history
Foshay Tower Museum and Observation Deck
Location
Hennepin History Museum
Location
London Lives 1690 to 1800 Crime, Poverty and Social Policy in the Metropolis
A fascinating site which allows users to learn about the lives of the poor in London between 1690 and 1800. A large number of documents have been digitized and are available for online browsing. In addition, researchers have gone through the documents and compiled biographies of many people. Because many of the documents come from the criminal justice system, the biographies include quite a few criminals, but the biographies I read were not explicit. Intended for adults, but could be interesting for older homeschoolers.
Children of the (Industrial) Revolution | National Museum Wales
An online unit study about what it was like to be a working class child in Wales during the Industrial Revolution in the early to mid 1800s. The unit includes information from primary sources, period illustrations and videos (obviously, the video are modern), and gives a detailed look at the topic. Booklists are included to allow you to delve further, although many of the books may be difficult to find outside of the UK. Most appropriate for middle school or high school students, it could easily be spread over a month or more. The "work" section may upset sensitive k
Beti Bwt's Wash Day | National Museum Wales
A fun and detailed video showing how women did the laundry in Wales before there were washing machines. Includes a song in Welsh about Beti Bwt's washing misadventures (pronounced Betty Boat). The site also has an online quiz reviewing the information taught in the video.
Xtimeline.com- Create interactive timelines for free!
This is a free service that lets users create timelines online, and has plenty of timelines available for searching on a number of topics and time periods. When you create your timeline, you can choose whether or not to share it with the general public, and with whom to share editing.
The service is loading very slowly for me at the moment. Hopefully the issue will be corrected soon.
Interactive US timeline
An interactive timeline from 1773 to 1997. A simple, low clutter graphic with links to information about every president and major events in US history. Includes audio, photos and other primary sources. It's a quick overview of US history, not a comprehensive curriculum, but could be useful as jumping off point, or a quick reference. Appropriate for upper elementary and older.
Teacher's Resources from the Library of Congress
The Library of Congress has helpfully linked primary sources, lesson plans, activities and even professional development for teachers on this page. From here, you can find a wealth of lesson plans, primarily relating to American History, but literature and culture are also well represented. The lesson plans are built around primary sources-- letters, interviews, and other documents from the time in question. They are meaty, in depth lessons, from what I've seen. Most lesson plans are for upper elementary through high school, with a definite bias toward the higher gra
Encyclopedia Smithsonian: Art to Zoology
The Smithsonian has linked to a broad range of materials here, including history, science, art and culture. A good first source for material or information. Some topics include lesson plans, and all are fully referenced. The entries are aimed at adults, but most topics are appropriate for children. It is all available for free.
My favorites so far: Zoology
Museum Kids: Just for Fun
From the Metropolitan Museum onf Art, here are eighteen interactive web games that teach about art, art theory and artists. Many cultures and time periods are represented. There are games for all ages, but if a game doesn't seem geared toward younger children, I'd recommend screening it first (for example, the one on Van Gogh's life includes mention of his mental trouble and suicide).
