United States Geography - Map Practice
Middle School Public Debate Program Guide and Resources
Canadian Provinces and Territories - Map Practice
Learn the Canadian Territories and Provinces and their capitals
U.S. Map/Capital Practice
All About the U.S.
Citation Machine
Citation Machine.net
Virtual Resources for Research and Reference
Virtual Resources
Sarasota County Schools Web site
Sarasota County Schools
You may want to examine your senators� or representative�s Web
site to learn
more about them. You can also explore the Senate and House Web
sites, which
have a great deal of information concerning the process of
government and
the current legislation being discussed in Congress. Go to the
U.S. Senate
Web site. Under �Senators,� you can search by name or state to
find the e-
mail address of each of your senators.
U.S. Senate
Go to the �Write your Representative� section of the U.S. House
Web site.
Select your state, enter your ZIP code, and click
"submit." You can e-mail
your representative using the form provided by the House or by
visiting the
representative�s Web site.
House of Representatives
Write Your Representative
pbs.org/Independent Lens-More information on Immigration
The New Americans
This web site introduces you to the topic of Immigration.
Immigration
"Ellis Island is one of the most popular tourist
destinations in the
National Park Service. Browse the sections of this site to locate
additional
information about Ellis Island."
The Statue of Liberty - Ellis Island Foundation, Inc.
National History Day Web site contains information about the
History Fair
program, conducting research, creating entries, and competing
successfully.
NHD Web site
(NHD)History Fair Web site- View sample Process Papers
Sample Process Papers
The History Channel
The Discovery Channel
Mexico's Geography Games - Study the regions of Mexico!!!
Mexico's Geography
Central and South American Geography Games - Study the capitals
of Latin
America!!!
Central and South American Geography Games
Geography Quizzes will test your knowledge of the capitals of
countries
around the world.
Geography Quizzes
Caribbean Geography Games - Study the capitals of the Caribbean!!!
Caribbean Geography Games
United States History - 3rd Quarter Independent Learning Project
(Part 1)
Use the Five Civilized Tribes Museum Web site as your initial
resource. The
site is produced by the Five Civilized Tribes Museum, located in
Muskogee,
Oklahoma. The site includes links to the homepages of all five
Native
American nations. Each homepage has a variety of information
concerning the
history, culture, and government of the nations.
Five Civilized Tribes Museum
This web site has many links to help you understand debating!
What is a
debate?; The Roles of the Speakers; Rebuttal and MORE!
Basic Debating Skills
The National Archives has the text of the three agreements
completing the
purchase of the Louisiana Territory in 1803, as well as images of
the actual
treaty. Look for Napoleon�s signature!
The Lousiana Purchase
The Texas Humanities Center organized this online exhibit based
on actual
artifacts and exhibits at the Capitol Center in Austin. The site
contains
various images from the annexation period and can be navigated
either
through a text outline or through a gallery of images. A few
learning
activities are also available, including one relating to images
of the Alamo.
Annexation: Celebrating 150 Years of Texas Statehood
PBS created this site as a companion to their documentary on the
war between
the United States and Mexico. Dialogues are presented from
different
perspectives and include a great deal of information on Manifest
Destiny.
Students can also respond to the dialogues in an online
discussion area.
The U.S.-Mexican War
The Avalon Project provides a variety of primary resource
documents relating
to Manifest Destiny, including the purchase of Florida, the
agreement on the
Oregon Country, and the Gadsden Purchase Treaty.
The Avalon Project at Yale Law School - Manifest Destiny
This portal serves as a great jumping-off point to a wide range
of online
resources on the protection of rainforests. Links are grouped
under these
questions: �Why are rainforests important?� �What�s happening in
the
rainforests?� �Why are rainforests being destroyed?� �How are
rainforests
protected?� and �How can I help?�
Rainforest Web: World Rainforest Information Portal
This site investigates the competing interests battling over the
resources
of the Amazon rainforest. You will find interactive maps,
photographs, and
short essays about industrial �mega projects� that threaten this
region�s
natural resources. Links explain how people like you can help
preserve this
sensitive and important region. This is a large site, so take
your time
visiting the different sections listed at the top of the homepage.
Amazon Watch: Defending the Amazon
Our quiz is made up of 20 questions found on the actual
citizenship test
with a few curveballs in the mix. The last ten questions may be
a bit
harder, but a score of around 24 out of 30 is considered a
passing grade.
Citizenship Quiz
European Geography quiz - just click on the map to answer the
questions
Test Your Geography Knowledge
Geography Quiz of Europe
European Countries QUIZ
Geography Quiz of Europe
European Capitals QUIZ
The Study Shack is a great web site for practicing with virtual
flash cards!
European Countries
The official Web site of the Manassas battlefield contains
information about
both battles of Bull Run, including a virtual tour.
Manassas
This National Park Service Web site offers everything you need to
know about
the bloody battle of Antietam. The phases of the battle are
described in
detail, battlefield images are available, and additional
"special subjects"
are covered.
Anietam National Battlefield
The Web site of this turning point of the Civil War contains a
plethora of
information about the battle itself, the National Cemetery, and
soldier
life. The site also contains one of the best online museum
exhibits about
soldier life during the war.
Gettysburg National Military Park - 1
Gettysburg National Military Park - 2
The Union siege of Vicksburg is chronicled in this site. A
narrative history
is available, along with additional detail on the commanders and
troops.
Take the online tour!
Vicksburg National Military Park
This Web site is produced by Civil War re-enactors devoted to the
Massachusetts 54th regiment. A short history of the regiment is
offered,
along with links to other related sites.
54th Massachusetts, Company B
Want to read more on Lee�s surrender to Grant? This NPS Web site
has
detailed information on the Appomattox Campaign, the McLean
House, and the
actual surrender.
Appomattox Court House
The History Place offers a timeline of the war with links and
images of all
major events.
The History Place: The U.S. Civil War
Louisiana State University has the most comprehensive Civil War
site on the
Internet. Use the index of online information to find what you
are looking
for.
The U.S. Civil War Center
The web site contains maps, key events, and a video about the
events leading
to the Civil War!
The Coming of the Civil War
The web site contains maps, key events, and a video about the
Civil War!
The Civil War
The web site contains maps, key events, and a video about
Reconstruction!
Reconstruction
The HISTORY CHANNEL website: You are challenged to test your
geography
skills. Do you know your states?
Click here to PLAY:
List of US National Parks
United States National Park Service Web site
List of Canada's National Parks
Visit many U.S. national parks with this online visitor�s guide.
Click on
each park�s name to learn about the park�s flora and fauna,
history,
preservation efforts, and sights.
American Park Network: Your Complete Guide to the Parks
How can we protect parks for future generations? At this site,
you will
learn about strategies for caring for these national treasures.
Find out why
we should invest in our parks and which parks are most
underfunded. Be sure
to check out the links describing the distinctive plants and
animals of each
national park. You can also discover ways that you can help
address some of
economic and environmental dangers our national parks face.
National Parks Conservation Association
This page takes students through the step-by-step process of
creating an NHD
entry.
What are the steps to creating a History Fair Project?
The following is a list of possible research topics in
preparation for
National History Day 2009. The list is not inclusive but provides
a starting
point for students to begin brainstorming ideas for research and
presentation as National History Day entries.
Sample 2008-2009 History Fair Topics
Tips for creating an Annotated Bibliography
History Fair Annotated Bibliography Information and Tips
A process paper is a description of no more than 500 words
explaining how
you conducted your research and created and developed your entry.
HIstory Fair Process Paper Descriptions and Explanations
Before you begin work on an entry for competition, you, your
teacher, and
your parents should carefully read the National History Day
Contest Rule
Book. Below is a PDF file of the rule book that contains all of
the rules
that you must follow to compete at any level of the National
History Day
competition. More information on topics, sources, and deadlines
are
available from your district and state National History Day
coordinators.
Always contact your district or state coordinator to learn if any
rules have
been revised since the publication of this rule book.
History Fair Rule Book
FACTS.org is Florida�s Academic Counseling and Tracking for
Students.
Sponsored by the Department of Education and the Florida Center
for Advising
& Academic Support, this free online advising website helps
students plan
and track their education progress from middle school through
college.
FACTS.org
Cable in the Classroom and History� invite you to explore
Presidential
elections through a free online 3-D game entitled eLECTIONS: Your
Adventure
in Politics. Choose your platform, raise funds, handle the media
� and dig
deeper with special video clips about key moments in U.S.
election history.
eLECTIONS: Your Adventure in Politics
HistoryChannel.com offers an insightful web page about the life,
career,
policies, and personality of the 7th U.S. President, Andrew
Jackson. It
offers a fresh interpretation of the life and legacy of �Old
Hickory.�
Andrew Jackson
This year marks the 400th anniversary of the founding of the
Jamestown
colony. In commemoration of this anniversary, The History Channel
has
created an original interactive website for educators and
students to
explore the history and development of Jamestown. This site
features
colorful artwork, animated maps and drawings, primary source
documents, and
insights from historical experts. Click here to enter the site
and
experience this unique perspective on the history of Jamestown.
Also, visit
JAMESTOWN LIVE! to view an hour-long webcast plus free lesson
plans,
resource guide and student surveys.
Jamestown Resources
Digital History�s page on the War of 1812
The National Archives guide to the War of 1812, with links
The Naval Historical Center�s frequently asked questions on the War of 1812
War of 1812: A great site for younger students
Yale University�s Law School has compiled countless primary
documents
dealing with American history, law, and diplomacy. Students can
examine
Washington�s Farewell Address, the Barbary Treaties, the U.S.
declaration of
war in 1812, the Treaty of Ghent, and the Monroe Doctrine, as
well as many
other documents from the turn of the 19th century.
The Avalon Project at Yale Law School
This site is based on a four-part documentary movie from
Galafilm. It has an
overview of the war, information on major individuals, events,
and
locations, and an image gallery. Try your hand at the online quiz
� it�s
challenging!
The War of 1812
A ThinkQuest team created this interactive site about the
"Second War for
American Independence." The site provides an excellent
overview of the war,
an online quiz and atlas, and a forum for discussion about the
conflict.
Re-living History: The War of 1812
The Web home of our chief executive has biographical information
on each of
the first six presidents, which may prove helpful in the creation
of
epitaphs for the Processing assignment. Some additional links at
the end of
the biographies are also useful.
The White House
PBS web site dedicated to the Trail of Tears
Trail of Tears
WhiteHouse.gov provides information about A. Jackson.
Biography of Andrew Jackson
Americanpreseidents.org
Andrew Jackson Facts
Andrew Jackson Timeline
Andrew Jackson and the Indian Removal Act
Click on the link below to access the vocabulary terms and study
tools for each chapter of Building a Speech.
Speech I - Building a Speech Companion Site
Middle School Public Debate Program Guide and Resources
Created by Bill Murray for his TimePage, this site offers
information and links to each of the 13 colonies, including
historical and current information. Students can use this site to
obtain additional information about their colonies. The maps,
photos, graphics, and primary quotations found here can be used
to jazz up their colonial booths.
USH Chapter 3: 13 Originals — Founding the American Colonies
Visit one of the first English settlements in America at this
Massachusetts museum’s site. Take a virtual tour of the re-
created 1627 Pilgrim Village to see firsthand how people lived.
Learn about the people, geography, economy, religion, and
government of Plymouth. This museum helped to bring to life the
colony featured on the PBS series Colonial House. Go to the PBS
site for more information and online activities related to the
daily life and language of 17th-century colonists.
USH Chapter 3: Plymouth Plantation
Meet the Daggets, a Connecticut family from the 18th century! The
Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village provide this
entertaining site where students can investigate the daily life
of a New England family. Students become historical detectives as
they examine primary and secondary sources, listen to audio
segments, and view reenactments of colonial life.
USH Chapter 4: A Colonial Family and Community
Want to find out more about colonial life? The experts at the
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation have created an outstanding
collection of materials for students and teachers. Students can
meet colonial people, see some of the historic places in
Williamsburg, and learn about all aspects of daily life in
colonial America. 18th-century clothing is also detailed on this
site.
USH Chapter 4: Colonial Williamsburg History Explorer
This history project from the Arts Faculty at the University of
Groningen is mostly college-level text, but it contains a wealth
of information on figures from the American Revolution.
USH Chapter 5: Biographies: From Revolution to Reconstruction
Students looking for more information on their roles for the town
meeting can try one of the following sites containing
biographical references from the Revolution: This companion site
to the PBS documentary offers a variety of links, including
connections to biographies of key figures in the American
Revolution. Biographies can also be found under the related
topics in the “Chronicle of the Revolution” section.
USH Chapter 5: Liberty! The American Revolution
The Revolutionary War: A Journey Towards Freedom
The American Revolution is the central topic of this ThinkQuest
Web site. The Infopedia contains biographies of many of the major
individuals of the era.
USH Chapter 5: The Revolutionary War: A Journey Towards Freedom
This outstanding site, developed by the Claremont Institute,
contains a wealth of information concerning the Declaration. The
site contains a general guide to the fundamental ideas of the
document, a timeline of the creation and signing of the
Declaration, biographies of many of the people involved in its
development, and an excellent transcription and explanation of
the text itself. The site also has information on current issues
related to equality and freedom, including "Hot Topics" to
stimulate discussion.
USH Chapter 6: Founding.com: A User's Guide to the Declaration of Independence
For information on this landmark document, why not start at its
home, the National Archives? This text-based site, part of the
Charters of Freedom site from the National Archives and Records
Administration, has a transcription of the Declaration, images of
the actual document, and links related to its drafting and
signing.
USH Chapter 6: The Declaration of Independence
The Library of Congress hosts this online exhibit that details
the chronology of the writing of the Declaration, along with a
brief summary of the work of the Declaration Committee. The
exhibit also contains historical images, including two of Thomas
Jefferson's rough drafts.
USH Chapter 6: The Declaration of Independence: Drafting the Documents
Click on the link to watch the video.
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is "sarasota" and your password is "sarasota." If you are at
home, your username is your N# and your password is your PIN.
12 minutes 4 seconds
When the sunlight plays upon it, the Grand Canyon is one of the
loveliest and most overwhelming natural spectacles on earth. In
the Grand Canyon, there are the oldest exposed rock formations on
earth, laid bare by the Colorado River and its tributaries. The
Grand Canyon was formed over the course of two billion years by
erosion, flooding and receding water, tectonic forces of pressure
and heat, and other geological forces. The Grand Canyon was given
its present shape 40 or 50 million years ago as the Rocky
Mountains formed.
Grand Canyon National Park, United States of America
Click on the link to watch the video.
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is "sarasota" and your password is "sarasota." If you are at
home, your username is your N# and your password is your PIN.
12 minutes 6 seconds
The original inhabitants of Yosemite named the
place ''Ahwahnee,'' which means ''open-mouthed with amazement,''
and the deep beauty of this natural wonder still amazes those who
visit. Yosemite came into being a quarter of a million years ago
as a gigantic glacier passed through, smoothing and polishing the
valley and neighboring mountains. Every spring, snow in the
mountains of the Sierra Nevada melts, and the rivers and streams
carry the icy water down to the valley in countless cascades and
waterfalls. The Mariposa Grove contains a section of giant
sequoia forest, the oldest and largest living things on the
planet.
Yosemite National Park, United States of America
Click on the link to watch the video.
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is "sarasota" and your password is "sarasota." If you are at
home, your username is your N# and your password is your PIN.
12 minutes 7 seconds
Everglades National Park is the largest remaining sub-tropical
wilderness in the continental United States and has extensive
fresh and saltwater areas, open prairies, and mangrove forests.
Unfortunately, much of this former paradise has vanished.
Starting in the late 19th century, many of the marsh areas were
drained to create arable farmland. Through the 20th century,
fertilizers and pesticides contaminated the water, and summer
fires have burned large expanses of saw grass. Billions of
dollars have been invested in renaturalization projects, but
often at the wrong time, leaving the fragile paradise on the
brink of destruction.
Everglades National Park, United States of America
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is "sarasota" and your password is "sarasota." If you are at
home, your username is your N# and your password is your PIN.
49 minutes 53 seconds
Denali National Park, which is located about 200 miles from the
Arctic Circle, is home to a wide variety of organisms and dozens
of tall mountains. Altitude divides Denali into three distinct
ecosystems -- the taiga forest, the tundra and the alpine region -
- each of which has its own unique characteristics and organisms.
Mount McKinley, located at the very top of the alpine region, is
the tallest mountain in North America. After learning about life
in the ecosystems of Denali National Park, join a team of
climbers as they attempt to reach the summit of Mount McKinley.
Wild Spaces: Denali National Park
Download this open-source office software suite for word
processing, spreadsheets, presentations, graphics, databases and
more. It is available in many languages and works on all common
computers. It stores all your data in an international open
standard format and can also read and write files from other
common office software packages. It can be downloaded and used
completely free of charge for any purpose.
Open Office
Click on the link to watch the video.
Log in instructions: If you are at school, your username
is "sarasota" and your password is "sarasota." If you are at
home, your username is your N# and your password is your PIN.
Follow immigration from colonial times to the present. Meet
Irish, Germans, Chinese, Italians, Mexicans, Jews, and Vietnamese-
all Americans now-who continue to reflect their ethnicity. See
how generations of immigrants have changed-and are still changing-
America.
Immigration: The Triumph of Hope
Click on the link to watch the video.
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is "sarasota" and your password is "sarasota." If you are at
home, your username is your N# and your password is your PIN.
The great civilizations of Latin America were devastated after
the arrival of the conquistadors and later the European
colonizers, who created a society that was characterized by
extreme differences between rich and poor - a legacy that
continues to plague Latin America to a strong degree today.
Although Latin American nations are no longer ruled by military
dictatorships and have embraced democracy, social problems
associated with the large income gap, such as poverty,
landlessness and crime are pervasive. Latin America: Challenges
in the 21st Century will increase student awareness of the
origins, causes and effects of major global issues in the region.
Latin America: Challenges in the 21st Century
In this program, students will study both phenomena from their
development to the full-blown storms that wreak havoc on land.
Through satellite images, Doppler radar, graphics and storm
footage, this program shows how meteorologists and ''storm
chasers'' use data such as location, movement, wind speed,
temperature and air pressure to predict the course of these
storms, and provide early warnings to people living in their
path.
Hurricanes & Tornadoes
History Channel Presents: War of 1812
The First Invasion - Part 1
History Channel Presents: War of 1812
The First Invasion - Part 2
History Channel Presents: War of 1812
The First Invasion - Part 3
History Channel Presents: War of 1812
The First Invasion - Part 4
History Channel Presents: War of 1812
The First Invasion - Part 5
History Channel Presents: War of 1812
The First Invasion - Part 6
History Channel Presents: War of 1812
The First Invasion - Part 7
History Channel Presents: War of 1812
The First Invasion - Part 8
History Channel Presents: War of 1812
The First Invasion - Part 9
History Channel Presents: War of 1812
The First Invasion - Part 10
This program demonstrates how the preservation of the rainforest
is vital to the survival of our planet. The rainforest provides a
rich diversity of plant and animal life, and influences planetary
weather systems, but it has been systematically destroyed for
years by commercial logging, cattle ranching and agriculture.
Scientist Tom Stone uses satellites to study the vegetation in
the Amazon Basin and observes how rapidly the rainforest is being
cleared. Since problems of population growth and financial
pressures have forced indigenous cultures and local companies to
deplete rainforest resources, strategies suggested to preserve it
include the creation of parks and wildlife reserves, education
for local populations and more funding for family planning.
The Rainforest
This program chronicles one of the bleakest events in American
history, the forced removal of the ''Five Civilized Tribes'' --
the Cherokee, the Chickasaw, the Choctaw, the Creek and the
Seminole -- from their ancestral lands in the southeastern United
States to the western Indian territories. In 1830, a greedy
Congress started them on a westward march that led to banishment
and death. By the 1830s, land-hungry white settlers enlisted
government assistance to remove the Native American members of
the Five Civilized Tribes and to confiscate their land.
Outnumbered and outarmed, Native Americans had little recourse
but to move to the western regions of the United States. The
United States government organized forced marches, which the
Native Americans dubbed ''The Trail of Tears.'' One in four
Native Americans lost their lives on these marches, dying of
disease, hunger and exposure.
41 minutes 27 seconds
The Trail of Tears
What if you could make a Facebook profile for President Andrew
Jackson? Who would be their friends? What would they post? This
web site allows you to create a mock Facebook wall.
Facebook Profile for Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the first "common-man" President. Orphaned at
14, he became a lawyer with no formal education, an Army General
with no military experience and President without being rich.
Find out the rest of his amazing story.
Andrew Jackson Video - Ch. 14