Just+Social+Studies

Social Studies Resources (also see Just History and Just Elementary (and Jr. School) Teachers for more resources)



OHIO DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
[|Ohio's Learning Standards and Model Curricula]

GENERAL RESOURCES
Primary documents, articles, lesson plans, activities and other information is available through INFOhio resouces. Find some of the INFOhio resources and quality websites that educators would find useful.
 * [|The Center for Teaching History with Technology] - a vast resource created to help K-12 history and social studies teachers incorporate technology effectively into their courses. Find resources for history and social studies lesson plans, activities, projects, games, and quizzes that use technology. Learn about web technologies such as blogs, podcasts, ebooks, online maps, virtual field trips, screencasts, online posters, and more. Explore innovative ways of integrating these tools into the curriculum, watch instructional video tutorials, and learn how others are using technology in the classroom!
 * [|CSPAN Classroom] free video-based materials for social studies teachers
 * Resources for History Teachers  is an award-winning wiki by Robert Maloy of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, a multimedia/multicultural wikispace for teachers and students,created by teachers and students
 * [|Social Studies Connections with INFOhio]
 * Visit [|**SweetSearch Social Studies**] for reliable social studies content.
 * [|C-SPAN Classroom] is a free membership service for social studies teachers.

CURRENT EVENTS

 * [|BBC News] - A great resource for world news
 * ** CNN ** Student News - a free news and information website that provides activities to help you incorporate **current events** into your lessons. You can also find great **maps** here, current event **quizzes** and up to the minute news.
 * **[|Do Now]**is a weekly activity for students to explore current issues using social media. Do Now gives students a chance to build civic engagement and digital literacy skills.
 * // [|The Lowdown] // is geared toward high school social studies, English/language arts, and Career and Technical Education (CTE) teachers as a resource for teaching with the news and creatively integrating current events into core curriculum, while also directly engaging students in civic issues. - Daily news and current events — articles come from a sampling of various Scholastic magazines (grades 3-12). Good source of informational texts.
 * [|Newsy] - Search & download current event lesson plans, newsy videos, learning activities and more!
 * [|Student Daily News] - This site has a lot to offer. Could also be useful for ELA teachers:
 * **Daily News Article:**  Including //Comprehension and critical thinking questions, // background and resources (including video clips, maps and links) to give students a better understanding of the news story.
 * [|weekly examples of biased news] reporting
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Merriweather,Georgia,;">sections on elections, political beliefs and more...
 * Welcome to Smithsonian's [|TeenTribune], [|TweenTribune], [|TTEspañol] and [|TTJunior] – the daily news sites for kids, tweens and teens – where you'll find the most compelling, relevant and interesting news for kids K-12 . Stories are selected by teens and tweens working closely with professional journalists. Each article is available across multiple lexiles for differentiation and has an associated comprehension assessment. Free educator accounts offer a plethora of features: Monday morning newsletters, class and student profiles, lesson plans, article assignment capability, and assessment score grade books.

GAMES

 * || [|Mission to Learn]: Games for Change || Games that involve students in social, political, and environmental issues ||

GEOGRAPHY/MAPS/CULTURES
(for younger students, also see Just Elementary Teachers)
 * [|Geoguessr] - Geography game - Students are given a Google street view picture and must use signs, landscapes, etc. to deduct and makes guesses as to where it is.
 * Geopedia<span style="background-color: #f4f5f6; font-family: Georgia,Utopia,;"> combines a map with Wikipedia entries. Search for a location and you will be shown place marks around that location. Click on any of the place marks to see a corresponding image and Wikipedia entry. Geopedia provides a nice browser-based alternative to the Google Earth Wikipedia layer.
 * **Google Earth**- <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: arial,sans-serif;">Take a virtual journey to any location in the world. Explore 3D buildings, imagery, and terrain. Find cities, places and local businesses.
 * __** Map Games and Puzzles **__ can be found at the **Outline Map** site.
 * [|Nations Online] - Information on continents, countries, cities, landmarks, languages and maps.
 * [|Lizard Point Map Quizzes] - The world map quizzes are designed to help you **learn the countries of the world** as well as **provinces/states, capitals and major cities**.
 * ==<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #bf5700; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection] - Online maps of Current Events, world, US, Historical... ==
 * **Outline Maps**- links to a HUGE range of outline maps that you can use in your classes.
 * [|The True Size of..].<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #545454; font-family: Roboto,arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Drag and drop countries around the map to compare their relative <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #6a6a6a; font-family: Roboto,arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;">size <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #545454; font-family: Roboto,arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;">. Is Greenland really as big as all of Africa? You may be surprised at what you find! A great tool for educators.

World - Country Maps, Cultures & Info.

 * [|Altapedia] (Thanks Ms. Shuja!)
 * "Countries A to Z" section, provides facts, figures and statistical data on geography, climate, people, religion, language, history, economy & more.
 * "World Maps" section, provides full color physical maps and political maps for regions of the world.
 * [|BBC News] - Full profiles provide an instant guide to history, politics and economic backgrounds of countries and territories, and backgrounds on key institutions. They also include audio and video clips from BBC archives. (Thanks Ms. Shuja!)
 * Countries A-Z - Countries of the world, facts, information and history, travel videos, flags, photos from National Geographic.
 * [|Country Guides to Culture, Etiquette, Customs & more!] CultureCrossing.net is an evolving database of cross-cultural information about every country in the world. This user-built guide allows people from all walks of life to share essential tips.
 * [|Every Culture] - In depth descriptions of countries and their cultures. Also includes a "Multicultural America" section.
 * Europe - [|Toporopa] provides educational and entertaining quizzes about Europe. The map of the European continent brings together geographical, political, historical and economical knowledge.
 * [|IfItWereMyHome.com]is your gateway to understanding life outside your home. Use our country comparison tool to compare living conditions in your own country to those of another.
 * [|Maps of the World]
 * [|World Atlas] : An educational resource for world maps, atlases, and in-depth geography information. Provides teachers and students free maps of Europe, Asia, the U.S., Canada, Florida, the Caribbean Islands and much more.

US - State Maps & Info.

 * History.com provides comprehensive state overviews that include discussions of land, people, economy and government, and recount state histories from early inhabitants to the modern era. Includes articles, videos and pictures.
 * __ **Outline Maps** __ of the US and each state.
 * [|State Facts for Students] from the US census bureau
 * The //[|United States History Map] Interactive -// <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #cd0329; font-family: Verdana,Arial,sans-serif;">**Become a geography whiz as you learn how the United States was settled.** Discover how the continent was irrevocably changed by European colonization, the events that caused the wholesale displacement and decimation of the land's original inhabitants, and how the 50 states came to be formed.
 * === **For Advanced Information** ===
 * The National Archives Web site offers researchers links and contact information for exploring state archives. Archives hold historically significant documents and other media to benefit future generations. Each state page will offer information about the best way to access archival material.

Historical maps
== Map Skills - <span style="background-color: #f4f5f6; font-family: Georgia,Utopia,;">Maps are a great way for students to navigate their understanding of different topics. While it is useful for geography (of course), students can also use mapping to increase their understanding of a story in English, a lesson in History, and more. == media type="custom" key="28979483" media type="youtube" key="l0ohIbsOkFY" width="560" height="315" = GOVERNMENT/CIVICS: =
 * __ **Maps, Maps, and more Maps** __ - Historical Maps, Aerial Maps, and just about any other map can be found through the Library of Congress.
 * __[|OldMapsOnline]__ - an easy-to-use gateway to historical maps in libraries around the world. It allows the user to search for online digital historical maps across numerous different collections via a geographical search. Maps available for the tri-state area.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">The <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">[|U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) topographic maps] <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"> have accurately portrayed the complex geography of the Nation for more than 125 years.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">[|What Was There] ties historical photos to Google Maps, allowing you to tour familiar streets to see how they appeared in the past.
 * ** [|ArGIS Online] ** - a digital mapping and data analysis program is available to educators grades K-12. Ready to use ** [|GeoInquiries] ** are available in the areas of: ** [|Earth Science] **, ** [|US History] ** and ** [|Human Geography] ** , but software can be incorporated into any subject or grade level. You can also sign up for a ** [|GeoMentor] ** to help get you started and give you ideas on how to incorporate the software into your classroom.
 * [|Map Maker Kits] - from Nat Geo - <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: GeographEditWeb,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> download, print, and assemble maps of the world, individual continents, and the United States in a variety of sizes - from mega wall size to single sheet. This site includes lots of activities to go along with the maps you print.
 * [|Mapping] - from National Geographic
 * [|Mapmaker interactive] offers students the chance to create and print their own maps, incorporate thematic data about the world, and supplement it with graphics and links of their own creation.
 * ** Making Sense of Maps ** offers a place for students and teachers to begin working with maps as historical evidence. It offers an overview of the history of maps and how historians use them, breaking down the ** elements of a map **, tips on what q ** uestions to ask when analyzing maps ** , and a guide to ** finding maps online **.
 * [|Scribble Maps] - Easily create and share maps. Maps can be printed, downloaded and e-mailed or embedded like the one below. No log in required.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #bc4cc4; font-family: Vollkorn; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none;">[|Tripline.net] - interactive maps you create with images, dates, and descriptions
 * =<span style="background-color: #f4f5f6; font-family: Georgia,Utopia,;"> Zee Maps - <span style="font-family: Georgia,Utopia,;">create and share interactive maps online for free - no login required. Users can add multimedia (images, video, or audio) in their markers and color code specific regions. =
 * Use this comprehensive directory of websites—selected and reviewed by staff from the [|Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County] to locate local, state and federal government information.
 * [|Ballotpedia] - The Encyclopedia of American politics
 * [|civicsrenewalnetwork.org] - <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #5a5a5a; font-family: &#39;Helvetica Neue&#39;,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">find the best resources, searchable by subject, grade, resource type, standards, and teaching strategy.
 * ||< [[image:http://www.ala.org/aasl/sites/ala.org.aasl/files/content/guidelinesandstandards/bestlist/right_nav_pods/icivics.png link="@http://www.icivics.org/"]] ||< ** iCivics ** [[image:http://www.ala.org/aasl/sites/ala.org.aasl/files/content/img/external.gif]] founded by Justice, Sandra Day O’Conner to help young people of all ages learn about branches of government ([|federal], [|state] and [|local]), citizenship, separation of powers, media influences on government, the budget, and the Constitution and Bill of Rights. In addition to games and webquests, iCivics provides lesson plans with supporting resources for teachers. Grades 3-12. ( AASL 2013 Best Websites for Teaching and Learning )
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #1155cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">[|YLI] <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">, a program of the <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #37679b; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[|University of Virginia Center for Politics] <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">, develops FREE education resources designed to assist civics teachers, and encourage students to participate in the political process. Grades K-12 <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">.

Federal Government & Constitution:

 * [|Annenberg Classroom] - This website connects award-winning, comprehensive curriculum on the Constitution and its amendments to daily civics news and student discussion. Includes a [|Constitution Guide], [|Timelines], [|Issues], [|Games and Interactives] and more!
 * ** The Biographical Directory of the United States Congress ** offers short biographies of every senator and representative in U.S. history.
 * ** The Center on Congress at Indiana University ** offers video, audio and interactive simulations that explain the <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">work and role of Congress to young people from grade school to voting age.
 * [|Charters of Freedom] - from the National Archives - <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #545454; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Information and images on several important historical American documents including the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights.
 * [|Congressional Timeline] displays legislation and current events from 1933 to the present. Includes examples of documents, photos, audio clips, transcripts, videos, and lesson plans all related to legislation.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">[|Historical Supreme Court Cases] - searchable, from the Library of Congress
 * [|Lincoln Memorial] : An interactive tour of this historic monument on the Washington Mall. Included are video talks from the park rangers who care for it.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: brandon-grotesque,HelveticaNeue-Light,;">[|Oyez Project] - A great resource on the US Supreme Court - transcript-synchronized and searchable audio, plain-English case summaries, illustrated decision information, and opinions. Oyez also provides detailed information on every justice throughout history and offers a panoramic tour of the Supreme Court building, including the chambers of several justices.
 * ** USA.gov ** covers ANYTHING to do with our government (past or present). It is a searchable database and covers topics from the Salem Witch Trials to current events.
 * ** The U.S. House of Representatives’ The House Explained page ** provides details on the legislative process, explaining how laws are made.
 * ** U.S. Mint ** - This site contains ** video clips ** about the history and ** //production of coins// **.
 * == CONSTITUTION ==
 * The [|Constitute] website allows you to read, search/browse and compare constitutions for countries of the world. Browse by country or topic.
 * [|Constitution Annotated] and it's [|app] contain legal analysis and interpretation of the United States Constitution by Library experts. This regularly updated resource is especially useful when researching the constitutional implications of a specific issue or topic. The [|Featured Topics and Cases] page highlights recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions that demonstrate pivotal interpretations of the Constitution's provisions. Teachers, students and anyone researching the constitutional implications of a particular topic can easily locate constitutional amendments, federal and state laws that were held unconstitutional, and tables of recent cases with corresponding topics and constitutional implications
 * [|ConstitutionFacts.com] - Read and learn about the Constitution, Declaration of Independence, Articles of the Confederation, Founding Fathers and the Supreme Court.
 * [|National Constitution Center] - Try the [|INTERACTIVE CONSTITUTION], ** [|CONSTITUTION HALL PASS VIDEO LESSONS] ,** CLASSROOM CELEBRATION KIT and other **LESSON PLANS, ACTIVITIES AND RESOURCES.**
 * [|NewseumED] uses the First Amendment as a springboard to bring history, civics and media literacy to life. Explore primary sources, interactive tools and lesson plans that make history resonate today and shed new light on current debates
 * [|Preamble Challenge Toolkit]- contains step-by-step instructions on how to put together your own Preamble Challenge to celebrate Constitution Day, which is being celebrated on September 18 this year! It provides activities, lessons and other ways to share the great work of your students and be part of this national celebration!
 * [|Scholastic - Celebrate Constitution Day] - a <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">special collection of Constitution games, articles, and activities.

State

 * The Ohio Legislature Use this link to find out more information on pending or current legislation or to find out who your State Senator or Representative is. (Thanks Ms. Shuja!)
 * **[|Open States]: Discover Politics in Your State -** Search by address or browse by state. Information includes the demographics and information on legislators, current and past bills, and committees.

Local Government:
<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #990000; display: block; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">
 * [|City & County Information, Town & Community Information] - Detailed, easily browsable profiles of cities and counties across the U.S. This is a great site if your students are researching Harrison, Crosby Township, etc.
 * ** [|Citi-Data] - ** research any city, zip code, or neighborhood for reports and research. The information includes: home value estimator, geographical data, state profiles, crime data, religions, political contributions, unemployment data, and many other categories.

Politics/Elections

 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,;">//Am I Registered? -// <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Calibri,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">easy resources that allow residents of [|Hamilton] and [|Butler] Counties to make sure they are registered, as well as get directions to the particular polling place they will need to use. (Thanks Conor Thomas)
 * ====<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,;">//[|The Campaign Trail]// - Interactive game - Pick your candidate and try to win a presidential election! ====
 * ===<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #990000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> [|Can I Vote] - This nonpartisan web site was created by state election officials to help eligible voters figure out how and where to go vote. ===
 * Need **__E____ditorial Cartoons__** ?
 * Try Today's Political Cartoon - search an archive of political cartoons from all over the country. Includes a [|Cartoons in the Classroom] section
 * **Student Daily News -** **[|Weekly cartoons]** <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Merriweather,Georgia,;">accompanied by a question requiring the student to demonstrate understanding of the cartoonist’s intended meaning.
 * [|Democracy and Me] - For this election year PBS Education has created tools, resources and creative solutions to introduce students to the political process. Topics explored are the process and history of elections; the local impact of national issues; and the Electoral College. Tools also include fast facts and an interactive, activity-based electoral map.
 * <span style="background-color: #f4f5f6; font-family: Georgia,Utopia,;">Make Beliefs Comix - <span style="background-color: #f4f5f6; color: #2779d6; font-family: Georgia,Utopia,;">templates centered around elections and politics <span style="background-color: #f4f5f6; font-family: Georgia,Utopia,;">.
 * **Mock Election**- is one of the oldest, largest, and most successful **voter education projects.** This year, Google is providing teachers with an online, customizable Mock Election Toolkit using tools like Google News and Google Maps to help students learn about elections.
 * **<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline;">[|How to Become President of the US Poster] - ** FREE download or poster can be mailed to you (limit 1 per person) - Use this colorful and informative poster (22x34in) to help you understand the process of becoming President of the United States.
 * ** [|The Living Room Candidate] ** Presidential Campaign Television Commercials - 1952-2008. This is a free online resource from the Museum of the Moving Image. It includes lessons that have been designed for use in high school Social Studies and English Language Arts . <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">You can use the <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #666699; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">[|Television Commercial Analysis Chart] <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"> to help guide student analysis of political commercials.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #666699; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">[|iSideWith.com] <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"> lets students take a short quiz to find out which candidate is their best match based on their own political opinions. Or, students can take this <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #666699; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">[|Political Party Quiz] <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"> to be part of a national survey conducted by the Pew Research Center to find out where they fit on the partisan political spectrum.
 * **<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">[|MapLight] <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #848484; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"> is a non-partisan, non-profit organization that connects data on campaign contributions, politicians, votes, industries, companies, and more to show patterns of influence. **
 * **<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline;">[|PolitiFact] : ** Winner of a Pulitzer Prize, this site claims to fact-check items and issues reported on the web and rate them on their "Beyond the Truth-O-Meter" and "Flip-O-Meter" pages. PolitiFact is a project of the Tampa Bay Times.
 * [|Race to the Whitehouse] - 6 activities covering 6 historical elections - Give students insight into our nation's election process with these educational materials.
 * [|The Redistricting Game]- provides a basic introduction to the redistricting system, allows players to explore the ways in which abuses can undermine the system, and provides info about reform initiatives. Beyond playing the game, the website provides a wealth of information about redistricting in every state as well as providing hands-on opportunities for civic engagement and political action.
 * **<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline;">[|Project Vote Smart] : ** This site contains millions of facts on candidates and government officials, including biographies, voting records, issue positions, ratings, speeches and public comments, and campaign finance information. Also includes information on interest groups.
 * **<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline;">[|Project Vote Smart] : ** This site contains millions of facts on candidates and government officials, including biographies, voting records, issue positions, ratings, speeches and public comments, and campaign finance information. Also includes information on interest groups.

= HISTORY = (For resources in World, US, and State and Local history go to the Just History page)

PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGION

 * BBC on [|world religions] - This is a great site if your students are doing research on religions. Includes: beliefs, customs, holy days, views of social/ethical issues, history, and much more.
 * [|Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy] - a peer-reviewed academic resource
 * [|Philosophy Pages] - This site offers helpful information for students of the Western philosophical tradition. The elements you will find on this site include a Dictionary of Philosophical Terms and Names, a History of Western Philosophy, a Timeline, a detailed discussion of several major Philosophers, and a summary of the elementary principles of Logic. (Thanks Ms. Shuja!)

PRIMARY RESOURCES AND HOW TO USE THEM
(see the Primary Resources page)

SOCIAL ISSUES
(for resources <span style="color: #ff5b00; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;"> to help students in debates, speeches, persuasive essays or projects dealing with controversial topics and social issues see the Debate Resources page)

VIDEOS/MULTIMEDIA

 * (Also see Videos Online page) **
 * For MULTIMEDIA: **, go to **Hippocampus.**
 * Other Videos:**
 * [|C-Span Library] - find and view congressional debates, political rallies, political ads, presidential debates, and so much more.
 * **Frontline Online Videos**- Offers full-length videos from their collection of Frontline programming.
 * YOUTUBE CHANNELS
 * <span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; line-height: 1.5;">[|HipHughes History] <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #555555; font-family: arial,sans-serif; line-height: 1.5;"> is a series of upbeat, personable and educational lectures designed for students. Videos primarily focus on US History and Politics but span across World History and general interest.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #555555; font-family: arial,sans-serif; line-height: 1.5;">[|Mr. Betts Class] - provides education and humor on all subjects social studies related.