EDSITEment | The Best of the Humanities on the Web

Features

Features are highlighted collections of resources that can be used to support related lesson plans or as standalone activities in the classroom. Browse our library of features by grade level or subject area below.

History & Social Studies

I Have a Dream: Celebrating the Vision of Martin Luther King, Jr.

On the third Monday of January, Americans celebrate the life and achievement of one of our most respected citizens -- Martin Luther King, Jr.

Literature & Language Arts

Pursuing Melville: “A Dead Whale or a Stove Boat”

An overview of resources for Herman Melville, “Moby-Dick,” and whaling in the 19th century.

History & Social Studies

Presidential Inaugurations: A Capitol Parade on a Cold Winter's Day

The cornerstone of the inaugural ceremony is the inaugural address. Each president attempts to outline in the course he hopes to follow over the coming years in just a few short pages.

Art & Culture

Emanuel Leutze’s Symbolic Scene of Washington Crossing the Delaware

On Christmas Night 1776, Washington crossed the Delaware River to attack Britain’s Hessian army at Trenton.

History & Social Studies

Tracking John Steinbeck in "The Grapes of Wrath"

Steinbeck scholar Susan Shillinglaw teams with Bill Gilly, professor of Marine Biology at Stanford University’s Hopkins Marine Station to discuss the influence of Steinbeck’s best friend, marine biologist Ed Ricketts, on Steinbeck and his work— in particular, "The Grapes of Wrath."

History & Social Studies

Electoral College

The Constitution provides for the president to be selected by an Electoral College, not by direct popular vote. Yet the Electoral College is one of the least understood aspects of the original Constitution.

Art & Culture

Poinsettias, Posadas, Piñatas, Pathways of Light! Holiday Traditions from Mexico

This holiday season learn about different cultural traditions of Mexico! Attend a fiesta, break a piñata, make a traditional feast, sing popular songs, and decorate with poinsettias, a flower prized by Congress and the Aztec nobility.

Literature & Language Arts

Fiction and Nonfiction for AP English Literature and Composition

The selections within this listing represent frequently taught authors and texts in AP English Literature and Composition.

Literature & Language Arts

Twenty-One Poems for AP Literature and Composition

For each of the twenty-one poems or poetic forms for AP Literature and Composition, students and teachers will find a link to the poem and multimedia resources. These include EDSITEment lessons as well as EDSITEment-reviewed websites that discuss the poem, the poet, and its context.

History & Social Studies

Pompeii and the Eruption of Mt. Vesuvius

Use this feature to understand the lives of people in Southern Italy before, during, and after the famous eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 CE, as well as learn how it inspired Neoclassicism.

History & Social Studies

Sophocles, Socrates, and the Greek Polis

This feature guides students through Ancient Greek civics as told by philosopher Socrates and playwright Sophocles.

Literature & Language Arts

American Literature Lessons — Nineteenth Century

Through this collection of over 30 lessons, students can explore the great American authors of the 1800s, including Edgar Allen Poe, Emily Dickinson, Walt Whitman, and Mark Twain.

Art & Culture

EDSITEment's Back-to-School Lesson Plans

Interdisciplinary multimedia resources for your classroom this fall.

History & Social Studies

EDSITEment's 4th of July: Protest, Revolution, and Independence

A complete listing of EDSITEment's lessons on the causes, the course and the consequences of the American Revolution and Independence

Literature & Language Arts

EDSITEment's Recommended Reading List for College-Bound Students

Gear high school students up for college with this collection of lessons based on College Board's recommending reading lists.

Art & Culture

The Olympics

To mark the 2012 Olympics, head back to the ancient city-state and Classical Greek civilization. Examine Greek values and cultural assumptions about human excellence and competition. Then, explore the great city of London, site of this year’s Games, as well as the 1908 and 1948 Olympics.

Art & Culture

Fallingwater—Frank Lloyd Wright’s Powerful Union of Architecture and Nature

Use Frank Lloyd Wright's masterpiece, "Fallingwater," to learn about 20th-century architecture and Wright's prolific career.

History & Social Studies

How Teachers Can Make the Most of "When Worlds Collide"

In this feature, Dan McDowell, AP World History teacher and consultant for the PBS film "When Worlds Collide" surveys the features of the companion website, indicating how the K-16 educational community can make the best use of these resources.

History & Social Studies

Slavery, the Crisis of the Union, the Civil War, and Reconstruction

This is an expansive multidisciplinary collection of EDSITEment resources on the antebellum and Civil War era of American history.

Literature & Language Arts

The Autumn of the Middle Ages: Chaucer and Dante

This page features resources relating to medieval literature, and presents information about the works of Chaucer and Dante. Learn more about these authors and Europe during Middle Ages by visiting the lesson plans and websites referenced on this page.

History & Social Studies

Literature of the Civil War

Read and discuss some of the great American writers and their work in the mid-19th century. This feature explores the themes of slavery, the role of women, and the experience of war.

History & Social Studies

"The War" on PBS

"The War," directed by Ken Burns, tells the story of the Second World War through the personal accounts of a handful of men and women from four quintessentially American towns.

History & Social Studies

Coming of Age in the Holocaust, Coming of Age Now

Coming of Age in the Holocaust – Coming of Age Now is a free, interactive curriculum for middle and high-school students and their educators that features individual testimonies of thirteen people who were adolescents during the Holocaust.

History & Social Studies

When the Games Were Held at Olympia

In 2004, the Olympic games were played in Greece -- more than 2,500 years after the first Greek Olympics. This feature compares the ancient and modern incarnations of the games.

History & Social Studies

The First Amendment

This page from EDSITEment features resources relating to the First Amendment of the United States Constitution and presents information about the history and application of the amendment.

History & Social Studies

Advanced Placement U.S. History Lessons

This feature describes EDSITEment’s library of Advanced Placement U.S. History resources and provides an index of these lessons aligned with APUSH topics.

Art & Culture

Jazz Appreciation Month: JAM

Every April, the National Endowment for the Humanities and other organizations recognize Jazz Appreciation Month. For 2012, JAM honors Frank Sinatra's contributions and the social activism of jazz artists around the world.

History & Social Studies

Voting in the Young Republic: George Caleb Bingham's "The County Election"

George Caleb Bingham's painting, "The County Election," highlights the growth of democracy in America as pioneers moved into the interior of the continent.

Foreign Language

Seis gigantes de la literatura hispana

Descubre algunos de los más grandes poetas hispanos.

Literature & Language Arts

Six Hispanic Literary Giants

Explore the great Hispanic poets, from 1600 to present.

Literature & Language Arts

Emily Dickinson: An American Poet for All Seasons

EDSITEment celebrates the life and work of American poet Emily Dickinson, including her talents as baker and gardener.

History & Social Studies

The Mexican Revolution: November 20th, 1910

The year 2010 marks the centennial (El Centenario) of the Mexican Revolution, an uprising that took place roughly between 1910 and 1920, recognized as the first major political, social, and cultural revolution of the 20th century.

History & Social Studies

The Constitution of the United States of America

Constitution Day commemorates the signing of our supreme law in 1787. EDSITEment's resources cover the Constitutional Convention, the text of the Constitution, the federalist debates, and much more.

History & Social Studies

We the People Bookshelf: A More Perfect Union

The We the People Bookshelf theme, “A More Perfect Union,” is the literary complement of library programs observing the sesquicentennial of the Civil War in American history and culture.

History & Social Studies

"Andrew Jackson: Good, Evil, and the Presidency" on PBS

This classroom guide assists teachers who wish to use PBS's documentary film "Andrew Jackson," with accompanying lessons and other resources.

History & Social Studies

Beauty, Culture, and History Hidden in Afghanistan

In celebration of a museum exhibit dedicated to Ancient Afghan history, check out EDSITEment resources on the Silk Road and South Asia.

History & Social Studies

Democracy in America: Alexis de Tocqueville's Introduction

A guide to Alexis de Tocqueville's landmark work surveying American republicanism in the 1830s.

History & Social Studies

Teaching Abraham Lincoln

Learn about the life and presidency of Abraham Lincoln, who overcame an impoverished rural childhood to become a great American leader.

History & Social Studies

Electing America's President

EDSITEment looks at the history of American presidential elections from George Washington to the present.

History & Social Studies

Chronicling America

This feature shows teachers how to use Chronicling America, an archive of old American newspapers, in social studies and literature lessons.

History & Social Studies

Celebrate "We Shall Remain" for Native American Heritage Month

EDSITEment celebrates the PBS series "We Shall Remain" for Native American Heritage Month and shows how it can be used in the classroom.

History & Social Studies

Harrowing Halloween: Spooky, Supernatural, and Suspenseful

Give your students a treat and explore the ghostly historical and the ghoulishly dramatic with a variety of online resources on Halloween.

History & Social Studies

Origins of Halloween and the Day of the Dead

Learn about harvest holidays in North America like Halloween and a similar Mexican holiday, the Day of the Dead.

Literature & Language Arts

National Poetry Month: Celebrating World Poetry

This National Poetry Month feature educates students about different poetic forms developed across time and around the world.

History & Social Studies

National Zoo and Aquarium Month: Preserving America’s Wildlife

June is National Zoo and Aquarium month, a good time to explore your local zoo and aquarium as well as the websites of America’s great zoos and aquariums. EDSITEment resources feature art and artists who have drawn attention to the need for protecting America’s vanishing wilderness and wildlife.

Literature & Language Arts

National Poetry Month: Forms of Poetry

In celebration of National Poetry Month, learn about the many styles of poetry -- short and long, structured and free-form, American and international.

Literature & Language Arts

National Poetry Month: William Shakespeare

In celebration of National Poetry Month, EDSITEment has highlighted lesson plans and websites about the great English poet William Shakespeare.

History & Social Studies

Statue of Liberty

This feature gives students a history of the Statue of Liberty and the waves of immigration to the U.S. around 1900.

History & Social Studies

Documenting African American History

Each February, Americans honor the rich and diverse history of African Americans. EDSITEment offers teaching resources to give students the chance to explore African American history through primary sources.

Art & Culture

The Gift of Holiday Traditions: Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, and Christmas

Each year, December brings a month filled with holidays, celebrations complete with a variety of gift giving traditions, and school vacations. Before departing to enjoy the break from school, take the opportunity to discuss with students ritual gift giving in their own families and across cultural holiday traditions.

Art & Culture

National Hispanic Heritage Month

The U.S. Government has set aside the period from September 15 to October 15, to honor the many contributions Hispanic Americans have made and continue to make to our nation by observing National Hispanic Heritage Month. EDSITEment honors them with these resources.

History & Social Studies

How Teachers can make the most of Prohibition

The NEH-funded PBS documentary Prohibition, produced by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, presents a compelling saga of the rise, rule, and fall of the Eighteenth Amendment and the era that encompassed it.

History & Social Studies

Native American Heritage Month

November is Native American Heritage Month, and NEH and EDSITEment have numerous teaching resources to help students discover Native American history.

History & Social Studies

Asian-Pacific Heritage Month

Asian-Pacific Heritage Month honors the contributions of Asian Americans. In celebration of this occasion, EDSITEment has compiled a list of resources to educate students about these contributions.

History & Social Studies

Jewish American Heritage Month

Each May, EDSITEment celebrates Jewish American Heritage Month by pointing to the rich array of educational resources on this subject.

History & Social Studies

The Meaning of America: A New Approach to Civic Education

Over the course of this year, EDSITEment will be showcasing a series of innovative lessons which use classic American short stories to teach civics. We asked the editors of this new curriculum to introduce the project.

History & Social Studies

Women’s History Month

Immerse yourself in the great contributions women have made to our history and culture.

Literature & Language Arts

National Poetry Month: The Power of Poetry

In support of National Poetry Month, EDSITEment has assembled a garland of new multimedia resources that enhance its poetry lessons.

History & Social Studies

The American Civil War

EDSITEment has put together a collection of our lesson plans, student interactives, multimedia presentations, and vetted websites which will allow teachers, students, parents and lifelong learners to learn more about the U.S. Civil War.

History & Social Studies

PBS: “The Presidents”: EDSITEment’s Related Lesson Plans and Websites

For Presidents' Day, EDSITEment has collected lesson plans and websites covering the history of the presidency and some of its most famous office holders.

Art & Culture

EDSITEment's Guide to Black History Month Teaching Resources

In this special feature for Black History Month, teachers, parents, and students will find a collection of NEH-supported websites and EDSITEment-developed lessons that tell the four-hundred-year story of African Americans. They will also encounter some of the most influential voices and the most memorable images in American history and culture.

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