Social Studies

Big Ideas Video Series

— Class Dojo

-7 0 favorites 0 promising practices https://www.classdojo.com/bigideas/ Last updated: Fri, 08/27/2021 - 11:50 share

How It Works

The Big Ideas Series, offered by ClassDojo, provides nine video topics encouraging students to explore different ways to healthy social emotional development. The videos discuss concepts such as Empathy, Perseverance, Positive Thinking, Gratitude, Mindfulness, and more. Each topic has a series of short videos and includes a discussion guide to download for classroom use and a page with take-home questions for parent use. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable.

In the Classroom

You may want to start your school year by sharing the three part video series on Empathy. Each video is five minutes and has a discussion guide. As a follow up use the Ripples of Kindness activity in small groups. Share younger students’ observations on a whiteboard or poster. Older students can share their observations using a tool like Dotstorming, reviewed here. Dotstorming allows participants to add comments Share other videos with a projector or on an interactive whiteboard to introduce a video each week and explore the discussion questions together. These videos could be very useful when preparing and motivating students for upcoming standardized testing or at the beginning of a school year to set a tone that everyone can learn. Include a link to videos on your class web page for parents to discuss at home with their student, and be sure to send home the take-home questions with topics to talk about.

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Tag(s): learning styles, emotions, brain, social skills, social and emotional learning, empathy,

The Obsessively Detailed Map of American Literature’s Most Epic Road Trips

— Richard Kreitner and Steven Melendez

7-11 0 favorites 0 promising practices http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-obsessively-detailed-map-of-american-literatures-most-epic-road-trips Last updated: Fri, 08/27/2021 - 11:50 share

How It Works

Journey across America as described in 12 great literary road trips. This Google map includes every named place (over 1500!) in these books about cross country travel. The earliest book being Mark Twain’s Roughing It and the most recent is Cheryl Strayed’s Wild. Click on any title on the map key to view individual routes. Click again on the map points to read passages about the location.

In the Classroom

If your class is reading any of these 12 books, this site is an excellent resource for visualizing the trip described in the book. Share with students before reading as an overview of the journey they are about to take. Use this site when helping students discover books to read, let them explore the various road trips to find one that might interest them. Use this map as inspiration for sharing locations from other works of literature. For the next book share, have students create maps for books they are reading using MapHub, reviewed here. Students can add icons, text, images, and location stops! Challenge students to include images (cited correctly) on MapHub for the books they will share.

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Tag(s): setting, maps, authors, literature, mark twain,

OldNYC - Mapping Historical Photographs of New York City

— New York Public Library’s Milstein Collection

5-11 0 favorites 0 promising practices http://www.oldnyc.org Last updated: Fri, 08/27/2021 - 11:50 share

How It Works

Discover New York City’s rich historical past with this collection of photographs from the 1870’s through the 1970’s. View photos placed according to location using Google Maps. Scroll through popular photos or explore the map to find images from around all of New York City.

In the Classroom

If you teach about local history, inspire students by sharing this site first, then have them create a wiki about your town! Not comfortable with wikis? Check out TeachersFirst Wiki Walk-Through. Get your interactive whiteboard or projector ready for this photographic journey. Share photos from different time periods as you study different eras from the 19th and 20th centuries.

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Tag(s): images, photography, new york, 20th century, 1900s,

Google Maps Book Mash-up

— Lovereading

5-11 0 favorites 0 promising practices http://www.lovereading.co.uk/bookmap/ Last updated: Fri, 08/27/2021 - 11:50 share

How It Works

Google Maps Book Mash-up chronicles some of the greatest and most popular stories of English Literature and their settings. Click on any book icon to see the book, author, and the setting. Type in the name of any location to zoom in on the map and find books using that location as the setting. Participate on the site by submitting book information to be included on the map.

In the Classroom

This site is perfect for finding reading material with settings from all over the world. Encourage students to choose a place that interests them, and then find books set in that location. Use this tool as an anticipatory set or "activator" to introduce a unit or lesson on a projector or interactive whiteboard about setting or geography. Be sure to share a link to this tool on your class website or blog for students to use at home. After reading a book, have students create an annotated image of the setting, including text boxes and related links using a tool such as Thinglink, reviewed here.

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Tag(s): literature, book lists, maps,

40 Maps that Explain the Middle East

— Max Fisher

6-11 0 favorites 0 promising practices http://www.vox.com/a/maps-explain-the-middle-east Last updated: Fri, 08/27/2021 - 11:50 share

How It Works

Learn about the complex and changing borders and demographics of the Middle East through the view of 40 different maps. The maps offer a look at the region from many perspectives such as religion, Arabic dialects, and Oil and Gas in the Middle East. Click any map to view the larger image. All maps also include a short explanation of the contents and many include links to additional information. A few maps are presented via video on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable.

In the Classroom

Use this site as an anticipatory set or "activator" to introduce a unit or lesson on a projector or interactive whiteboard. Be sure to include this site on your class webpage for students to access both in and outside of class for further practice. Create a link to these maps on classroom computers for students to explore on their own. Use an online tool such as an Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram, reviewed here, to compare different countries, religions, or time periods included in the maps.

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Tag(s): maps, middle east, religions, israel, iraq, iran,

40 Maps That Explain the Roman Empire

— Timothy B Lee

7-11 0 favorites 0 promising practices http://www.vox.com/2014/8/19/5942585/40-maps-that-explain-the-roman-empire Last updated: Fri, 08/27/2021 - 11:50 share

How It Works

Learn about the rise and fall of the Roman Empire with these 40 impressive maps. Each map features a different aspect of the Roman Empire such as the vast size of the empire, long travel speeds, and the spread of Christianity throughout the empire. Click on any map to view full size. All maps contain a short description of the contents while many also include links to additional information or clarification of terms.

In the Classroom

Use these maps to introduce your unit on the rise and fall of the Roman Empire. Introduce this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Then have students explore this site independently or in small groups. Include this site on your class web page for students and parents to access as a reference. Have students create a multimedia presentation using Slidestory, reviewed here. This site allows you to narrate a picture. Challenge students to find a photo (legally permitted to be reproduced), and then narrate the photo as if it is a news report.

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Tag(s): romans, europe, maps, battles,

StoryMap JS

— Northwest University Knight Lab

6-11 0 favorites 0 promising practices http://storymap.knightlab.com/ Last updated: Fri, 08/27/2021 - 11:50 share

How It Works

Make your story-telling come to life in any content area with this free tool! Story Map uses a map or pictures to tell the story. The simple editor in this tool syncs to Google Drive editor to create a storymap. The created storymap is a sequence of slides for a map location or image that includes a heading, text, and even images and embedded video. The map or image and included information appear side by side. You can click between the slides connecting one location to another (or portions of an image to another). Your story is now interactive! To use: Follow the prompts to connect your Google Drive to the tool. Choose the type of story to create, Map or Gigapixel (image). Don’t worry about the map image showing on the first page. When building a map, the front page will include the portion of the World Map based on map points throughout the project (ex. USA or Europe). Add a headline and detail to the appropriate areas. Include links and change font to bold and italic if desired. Add images to any page by uploading from your computer (through Google Drive) or by entering a link to an image. Enter the URL of the Vimeo or YouTube video you wish to use. Need help? Click on the Gigapixel tab along the top for help in uploading images and videos. The Media box not only has an area for the URL, but also an area to enter a caption and credit for the image. Add additional pages by clicking "Add Slide" in the left-hand menu. Add points to your map, one per slide, by typing the building, street, city, and country. Use the zoom bar in the top left to find the location. Customize the map style, background color, and font using the Options buttons. Click Share to send through social media or to use an embed code. The embed code can be used in any site, adjusting its width for different sites. If using Gigapixel, use a large image (as the image will literally be the "map" and your points move around the image). Save your image to Google Drive and copy the URL of the image as you will need it in the first step.

In the Classroom

Be sure to stress Fair Use and Copyright with students when using online images and crediting sources. Find great resources and information on TeachersFirst. Of course, if possible use your own images. In Science, use this tool to upload a picture of a science experiment from class and retell the story of the "experiment" by connecting with each of the individual parts of the image. In a Technology class, use this tool to create a project of anything that could be considered "mappable." Some examples include a timeline tour of an event, tour routes of a favorite band, the movement of a character in a movie or novel, or various events in a War. Find various shapes in nature and buildings for a Geometry class, showing their locations in a map. This tool would be wonderful for gifted students to showcase an interest or extend learning from a concept learned in class. Use this tool to trace the history of various recipes or ingredients in a Family and Consumer Science class. Trace the history of people, religions, and events. In Science, create a tour of various animals found in specific areas of a given biome or locations of various types of rocks and their information around the world.

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Tag(s): timelines, maps,

The U.S. Map Distorted by Population

— MyLife

2-11 0 favorites 0 promising practices http://www.mentalfloss.com/article/56214/us-map-distorted-population Last updated: Fri, 08/27/2021 - 11:50 share

How It Works

The U.S. Map Distorted by Population offers a visual look at the size of states based solely on population. Follow the link in the short article to find the actual populations of each state. This simple image provides a good introduction to population vs geographic size of states.

In the Classroom

This site is perfect for use on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Before sharing, have students create a list of what they think are the smallest and biggest states, then compare using the image map. Ask students to list what they think may be the most populated states and compare with this map. Use this image as a starting point for group projects. Challenge students to create similar maps based on average income, farm output, manufacturing, or other statistics. Have students use one of the many mapping tools available from the TeachersFirst Edge. Have students compare geographic state size to population size and discuss reasons for differences. For enrichment, have students find populations from 100 years ago and recreate this map using those statistics.

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Tag(s): population, states,

80 Years of Canadian Geographic Maps

— The Royal Canadian Geographical Society

5-11 0 favorites 0 promising practices http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/vous_etes_ici-you_are_here/?path=english/ Last updated: Fri, 08/27/2021 - 11:50 share

How It Works

Explore nearly 50 maps created over the past 80 years of publication of Canadian Geographic Maps. Browse through themes such as Exploration, Conflict and Borders, People, Wildlife, and more. Choose Cartography 101 to find explanations of mapping techniques and technologies, and learn more about map making. Be sure to explore the Learning section to find several interesting lesson plans based on topics such as natural disasters and wildlife in an urban world. The lessons can be downloaded in Word or PDF formats.

In the Classroom

Even if you do not teach in Canada be sure to explore this site for lesson plans and map making information applicable to any country. Adjust lesson plans to your particular area of study. Challenge advanced students to create a presentation using Swipe, reviewed here, demonstrating similar themes. Use an online tool such a Canva, reviewed here, to create diagrams, mindmaps, and other visual graphic organizers comparing and contrasting information found on different maps.

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Tag(s): animal homes, explorers, disasters, canada, maps,

David Rumsey Historical Map Collection

— Cartography Associates

5-11 0 favorites 0 promising practices http://www.davidrumsey.com/view/view Last updated: Fri, 08/27/2021 - 11:50 share

How It Works

In an age where digital maps are ubiquitous and take us down to house-by-house detail, we can forget how difficult it was to create accurate maps before satellite imaging. Historical maps are another tool for understanding the frame of reference of those who lived before us, and are important primary source documents. This collection includes over 50,000 historical maps, with an emphasis on 18th and 19th century maps of North and South America. The collection can be viewed from several platforms. Over 120 of the maps can be accessed using the Google Maps interface. A Georeferencer utility allows you to view a historical map laid over a modern map of the same area. And finally, the site’s LUNA browser allows you to view multiple maps together, create embeddable links or Web Widgets that can be used in other applications, create slide shows of collections of maps, and annotate specific maps in the collection.

In the Classroom

Use this historical map collection to highlight contemporary views of places featured in your history, literature, or geography lessons. Consider asking students to create a slideshow of maps that show how a location has changed over time, or how political boundaries have changed. Use a tool like Zoho Show (similar to Powerpoint, but easier and free) - reviewed here. Help students understand how culture influences map making and what historical maps can tell us other than information on geography.

Technology Heads-up!
  • Find interactive ABC's, colors, etc.
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  • Donec rutrum congue leo eget malesuada. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a. Curabitur aliquet quam id dui posuere blandit. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a.
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Tag(s): map skills, maps, north america, south america, 1800s, 1700s,
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