Web Resources
These websites are trustworthy, vetted resources to find relevant multimedia materials, background information, research and more to support your social studies units. Students can access many primary sources, historical photographs, audio, film, news clippings and more to direct and enhance their learning. Teachers scroll down to the Inquiry-based learning, critical thinking, and literacy resources for strategies and lessons that meet HCSSS anchor standards.
Hawai'i & the Pacific
Hawai'i State Archives The primary collections consist of government records from the monarchy to the current legislative session, private collections of individuals and organizations, historical photographs, maps, and library collections specializing in Hawaiian history, culture, and Pacific voyages.
ʻŌiwi TV Produces top-quality documentaries, news and multimedia content from a uniquely Hawaiian perspective.
Papakilo Database From the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, ongoing development of a cutting edge and comprehensive “Database of Databases” consisting of varied collections of data pertaining to historically and culturally significant places, events, and documents in Hawai'i’s history.
Ulukau Strong collection of very useful books and journals from the 1800s to today on Hawaiian history, culture, language, and issues. Also includes many specialized collections important to Hawaiian research, such as the Hawaiian Music Archive, Polynesian Voyaging Society's archive, Hawaiian Place Names, Hawaiian Genealogy Indexes, Hawaiian Newspaper Collection, and more.
ʻUluʻulu is Hawaiʻi's official state archive for moving images. Located on the University of Hawaiʻi - West Oʻahu campus, the archive is dedicated to the care, preservation, and digitization of film and videotape related to the history and culture of Hawaiʻi.
UHM Library Digital Collections Comprehensive collection of images from across the Pacific, including historical photographs, maps, and posters.
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Maps, Aerial Photographs, & GIS Historical maps, aerial photographs, and data of Hawaiʻi, the Pacific, and parts of Asia.
U.S. History
American Antiquarian Society
More than 50,000 items including images, newspapers and more, in categories such as K-12 Digital Resources and Open Access Collections, primarily covering the colonial through antebellum period
Digital Public Library of America
Browse by topic, primary source sets, or subjects, and time periods to access openly licensed content held by the United States' archives, libraries, museums, and other cultural heritage institutions
Smithsonian's History Explorer
Search by resource type, grade level, historical era, and content area to find a wealth of materials from the Smithsonian Institutes.
Access audio, film, primary sources, periodicals, and more about our country and U.S. cultures.
Library of Congress Classroom Materials & Primary Source Sets
Library of Congress Digital Collections
Library of Congress Teacher Resources
New York Times The Learning Network
Educational resources for teaching using New York Times content. Click on the Social Studies block which lists resources related to U.S. History, Global Issues, Civics, or Social Studies Skills, or go to the main page and use the search bar to look for a specific topic or to see resources for other content areas.
LITERACY, INquiry-based learning, & critical thinking
A FREE resource to boost reading comprehension across content areas. Track assignments and student progress. Sign in with Clever, and you can import students straight from Google Classroom. Search by:
Content Type Reading Passages, eBooks, StepReads (differentiation), Article-A-DayTM Sets, Boost Articles, Challenge Articles, Collections for ELLs, Paired Texts
Activity Type Full Question Set, Express Question Set, Open-Ended Question Set, Inferring Question Set, Monitoring Question Set,Text Structure Question Set, Article-A-Day Vocabulary
Grade Level, Topic, Text Type (Nonfiction, Fiction, Poetry), and Lexile Level
Access more than 5000 high-quality texts
Use built-in alignments, levels and differentiation
Automate grading and view assessment data
Support core curricula with Book Studies
Build student background knowledge
Achieve reading stamina with Article-A-Day
Integrate through Clever Library and Google Classroom
Resources and Downloads to Facilitate Inquiry-Based Learning
From Edutopia: Find information, strategies, protocols, and tools to promote curiosity and engage students in asking questions, thinking critically, and solving problems.
Free content created by educators to improve critical thinking, reading, and writing skills, searchable by grade, lesson objective, and topic. Resources include lesson plans, strategies, and ready-to-use materials.
Provides free resources and strategies for educators, such as the Question Formulation Technique, or QFT, a structured method for generating and improving questions to stimulate inquiry.
Waipahu Intermediate School Library | 2022-2023 | Questions or Comments? Contact WIS librarian Lori Misaka at Lori.Misaka@k12.hi.us