Moving West with the Forts: Using an Interactive Map

Seventh graders practice reading maps and locating the forts stationed in Texas. Using the internet, they analyze westward movements from statehood to the Civil War. In groups, they complete a worksheet about the forts and share their...

Have you ever seen a movie about the romance of the American West with its buffalo, horses, cowboys, and endless frontier? The 13th installment of a 22-part series on American history presents the myths associated with the American West....

Ever wondered why there is a West Virginia but not an East Virginia? The resource answers questions like this one and more as it takes an in-depth and detailed look at the history of West Virginia and how it became a state. Several...

Here is a simple assignment that will introduce your young geographers to location, one of the five themes of geography, through an activity in which they map the directions and lines of latitude/longitude of where they live. 

Fort Sumter is a lasting emblem of the duration of the Civil War, and the American flag on its pole is a symbol of the Union's hard-fought victory. A short, informative video takes learners through the military strategies of the battle,...

Learners play a board game where their tokens must move Columbus west. They choose cards which give commands to move in a coordinate direction. They practice moving west, north, east, south by playing the game.

Can you read a map? Scholars use an interactive technology tool to analyze maps of various kinds to gather evidence and data to better understand their meanings and usefulness. Using newly obtained knowledge, they form an interpretation...

Come explore the bloodiest battle of the Civil War: the Battle of Gettysburg. But don't worry, there's no blood in this interactive map. Instead, users look at the sites where battles took place from start to finish while viewing old and...

Go West, young man! Scholars use PBS video clips, slide shows, and interactive materials to create a picture of Manifest Destiny in the American West. Using a variety of primary and secondary sources, young historians learn about the...

Tumbling tumbleweeds! Scholars work with video clips, primary and secondary documents, and song lyrics to uncover life in the Old West. They examine song's lyrics to uncover myths told in the 1930s about life in the Wild West.