Creator: The Newberry Library | visit site
Grade Range: - 11
This site has 18 maps with coordinated lesson plans that are designed to help the K-12 student improve their map reading skills. Using historical maps, students learn about history and how geography has influenced that history. Sample themes include "Environmental History," "The Historical Geography of Transportation," "Political and Military History," and a few others. The themes each have lesson plans by grade level. Some parts of this site use Flash that is no longer supported, however, much of the information is still accessible and relevant for classroom use.
In the Classroom
In addition to using the provided lesson plans, use this site on an interactive whiteboard or with a projector. Use the whiteboard tools to highlight special features of the map. Print out the maps and have students label them with the provided vocabulary words. Use a drawing program like KidPix and have students create their own "historical" maps based on their own lives. Use the additional photos from the resource section and have students create an interactive online poster using Genial.ly, reviewed here about why their map is significant to history.
At Home
Tags
primary sources, maps, critical thinking,
Subjects
American History, Geography (US/World), History & Culture: World, Social Studies, Social Studies,