PreK - 3 Social Studies

For Virginia Teachers --

Virginia Standards of Learning: Instruction, Training,and Assessment Resources
On the Edge of Timbuktu (Opens in a new window): Teachers of third grade in Virginia will find this site from National Public Radio a good addition to those limited resources on Mali. There is an excellent picture gallery that includes pictures of a camel caravan, a salt mine, and slabs of salt ready for transport by camel. The salt trade in the Sahara has not changed much since the days of the Mali Empire.

TECH TIP: Many websites for children are very graphic intense. To save instructional time, you can download the website into your cache prior to using the site with the students. Many sites also require plugins such as Shockwave, RealOnePlayer, or Quicktime, as well as needing JavaScript and ActiveX. Previewing a site before using it with students is always a good idea.

Links to Other Sites

All About China: Statistics and a map of modern China as well as other information can be found here.
American Icons: Simple pictures and explanations of some American symbols, such as the bald eagle and the Washington Monument
Ancient Egypt: This is part of the site of Snaith Primary School, located in Yorkshire, England. This site works best at 800 x 600 screen resolution.
Ancient Greece: This is part of the site of Snaith Primary School, located in Yorkshire, England. This site works best at 800 x 600 screen resolution.
Ben's Guide to U.S. Government for Kids: This U.S. government site is divided into grade level sections. The material can be reproduced for educational purposes.
Explorers: This site includes explorers from the early European explorers to the present-day explorers of space. They can be located by alphabetical order, continent, or century.
KidsBank.Com: Sovereign Bank explains where our money is made, why we have money (versus bartering), saving, interest, checking, and ATMs. Both a Java and a Non-Java version are available. Most third graders could read this site for themselves, but readers below that level will need help.
Little Horus: This site was created specifically for children by an organization chaired by the First Lady of Egypt, Suzanne Mubarak. However, the reading level would not be appropriate for Virginia second graders to read independently.
PrimaryGames.com - Social Studies: These Java games provide practice in some basic learning skills.
United Nations Cyberschoolbus: Information about the UN and its member nations is available in English, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, and Arabic. Some games are available. Younger children would need reading help to use this site.
Xpeditions Atlas: Printable black-outline maps are available for continents, countries, and states. This is part of the National Geographic website.

Article by the Teachers' Mentor

Using Webquests