One of the most popular Wilson Quarterly essays ever (and by far the funniest) was Anders Henriksson’s brief history of Europe as told through the peculiar observations he had culled from papers written by college freshmen he had taught in Canada. As we wrote in introducing the piece in the Spring 1983 issue, paraphrasing George Santayana, “Those who forget history are condemned to mangle it.”

Visual Capitalist is a website that focuses on visualizing and explaining complex data, trends, and information through engaging infographics and visual content. The website covers a wide range of topics, including economics, finance, technology, science, history, and more. The infographics often accompany articles that delve into various subjects, providing insights into global trends, market dynamics, and historical events.

John F Kennedy's original gravesite at Arlington National Cemetery, Jan 1966. Click the picture for a larger version of the photo. Click here for more information on Kennedy's gravesite. 

This article provides some interesting food for thought, asserting that the demand for political misinformation is a bigger danger to society than the demand.

This is cool little article from religionunplugged.com is just one of the many on this amazing website that could be of use to Social Studies teachers. Give the picture a click and go explore!

360financialliteracy.org is your go-to hub for both teachers and students passionate about financial education. Teachers can harness its wealth of tools and engaging materials to empower students with essential financial skills, covering everything from budgeting to smart investing, while students can explore its interactive resources for a hands-on financial learning experience.

Students can use ConsumerFinance.gov to access a wealth of educational resources, including articles, guides, and calculators, to learn about personal finance and consumer protection. They can also utilize the "Ask CFPB" feature to get personalized answers to specific financial questions and concerns. It's a great resource for teens, parents, and teachers (since it also provides free lesson plans)!

Google Expeditions is a virtual reality (VR) educational platform developed by Google that allows teachers to take students on immersive VR field trips to various educational destinations. Teacher can guide students through 360-degree photospheres and 3D scenes, enhancing learning through interactive and engaging virtual experiences. Click the picture to find out more! (BTW: While the picture to the left says "Geography," Google Expeditions features a whole host of other disciplines/subjects. 

These infographics cover everything from beach obstacles to size comparisons of landing crafts. Definitely worth a click. 

Personnel and equipment arriving at Normandy by air and sea following the D-Day invasion of 1944. 

This brief article on "What is a deadbeat?" may be of interest to students as they explore concepts related to credit card debt and how to manage it responsibly.

The website learningforjustice.com encourages teachers to elevate their classrooms with the power of equity and inclusion. The site offers cutting-edge resources in the form of lessons, student texts, teaching strategies, film kits, printable posters, and more. It's a great way to push your students further down the path of becoming the change-makers this world needs.

Annenberg Classroom's free resources include over 65 videos on constitutional concepts and Supreme Court cases, as well as games, lesson plans, timelines, downloadable books, etc. It is a multi-award-winning website with loads to offer. 

17-year-old Marcus Sarjeant shoots blanks at Queen Elizabeth II in 1981. Click the picture to read more about this iconic photo; click here to read about John Heasman, the man who was the first to tackle Sarjeant in 1981 and who also ended up taking part in the queen's funeral in 2022. 

This brief overview of a potential economics assignment asks students to take public selfies with content related to their in-class material. Intrigued? Click the link/picture to read more. 

If you're not familiar with OpenStax, it offers free, comprehensive educational resources for teaching and learning United States history in K-12 settings. It provides accessible textbooks, interactive materials, and teaching aids to enhance the understanding of American history for students and educators.

This essay by the French-American writer, farmer, and naturalist Jean de Crèvecoeur, provides insight into the transformative experience of arriving in the New World, highlighting the opportunities, freedoms, and social dynamics that contrast with Europe. It captures the sentiment of a "new man" who leaves behind old prejudices, adapts to a new way of life, and becomes an American by embracing the values of industry, self-interest, and a distinct sense of belonging in a diverse society. Also, here's a cool lesson plan that uses the essay.

Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Combined Circus: The Congress of Freaks (1924).

Front row, from left to right: Ajax the Sword-Swallower, unknown, unknown, seated: Schlitze the Pinhead (and star of Tod Browning's Freaks), unknown, one of the Carlson Sisters, Major Mite the Smallest Man on Earth, Tom Ton, Slats Skeleton Sheik, the other Carlson Sister, Jeannie, Tomaini, Cleo the Snake Charmer, Twisto the Human Knot, and an unidentified trio of sax playing sisters.

Back row, from left to right: unknown, Clikot the African Bushman, Either Eko or Iko, one of the Ambassadors from Mars, Koo Koot the Bird Girl (also featured in the movie, Freaks), Baron Paucci, unknown, Jim Tarver the Giant, The Dancing Doll Family of Midgets, again either Eko or Iko, unknown, Ho Jot the Bear Boy.

While teachingamericanhistory.org does promote paid memberships, it also offers a great deal of free resources to history teachers. Just click on the Documents, Resources, Blog, or Podcasts tabs. 

American Yawp is a free and collaboratively built online U.S. history textbook that provides in-depth coverage of various historical periods and topics. It's a useful alternative to traditional textbooks and can be a great supplementary resource. The content is a bit dense, but it's also spectacular!

The little-known story of how a group of Native Americans "reclaimed" Alcatraz Island in 1969 is sure to pique students' interest. Also, the short proclamation that the Indians produced provides an excellent opportunity for both historical and rhetorical analysis and examination. This piece might fit well in either a history class or AP Language. 

This website provides a solid step-by-step lesson plan with plenty of resources to help students explore the question of music has the power to influence societal attitudes and promote social change. It also asks some interesting questions such as "What defines protest?" and "What commonalities can be seen amongst songs of protest?"

With DocsTeach, teachers gain access to a vast collection of historical documents, photographs, maps, and more, allowing them to create dynamic and immersive learning experiences that empower students to become active participants in the study of America's past. Created and maintained by the National Archives, Docsteach provides interactive activities and curated primary sources, fostering critical thinking and a deeper understanding of U.S. history.

This YouTube channel's description states, "Welcome to the chronicles of history that was never covered in high school. This is for the extreme, the unexpected, the untold and the flat-out weird parts of history. Because as weird as people seem today, we don't hold a candle to history."

This super short article details the giving away of a number of U.S. lighthouses to those who commit to keeping them preserved. It's an easy but thought-provoking read that could spur readers to ask a number of questions such as, "What other infrastructure could be come obsolete in the future?" and "Why do some feel that these pieces of history are worth preserving?"

This cool infographic gives a visual example of what Western female fashion looked like from 1784 to 1970. How might you tie this in with a study of a historical event from one of these years?

The attitude that "kids these days" are rude, thoughtless, irresponsible, irreverent, etc., has been around a long, long time... and yet society continues to advance. Take a look at some of these attitudes from the 4th century through the 1990s. Are you guilty of making any remarks like these?

There are obviously lots of great YouTube history channels out there, but this one contains some truly quirky topics that might help add some flavor to your curriculum (like why Russians loved sunflowers), along with more mainstream topics (like what the founding fathers would think about America today).

While Charlie Chaplin is, of course, known for his comedy, few are familiar with the powerful and sobering speech that his character Hynkel delivers at the end of the film "The Great Dictator."

The uniquely American phenomenon of affecting a put-on British accent is interesting to say the least. Where and how did this ubiquitous act originate? What insight does this practice give in to those that engage in it What say about American society as a whole? (Be warned that there is some inappropriate language in this article.)

SHEG produces free curriculum resources designed to improve historical literacy. Their "Beyond the Bubble" assessments use historical sources to prompt student inquiry and critical thinking. These assessments are particularly useful for preparing students for the DBQ (Document-Based Question) section of the AP U.S. History exam.

Immerse yourself in a captivating journey through American history with the U.S. History Scene website. Discover a treasure trove of expertly curated articles, engaging lesson plans, and thought-provoking resources, all crafted by historians and educators. Uncover fresh perspectives, untold stories, and enrich your teaching with this dynamic platform that breathes life into the study of the past.

The Getty Museum is known for its focus on art and culture on a broad scale, and their educational resources include lesson plans, activities, and multimedia materials centered around various art-related topics and cultural themes. First click on a category of interest, then click on the "Lesson Plans" link on the right side of the page.

This website, developed by Visa, provides free educational resources on personal finance. The link takes you directly to 9-12 lesson plans that focus on everything from researching and buying a car to understanding charitable giving.

NGPF is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving financial literacy among students. Their website offers a HUGE range of resources, including lesson plans, activities, case studies, and games that cover various personal finance topics. It takes a few minutes to create a free account, but the resources (including quizzes and answer sheets that are password protected!) are well worth the time!

Unlock the power of legal education with Street Law's free case studies. Engage your students with real-world legal scenarios that foster critical thinking and problem-solving skills. From constitutional dilemmas to criminal law complexities, Street Law's case studies empower students to become informed and active citizens in the world of law and justice.

Histography is an interactive timeline that presents events from ancient history up to the present day. It combines data from various historical sources to create a visual representation of historical developments... and it's just tons of fun to explore!