| Dr. David Childs, D.D., Ph.D. Northern Kentucky University PBS Learning Media is a wonderful resource for math, science, language arts and social studies teachers of all grade levels. We have posted materials and resources on our blog in the past and will provide more resources in this post. Please view PBS’s New U.S. History Collection that will prove to be very helpful for middle school, secondary and upper level elementary educators. |
 This collection “presents a new approach to digital media for U.S. History classrooms, with attention to multiple, diverse perspectives that foster civic identity and a more complex, nuanced, and accurate understanding of the past. Browsable by Eras in U.S. History and Historical Thinking Skills, the Collection highlights how the past is relevant to students’ lives today and supports critical analysis of traditional historical narratives and lesser known perspectives. Each resource is accompanied by a range of supports including Teaching Tips to guide you in how best to integrate each resource into your existing curriculum.” The website also states “that this Collection is growing all the time!” Teachers can “expand students’ understanding of U.S. History with culturally inclusive resources that bring the major people, events, and trends in history alive, while integrating often untold stories into the curriculum. Curated clips of trusted PBS programs and a diverse array of other media and interactive resources develop students’ historical thinking skills while broadening their appreciation of history’s multiple perspectives and complexity.” Please share what resources you find useful for your teaching. We are open to feedback and discussion. If you see any typos or grammatical errors please feel free to email the author and editor at the address below: Dr. David Childschildsd1@nku.edu Below are some examples of resources available on the site. Pre-Colonial America to 1754 Revolution and Independence, 1754–1800 Racial, Ethnic, and Sectional Divisions, 1800-1850Civil War and Reconstruction, 1850–1896 Conservative Resurgence and Social Change, 1964–2000Civic Leader Moctesuma Esparza: Educational Equity | Youth Stand Up How Politics and Personality Propelled the First Female Justice to the Supreme Court | Sandra Day O’Connor: The First |
The PBS News site provides educators with the ability have access to documentation to use courses such as the hybrid courses available at now at NKU. Going into secondary education, having access to resources that are free to use and organized provides a benefit that cannot be understated. Say you want something from reconstruction, find 1850 – 1896 and see first hand resources that show lead up to the Civil War, the Civil War, and finally reconstruction. Simply put there are a lot of resources on the internet but returning to PBS will be a common occurrence that will be quick and reliable for years to come.
I love this article! The opportunity to find reliable resources is sometimes extremely difficult. I have a hard time knowing whether or not it is biased or if it shows multiple diverse perspectives. Having this bundle of resources will be extremely helpful to my future classroom and will make my life A TON easier! I can’t wait to use it one day.
Hello Ashley K. I am grateful that you found some useful resources in this article. Good luck with your teaching.
Since I am studying to be a middle school teacher as well as a double major in history, I really thought the article “Great US History Teaching Resources for Middle Grades and Secondary Educators” would be a great resource for me to explore. One particular resource I really enjoyed from the article was the PBS website. I had gone on PBS before for ELA articles but did not realize how many resources they had for history classes. I love how it is sectioned off into different time periods as well as skill so you can find exactly what you need for your classroom. Each resource is also labeled with what grade levels the article or video corresponds to so teachers have an easier time narrowing which ones they would be able to utilize.
Hello Victoria. Yes, I agree, there are some tremendous resources on the PBS site. I am grateful you found it useful.