancient artifacts, including the Ishtar Gate of Babylon and the Pergamon Altar.

Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

Explore the masterworks from the Dutch Golden Age, including works from Vermeer and Rembrandt. Google offers a Street View tour of this iconic museum, so you can feel as if you’re actually wandering its halls.

Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam

Vincent Van Gogh is one of the most iconic painters of all time, and this virtual tour allows visitors to marvel at the largest collection of his artwork.

Discovery Education Virtual Field Trips

Go beyond the classroom walls and explore some of the world’s most iconic destinations—no permission slips required.

Elkhorn Slough

Explore a variety of remote learning opportunities for students, including virtual field trips (Elkhorn Slough) , science challenges , walkabouts , and more. The site also offers a teacher resource library .

The Great Lakes

Embark on a virtual field trip that covers three main components: coastal wetlands, algae, and lake sturgeon. The videos are short and targeted at middle schoolers.

The Great Wall of China

Even through a virtual tour on a tiny screen, students will be dazzled by the magnificence and wonder of this thousands-year-old fortification system.

Metropolitan Museum of Art

There’s so much to see at this iconic New York museum—even on a virtual tour. From couture ball gowns to a history of music, students will be captivated by the 26 online galleries.

Nature Works Everywhere

These wonderful virtual field trips allow students to explore a coastal rain forest or the coral reefs in the Dominican Republic, and so much more.

San Diego Zoo

Check out the fantastic behind-the-scenes videos and stories. Then, be sure to check out the great list of activities and downloadables.

Seattle Aquarium

The Seattle Aquarium hosts a 30-minute virtual field trip. Students can learn about the animals and the food web that can be found in the Puget Sound waters.

This incredibly cool and responsive website allows students to explore more than 60,000 stars, watch sunrises, search for planets, and more!

The Smithsonian

These self-guided virtual tours give students an up-close look at permanent, current, and past exhibits.

U.S. Census Bureau

This site details the Census Bureau’s plans used to engage, educate, and ultimately count an increasingly diverse and growing population.

Perfect for K-8 social studies students, this site includes curriculum content, online learning videos, and quizzes along with a list of the corresponding national and state Standards.

Yellowstone National Park

The best way to experience Yellowstone is to visit. The second best way is to explore the cool interactive maps and, of course, the live stream of the Old Faithful Geyser eruptions.

Social Studies Games and Simulations

Classroom law project.

Dive into engaging civics and law-related education programs. Students of all grade levels can learn more about the values and skills essential to being a responsible citizen.

Kids Discover Online

Choose articles based on reading level, so you can use these articles for various ages and skillsets. Schools and districts closed due to the outbreak can request free unlimited access to Kids Discover Online.

Hippocampus

This free, core academic website delivers videos, animations, and simulations for middle-school and high-school students.

Horrible Histories BBC

This pick for best social studies websites allows students to “watch episodes, play games, and sing along to your favorite Horrible Histories songs!”

iCivics provides tools to help students learn about civic life. Teachers and students can access printable lesson plans, interactive digital tools, and award-winning games.

National Constitution Center

Established by Congress, this interactive website provides free online resources for remote students of all ages who are learning more about the Constitution.

Want more online resource suggestions? Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter so you can get our latest picks.

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Find top notch history web resources, as well as advice on using technology for teaching.

Best of History Websites

Designed for history educators and students, this useful portal provides access to more than 700 of the best history resources online. Sites are organized into 10 categories—Prehistory, Ancient/Biblical, Medieval, U.S History, Early Modern European, 20th Century, World War II, Art History, General Resources, and Maps. Many of the five-star Pre-history, Ancient, and Medieval sites are hosted by Smithsonian Institution, PBS, and the Internet History Sourcebooks; and the Library of Congress is the creator of a wide-range of top-rated sites for U.S. history. The 20th-century and World War II sections are voluminous, the latter presenting 42 sites. There are three special categories: Lesson Plans/Activities, Multimedia, and Research. "Multimedia" includes 18 map sites, including the Rumsey collection with more than 8,000 maps. Instructors will find the section on "Teaching with Technology" especially informative. It offers articles and advice about integrating computers into lessons and links to dozens of useful resources on teaching with technology. Visitors can sign up to receive monthly email updates.

Top World History Resources for the Classroom

By The TFA Editorial Team

January 11, 2017

Whether you’re looking to kick your lesson planning into high gear or just need a few extra fun factoids and anecdotes to cap off your world history curriculum this school year, TeacherPop has a few suggestions to make the history of the world even more interesting for your students. Check out these top world history resources to keep your students at the edge of their seats!

SHEG’s World History Lessons

From Stanford History Education Group, these  world history lessons  are a great resource for students and teachers to use to learn and create engaging curriculum surrounding the history of the world. From the pyramids of Egypt to China’s Cultural Revolution, teachers can access detailed lesson plans on any number of interesting historical topics from all over the world. The fine folks at SHEG already have nearly 40 world history lessons available, and even more are on the way.

Children & Youth in History

There’s no better way to teach the history of the world to your students than from the perspective of children their own age.  Children & Youth in History  provides teachers the opportunity to scour primary sources about youth in history and even offers a  handy guide  for students on how to get started accessing the vast array of resources that have been collected.

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

The  online exhibitions  housed on the website of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum are a valuable resource for teaching students about the Holocaust. Teachers can create lessons around important topics like  anti-Semitism  and what  Jewish life  was like in Europe prior to the Holocaust. There are also a number of  online activities  and research projects students can participate in by accessing the museum’s collection of resources.

KidsPast.com

KidsPast.com  offers students and teachers the opportunity to “take a blast through the past” with a number of interactive games and online activities that make learning about history fun and engaging. And whether you’re creating a history lesson on prehistoric humans or the French Revolution, you’ll find KidsPast.com’s free online textbook to be an important tool.

History Channel

Looking to complement your history lessons with  video clips and audio  from celebrated speeches and interviews of the 20 th  and 21 st  centuries? The History Channel features a great collection of audio clips from some of the most famous recorded moments of recent history.

Teaching History

TeachingHistory.org  is perfect for students and teachers interested in learning how to think like historians. This site features plenty of lesson plan guides and other teaching materials to help teachers shape their world history curriculum into one that’s fun and engaging for both teacher and student. Be sure to check out their  website reviews  section for even more valuable resources for teaching your children about the history of the world.

PBS LearningMedia Crash Course

PBS offers the best in digital education with its  Crash Course  series on world history. Students can watch engaging and imaginative videos ranging in topics from the dawn of human civilization to the fall of the Roman Empire.

National Geographic

This famed magazine hosts a  wide array of articles on its website covering almost every imaginable facet of world history from the fall of the Soviet Union to the face of a 9,500-year-old-man. Take some time to browse its collection of engaging stories and features for great material to round out your world history lesson planning.

Do you have a favorite world history resource you utilize in your classroom? Share your suggestions on Facebook and Twitter and let us know. 

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Oral History Offers a Model for How Schools Can Introduce Students to Complex Topics

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As historian David McCullough said, history is the study of who we are and why we are the way we are.

That’s why teachers in the Memphis-Shelby County public schools, as racially isolated now as they were when the U.S. Supreme Court outlawed school segregation, have launched a curriculum to introduce their students to the 13 children who helped integrate these Tennessee city schools in 1961.

Memphis-Shelby County teachers, researchers from the University of Memphis, and the local Memphis 13 Foundation worked with seven of the 10 surviving members of the Memphis 13—a group of Black 1st graders who peacefully enrolled in four all-white schools at the height of the civil rights era—to develop teacher training, lesson plans, and oral history activities for elementary students.

“Just going home and talking to grandparents or talking to the elders in their community was never going to be enough,” said Anna Falkner, an assistant professor at the University of Memphis and a co-developer of the curriculum, “because it wouldn’t provide [students] with the context that they needed in order to understand what happened and understand the ongoing effects of, for example, the way segregation looks today.”

The Memphis 13 project offers a model for how schools can introduce complex subjects to students, even in early grades, while also giving them opportunities to investigate social studies in their communities

“Really consider the context,” Falkner said. “What are the specifics that can help students understand their Southern context or the context wherever they are and what that means in relation to the larger experience. It’s not just focusing on that national narrative, not just sharing Brown v. Board , but really thinking about, what did this look like in my backyard? What did it look like for my family members or my community members?”

For example, teachers met with surviving members of the Memphis 13 to identify projects for students in 2nd and 5th grades, when Tennessee social studies standards cover civil rights issues. Sheila Malone, one of the students who first integrated into the district’s Bruce Elementary as a 1st grader, suggested that 5th graders record the experiences of others who had attended the district schools during desegregation.

“[Malone] wanted the students to go back home and share the story and have intergenerational conversations about the history of our schools,” said Gina Tillis, the director of curriculum and instruction for the Memphis 13 Foundation, who co-developed the Memphis curriculum. “One of the things that I’ve noticed with the members of Memphis 13 is, as they’re sharing their stories, they’re unpacking memories that have been silenced. … This is a really powerful space for students to reflect on their education, their parents’ and their elders’ education, and what we’re doing collectively to create a more inclusive and equitable school system.”

Second graders, for example, watch documentaries and review news accounts about the school desegregation decisions in Memphis and other cities, identifying ways children their age participated. In 5th grade , students review collected oral history interviews and collect their own, as well as analyze modern policies related to school integration. Tillis said the project plans to expand the curriculum to 8th and 11th grades in the future.

Building school integration history projects

Emerging technology has made it easier for educators to engage their students in active historical research, according to the Center for Public History and Digital Humanities at Cleveland State University in Ohio. The center, for example, has developed apps to help students record interviews and archive historical documents.

Efforts like those of the Memphis 13 helped integrate public schools in the decades following the landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education . However, these trends began to reverse in the 1990s and have worsened to this day, even as the overall public school population has grown more diverse. Studies find schools serving high populations of students of color continue to have on average fewer educational opportunities —including challenging courses, experienced teachers, and other resources—compared with schools serving mostly white students.

While the Memphis 13 are well known, Tillis stressed that schools can use community history to engage students regardless of where they are. “Everyone has a school desegregation story. Every district, every person ... and every district story is unique,” she said. “It’s, I think, one of the most powerful stories to share because it offers you this platform to really deconstruct what’s going on in our schools.”

Researchers recommended that schools interested in developing similar projects:

• Work with local historians and groups to identify social studies topics and events that had strong effects on the local community. This can include school district librarians or archivists, for example.
• Provide teachers with training in both the historical context and strategies and tools for documenting community history.
• Focus on topics that encourage students to make connections between history and current issues in their community.

“One of the lessons that we’re hoping to share with other school districts is just the power of listening to your community members who are historians, even if they don’t work for the local archive: the neighbor down the street who kept all the newspapers, the person who knew everybody in the neighborhood,” Falkner said. “Finding those community members and making a meaningful way for them to participate in the curriculum development is the most important piece.”

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American battlefield trust crests 50,000 students sent on class trips to historic sites across the nation.

History Field Trip Grant Program's milestone trip saw 115 Virginia 6th graders immersed in the past at Pamplin Historical Park and National Museum of the Civil War Soldier 

WASHINGTON , April 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- When Erin Gilbert and her colleagues at White Oaks Elementary School in Fairfax County, Va., set a syllabus and planned their year, they were excited by the prospective return of a once-beloved sixth-grade field trip sidelined since COVID. Their application to American Battlefield Trust's History Field Trip Grant Program , which helps fund student trips to historic sites, pushed that initiative past a remarkable milestone: 50,000 children served.

"We save hallowed ground so that this and future generations can use it to learn essential lessons of American history at the places where it unfolded," said Trust President David Duncan . "It makes a lifelong impression when school kids can visit historic sites in person, have an immersive experience and walk away with a deeper understanding of the past and how it remains relevant."

The History Field Trip Grant Program was conceived in 2014 and has grown steadily, underwritten by donations from Trust members, with just under 800 trips now funded. In total, it has sent school children to 205 historic sites in 43 states; more than 60 percent of impacted classrooms across 37 states and the District of Columbia are in Title 1 schools.

"There really is nothing like having the chance to be transported into the past by exploring a historic site or living history opportunity," said Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA), co-chair of the Congressional Battlefields Caucus, whose Northern Virginia district includes White Oaks Elementary. "The Trust's work to make that experience accessible to all American school children is commendable and I'm thrilled that history-loving students from the 11th District were the ones that pushed this worthwhile program over its impressive milestone."

Gilbert, chaperones and about 115 sixth graders boarded buses early April 18 for the trip to Petersburg, Va. , where they explored the 424-acre Pamplin Historical Park . The students were able to soak in the full measure of the park's fascinating heritage. They felt and heard the experience of battle in the park's award-winning National Museum of the Civil War Soldier. They walked in the footsteps of the soldiers and saw the actual entrenchments they built during the Siege of Petersburg.

"We were thrilled to go back to Pamplin Park, a site that is always a huge hit with students because they get a powerful sense of connection with what ordinary people in the past went through," said Gilbert. "The Trust's History Field Trip Grant Program helped make our journey more affordable and can help put memorable trips within reach for other schools too."

The History Field Trip Grant Program allows K-12 educators to apply for up to $3,000 to offset the cost of day-trip field trips to battlefields, museums and other historic sites in alignment with the Trust's mission. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and funds are dispersed after receiving the required forms and receipts. Full details and application materials are available at www.battlefields.org/fieldtrips .

The American Battlefield Trust is dedicated to preserving America's hallowed battlegrounds and educating the public about what happened there and why it matters today. The nonprofit, nonpartisan organization has protected more than 58,000 acres associated with the Revolutionary War, War of 1812 and Civil War across 155 sites in 25 states. Learn more at  www.battlefields.org .

View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/american-battlefield-trust-crests-50-000-students-sent-on-class-trips-to-historic-sites-across-the-nation-302123687.html

SOURCE American Battlefield Trust