Films
So I found this on freetech4education.com. It is wonderful as the site, American History in Video, has 4000 videos from very reputable sources. What it does is allow you to make clips. It shows the words on the right side and lets you move easily to any point in the video. I created a clip from a History Channel film on the decision to attack the Hessians in the winter of 1776. You can use the link from the World History Educators site which explains how to upload a video. I would use the clips for my Power Points or to let my students put in clips into their movie maker projects.

I've put a number of video links on this site, so here they are all together - and I will add it as a link on the side of this page as will add to that link as I find more items.

• Academic Earth - video lectures. Better for you or your AP students
• Annenberg Videos - lots and lots of great video. Many from PBS and CBS and every topic in US history
• Hippo Campus - this has a complete US history course (as well as one for AP)
• HowStuffWorks (US history) Want to know how the cotton gin worked, or something about Jamestown, the Barbary Pirates, and the list goes on.
• Icue.com - my personal favorite. 2-3 minute film clips on every aspect of US history from NBC
• McGraw Hill - short films for every part of the US history course
• School House Rock - until you go here, you never knew how many existed to reinforce points in a fun way
• SnagFilms - streams entire movies
  

Cool New Site for Social Studies Teachers
One of the many super people I have met at AP Readings, started a business to see PowerPoints for teachers. Recently, she has added a free site that is filled with short movies, charts and Power Points that you can show in class, as well as "freebies" from her business. Above is a film which she has on her site which was a film aiming to convince Americans in 1949 that our capitalist way of life was the best way to go.

SparkNotes
Here is another review page. You do have to sign in using an e-mail, but you can take a 30 question AP US history test which not only gives you the answers, but also tells you the areas you need to study.

Great WWI Idea for US on the Homefront
Go here and have the get a set of colored posters from WWI such as the well known one above. The link also gives you a lesson plan and questions to ask your students. It works for both US and world history.

Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo
Okay, this is for next year, but it is an amusing bit from Jimmy Fallon, this past March and really gets into the finer points of the end of the Mexican-US War.

More Quiz Questions
It is amazing how many questions are out there if you want to look for them. Next year, I am going to have my students do some of them for each unit in addition to their study guides. Here are a bunch of different test questions broken up by unit.

Billy Joel "We Didn't Start the Fire"
Thanks to freetech4teachers for this one, but so many of us have used this video to teach post-WWII US/World History. Now, here are all the historical items behind the song and here are a mess of lesson plans that you might consider.

Embedding a Video Into a Power Point
It is amazing what one can find from a Google search. Watch the video above and you too can embed a youtube.com video into a Power Point. Wow!

Hundreds of Multiple Choice Questions
These are five stemmed questions which your students can do on their own. It breaks US history into 32 sections and has 50-60 multiple choice questions for each.

A Look at Lindbergh's Flight
This looks at Charles Lindbergh's flight to Paris with some period footage and some footage from an exact replica talking about what it was like. Obviously you don't have the time to show a 54 minute film in class, but perhaps after your state exam is over.

Sixty AP Multiple Choice Questions
Here are 60 questions you could give your students to review (and the answers are included as well).

Review for End of Year Tests
The AP exam in in little over 5 weeks and, at least in VA, our state exams come two weeks later. So I am putting together some things to help you help the kids review. I will also add a link on the left side in case you need this later. Please leave messages if you know of others.

Outlines & Online Texts
REA Outline
Online textbook that has a great search engine if kids need to look something up
Outline of US history by president
Princeton Review: tests for each unit (5 stemmed geared towards AP)
SparkNotes
Wikinotes
Wikibook

Quizzes (all of these except the Regents can be done on the computer and receive feedback)
AP History Quizzes
AP Study Notes - complete test
Brinkley's (Alan) American History - 4 stemmed questions for every chapter of US history
Course Notes Quizzes
McDougal Littell - you have to click on your state and then the book you want and then on the appropriate chapter and then on "chapter quizzes."
Glencoe - go to "chapter activities" at the bottom of the page and then to "self-check quizzes." Then click on a chapter and get to work!
Norton (AP) - Quizzes are here.
Regents Exams
Pearson Longman - Quizzes can be found chapter by chapter
SOL (VA state exam). While these are geared for the VA US exam, they should work for any non-AP class.
Teacher Made Questions
Teacher Made Questions - these are for the VA end of the year tests
Teacher Made Questions (more of them) - for the VA end of the year tests
Texas Questions

Review Material By President
If you look to my links, you can see a great outline of US history by unit. This one is set up by president and does a good job of quickly reminding students of what is important as well. It would be good to look at a few days before the final exam or the AP US test.

Thanks!

When I started this site and its companion ones (see side links) I thought it would be a good way to help the teachers in my school district.  But, thanks to the teachers helping me (two of whom are way outside of my school district) on this site and YOU, it has grown each month to where in March we had over 10,000 hits.   A number of you have linked this site to yours and/or featured it in your own blogs.  Additionally, I've received a number of e-mails with suggestions.  So thanks and please keep your ideas and site visits coming.  _ KenHalla

New Site for Pictures, Games, Primary Sources, Etc.
One of the teachers in my department found this. It's a great way to find resources that will help you teach US in a very easy format.

LIFE Photo Archive
Search millions of photographs from the LIFE photo archive, stretching from the 1750s to today. Most were never published and are now available for the first time through the joint work of LIFE and Google.

Monticello's New Exhibits
One of the many nice things about doing this blog is getting offers to read books, visit places, etc. While I didn't make it to Monticello for their new exhibits, one of the the people in my department, Tim Busch, did. (and here is an article from the 4/4 Wash Post) Here is his blog entry.

I had the privilege of attending Monticello's recently unveiled new, multi-million dollar Visitor's Center- the Thomas Jefferson Visitor Center and Smith Education Center- in Charlottesville, VA. Just as George Washington's estate at Mount Vernon had done a couple years ago, Thomas Jefferson's Monticello has added an extensive, informative and interactive visitor center to the visitor's experience. With the addition of these new facilities, visitors have the opportunity to really experience Thomas Jefferson's Monticello in an exciting and innovative way. As an educator, I found the new center to be full of excellent potential for school groups of all ages. More