Let’s be honest – creating lessons is SO FUN, but it is also so overwhelming sometimes. Often times, teachers borrow our lessons from so many places, but sometimes it’s hard to find reliable sources.
Below is a list of resources that I’ve found for Social Studies (that are free!) and I will continue to update as I find more! Most are for middle and high school, but you may also find some that have elementary resources as well, which I will explain in the description! Enjoy and have fun!
United States History
Becoming Us: This resource is new from the National Museum of American History that focuses on immigration and migration history. It’s organized into units that follow a different theme: Borderlands, Education, Policy, Belonging, and Resistance.
Densho.org: This website provides an interactive map about Japanese Internment, along with a ton of other resources to help teach about the Japanese American Internment during World War II. Sites of Shame under Learning Center is a great resources to show all locations of internment.
Gilder Lehrman: This website has a huge study guide that is tailored to AP U.S. History, but you can always reference it for yourself, or create lessons through the sources it provides!
iCivics: This website was created by Justice Sandra Day O’Connor to promote civic education. There are lesson plans and even better, online games. One of my favorites is Race to Ratify, which focuses on how the Constitution was ratified.
Native Knowledge 360*: Native Knowledge is a website that is created by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian. It focuses on Native American history and is a great compliment to the Since Time Immemorial curriculum mentioned above. – Has elementary lessons!
Since Time Immemorial Curriculum: Within Washington state, it is now required that we teach about tribal sovereignty curriculum. They have taken the time to create lessons and are constantly creating more too! – Has elementary lessons!
Teaching Tolerance: Teaching Tolerance wants to help teachers teach students to be active and educated citizens in our democracy and recognize diversity. Not only do they have lessons, but they also have Social Justice standards, strategies, and posters! – Has elementary lessons!
Zinn Education Project: This education website is based on Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States. The lessons focus on people who are not focused on as much in textbooks – people of color, women, workers, and other social movements. When I need a lesson idea, this is my go to!
World History
Big History Project: This project changes how you look at world history with learning about the history of the world from the beginning to present day. It’s a different approach and I’ve found it super interesting and great at making connections!
Crash Course World History: I’m sure you’ve heard of the Crash Course videos. Luckily, John Green also created a curriculum that matches with the videos – with handouts and everything.
World History for Us All: This website is a project from UCLA’s History Department, that focuses on teaching history more fluidly, rather than different civilizations being separated.
Resources for Both World and U.S. History
Anti-Social Studies: This website is created by a current history teacher, who focuses on creating lessons that promote a thorough social studies education. Her two curricula are AP World History and U.S. History.
New Visions for Public Schools: On this website, there are three different curricula: two for World History and one for U.S. History. There are curriculum maps and pacing calendars for each set of curricula. Each of the units also show the estimated number of days that they will take, so you can pick and choose which you’d like to implement and know how long they will take.
Stanford History Education Group: I love this website — like, it’s my number one choice for World and U.S. History. The Stanford History Education Group creates lesson plans that look at various sources and have students analyze them to answer a specific question. They have targeted skills they focus on, and even have assessments that link to the skills as well. Yes please!
TomRitchey.net: Tom Ritchey is where I get my AP U.S. History summer assignment from. He has all kinds of curricula, such as AP U.S., AP Euro, AP World, AP Gov, and World History.
Other Social Studies Subjects
Certell.org: I found this source when I was looking for something to create a finance unit after the AP Exam. They have 3 courses with full curricula – Economics, Government, and U.S. History.
CNN10: This isn’t necessarily a curriculum, but CNN produces a 10 minute show every school day that covers 3 current events stories. You can also sign up for daily emails that give you snapshots of what the next day will show and they also provide quizzes for each week (which only works if you watch it everyday). But I show this often when it relates to what we’re talking about in class or if it’s a major even that’s happening.
OER Commons: OER Commons is a website that is similar to TeachersPayTeachers, but it’s ALL FREE! It doesn’t just apply to Social Studies either, it covers all subjects! – Has elementary lessons!
PBS Learning Media: PBS Learning Media has a huge library with various videos that can teach about different social studies subjects, primarily Civics, Economics, Geography, and History of course. – Has elementary lessons!
Teaching Economics: These lessons focus on economics with a social justice theme. There are just 5 lessons on here, but they provide a different perspective with people in mind.
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