Embedded Files
US & World History, Economics & Geography Resources
I have put together a nice collection below, from a variety of sources but so has Kate over at the The EdTech Teacher - Best of History Websites that you may want to check out.
Curriculum
Curriculum
ADL’s education programs guide youth and adults to reject biases, appreciate differences and create welcoming environments.
Certell.org
Free social studies content created by teachers, for teachers. Trusted, standards-based, media rich, digitally delivered content.
The COR curriculum provides free resources to teach students to evaluate online information, which has become a prerequisite for thoughtful democratic participation.
K-12 economics and personal finance resources, lesson plans, videos, assessments, activities, professional development webinars, and more for educators.
Digital history lessons that sparks debate.
Research-based social studies curriculum that sparks historical research.
A wonderful collection of social studies content. Includes lesson plans, assignment ideas, etc.
The Zinn Education Project supports the teaching of people’s history, a more accurate, complex, and engaging understanding of history than is found in traditional textbooks and curricula.
The Humanities in Class Digital Library provides access to instructional resources and scholarly materials in support of humanities education. Resources are tagged by subject matter, topics and material type.
Current Events
Don’t be fooled by media bias and fake news. We display the day’s top news stories from the Left, Center and Right of the political spectrum — side-by-side so you can see the full picture.
An interactive data visualization tool that displays ratings of news (and “news-like”) articles and sources
This website allows students to see the Front Page news from various newspapers (print & online) to make comparisons on what is shared and what perspectives are given in headlines.
Bites Media is a news and information platform for middle and high school students that connects current events to civic and social principles. Each article contains 10-12 primary sources in one place
Checkology is a current events application that shows middle through high schoolers how to successfully navigate today’s challenging information landscape. Students learn how to identify credible information, seek out reliable sources, and apply critical thinking skills to separate fact-based content from falsehoods
Free resources for classroom discussions about the news - inspire students aged 9+ with informed and open-minded discussions about the biggest issues of our time, whilst helping them to develop essential critical-thinking and communication skills.
This online exhibition houses more than 300 TV commercials from every election year since 1952, including the 2020 election. The site includes a searchable database and features commentary, historical background, election results, and navigation organized by year, type of ad, and issue. Lesson plans on political ads are also available for download.
This site presents “the pro and con arguments
to controversial issues in a straightforward,
nonpartisan, freely accessible way.” Topics
include gun control, defunding the police,
school vouchers, and illegal immigration.
Each topic is further broken down into subcategories, and multiple voices speak for each
side, giving readers a granular, nuanced look at
every issue.
Daily Current Event Articles
On A Powerful Educational Platform. Students learn to evaluate sources, verify claims, recognize bias, and apply other key literacy skills necessary in today's world.
Advancing News Literacy throughout American society. When individual Americans are empowered and informed, our democracy is stronger. Sort fact from fiction.
Websites with Resources
Websites with Resources
Focused on high school students, the Big History Project is a joint effort between teachers, scholars, scientists, and their supporters to bring a multi-disciplinary approach to knowledge.
Outstanding database of engaging photos and videos that are related to social studies.
Awe inspiring collection of free multimedia resources that were specially made for classroom use.
Take advantage of one of the world’s largest collection of online digital resources for social studies.
Peruse a collection of U.S. history docs and other resources.
Access a treasure trove of Smithsonian resources.
A collection of historical and cultural items that are second to none.
This atlas highlights events that have occurred in U.S. history. The best part about the site is that it is highly interactive.
Amazing social studies resource that has a treasure trove of information.
Quality social studies resources that help teachers plan outstanding lessons.
A website that contains a cache of research-based resources which highlight American diversity.
A website that uses crowdsourcing to produce its outstanding resources.
Huge collection of primary source documents that produce a sound starting point for any historical research project.
New American History
Develop cross-curricular Project-Based Learning opportunities, develop station based learning experiences, teach students skills to evaluate print and digital resources, and recommend high-quality tools and resources for inquiry-based learning.
Untold
a free collection of short, compelling, history videos and animations designed to engage new audiences in a new conversation and shine a light on the stories that don’t always make it into the classroom and question what we think we know about those that do. Not everything worth knowing exists inside the cover of our history textbooks. Untold is here to fill in the gaps and bring new stories to life.
Facing History
This tool offers a wealth of resources for use on topics that address racism, anti-semitism, and prejudice throughout history. Teachers can find professional development opportunities here, and those who attend can borrow materials for free from the collection. There are a variety of lesson plans that include learning objectives and activities as well as links to text and video resources to be used in the classroom.
Google Arts & Culture is an online platform of high-resolution images and videos of artworks and cultural artifacts from partner cultural organizations throughout the world.
Is an interactive story map that allows students to explore the great diversity of cultures, communities, and artistic traditions that enrich the United States. Through abundant photographs, audio, video, short text, and first-person quotes, the story map addresses a variety of key themes, including immigration, migration, identity, heritage, and community
is a non-profit organisation that publishes free, high-quality historical content to advance historical literacy and improve history education worldwide.
Black History Stories
Black History Stories
Use the Image Board linked below to have students read and learn about the stories of several prominent
African-Americans and their accomplishments
BlackPast.org is one of the largest repositories of information relating to Black history on the web. The site features more than 13,000 pages, and the content is organized into three categories: African American History, African American History in the American West, and Global African History. Be sure to check out BlackPast in the Classroom for ideas and tips for using the site with students.
The Undefeated 44
The Undefeated 44
"This is not a list of The Greatest African-Americans of All Time or The Most Influential Blacks in History. Or even The Dopest Brothers and Sisters Who Matter Most This Week. It is a list — fervently debated among our staff, chiseled and refined — of 44 blacks who shook up the world or at least their corner of it. We recognize that this is not a complete list of jaw-dropping black achievers; we know that such a list would never run out of names. Why limit ours to 44? It’s an homage to the first African-American president, whose own stunning accomplishment was something our mothers and grandfathers and great-grandmothers never thought they’d see in their lifetimes."
The African Americans
The African Americans
MANY RIVERS TO CROSS
Noted Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr. recounts the full trajectory of African-American history in his groundbreaking series The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross. The series explores the evolution of the African-American people, as well as the multiplicity of cultural institutions, political strategies, and religious and social perspectives they developed — forging their own history, culture and society against unimaginable odds.
JuneTeenth Resources
JuneTeenth Resources
Teaching tools:
Freedom is in the Claiming (NYT 2020)
The Stuff of Astounding: A Poem for Juneteenth - Patricia Smith
Juneteenth: Symbolism, Ritual, and Meaning from Brown University's Choices Program
National Museum of African American History
10 Books for Adults, Teens, and Kids to Celebrate Juneteenth
Learning for Justice Teaching Juneteenth
Video
Vox: Why all Americans should honor Juneteenth
Womens History Month
Womens History Month
AANHPI Month
AANHPI Month
Resources
Resources
Smithsonian, Library of Congress, National Archives, and National Park Service all share AAPI resources, podcasts, and collection items. It also includes a K-12 Teacher's Guide.
AAPI History Hub is specifically built for educators. It includes K-5 and 6-12 planning guides showing where AAPI history fits into existing curricula, plus professional learning opportunities and tools for families.
Share My Lesson has a free AANHPI Heritage collection. Resources are designed for social science, ELA, and SEL integration, covering leaders in politics, science, sports, and the arts.
K-5 and 6-12 Lesson Plans from the Asian American Education Project
Oregon/Local Events and Resources
LGBTQIA+ History
LGBTQIA+ History
Pride Teaching Resources
Pride Teaching Resources
Frank Kameny & The Fight For Civil Rights
Facing History: Teaching Missing History
One Archive and UCLA LBTQ Lesson Plans
Podcast from Southern Poverty Law Center
Video from OPB on Marie Equi & Primary Documents from Oregon Historical Society
Elementary Booklist from GLSEN
National Park Services on the Lavender Scare
Teaching Stonewall Background Reading from Learning For Justice
Stonewall Riots Primary Documents and Powerpoint from SHEG
Stonewall Uprising High School Lesson Plan from Anti-Defamation League
Arab American Heritage Month
Arab American Heritage Month
Arab American Heritage Month Resources
Arab American Heritage Month Resources
Connections to the Classroom:
Exploring heritage celebrations aligns to many Oregon Social Science Standards. For younger students (K-5), Arab American Heritage Month provides an opportunity to build foundational understanding of cultural diversity, family, and community, exploring how people from many backgrounds contribute to shared American identity. For older students (6-12), the month opens deeper inquiry into U.S. immigration history, the experiences of historically marginalized communities, the role of stereotyping and media representation, and what it means to be an American. Essential Disciplinary Practice VII, the Civics concept Identity, Roles and Responsibilities (C.IR), and the History concept Communities and Pluralism (H.CP), requires exploration of perspectives, beliefs, and practices that support a more complete understanding of our pluralistic democracy.
Resources:
Arab American Foundation- Ways to celebrate throughout the month
Alif Institute- Programs and events
Arab American National Museum- a resource for Arab American history, arts, culture and contributions
Teach MidEast-Background and classroom resources on the history, art, culture of the region
Learning for Justice-Article on Arab American Heritage Month significance
K-5 Books -Read aloud and read along books for elementary school
Jewish Heritage Month
Jewish Heritage Month
Jewish American Heritage Month Resources
Jewish American Heritage Month Resources
Jewishamericanheritage.org is the official national hub, run by the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History. It includes filterable lesson plans and professional learning opportunities searchable by subject, theme, and grade level. There's also a dedicated educator toolkit.
Jewishheritagemonth.gov is a portal with resources from The Library of Congress, National Archives, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, and U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.
ADL Education has a JAHM-specific resource collection that includes lesson plans, videos, an educator Q&A guide, and a recommended book list for elementary and middle school covering Jewish culture and antisemitism.
Institute for Curriculum Services (ICS) offers virtual trainings, mini-lessons, and a video on Jewish American identity, history, and experience, all available through a special JAHM webpage and a ICS virtual workshop on: May 6, May 13, and May 20, 2026. Educators receive compensation upon completion.
Center for Jewish-Inclusive Learning just launched this week. The Jewish Education Project unveiled a new digital portal just ahead of JAHM, housing curated curricula from multiple content providers so educators have a centralized place to find materials about Jewish history, people, and identity.
Prizmah includes resources on Antisemitism for Schools and Students curated to support school professionals address and teach about modern antisemitism.
Videos, articles and additional classroom resources on Jewish Americans by UnPacked for Educators.
Genocide Resoruces
Genocide Resoruces
April is Genocide Awareness Month with several pivotal commemorative dates: the start of the Rwandan Genocide against the Tutsi, Yom HaShoah/Holocaust Remembrance Day, the beginning dates of the Cambodian and Armenian Genocides. Teaching the history of genocide supports students in understanding how ordinary societies can collapse into mass violence, what warning signs look like, and what individuals and institutions can do to prevent and intervene.
GAMES AND SIMULATIONS
GAMES AND SIMULATIONS
GAMES AND SIMULATIONS
GAMES AND SIMULATIONS
Dive into engaging civics and law-related education programs. Students of all grade levels can learn more about the values and skills essential to being a responsible citizen.
Is an easy and effective way to incorporate current events and the political process into the classroom. The platform is entirely online, and just like Fantasy Sports apps, all of the points students earn tally up automatically.
Choose articles based on reading level, so you can use these articles for various ages and skillsets. Schools and districts closed due to the outbreak can request free unlimited access to Kids Discover Online.
This free, core academic website delivers videos, animations, and simulations for middle-school and high-school students.
The quizzes and puzzles are part of a general site called American Resources. They are arranged chronologically and thematically; the quiz questions are challenging, but there are only five per section.
This pick for best social studies websites allows students to “watch episodes, play games, and sing along to your favorite Horrible Histories songs!”
iCivics provides tools to help students learn about civic life. Teachers and students can access printable lesson plans, interactive digital tools, and award-winning games.
Hundreds of map-based quizzes to help you learn countries, states, cities, physical features and more.
Established by Congress, this interactive website provides free online resources for remote students of all ages who are learning more about the Constitution.
The quizzes and puzzles are part of a general site called American Resources. They are arranged chronologically and thematically; the quiz questions are good, but there are only five per section.
This site empowers learners to explore their own interests and collaborate with others to bring ideas to life.
60-Second Civics is a daily podcast that provides a quick and convenient way for listeners to learn about our nation’s government, the Constitution, and our history.
Google Sites
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