Social Studies Education Resources
Associations/Organizations
- iEARN, International Education and Resource Network
- The organization iEARN helps teachers and students in over 115 countries work together online to produce collaborative projects, email and write papers together, and participate in service learning projects.
http://www.iearn.org/
- National Council for Geographic Education (NCGE)
- Find standards, lists of publications and other geography-related activities at the website of the National Council for Geographic Education.
http://www.ncge.org
- National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS)
- The mission of the National Council for the Social Studies is to "provide leadership, service, and support for all social studies educators."
http://www.ncss.org/
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Bibliographies and Research Guides
- American Historical Fiction
- A selected bibliography of historical fiction from pre-revolutionary America to the early twentieth century. Available from the Curriculum Materials Center, these titles are appropriate for grades K-8.
http://www.wpunj.edu/library/currmats/pdf_files/AmHistFict.pdf
- A Guide to Thanksgiving Literature
- Here is a selected list of books about the American holiday, Thanksgiving, for grades K-8. Available from the Curriculum Materials Center.
http://www.wpunj.edu/library/currmats/pdf_files/thanks2007.pdf
- Notable Social Studies Books for Young People
- Organized by broad subject categories, this annotated list highlights the past year's notable children's books (K-8) that explore cultural issues. A cooperative venture of the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) and Children's Book Council (CBC).
http://www.socialstudies.org/resources/notable/
- Teaching Asia: A Selected List of Books & Videos
- A selected list of resources available at the Cheng Library that can be helpful for developing units to teach about Asia in Grades K-12.
http://www.wpunj.edu/library/currmats/pdf_files/asia.pdf
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Databases
- PBS VIDEOindex Online
- Web index to over 300 PBS videos for grades 7 and up. Site includes lesson plan ideas, primary source materials, timelines and standards. Select "Search" or "Browse" from the opening screen to use it. Videos are available through Media Services in the Library. Database available to William Paterson community only.
http://videoindex.pbs.org
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Lesson Plans and Teaching Activities
- BrainPOP
- BrainPOP was created to satisfy a demand for a site where young people could learn about health, science and technology. Animation and information abounds on topics like skin, teeth and hair, asthma, diabetes, the skeleton, and others.
http://www.brainpop.com/
- Cybrary of the Holocaust
- Text-based learning materials and a section on historical perspectives and study are noteworthy. A unique web resource.
http://remember.org/
- Educational REALMS
- Focused on the teaching of science, mathematics, technology and environmental education, this website includes lesson plans, lists of organizations, journals and other resources for these subject areas. Sponsored by Ohio State University in Columbus, Educational REALMS was created after the discontinuation of the ERIC Clearinghouse for Science, Mathematics and Environmental Education.
http://www.stemworks.org/realmshomepage.html
- Electronic New Jersey, A Digital Archive of New Jersey History
- This digital archive of New Jersey history provides an in-depth study of the role New Jersey played in the American Revolution, in social protest during the 1960's and 70's, and in other significant historical events.
http://www.scc.rutgers.edu/njh/
- Food Timeline
- Links to ancient recipes, descriptions of ancient foods, and explanations of the development of various popular food items are listed and linked to further information in this timeline that covers from 17,000 BC to the present.
http://www.foodtimeline.org
- HangOut NJ
- New Jersey history, government, facts and famous people. Created by the NJ Office of Information Technology and the NJ Department of Education for elementary students.
http://www.state.nj.us/hangout_nj
- iEARN, International Education and Resource Network
- The organization iEARN helps teachers and students in over 115 countries work together online to produce collaborative projects, email and write papers together, and participate in service learning projects.
http://www.iearn.org/
- Library of Congress, American Memory Project
- The American Memory Project is a digital record of American history, containing documents, maps, photographs, moving images, sound recording and memorabilia from American life. The collection of over 5 million items chronicles daily life as well as major events. Searchable by broad subjects or keywords. The Learning Page includes sample lesson plans and other teaching suggestions.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/index.html
- National History Day
- "It's not just a day, it's an experience" is the slogan for the History Day competition for students in grades 6-12. Stressing strong research skills and the appropriate use of primary and secondary resources, the official website includes information about the contest, lesson plans and links to primary resources.
http://www.nationalhistoryday.org
- National Park Service: Learn NPS
- Information on parks as classrooms, historic places, and Great American Landmarks are given, and ideas for lessons based on these themes are included in this official site from the National Park Service.
http://www.nps.gov/learn/home.htm
- New Jersey Historical Commission
- Print and online publications, materials for teachers, links to New Jersey museums and
historical societies and related websites.
http://newjerseyhistory.org
- New Jersey Legislature's Kids' Page
- "How does a bill become a law?" and "What is the legislature?" are two of the questions answered here. Includes state symbols and puzzle pages.
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/kids/index.asp
- New Jersey Women's History
- Facts, images, documents and sample lesson plans are included in this web site designed
by the Women's Project of New Jersey in collaboration with Rutgers University Libraries
and the New Jersey Historical Society.
http://www.scc.rutgers.edu/njwomenshistory/
- Roebling Online History Archive
- A self-guided tour of the history of the John a. Roebling's Son's Company, makers of wire rope used in construction of the Brooklyn and George Washington bridges. This website contains oral histories and primary source documents. Part of the Virtual Invention Factory.
http://www.inventionfactory.com/history
- September 11 Archive
- This collection of Web materials is meant to preserve the Web expressions of individual people, groups, the press and institutions from around the world on the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. This site is a collaboration between the Library of Congress, the Internet Archive and webArchivist.org.
http://september11.archive.org/
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Software and Media
- PBS VIDEOindex Online
- Web index to over 300 PBS videos for grades 7 and up. Site includes lesson plan ideas, primary source materials, timelines and standards. Select "Search" or "Browse" from the opening screen to use it. Videos are available through Media Services in the Library. Database available to William Paterson community only.
http://videoindex.pbs.org
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Web Sites
- 50 States and Their Capitals
- Students can choose any state and find a listing of various quick facts about all 50 states in the U.S., including current population, what states border the particular state, climate, economy etc.
http://www.50states.com/
- American Memory from the Library of Congress
- The historical collections for the National Digital Library are helpful for history teachers and this site lists an important historical event for each day (for example, on April 5 the National Park Service was established in 1916). A great resource for teachers to use in constructing a motivating question, "What happened today in history?"
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/index.html
- BrainPOP
- BrainPOP was created to satisfy a demand for a site where young people could learn about health, science and technology. Animation and information abounds on topics like skin, teeth and hair, asthma, diabetes, the skeleton, and others.
http://www.brainpop.com/
- CIA's Homepage for Kids
- What does the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) do? Choose from the K-5th Grade or 6-12 Grade Homepages to learn about the CIA. Students can learn about the CIA Canine Corps or the investigate the CIA's Operation History. Other activities include "Try a Disguise," and "Break the Code."
https://www.cia.gov/cia/ciakids/index.shtml
- CNN en Español
- The popular news site delivered entirely in Spanish, with weather, news, and other features that focus on the worldwide Spanish-speaking community.
http://www.cnn.com/espanol/
- Cybrary of the Holocaust
- Text-based learning materials and a section on historical perspectives and study are noteworthy. A unique web resource.
http://remember.org/
- Educational REALMS
- Focused on the teaching of science, mathematics, technology and environmental education, this website includes lesson plans, lists of organizations, journals and other resources for these subject areas. Sponsored by Ohio State University in Columbus, Educational REALMS was created after the discontinuation of the ERIC Clearinghouse for Science, Mathematics and Environmental Education.
http://www.stemworks.org/realmshomepage.html
- Electronic New Jersey, A Digital Archive of New Jersey History
- This digital archive of New Jersey history provides an in-depth study of the role New Jersey played in the American Revolution, in social protest during the 1960's and 70's, and in other significant historical events.
http://www.scc.rutgers.edu/njh/
- Federal Emergency Management Agency for Kids
- The website of the Federal Emergency Management Agency teaches students how to be prepared for disaster, and how to prevent disaster damage. Useful for elementary students, the site allows students to play games, read stories and become a Disaster Action Kid.
http://www.fema.gov/kids/
- Food Timeline
- Links to ancient recipes, descriptions of ancient foods, and explanations of the development of various popular food items are listed and linked to further information in this timeline that covers from 17,000 BC to the present.
http://www.foodtimeline.org
- HangOut NJ
- New Jersey history, government, facts and famous people. Created by the NJ Office of Information Technology and the NJ Department of Education for elementary students.
http://www.state.nj.us/hangout_nj
- iEARN, International Education and Resource Network
- The organization iEARN helps teachers and students in over 115 countries work together online to produce collaborative projects, email and write papers together, and participate in service learning projects.
http://www.iearn.org/
- Library of Congress, American Memory Project
- The American Memory Project is a digital record of American history, containing documents, maps, photographs, moving images, sound recording and memorabilia from American life. The collection of over 5 million items chronicles daily life as well as major events. Searchable by broad subjects or keywords. The Learning Page includes sample lesson plans and other teaching suggestions.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/index.html
- National Council for Geographic Education (NCGE)
- Find standards, lists of publications and other geography-related activities at the website of the National Council for Geographic Education.
http://www.ncge.org
- National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS)
- The mission of the National Council for the Social Studies is to "provide leadership, service, and support for all social studies educators."
http://www.ncss.org/
- National History Day
- "It's not just a day, it's an experience" is the slogan for the History Day competition for students in grades 6-12. Stressing strong research skills and the appropriate use of primary and secondary resources, the official website includes information about the contest, lesson plans and links to primary resources.
http://www.nationalhistoryday.org
- National Park Service: Learn NPS
- Information on parks as classrooms, historic places, and Great American Landmarks are given, and ideas for lessons based on these themes are included in this official site from the National Park Service.
http://www.nps.gov/learn/home.htm
- New Jersey Division of Archives & Records Management
- The Division of Archives and Records Management operates the State Archives, the official repository for the study of New Jersey history and genealogy, and the State Records Storage Center. It includes records from nearly three hundred years of New Jersey history, including documents, maps, photographs and other records, many of them in digital format.
http://www.state.nj.us/state/darm/links/archives.html
- New Jersey Historical Commission
- Print and online publications, materials for teachers, links to New Jersey museums and
historical societies and related websites.
http://newjerseyhistory.org
- New Jersey Legislature
- Find information about bills, statutes, districts, legislators and the New Jersey legislature. View or listen to live proceedings. The Kids Page answers questions about the law-making process and includes state symbols and puzzle pages.
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/
- New Jersey Legislature's Kids' Page
- "How does a bill become a law?" and "What is the legislature?" are two of the questions answered here. Includes state symbols and puzzle pages.
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/kids/index.asp
- New Jersey Women's History
- Facts, images, documents and sample lesson plans are included in this web site designed
by the Women's Project of New Jersey in collaboration with Rutgers University Libraries
and the New Jersey Historical Society.
http://www.scc.rutgers.edu/njwomenshistory/
- Notable Social Studies Books for Young People
- Organized by broad subject categories, this annotated list highlights the past year's notable children's books (K-8) that explore cultural issues. A cooperative venture of the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) and Children's Book Council (CBC).
http://www.socialstudies.org/resources/notable/
- Roebling Online History Archive
- A self-guided tour of the history of the John a. Roebling's Son's Company, makers of wire rope used in construction of the Brooklyn and George Washington bridges. This website contains oral histories and primary source documents. Part of the Virtual Invention Factory.
http://www.inventionfactory.com/history
- September 11 Archive
- This collection of Web materials is meant to preserve the Web expressions of individual people, groups, the press and institutions from around the world on the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. This site is a collaboration between the Library of Congress, the Internet Archive and webArchivist.org.
http://september11.archive.org/
- United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
- The national memorial in Washington, D.C., is the source of documentation, study, and interpretation of Holocaust history. The site includes a database, links, and museum information.
http://www.ushmm.org
- White House for Kids
- This website, geared primarily towards elementary students, contains pictures of the president's pets, information on the White House Easter Egg Roll, information on school life in Afghanistan, current events, and other topics of interest to students.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/kids/index2.html
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Compiled by Yvonne Roux
Curriculum Materials Librarian
Last Updated: April 29, 2008
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