Smithsonian's History Explorer
Lessons, activities, artifacts, artfully presented by the Smithsonian
This site is jam-packed with lessons that are ready for you to teach. Everything is standards-based and labeled as such, which gives you more time to pick the most appropriate lessons for your students. Students can also explore the site on their own; it's an ideal source for research report material or an in-class presentation.
Continue readingSmithsonian's History Explorer is a website developed by the National Museum of American History that offers online resources for teaching and learning American history. There's no log-in or way to save data, but you can browse all that the site has to offer and use the content you find in the classroom. The home page includes a Featured Artifact, Featured Resources, and a rotating board of highlighted material. Search-wise, you can filter content by grade, resource type, historical era, and cross-curricular connection. Resource types span from Artifacts (selected from the Museum's more than 3 million items) to Lessons/Activities to Interactives/Media, and the 10 eras include Beginnings to 1620 and 1968 to the Present. Once you've chosen your filters, you'll receive a list of resources, such as All Aboard the Train, a lesson plan about American train travel. The standards it meets appear below a brief description; hit Get Resource, and the content is yours.
Continue readingIt's outstanding. Aside from its great search function and excellent selection of lessons and activities, the site is beautifully designed and a pleasure to browse. Kids can learn about particular areas of history, or they can get a broad overview of an era. Some artifacts are classics, like Dorothea Lange's iconic Depression-era photograph Migrant Mother, but kids can also take a look at the history behind lesser-known aspects of American culture, like the Hamons Court neon sign, an example of roadside culture in Oklahoma.
Continue readingOverall Rating
Teacher Reviews
(See all 1 reviews) (1 reviews) Write a review
Bedminster, NJ
I chose more than 15 minutes for set-up as this site is so full of resources! Whereas there are sections and resources designed for student interaction, teachers should preview the site to plan their students' use of its images, articles, and artifacts. In addition to a wonderful series of learning modules called OurStory which feature key moments and movements in American history, the site is now beta testing a 3D section (works best in Chrome) which allows students to view mammoth skeletons, Native American clothing, pottery, fossils, and more by moving all around the artifact.
Read full reviewExplore Our Favorite Tools
-
Great Apps and Websites for Mapmaking
A few student-friendly tools for creating and customizing maps.Grades 3 - 12Social Studies -
Tools for Exploring and Making Interactive Timelines
Great apps and websites for putting time into perspective.Grades Pre-K - 12Social Studies -
Civil Rights and Social Justice Resources for Classrooms
Resources to inspire the next generation of activists.Grades K - 12Social StudiesCommunication & Collaboration