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Social Studies Resources

6th Grade Country Project Links:

CultureGrams -- Explore your way to a specific country by clicking on the map in World Edition. Get a feel for what the country is like -- land/climate, history, government, current leader, economy, culture, recipes, customs, famous people, videos, interviews, infographics, comparison graphs/tables, & more! Username is arthursms and password is trenton

Britannica School -- Search for encyclopedia article on individual country; additionally, to the left of the article click on "Web's Best Sites" to go directly to that country within websites such as CIA World Fact Book, National Geographic, etc. If you don't know which country to search yet, explore Britannica by clicking on World Atlas and then clicking on the name of the country - then the "Summary" for that country will give you an opportunity to "Read Article" if you want to learn more about it.

Explora -- Browse within "Geography" to choose a major country that has its own topic page, OR type the name of any other country you are looking for in the search box.

CIA World Factbook -- Provides info on the history, people, government, economy, geography, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues for 267 world entities. The Reference tab includes flags of the world and regional, political, physical, time-zone, and ocean maps. Once you are in a field (section) under a specific country, click on the little square button on the right side of that section - this Field Listing button will display that particular information for all the countries in alphabetical order. This is an interesting way to compare countries. At that point, either go back to the country you started from or click on any other country's name to go to a different entry.

NationsOnline.org -- Links to countries and nations of the world, including official country websites, newspapers, tourism information, etc.  Interesting information also organized by tabs across the top - continents, countries, cities, landmarks, languages, maps, and international codes.

PopulationPyramid.net -- Population pyramids of the world from 1950 through 2100 allow you to visualize the data. Once you choose the country, you can go up or down by 1 or 5 years at a time and watch the graph change shape.

IfItWereMyHome.com -- Click on any country to compare what life would be like if you were born there instead of the US - compares economy, health, environment, and quality of life. 

NationalGeographic.com and WorldAtlas.com -- More maps

8th Grade Revolutionary War Links:

DATABASES:

***Britannica School (search within this MeL encyclopedia; can change reading level to "1" to get just the basics, can click on tabs for images/videos and related articles, primary sources, & websites )

***Explora (search within this MeL database; Topic Overview article is at top of results list; can limit search to just eBooks, primary sources, etc.; can also limit according to Lexile range of desired material)

***History Reference Center (search within this MeL database; browse subject by clicking on "U.S. History" --> "The Road to the American Revolution, 1770-1783" --> "American Revolution" or one of the other 15 subjects listed; can then limit search to just reference books, etc.)

WEBSITES:

1. American Battlefield Trust: Revolutionary War -- Overview, FAQ, Timeline (click "Learn" or use search feature in center of page to find resources by type: battles, maps, videos, primary sources... and then narrow results by selecting which war you want to search)

2. Library of Congress: America's Story from America's Library (jump back in time and take a trip to an era in American history with this site specially designed for young people)

3. Library of Congress: U.S. History Primary Source Timeline (essays for teachers/students on different aspects of the American Revolution and related primary source materials)

4. National Park Service (learn about key events - many of the places have links to historical parks)

5. National Park Service Museum Collections (American Revolutionary War archival exhibits showcased from 4 historical parks)

6. National Archives: Images of the American Revolution (illustrates important factors that led to the eventual success of the American colonies as they revolted against British rule)

7. The History Place (link to a six-part chronological history of the American Revolution)

8. PBS: Liberty! The American Revolution (online companion to the documentary series)

9. Khan Academy: The American Revolution, 1775 (find out what the American Revolution was about in this 7:27 min video)

10. U of M Clements Library: Spy Letters of the American Revolution (interesting primary sources)

11. PBS: Africans in America, Revolution Era, 1750-1805 (online companion to the documentary series)

12. BBC: "Was The American Revolution Inevitable?" article (written by American History lecturer at the University of Edinburgh)

13. Colonial Williamsburg Foundation: The American Revolution (start with "War and Upheaval 1776-1783" from the 4 periods at the top and then start exploring this informative site) 

14. Massachusetts Historical Society: The Battle of Bunker Hill, June 17, 1775 (personal accounts & eyewitness descriptions)

15. Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum, December 16, 1773 - A Revolutionary Experience (created for visitors to Boston, but also gives good background info on the American Revolution)

16. UShistory.org (use search feature at top of page or use free online textbook and click on area of interest)

17. British Library (national library of the United Kingdom): The American Revolution (articles and collection items)

18. U of Groningen in the Netherlands: American History (primary source documents from 1776 - 1785)

8th Grade Reform Movements Project Links:

Possible Topics:

Education Reform - Explain the origins of the American education system and Horace Mann’s campaign for free compulsory public education. ARTICLE

  • Horace Mann (head of the MA Board of Ed) ARTICLE, VIDEO

  • Prudence Crandall (school for African American girls) ARTICLE

  • Thomas Gallaudet (set up school for deaf) ARTICLE

  • Samuel Gridley Howe (founded first school for blind) ARTICLE

 

Second Great Awakening – Evaluate the role of religion in shaping antebellum life and reform movements. VIDEO

 

Hospital/Prison Reform* – describe the formation and development of the hospital and prison reform movements by considering the roles of key reformers. ARTICLE

  • Dorthea Dix (reform for mentally ill and prisons) ARTICLE, VIDEO

 

Temperance Movement – Analyze the goals and effects of the antebellum temperance movement. ARTICLE, ARTICLE, ARTICLE, VIDEO

                    Neal Dow - ARTICLE, ARTICLE

 

Antislavery/Abolitionist Movement – describe the formation and development of the abolitionist movement by considering the roles of key abolitionist leaders and the response of southerners and northerners to the abolitionist movement. ARTICLE

 

Women’s Rights – analyze the antebellum women’s rights (including suffrage) movement by discussing the goals of its leaders and comparing the Seneca Falls Resolution with the Declaration of Independence. ARTICLE

 

All reform movements summary – VIDEOLINK TO BOOKS AVAILABLE IN ARTHURS MEDIA CENTER

LINKS TO AMERICAN HISTORY WEBSITES AND GENERAL RESOURCES

BRITANNICA SCHOOL (ENCYCLOPEDIA)

EXPLORA (RESEARCH DATABASE FROM MEL.ORG)