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51 Great Online Resources for History Teachers

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[[File:Teacher.jpeg |thumbnail|left|300px250px]]We are currently building this page to help history and social studies teachers, instructors and professors find useful online resources. This project will probably never end because new sites are continuously created and old sites disappear. We have already blown past 51 great online resources. If any of the resources link to a dead page or you would like to suggest a useful site please send an email to [email protected].
'''DailyHistory.org Study Guides'''
DailyHistory.org has over 600 900 articles that cover a multitude of topics. Our study guides organize core groups of materials for specific eras, and you can look for other articles with our search function. In addition to articles, we also have book reviews and booklists. Additionally, we have the complete Federalist Papers.
<blockquote>
* [[The History of Things Guide|The History of Things]]
* [https://dailyhistory.org/Category:Book_Review Book Reviews]
* [https://dailyhistory.org/[Portal:Booklists| Booklists]]* [[The Federalist Papers| The Federalist Papers]]</blockquote>
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*[http://www.americanyawp.com/index.html The American Yawp]
''The American Yawp'' is a an outstanding free online textbook that is divided into two volumes. You can also get a paper copy of the book from the Stanford University Press for $24.95 for each volume. ''The American Yawp'' is a massive "Collaboration Open U.S. History Textbook." Essentially it is an open-source textbook. Historians essentially modeled the textbook on the open -source model that has been successfully used for numerous computer programs such as Linux, MediaWiki, Wordpress, and many more. In addition to the textbook, "The American Yawp" has a an excellent [http://www.americanyawp.com/reader.html Sourcebook] that can be used to expand on topics with primary source documents.  Besides being an excellent textbook, it is a great way to help reduce textbook costs for students because it can be accessed online for free. {{Mediawiki:TabletAd1}}----* [http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/ Digital History]
Besides being an excellent textbook, it "Digital History" is a great way to help reduce free textbook costs and sourcebook for students because it can be accessed online for freeUnited States History written and created by [https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/history/faculty/shm654 Steven Mintz] and [http://faculty.coe.uh.edu/smcneil/ Sara McNeil]. It's a great site that has a ton of content. Additionally, "Digital History" is supported by the University of Houston. Digital History also provides quizzes, interactive history modules, timelines, and teaching resource that include lesson plans and handouts. The site does use flash and some browsers will block some of the images.
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* [https://edsitement.neh.gov/ EDSITEment! - National Endowment for the Humanities]
EEDSITEmentEDSITEment! focuses on Lesson Plans and Study Activities. The Lesson Plans cover some topics and are exceptionally detailed. The plans even suggest how many class sessions should be used to teach the lesson. The lesson plan also breaks down how each day should be organized to get through all of the material. For example, take a look at [https://edsitement.neh.gov/lesson-plan/turning-tide-europe-1942-1944 Turning the Tide in Europe, 1941-1944]. It provides Background background for the lesson, preparation, lesson activities, assessment, lesson extensions, and a ton of resources. These are some of the best lesson plans you will find online.
The site also has a section on Student Activities. There are over 200 different student activities that can be used in classrooms. These student activities include texts, videos, and interactive maps.
EDSITEment! is easily one of the best resources for teachers and instructors.
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State Online History Encyclopedias and Archive Collections:
 
Many states have created online history websites through state historical organizations, state universities, university presses, and state humanities organizations. Some of the sites are fantastic and others are pretty underwhelming. Still, if you need your students to write about your state or a doing a state-based history project, it can be a good place to explore first. Additionally, some states have websites that can direct students to archives but most of these archives are not online. I am also concerned that some of the state resources for archives are not considered secure by google. While that is both concerning and embarrassing, it probably should not prevent students from using the websites.
 
If I am missing a state history Encyclopedia or history portal - please send me an email - [email protected] - so I can add it.
 
*[https://dp.la/ The DPLA: Digital Public Library of America] The DPLA includes a number of Primary Source Sets that allow teachers and students to explore specific topics. Additionally, the site may also be helpful if your state lacks a solid history site because it includes resources from all over the country.
*[http://encyclopediaofalabama.org/ Encyclopedia of Alabama]
*[https://www.akhistorycourse.org/ Alaska Humanities Forum Alaska History & Cultural Studies]
*[https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/ Encyclopedia of Arkansas]
*[https://oac.cdlib.org/ Online Archive of California] - This is only an archive - no articles. Most of the archives do not have any online resources available.
*[https://calisphere.org/ Calisphere - University of California] This site is a collection of California university archives and libraries.
*[https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/ Colorado Encyclopedia]
*[https://connecticuthistory.org/ ConnecticutHistory.org]
*[https://dchistory.org/ DC History Center] Includes a history blog focused on DC and links to archives.
*[https://fcit.usf.edu/florida/docs/docs.htm Floripedia: A Florida Encyclopedia]
*[https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/ New Georgia Encyclopedia]
*[https://www.kshs.org/kansapedia/kansapedia/19539 Kansapedia]
*[https://64parishes.org/encyclopedia 64 Parishes - Encyclopedia for Louisiana]
*[https://maineanencyclopedia.com/ Maine: An Encyclopedia]
*[https://www.mnopedia.org/ MNOpedia - Minnesota Encyclopedia]
*[https://mississippiencyclopedia.org/ The Mississippi Encyclopedia]
*[https://shsmo.org/missouri-encyclopedia Missouri Encyclopedia]
*[https://www.onlinenevada.org/ Online Nevada Encyclopedia]
*[https://nyheritage.org/?gclid=Cj0KCQiA0-6ABhDMARIsAFVdQv-WTfMPNTHcmnpGhrnFRQkiTK0a8cE08hzMMIhbtZ-euJRAM1pX3JgaAmnFEALw_wcB New York Heritage - Digital Collections]
*[https://www.ncpedia.org/ NCPedia]
*[https://ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Welcome_To_Ohio_History_Central Ohio Central History] - Content is pretty limited
*[https://www.okhistory.org/publications/encyclopediaonline The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture]
*[https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/ Oregon Encyclopedia]
*[https://www.scencyclopedia.org/sce/ South Carolina Encyclopedia]
*[https://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/ Tennessee Encyclopedia]
*[https://www.uen.org/utah_history_encyclopedia/ Utah History Encyclopedia]
*[https://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/ Encyclopedia Virginia]
*[https://www.historylink.org/ HistoryLink.org - Online Encyclopedia of Washington State]
*[https://www.wvencyclopedia.org/ The West Virginia Encyclopedia]
*[https://www.wyohistory.org/ WyoHistory.org]
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*[https://historyexplorer.si.edu/ Smithsonian's History Explorer]
The Smithsonian site includes teaching lessons, interactives, videos, museum artifacts, and other teacher resources. There is a remarkable amount of material to explore. The site also has an outstanding search function. The search function allows you to look for resources based on resources type (videos, artifacts, reference materials, etc.), grade, historical era, and cross-curricular connections (look for resources that touch on multiple subjects such as economics, science, etc.)
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[https://www.archives.gov/education The United States National Archives]
The National Archives has a ton of resources on US history that focuses on primary source documents. Additionally, the Archives has created syllabi on how to teach students how to analyze primary sources. The Archives also created the [https://www.docsteach.org/ DOCSTeach online tool] for teaching archives from the National Archives.
 
The Archives has produced material that is primarily intended for middle and high school students. Here is an example of one of their Lesson Plans: [https://www.archives.gov/legislative/resources/education/constitution Teaching Six Big Ideas in Constitution] It creates several day ways to help to teach these documents.
 
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*[http://www.loc.gov/teachers/ Library of Congress]
* [https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/ Chronicling America] - Library Of Congress
Chronicling America is a digitized resource from the Libary of Congress and the National Endowment for the Arts. Chronicling America has a massive database of newspapers from all around the country. It is an outstanding place for students to learn who how to use newspapers as a source for papers and history projects.
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*[https://sheg.stanford.edu/history-assessments The Stanford History Education Group]
The Stanford History Education group Group has created History Assessments of Thinking (HATS) that draw on the Library of Congress's digital resources. Here is a [https://sheg.stanford.edu/list-history-assessments-thinking list of the HATS] that Stanford has compiled. You can download the lesson plans from the site after you register (free) to the site. Typically, these HATS are critical writing assignments. The HATS use images or statements and to get students to write critically about the content. It is a fantastic way to add a writing assignment to cover materials that you have taught in class.
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*[https://www.gilderlehrman.org/ The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History]
Newseumed.org has a critical mission. It provides free resources "to cultivate the First Amendment and media literacy skills essential civic life." In the new social media world, students need to know how "to authenticate, analyze and evaluate information from a variety of sources." Over the past few years, it has become clear that Americans struggle to do this. Newseumed.org wants to help. To access Newseumed.org you do have to register with the site, but the materials are free.
Through its [https://newseumed.org/search/?type=artifact,debate,exhibit,debate_comparison,interactive,historical_event,lesson,map_page,quiz,poll,theme,timeline,video_page& EDTOOLS] feature, Newseum has numerous resources for history, government , and civics teachers. The two most useful tools are Critical Debates and Lesson Plans. Here an example of a Critical Debate entitled [https://newseumed.org/tools/critical-debate/system-fair Is the System Fair?] and a lesson plan called [http://Ihttps://newseumed.org/tools/lesson-plan/introduction-first-amendment-whats-violation Introduction to the First Amendment: What's a Violation?] ----* [https://reacting.barnard.edu/ Reacting to the Past] Reacting to the Past is a teaching technique that instead of relying on lectures and notes, relies on elaborate role-playing games based on classic texts that require students to play historical characters. Instead of observing a lecture, students are actively working within the confines the philosophical and intellectual beliefs of the historical figures they are portraying. Reacting to the Past requires students to explore the complicated historical situations that people lived through. As part of the game, students prepare speeches, write papers, and other public presentations to try and win the game.  Reacting to the Past was created by Mark C. Carnes at Barnard College in the 1990s. So far, it has been implemented at hundreds of colleges and universities across the United States. High schools have also started introducing Reacting to the Past in the classroom. [https://reacting.barnard.edu/curriculum/published-games 30+ Reacting games] have been published by W.W. Norton & Co., the University of North Carolina Press and the Reacting Consortium Press. In addition to the published games, there are over 100 games currently in development.  Unlike other sites on this list, Reacting to the Past requires preparation by teachers to implement it into the classroom successfully. Therefore, Reacting has numerous [https://reacting.barnard.edu/the-conferences conferences] to help teachers add it to their curriculum. The Reacting site has an article and several videos explaining how Reacting to the Past was incorporated into the [https://reacting.barnard.edu/SpotlightUO Freshman curriculum at the University of Oregon].
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* [https://www.nps.gov/subjects/teachingwithhistoricplaces/index.htm Teaching with Historic Places]
* [https://www.archives.gov/education National Archives - Educator Resources]
The National Archives is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for maintaining and documenting government and historical records. The National Archives has been a resource for historians since its creation in 1934. The Archives has some resources available for teachers, but the [https://www.docsteach.org/ DocsTeach.org] is probably the most useful and readily accessible feature for teachers. DocsTeach.org is designed for educators to help them connect with the Archives resources.
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* [https://www.bbc.co.uk/history BBC History]
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* History Blogs
Over the past 10 years, a number of outstanding history blogs have been created. These blogs cover a wide array of topics and authored, edited and reviewed by historians. <blockquote>* [http://nursingclio.org/ Nursing Clio] - Nursing Clio describes itself as "open access, peer-reviewed, collaborative blog project that ties historical scholarship to present -day issues related to gender and medicine. Bodies, reproductive rights, and health care are often at the center of social, cultural, and political debates. We believe the issues that dominate today’s headlines and affect our daily lives reach far back into the past — that the personal is historical."
* [https://tropicsofmeta.wordpress.com/ Tropics of Meta] - Tropics of Meta describes itself as a site dedicated to offering "a fresh perspective on history, current events, popular culture, and issues in the academic world. Founded in 2010, ToM has published over 700 essays by historians, social scientists, artists, filmmakers, and creative writers both within and outside the academy, giving voice to communities across the United States and the world."
* [http://werehistory.org/ We're History] - "We’re History tells the story of America and how the country became what it is today. Written by scholars, it is real history with all its triumphs, failures, twists, and ironies. Our contributors come from inside and outside of academia, but they are all committed to the idea that it is history that has made us who we are." We're History has a ton of great articles addressing different aspects of American History.
* [https://pointsadhsblog.wordpress.com/ Points: The Blog of the Alcohol and Drugs History Society] - The Points Blog "is an academic group blog that brings together scholars with wide-ranging expertise with the goal of producing original and thoughtful reflections on the history of alcohol and drugs, the web of policy surrounding them, and their place in popular culture."
* [http://www.processhistory.org/ Process: A Blog for American History] - "Process—the blog of the Organization of American Historians, The Journal of American History, and The American Historian—strives to engage professional historians and general readers in a better understanding of U.S. history."
* [https://ushistoryscene.com/ U.S. History Scene] - This site is a fantastic resource for articles, primary sources, syllabi, and reading list covering American History. It describes itself as "a multimedia education website composed of historians and educators at over fifty universities dedicated to teaching the American past in a global context. Our goal is to use innovative open source technology and live digital curriculum to democratize learning and help history lovers master United States history in a way that is entertaining, relevant, and intuitive."
* [http://balkin.blogspot.com/ Balkinization] - Balkinization publishes articles that address current constitutional and legal issues with a historical lens. The authors are a collection of historians and law professors. They often explain currently relevant legal questions that are in the news. If there is a legal question dominating the headlines there is a good chance there is an in Balkinization on that topic. The only downside is that the site is somewhat difficult to use but it does have a useful search function.
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* [https://www.oah.org/programs/teaching-tools/ Organization of American Historians Teaching Resources]
The Organization of American Historians has some tools for high school and college -level United States history coursecourses, but the material is primarily for members of the OAH. Memberships range in price from $45 (for students), $60 (K-12 Educators), and up to $245 (income over $150,000). The membership includes access to several OAH publications and US History Teaching Units. While there is a rationale to join the OAH as if you are United States history teacher, it probably cannot be justified based solely on the materials offered by the organization.
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* [https://www.historians.org/teaching-and-learning/teaching-resources-for-historians/classroom-materials/classroom-materials-united-states-history American Historical Association - Teaching Resources for Historians]
* [http://besthistorysites.net/ Best History Websites]
The Best History Sites from EdTechteacher is probably the most comprehensive listing of websites for teachers in different history fields. Despite being comprehensive, it is difficult to recommend the site because it does not appear to be updated regularly. If you start going through the site, you will find numerous dead or misdirected links. It is especially frustrating when you are looking for sources on World, Latin American, European, Asian, and African history courses. Still, it may be useful if you are willing to poke around the site.
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* Online History Courses
*[https://www.edx.org/ edX.org] - edX.org has several history classes available from multiple universities across the including Columbia, Harvard, Purdue, Peking, and others. They have one of the widest selections of course.
*[https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/categories/history-courses Future Learn History Courses] - Future Learn has a focus on European and British History, and the courses are fairly eclectic (i.e., Hadrian's Wall, The Fall of the Roman Republic, and Why Opera Matters). As of January 2019, the site had 29 different courses available. They also have paid online degree programs for students.
*[https://www.coursera.org/browse/arts-and-humanities/history Coursera.org] - Coursera.org is one of the largest providers of online courses in the world. It has 182 universities and organizations partnering with it. This feature allows Cousera to offer over 100 history or history -related courses. The courses offered are incredibly diverse. The courses include videos, readings, and quizzes. Some classes can be completed for free, but others are behind paywalls. You can either pay for courses individually or buy a monthly subscription.
*[https://www.udemy.com/topic/history/ Udemy] - Udemy is the largest online course provider in the world. They offer free courses, but most of them cost $9.99 or more. Their history section is relatively limited. Additionally, more than half of the classes are not in taught in English.
*[https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/history/# MIT Open Courseware] - MIT Open Courseware has numerous history courses, but they have not added any new courses since 2017. The courses are structured more like classes and are less user-friendly. The courses also do not appear to have videotaped lectures available after the course has finished. Still, the courses do have lecture slides and additional information for educators.
*[https://oyc.yale.edu/ Open Yale Courses History Courses] - The Open Yale Courses offer free complete courses taught by Yale History professors, but it only has four history courses available.
</blockquote>
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* [https://reacting.barnard.edu/ Reacting to the Past]
Reacting to the Past is a teaching technique that instead of relying on lectures and notes, uses elaborate role-playing games based on classic texts that require students to play historical characters. Instead of observing a lecture, students are actively working within the confines of the philosophical and intellectual beliefs of the historical figures they are portraying. Reacting to the Past requires students to explore the complicated historical situations that people lived through. As part of the game, students prepare speeches, write papers, and other public presentations to try and win the game.
 
Reacting to the Past was created by Mark C. Carnes at Barnard College in the 1990s. So far, it has been implemented at hundreds of colleges and universities across the United States. High schools have also started introducing Reacting to the Past in the classroom. 30+ Reacting games have been published by W.W. Norton & Co., the University of North Carolina Press and the Reacting Consortium Press. In addition to the published games, there are over 100 games currently in development.
 
Unlike other sites on this list, Reacting to the Past requires preparation by teachers to implement it into the classroom successfully. Therefore, Reacting has numerous [https://reacting.barnard.edu/the-conferences conferences] to help teachers add it to their curriculum. The Reacting site has an article and several videos explaining how Reacting to the Past was incorporated into the Freshman curriculum at the University of Oregon.
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[https://www.genealogyexplained.com/research/military-records/#Final_Thoughts Genealogy Explained: Military Records]
 
Genealogy Explained has an excellent Guide for researching military records. While the guide focuses on searching military records for genealogical purposes, these records could be used for a number of different types of historical research projects. The article explains how to use the free [https://www.familysearch.org/en/ FamilySearch.org] service. The links on the guide go directly to the section on United States veterans.
 
 
[[Category:Wikis]] [[Category:United States History]] [[Category:Political History]] [[Category:Military History]] [[Category:Ancient History]] [[Category:European History]][[Category:British History]]

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