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Educational Design & Technology

Digital Learning Resources

Digital Content Resources - Social Studies

These resources have not been examined for compliance with the Family Educational Rights Privacy Act (FERPA)  and Education Law 2-d, therefore schools that choose to utilize any of these resources must ensure compliance where applicable. For more information on Education Law 2-d and data privacy and security in general  please refer to NYSED’s Data Privacy and Security webpage.     

The sites below are provided as options and sources for ideas and inspiration only. The list is also not exhaustive; there are many quality resources and learning activities available online.

The sites below are provide

  1. New Visions(link is external) (Grades 9-11):
    • New Visions for Public Schools has developed full scope and sequence curricular frameworks designed for the Global History and Geography I and II courses and the U.S. History course. The curriculum integrates rich primary and secondary texts, maps, images, videos, and other reputable online sources into materials that meet the New York State K-12 Social Studies Framework’s objectives and provide students an opportunity to improve literacy skills by focusing on thinking critically while reading, writing, and speaking like historians.
  2. World History for Us All(link is external) (Grade 6, 9-10)
    • World History for Us All is a national collaboration of K-12 teachers, collegiate instructors, and educational technology specialists. It is a project of the National Center for History in the Schools, a division of the Public History Imitative, Department of History, UCLA. World History for Us All is a continuing project. Elements under development will appear on the site as they become available.
  3. Ducksters Education Site(link is external) (Grade 4-12)
  4. Digital Public Library of America (DPLA)(link is external)
    • DPLA provides access to Primary Source Sets that explore topics in history, literature, and culture. These sets were developed by educators and include teaching guides. DPLA also provides access to a collection of free e-books.
  5. New York State Archives
    • The New York State Archives presents historical records (1630-present) and standards-based learning activities developed by New York teachers. Find learning activities by topic. Browse and search all digitized primary sources available from the New York State Archives from the Digital Collections page. 
  6. New York State Archives Partnership Trust
    • The Trust provides online access to primary source-based lessons, information about the annual Student Research Awards Program, and tools for teaching with historical records.
  7. Icivics(link is external)
    • Icivics is a non-profit organization in the United States that provides educational online games and lesson plans to promote civics education and encourage students to become active citizens.
  8. New York State Museum
    • The New York State Museum offers standards-based lessons inspired by the research, collections, and exhibits of the museum, developed by cultural educators, and vetted by classroom educators. Enjoy lessons that support Science, Social Studies, and Art subjects for a variety of grade levels at the Education Page.
    • Education
      • The New York State Museum offers standards-based lessons inspired by the research, collections, and exhibits of the museum and developed by cultural educators and vetted by classroom educators. Enjoy lessons that support Science, Social Studies, and Art subjects for a variety of grade levels at the Education Page. 
    • Research and Collections
      • To learn more about the collections and research of the Scientists, Historians, and Collections Technicians of the New York State Museum, visit the Research & Collections Page of the museum. Access to additional research, publications, and online collections are available as well as contact information for the Museum’s Scientists, Historians, and Collections Technicians. 
    • Exhibitions
      • For content specific interests based on exhibits, enjoy a listing of the Art, Science, and History-based exhibits along with additional resources and educational activities on the New York State Museum’s Exhibitions Page.
  9. Primary Source Collection from the National Archives(link is external)
    • ​​(link is external)DocsTeach is a product of the National Archives education division.  Their mission is to engage, educate, and inspire all learners to discover and explore the records of the American people preserved by the National Archives. Parents, Teacher and Students can access thousands of primary sources – letters, photographs, speeches, posters, maps, videos, and other document types – spanning the course of American history.
  10. New York Historical Society History at Home(link is external)
    • History at Home is a comprehensive suite of online social studies programs and materials aligned to the NYS Social Studies Framework.  It provides live interactive Student Sessions every day, leading a session for every grade (K-8 and HS) each week.  It includes and adds one lesson plan per day that any teacher or parent (or self-motivated student) can pick up and use immediately without additional prep, but that they can go more deeply with via the NY Historical Society online curriculum library, featuring our Women & the American Story(link is external) curriculum website that explores women's roles across all of US history.
  11. Covid-19 Module from The World History Digital Education Foundation and The National Council for Social Studies(link is external)
    • ​​(link is external)This is a new module on COVID-19 produced by the World History Digital Education Foundation, in partnership with the National Council for the Social Studies.  Focusing on history, geographic diffusion, economic globalization and government policy, the lessons are inquiry-based with students analyzing over thirty primary sources to develop claims based on evidence.  The lessons begin by linking past to present as students compare COVID-19 to the 1918 influenza pandemic. From there students analyze the geographic diffusion and economic impact of COVID-19 as well as government actions to understand the larger lessons unfolding in our contemporary world.