Creator: Shmoop | visit site
Grade Range: 8 - 11
Useful for either teachers or students, Shmoop is a virtual cram session on a variety of topics. In this history section, choose a time period and you get a tabbed overview of the era including a quick review, a more in-depth coverage, a timeline, important people, fun facts, web links, and a test review. There are featured stories, Hot Topics, and study guides. It’s all written in a breezy, accessible style that students will appreciate, but it’s not superficial.
In the Classroom
Students will love this site for reviewing and preparing for exams. Share this link on your class website for students to access both in and out of the classroom. Take advantage of the FREE study guides. Why not have cooperative learning groups investigate specific topics relative to your current unit of study and create multimedia presentation. Create podcasts, using a site such as PodOmatic (<a href="/single.cfm?id=8094">reviewed here</a>). Have students create a Have students create an annotated image including text boxes and related links using a tool such as Thinglink, <a href="/single.cfm?id=13216">reviewed here</a>. Challenge students to find a photo (legally permitted to be reproduced), and then narrate the photo as if it is a news report about the event or topic. To find Creative Commons images for student projects (with credit, of course), try Compfight, <a href="/single.cfm?id=10280">reviewed here</a>.rnrnTeachers can also use this site to differentiate between the typical lectures used to teach a US history project. Use the images on this site to create a "picture walk" in your classroom, introducing any one of the topics offered. Select 10-15 of the more powerful and diverse images, hanging them up in different locations around your classroom. Have students rotate around the classroom every 30-45 seconds, jotting down what they observe and infer about each image until the entire class has completed the circuit. After the class is back in their seats, have a class discussion based on what they observed and what this says about the topic.
At Home
If your student is struggling (or looking for some new information) in US History, be sure to save this site in your favorites as a reference.
Tags
war of 1812, gold rush, fashion, constitution, civil war, blues,
Subjects
American History, Family and Consumer Science, Geography (US/World), Government/Civics: U.S, Health, Music, Social Studies, Social Studies, Study Skills,