New & Noteworthy

The Census in the Classroom

Since the first national census in 1790, the U.S decennial population count has become increasingly complex. Today, the U.S. Census Bureau is a statistical clearinghouse for the country, but what do all those fact and figures mean? How can we teach students to use them? Read more here.

Elementary

Geo-Literacy Project: Students Use Technology to Explore Their World

Edutopia's Geo-Literacy Project is an interdisciplinary, project-based, approach to teaching local history that can be adapted for different locations. In this video example, students explore a local historic site from a number of perspectives and then build websites using primary sources, images, videos, and student-created reports. Read more here.

Middle

Lesson Plan Review of Digital History’s Immigration

Primary source documents and statistical tables about immigration in the late 19th and early 20th centuries anchor this lesson. Analytical questions about the documents and the tables require students to draw conclusions from the data, as well as evaluate opinions regarding immigration as expressed in the primary sources. Explore this lesson and adapt it for your classroom. Read more here.

High

Whole Cloth: Discovering Science and Technology through American Textile History

Created by historians of technology and secondary school teachers, this site presents an interdisciplinary curriculum that examines "the history of textiles, the technology and science of production, and their consumption." Activities include primary source materials, a scholarly article, seven charts and graphs, three maps, a Quicktime video, glossaries, and bibliographies. Read more here.

Primary Sources

Tech for Teachers

Mine Safety and Health Administration Photographic Archive

Last week, the U.S. experienced the deadliest mining disaster in 25 years. Mining history provides a gateway for the exploration of labor history and industrialization. You will find plenty of primary sources on the Mine Safety and Health Administration website. Perhaps the most arresting information comes in the form of the photograph archive, which contains more than 1,000 historical images related to mining. Read more about the Administration here.

Finding Skype Collaborators

Skype is a user-friendly communication tool that extends the borders of your school, but connecting to teachers nationally and internationally can be challenging. To begin, explore The Edublogger post, "Skype Other Classrooms!," which includes a list of educators interested in linking up through Skype. You can add yourself to that list as well. Read more here.