Social Studies/History - Colonial Sites

1900 House
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/1900house/
Did you know that having a bathroom in your house in 1900 was something only the wealthy could afford? Take a tour of this 1900 house and see what home life was like through the eyes of a family who actually lived in it.

Alexander Hamilton (New York Historical Society)
http://www.alexanderhamiltonexhibition.org/index.html  
Alexander Hamilton: The Man Who Made Modern America. The virtual exhibition complements the physical exhibition and includes a virtual tour, information about New York and New Jersey during Hamilton's life, a document viewer for examining historic materials, Hamilton log - a month by month personal diary, a timeline, and information about his peers. There are photos, audio, interactive maps, and primary source materials.

American Notes: Travels in America, 1750-1920 (Library of Congress)
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/lhtnhtml/lhtnhome.html  
This site is comprised of 253 published narratives by Americans and foreign visitors recounting their travels in the colonies and the United States and their observations and opinions about American peoples, places, and society from about 1750 to 1920. American Notes includes the work of several major literary figures, including James Fenimore Cooper, Charles Dickens, Washington Irving, Frederick Law Olmsted, and Robert Louis Stevenson. Multiple access points including Search by Keyword; Browse by Subject Index, Author Index, or Title Index.

Ben Across the Curriculum
http://www.benfranklin300.com/curriculum.htm
"Ben Across the Curriculum is a set of interdisciplinary lesson plans, keyed to appropriate national standards, that expand upon and interpret the five central themes highlighted in the exhibition, Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World. These themes are Character Matters; B. Franklin, Printer; Civic Visions; Useful Knowledge; and World Stage. We have created a total of thirty lesson plans, ten plans each for elementary, middle and high school levels. At the elementary level, to address the disparity between younger and older readers, we have created two tiers for each plan: one for grades K-2, and a second for grades 3 – 5. Many of the lesson plans throughout Ben Across the Curriculum focus on collaborative learning and where appropriate, rely on primary resources, including a number of writings by Franklin and his contemporaries."

Betsy Ross Homepage
http://www.ushistory.org/betsy/index.html

Colonial America: A Third Grade Study
http://www.germantownacademy.org/Academics/LS/3/Colonial/Index.htm

Colonial House (PBS)
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/colonialhouse/index.html  
Indentured servitude. No baths or showers. Public punishments. Welcome to daily life in the year 1628! Think colonial life was all about pious Pilgrims, powdered wigs and freedom for all? Think again! Two dozen modern-day time travelers find out the hard way what early American colonial life was really like when they take up residence in Colonial House. Among the points of dissension that arise in the colony are: the rigid class and gender roles, mandatory religious observance, and the puritanical civil laws of the era, particularly those pertaining to profanity. Includes a Teacher section with lesson plans which adhere to national learning standards (grades 5-8) containing comprehensive instructions for classroom implementation, downloadable student handouts, and suggestions for cross-curricular extensions. In Activities, you will find a series of dynamic online activities that engage students in exploring and understanding colonial life in the 1620s. Video and audio clclips present the participants as they assess 1628 from a contemporary perspective. Large-sized photos and captions demonstrate both the beauty and the drudgery of life on the Colony. And a map, hand drawn by one of the colonists, portrays the Colony through the eyes of those who lived there.

Colonial Williamsburg
http://www.history.org/
Meet the people who inhabit this historical village and learn about colonial life through each of the characters this site introduces. This is not the Colonial Williamsburg of yore, but a new, retooled site with Flash animation, an Explore and Learn link, and "Physick: The Practice of Medicine in Colonial Williamsburg". The Meet the People link gives biographies of our country's founders (and their spouses, in some cases), clothing provides descriptions, and Gardens, Archaeology, Museums and History Education extend to additional material for classroom use way beyond what class time even permits.

Declaration of Independence
http://www.archives.gov/national-archives-experience/charters/declaration_join_the_signers.html
Here's the Declaration of Independence with a new twist. Viewers can become actual signers of the Declaration! By choosing a quill that designates your penmanship style, you can add your name to the list of founding fathers and print it out for all to admire. This is a great way to reward those reluctant students for learning their history lessons. Lots of information at this site.

Discovering Lewis and Clark
http://www.lewis-clark.org/
This site looks at three different aspects of their journey: The Preparation, Exploration, and The Return Trip. The Preparation—Learn all about the Presidential Mission that they were given, which President gave it to them, and learn all about their preparation for this journey. Exploration—This is where you can follow their journey step by step. And in the meantime learn all about the trek across America from location to location. The Return Trip—While this section is not as varied as the Exploration section you will finish the journey back where they began. Learn about the people and places that were a part of their trip home.

Early America.com
http://www.earlyamerica.com 
A wealth of newspapers, documents, maps and images is available from this site, which focuses on the late 18th to early 19th Centuries in the United States. Younger students will enjoy the movies, which use artwork and documents of the time to tell the stories behind "The Real Face of George Washington" and "The Treason of Benedict Arnold." Especially helpful is the page "How to Read a 200 Year Old Document." For older students, this site houses the scholarly journal "The Early America Review." Try your hand at the online crossword puzzle.   

Early American Paintings
http://www.worcesterart.org/Collection/Early_American/
While the paintings can add depth to the study of U.S. History, the timeline may be the real treasure here as it chronicles the main events from 1671 to 1829. Students can enter the collection by clicking buttons that lead to sections arranged by artist, genre, and place of origin. Students view artwork and read biographies of twenty artists, review information on fifty-three paintings, and get information on twenty-four additional works. Each of the seventy-seven works is illustrated.

Founding Fathers
http://www.foundingfathers.info/
Learn about Colonial history with indepth articles on The Federalist Papers Online, The American Flag, History of the USA, with an Image Gallery, and Founding Fathers Quotes.

Gettysburg: A Virtual Tour
http://www.civilwaralbum.com/gettysburg/index.htm
This site features over 450 photos, 48 panoramas and 18 maps taken during a summer 2001 guided tour of Gettysburg and the battlefield.

Growth of a Nation
http://www.animatedatlas.com/movie.html
This ten minute interactive animated presentation illustrates the growth of the United States from the original thirteen states in 1789.

History Place: American Revolution
http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/revolution/
This site has an excellent timeline of the American War for Independence as well as the years and events that led up to it. Its overview begins with the early explorations of America and its colonization and continues through the war to the birth of the new nation.

Jamestown (The History Channel)
http://www.history.com/classroom/jamestownstory
Last month marked the 400th anniversary of Jamestown, America's first settlement, established by 144 men who sailed across the Atlantic Ocean from England. In honor of this milestone, The History Channel's History.com has launched an interactive Jamestown microsite that allows users to explore the history of Jamestown, its settlers, and its place in the nation's history. why you should get your hearing tested, and view another video called How We Hear where you can learn all about how your ears work.

Jamestown Online Adventure
http://www.historyglobe.com/jamestown/
Put your students in the situation of landing in the New World and making all the decisions needed to found a colony. This simulation lets them decide where to land, what to do when they get there, and even how many will be required to do hard labor. There are online helpers in the form of the London Company's Instruction and a Native American neighbor. Players will be scored as to how well they fared given the choices made, and will review what actually happended in Jamestown. This activity requires Flash version 5 or higher.

Lewis and Clark Journey of Discovery
http://www.nps.gov/archive/jeff/LewisClark2/Activities&Kids/ActivitiesAndKidsMain.htm
The Lewis and Clark Journey of Discovery provides games, quizzes, profiles of members of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, lesson ideas and teacher resources.

Los Adaes
http://www.crt.state.la.us/siteexplorer/
Perched on the edge of the vast Spanish empire in North America, Los Adaes served as both a mission and a presidio. The site's authors readily engage students in the story of a time when the Spanish, the French and the Caddo Indians lived together in a new land. There are great visuals, including artifacts and drawings of frontier life.

Paul Revere House
http://www.paulreverehouse.org/
Here's an opportunity to view the historic home of a true Revolutionary War hero. The site includes historic information about Revere as a silversmith, pictures of the house, and a biography of Paul Revere. Besides the text of the famous Longfellow poem there is also a virtual tour of "The Midnight Ride" and even directions to recreate the ride — by car, of course.

Raid on Deerfield: The Many Stories of 1704
http://www.1704.deerfield.history.museum/
This award-winning site draws the reader into a consideration of history as witnessed from multiple perspectives. Discover the mystery of the raid on Deerfield, Massachusetts, where five cultures clashed in a brutal attack. Students will read explanations from a wide range of historians and discover that facts are not so easy to determine. The site provides lots of interactive pictures, audio, and photos of artifacts.

US History
http://www.ushistory.org/
This is an interesting history site. Have you ever wondered what the most historic mile was? You can find out at this site. Learn about Valley Forge, Betsy Ross, and the Liberty Bell. Check out the What’s New section for fun activities and information. Youcan get a virtual tour and tons of information.

Virtual Marching Tour of the American Revolution
http://www.ushistory.org/march/index.html

Within these Walls…
http://www.americanhistory.si.edu/house/  
This website from the Smithsonian looks at a house in Massachusetts, and follows its inhabitants over two hundred years. Students can find out about the five families that lived there, artifacts from each time period, and how to uncover more information about your own house or neighborhood.