American Historical Sites

Memorial Hall Museum

The Memorial Hall Museums website is well-suited for second grade students and up.
There is a kids section on the website, but I do not think first graders or kindergartners
would be interested in it.
The website offers a variety of options. Guests can plan a visit, participate in activities or
take a virtual tour, learn about exhibitions and events, search through the vast collection
of displays at the museum, and learn more about our national history, particularly the
history of the New England area.
My students can learn a tremendous amount about our countrys history from the
Memorial Hall Museum. There is a section of the website that describes New England
architecture throughout history that could be used in a Geometry lesson.
The site is interactive. Guests can listen to a history lesson, watch video demonstrations
of early American tools, or participate in a number of activities that allow users to explore
objects, pictures, and documents.
I was able to rotate objects and see them from every side, decipher some old writings, and
see, hear, and learn about unfamiliar clothes people wore throughout American history.
There is a classroom section that offers ideas and information for teachers interested in
using the website in their classes.
Each lesson describes the ideal grade levels, content areas, and historical eras covered,
but I did not find any curriculum resources with reference standards.
There were a few educational games in the kids section. However, these games may have
a hard time keeping students engaged, as they were not very entertaining.
The website describes the history of the New England area. It also has quite a bit of
information on the history of slavery and offers several lessons about African Americans.
The website details how the museum can provide different types of accommodations for
guests with special needs.
Student learning can be scaffolded with the museums website. There are opportunities
for young students to learn and progress and also for older students to enhance their
knowledge of U.S. history.
My favorite aspect of the website was the interactive exhibits. I was able to view,
manipulate, and learn about a lot of different historical objects in the 1700s.
I learned quite a bit about our national history, particularly the history of the New England
area.
I would like the website to add some more engaging interactive games in an attempt to
educate and become more attractive to younger children.
Here are few interesting facts I learned about the Memorial Hall Museum.
The museum opened in 1880 and is one of Americas oldest museums.
There are more than 2,300 artifacts and documents in the museum.
In 1619 the arrival of twenty Africans in Virginia marked the beginning of the forced
immigration of millions of Africans to mainland North America.

National Park Service

The National Park Service website is well-suited for students in the fifth grade and up. It
offers lesson plans for grades 5 - 12.
The website offers a variety of options. Guests can browse free lesson plans, view
professional development tools for teachers, and learn about service learning projects at
historical places.
My students can learn about our national park system. There are lesson plans that
instructs students to build parks, landscapes, and communities. My Geometry classes
could calculate areas and use those calculations in their projects.
The site is not interactive. It is designed for teachers. The National Park Service offers a
variety of lesson plans that educators can use in their classrooms.
I was able to search through numerous lesson plans and professional development
opportunities, but I did not find an opportunity to interact with the website.
Educators can choose from a variety of lesson plans and professional development
chances that are centered on historic places.
There were social studies and history standards listed with each lesson.
I did not locate any educational games. This site was developed for teachers.
The National Park Services website offers lessons that represent different cultures. The
vast numbers of lessons cover a wide variety of historical topics and cultural backgrounds.
Student learning can be scaffolded with the museums website. There are lessons
designed for students from grades 5 through 12.
My favorite aspect of the website was the lesson plans. There are over 150 to choose from
and they can be easily implemented in the classroom.
I would like the website to add some lessons for students younger than fifth grade. I think
even young children could learn quite a bit from our National Park Service.
Here are few interesting facts I learned about the National Park Service.
The National Park Service was started in 1916 and hosts more than 275 million visitors
every year.
The National Park Service employs more than 20,000 men and women.
The National Park Service is a bureau of the U.S. Department of the Interior and is led by a
Director nominated by the President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

National Museum of the U.S. Air Force

The Air Force museums website is well-suited for students of any age. They offer a
section specifically designed for children, another one for youth, and another one for
adults.
The website offers a variety of options. Guests can plan a visit, participate in activities or
take a virtual tour, learn about exhibitions and events, search through the vast collection
of displays at the museum, and learn about the Air Force.
My students can learn a tremendous amount about the United States Air Force. My
students can learn about the physics, science, and math involved in aviation.
The site is interactive. Guests can watch videos, take a 360 degree tour of the museum,
and browse the numerous displays.
I was able to take virtual tours and peruse nearly everything the museum has to offer.
There is an entire section of the website designated to educators. It offers lesson plans,
resource guides, school programs, and presentations.
Each lesson lists national content standards.
The website did offer some educational games. There are interactive activities, word
searches, coloring pages, and other resources located in the kids section of the site.
The museums website describes contributions from individuals of different backgrounds
to the Air Force.
The website details how the museum can provide different types of accommodations for
guests with special needs.
Student learning can be scaffolded with the museums website. There are opportunities
for students as young as five and as old as 18 to learn.
My favorite aspects of the website were the virtual tours. I was able to view the displays
at the museum and learn a lot about the Air Force without leaving my home.
I learned quite a bit about aviation and the history of the U.S. Air Force.
I would like the website to add some more interactive games in an attempt to educate and
become more attractive to young children.
Here are few interesting facts I learned about the Air Force Museum from its website.
The National Museum of the United States Air Force is the oldest and largest military
aviation museum in the world.
It is located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, near Dayton, Ohio.
The mission of the United States Air Force is to fly, fight and win ... in air, space and
cyberspace.