Social Studies
Mapping Skills
Reading a Map from National Park Service
Great tutorial on reading maps, including topographical
Geography mapping tool to see the elevation of the land. Move your cursor across the chart to view where that point is on the map.
Explore the world through photographs with the help of Google and Flickr.
Time Lapse in Google Earth Engine: Watch how the satellite images of the world have changed over the last 20+ years. Choose a location on the map and Time Lapse will show you how that location has changed via satellite in motion.
National libraries and the U.N. education agency put some of humanity's earliest written works online. The antiquities range from ancient Chinese oracle bones that might be more than 3,000 years old to the first extant European map of the New World, dating back nearly 450 years. A web site in seven languages -- English, Arabic, Chinese, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Russian -- leads readers through a trove of rare finds from more than a dozen countries. The site also has early photographs, films, and audio tracks.
Sketchfab from The British Museum
View over 200 3D models of historical objects from the British Museum. Manipulate the models online, view using Google Cardboard and download the models to print on a 3D printer.
See a map of the world with links to creatures and sounds of the area.
Provides information on the history, people, government, economy, geography, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues for 266 world entities. Our Reference tab includes: maps of the major world regions, as well as Flags of the World, a Physical Map of the World, a Political Map of the World, and a Standard Time Zones of the World map.
Answer questions about world geography and history by placing pins on Google Maps. Start with 1000 miles. Miles deducted by how far the pin is placed from correct location. Game ends when miles are gone.
A blog about geospatial technologies and everything awesome around it. We are passionate about gis, maps, location-based apps, geomarketing, drones and remote sensing. With a team of people from all around the world, with different backgrounds, cultures and interests we aim to be not only the best geo-news platform but also to provide constructive commentary about all awesome stuff that are happening in the geo-industry.
Virtual Field Trip
A Scholastic product, Global Trek allows curious students to "book" fake trips anywhere on the globe. After picking their travel dates and selecting their itinerary, students get the opportunity to learn more about their "destination."
Kahoot style game for Social Studies. Option of choosing categories and regions of the world. Autoplay option (so the game just goes without user input) and also the number of rounds. Users on mobile devices will join the game using game id and their chosen name.
Fun Google Maps powered game where players drop a pin in a location to answer a question.
North America
USA Geographic Regions Tutorial
From Sea to Shining Sea, Find Major Geographic Features of the United States
Interactive Tour, Inside The Whitehouse
Pacific Northwest Video from the USDA
Beautiful scenery in this 2:36 minute video of the National Parks in the Pacific Northwest
National Geographic Online Interactive Atlas
Ancient Mysteries, Maya Pryramids of Chichen Itza video from National Geographic
Windows to the Universe, Mythology of the Maya
Learn about Mayan myths related to objects in the sky, and aspects of their world, available in English and Spanish with three different reading levels.
Central America and the Caribbean
Panama from National Geographic
Panama Fact Sheet from National Geographic Kids
South America
Panoramic view of Rio de Janeiro
The Mystery of Machu Picchu video from National Geographic
Macchu Picchu, Panoramic Views and Virtual Tour
Great site
Ancient Mysteries, Mystery of the Akapan Pyramid from National Geographic
Free Virtual Field Trip to Peru from How Nature Works
Europe
In many ways we are still living in a Renaissance world, and you can see the origins of our world in the visual arts of the Renaissance. Visit The Renaissance Connection and explore Renaissance art and history in the Art Explorer. Trace modern innovations back to the Renaissance with the Time Telescope; then create your own future innovation in Innovations 1400–2000. Hire an artist to create a work of art that gets you noticed as a Patron of the Arts.
Warning, Nude Paintings
Can your students imagine what it would be like to be in an ancient battle, lost in a jungle or swimming in a river on a sunny summer’s day? At London’s National Gallery, your students can view three “noisy” paintings. Each painting has a short description of what it is and has lots of noises to go with it. The noises should help students imagine what it would be like to be inside the painting. The sensory words also help to build your students’ vocabulary.
Russia and Eurasian Republics
The World Fact Book, Russia from the CIA
Russia Country Profile from BBC News
The Face of Russia from pbs
Browse this collection of photographs from Imperial Russia. There are many high resolution images taken before the Bolshevik Revolution.
Russia in Color, A Century Ago from the Big Picture 1910
Southwest Asia and North Africa
The Story of Africa from the BBC
Walk Like an Egyptian Music Video from Flocabulary
This song overs the ancient Egyptian civilization that flourished along the Nile River.
Take a tour of the site and you'll find biographies, a "day in the life" interactive, a richly illustrated timeline, a virtual image library, an in-depth section on hieroglyphs, and an archive of free, on-demand video clips--which are also integrated into the site's eight lesson plans.
Online hieroglyphic typewriter. Write your message and just print it out or email a link.
African Voices from the Smithsonian
Navigation is at the bottom of the screen
Sub Saharan Africa
The CIA World Fact Book Middle East
Hover the mouse over the country to get the name.
Online Atlas of the Middle East
Click on the country for details
Victoria Falls of the Zambezi River between Zambia and Zimbabwe Panoramic View
Scroll down on page for interesting video and images
Citizen science project where users are asked to classify animals on the Serengeti from camera traps to help real scientists survey and track populations of important and endangered wildlife.
African Voices from the Smithsonian
The Story of Africa from the BBC
East Asia
Simple Slide Show, but good information
Visions of China, Super Power from CNN
History for Kids to learn more about China
This site is organized by subject and is appropriate for self study for Grades 4 and up. It also includes a helpful
Introduction to the Chinese Calendar
Children can learn Chinese symbols and letter characters.
The Virtual Museum of Japanese Arts
Plan and set up an entry for the classroom Museum of Innovation that focuses on technological and scientific innovations and inventions originating in East Asia. Include an image, description of the innovation (what it does, how it came about), and explanation regarding how the innovation shaped the world.
South Asia
Vietnam, from the CIA World Factbook
Angkor Temple Guide: Angkor Wat
Ancient Mysteries, Lost City of Angkor Wat Video from National Geographic
Three minute video from National Geographic
A Journey Across India from Google Cultural Institute
Information and Pictures of a tour across India. Many interactive google maps, street view for 3D views.
South Asia: Winter and Summer Monsoons from National Geographic
Holi, The Hindu Festival of Colors
Google Play, Vern: The Himalayas
Explore Google Maps’ beautiful 3D imagery of the
Himalayas alongside a 500 foot Yeti named Verne.
Australia, Antarctica, and the Pacific Rim
Australia from National Geographic
Virtual Tour of Sydney Scroll down page for Panoramic Views of Sydney
Sydney Opera House, The Story Begins Here from Google Institute
Videos (old and new), Interactive Panoramic Views, Images, Artifacts
Virtual Tour Interactive Video of Sydney Opera House, YouTube Video
As the video plays, different panoramic views that the viewer manipulates to see all around. The symphony and opera perform throughout.
Lesaloft, Panaramic Views of Australia and others
Australia Statistical Profiles: Key tables from OECD
Secrets of the Empire, Easter Island from Nova
Information, images, and panoramic views, and interactive games, Move the Moaii and How Big Were They
All About Oceania Games by Shephard Software
Museum of New Zealand Collections Online
Collections Online has information on over 500,000 artworks, objects and specimens from Te Papa's collections, from dinosaur teeth to contemporary art, as well as information on people, places, topics, species, and research from the curators.
Collective Resources
Different types of video options for a virtual visit to places around the world. 360 video gives students the power to explore a space from every angle.