Fifth Grade Social Studies
Geography
Reading a Map from National Park Service
Great tutorial on reading maps, including topographical
From Sea to Shining Sea, Find Major Geographic Features of the United States
Pacific Northwest Video from the USDA
Beautiful scenery in this 2;36 minute video of the National Parks in the Pacific Northwest
States and Territories of the United States of America Animated Map form 1790 - Present
Symbols of the United States from Enchanted Learning
Colonial America
Online Interactive Historical Thinking Poster
Use this poster to help your students understand primary and secondary resources and how to do research.
Kids Zone from Colonial Williamsburg
Information in cartoon form with links to slideshows about life in Colonial times. Other features include Tour the Town, Games, and Meet the People.
Interactive Activities to learn all about Colonial Life through quizzes, panoramic views of the houses and land, learn about the different regions of the new world, dress up the colonists, video diaries, simulations, and challenges.
The Jamestown Online Adventure from History Globe
You are the Captain of the Jamestown Colony: Can you do any better than the real colonists? You will have a copy of the London Company's Instructions to help guide you.
Jamestown Challenge from the US Mint
Colonists from Annenburg
American Revolution
John and Abigail Adams, the Original Power Couple from PBS, 2006
Offers insights into the birth of American democracy, the American Revolution, life in the colonies, the Founders, the branches of government, lawmaking and politics. Learn about key people and events: John and Abigail, John Quincy Adams, Benjamin Franklin, King George III, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, the Boston Massacre, the Revolutionary War, the Continental Congresses, the Presidency and Vice Presidency, the Alien and Sedition Acts and more. Lots of interactive activities, maps, and primary sources.
Name that Founding Father Game
Famous Moments in Early American History
Short Films of Noteworthy Events. many images in these films are primary source documents - engravings, woodcuts, and drawings that date back to the early to mid-1800s.
Washington Crossing the Delaware
This simple game (just for fun) from the New Jersey State website challenges the player to guide George Washington across the icy Delaware River. The game is reminiscent of the 80's game Frogger where instead of avoiding cars, you dodge chunks of ice.
Interactive Map of the American Revolutionary War by Houghton Mifflin
Battles of the American Revolution by Scott Foresman
American Revolution and the Birth of a Nation Flashcards from Quizlit
A Day in the Life of a Powder Monkey
Find the different parts of the U.S.S. Constitution and help deliver gun powder to the cannon during a battle.
Timeline of the Revolution from PBS Liberty Series
Government
Exploring Monticello, An Inside Look at Washington DC, Exploring Mount Vernon, Our Nation's Capitol, Congressional Record, Presidential & the Constitution
Test your knowledge of the Constitution. Can be done with clickers in verbal mode.
21 YouTube Videos that Help Make Learning the Constitution Fun
Westward Expansion
The Lewis and Clark Expedition from the US Mint
Lewis and Clark Map 1814 from Google Maps Gallery
The map combines three layers: the 1814 published map of the Lewis and Clark expedition which was based on William Clark’s manuscript map and engraved by Samuel Lewis; a vector layer in red showing the route of the expedition going out and returning in the period 1803 to 1806; and a vector layer in green showing the 591 separate campsites of the expedition along the route.
Interactive Map of Westward Expansion by Houghton Mifflin
Interactive Map, Trails West from Houghton Mifflin
The Oregon Trail by America 101
Interactive site with lots of information, videos, maps, panoramic views, and much more. Teacher's Guide available
Buffalo Slide Show from Cyberbee
You Be the Historian from Smithsonian Institute, Buffalo
Smithsonian's Star Spangled Banner
Using this interactive tool, students can click on hotspots and learn something new about the flag each time they click. They can also zoom in on the image of the flag in order to see incredible details.
Civil War and Reconstruction
Free Civil War Movie from BrainPop
Comes also with quiz. You could use clickers in verbal mode.
The Time of the Lincolns from PBS American Experience
Photo Galleries, Political Cartoons, Timelines, Virtual Tours, and Videos all available from the menu on the left side of screen
It is time to choose sides during the Civil War. Which side will you be on, North or South
People of the Civil War from Scott Foresman
Water Color Sketchbook by Private Henry Berckhoff, 8th New York "German Rifles", 27 May 1861 to 23 May 1863
What did the Civil War look like to the soldiers who fought in it? The pictures in this exhibition were drawn by a young Union soldier, Henry Berckhoff, during the war. Berckhoff sketched these pictures in graphite and later added ink and watercolor. He also attached the images to paper boards and bound them together. Berckhoff's paintings of large groups of soldiers marching and fighting are shown in part one of this exhibit. In part two, there are more personal and solitary scenes of camp life. His drawings allow us to see the Civil War through a soldier's eyes.
Quiz on Civil War: Reconstruction Era
Political Cartoons from Harper's Weekly 1860
20th and 21st Century
Technology at Home from KERA, A Science Odyssey
Online Tools
Timeline Builder from Thinkport
This builder will help you construct a timeline, adding events, descriptions, and images that help bring content alive.
Letter Generator by Read, Write, Think