K-12 Resources for Teachers

Explore early maps of the world; photographs from historic newspapers; paintings reflecting periods of cultural significance; new frontiers through personal journals and diaries; political posters calling for decades of social and political change; first-hand accounts through interviews and oral histories -- Calisphere brings together digital collections contributed by the ten University of California campuses and a wide range of statewide organizations. The items in Calisphere are primary sources that record evidence of the past, and preserve valuable historical material for interpretation and analysis.

The Center on Congress, led by former U.S. Representative Lee Hamilton, exists to help the public better understand the role of Congress and the public's relationship to it. Their audience includes the general public, teachers, and journalists.

lesson plans sorted by grade level

Explaining global news to a global audience: This is the mission of CNN 10, a 10-minute news show that appears as a daily digital video on CNN.com.

From the National Endowment for the Humanities

lesson plans based on holdings in Library of Congress -

teaching units with primary materials.

Classroom activities, teaching ideas, plans, articles, standards, etc. Select by historical period/grade level

Document based lessons

Formally Teaching Tolerance and maintained by Sothern Poverty Law Center. Free educational resources: articles, guides, lessons, films, webinars, frameworks and more.

lesson plans, videos, quizzes; can select by school level

From the National Science Foundation

From the National Science Foundation

physical geography and earth science basics

interactive globe, daily ideas, teaching resources, etc.

Professional association and includes teaching resources

POV/PBS lesson plans and online film clips. Can be searched by grade level

can search by grade level

Tap into over 140 years of USGS research in the natural sciences in the form of lesson plans and activities, maps, podcasts, online lectures, videos and animations, and much more. Browse thousands of ideas for using these resources in elementary, secondary, university, and informal education settings.

"... free and open access through the Internet to written and spoken words, sound recordings, still and moving images, prints, maps, and sheet music that document the American experience. It is a digital record of American history and creativity. '

This site includes primary sources arranged in themes that support California Content Standards, primary sources for learning about California cultures, lesson plans, etc.

From the National Archives: a online tool from the National Archives -includes thousands of primary sources and a growing collection of document based activities.

Over 30 different curriculum guides contains lessons based upon primary sources - located 2 SOUTH Curric Guides

From the Smithsonian National Museum of American History Kenneth E. Behring Center

Collections of primary sources: each includes about a dozen document reproductions and a guide. Located 2 South Nonprint

Sets include document reproductions and a teacher's guide. Located 2 South Curric Guides or 2 South Nonprint

'...provides free public access to detailed descriptions of primary resource collections maintained by more than 200 contributing institutions including libraries, special collections, archives, historical societies, and museums throughout California and collections maintained by the 10 University of California (UC) campuses.'

Search activities, lesson plans, books, themes, etc., by grade level and resource type (includes primary materials).

Available at 2 SOUTH Curric Texts, Social Science 4546

'...quality social studies education in California committed to strengthening the teaching and learning of history-social studies through standards-based professional development, resource sharing, and public awareness and advocacy through strategic partnerships at the local, state and national levels...'

'...dedicated to promoting an enlightened and responsible citizenry committed to democratic principles and actively engaged in the practice of democracy in the United States and other countries...'

'...the National Center for History in the Schools (NCHS) has nurtured ties between the historical profession and classroom teachers in an effort to improve and enliven the teaching of history at all levels....'

'... enhance the status and quality of geography teaching and learning. NCGE supports geography teaching at all levels—from kindergarten through university...'

'... devoted solely to social studies education. NCSS engages and supports educators in strengthening and advocating social studies. ..'

'... the leading organization in the United States that focuses on the economic and financial education of students from kindergarten through high school...'

From National Council for the Social Studies

'... supports and works to advance scholarship and teaching within a trans-national, trans-regional, and trans-cultural perspective. Through the researchers, teachers, students, independent scholars, and authors who are its members, the WHA fosters historical analysis undertaken not from the viewpoint of nation-states, discrete regions, or particular cultures, but from that of the human community...'