Social Studies Resources

Iowa Core Social Studies Standards

Check out these great resources for Social Studies: 

State Historical Society of Iowa: This website has Primary Source Sets already created and aligned with the Iowa Core Standards and is a great resource for Iowa History

Library of Congress: This website has an impressive collection of primary sources with collections on just about any topic.

​Smithsonian's History Explorer: This website has lessons and activities for all grade levels and historical eras. You may also want to check out the Smithsonian Learning Lab.

National Geographic: This website has a variety of resources and collections for all grade levels in a variety of categories.

PBS Learning Media: This website has resources on a variety of topics including Civics/Government, US History, World History, Elementary Social Studies, Geography, and Economics.

National Archives: This website allows you to explore historical documents, photos, and records. There are many resources for educators including DocTeach.

Digital Public Library of America: Check out this impressive online collection of historic and cultural artifacts.

American Rhetoric: This website has a database of thousands of speeches with print, audio, and video options.

Letters of Note: This website gathers fascinating letters, postcards, and memos.

American Panorama: This interactive atlas magnifies events in United States history.

The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History: A good resource for US History and primary sources.

Zinn Education Project: Resources and lessons that help teach a more inclusive version of U.S. history

The National WWII Museum: High-quality resources and activities offer an in-depth study of World War II.

National Museum of African American History and Culture: This website has collections about African American History including slavery, segregation, and Civil Rights.

Google Arts & Culture: Excellent art collection invite exploration.

Zoom In: Lessons teach historical content, boost analytical skills

American Social History Project: Deep, research-backed resources highlight America's rich diversity

The Idea of America: A dynamic collection of resources and instructional strategies to enhance the teaching of U.S. history.

Social Studies Generation: This website has 18-1 week social studies units for 6-8 grade.
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Voices of Democracy: Vast collection of primary source documents

Beyond the Bubble: This website has top-quality assessments that challenge students to think like historians.

The Knotted Line: Unique, artistic timeline lets kids explore freedom in U.S. history.

Historypin: An engaging tool to get kids interested in the history of their community and the world.

The Teaching Channel: This website has ideas for strategies or topics to use in Social Studies classrooms.

New Social Studies Resources...

Reading Like a Historian: The Reading Like a Historian curriculum engages students in historical inquiry. 

What is a Vote Worth?:  A resource guide for teaching and learning engaged civics.

National History Day: ​Who They Were is a project-based activity that engages students in exploring their community’s World War I history and invites them to participate in our nation’s World War I Centennial Commemoration.

Blue Feed, Red Feed: See Liberal and Conservative sides of several social issues, side by side.