Topic :Pre-Colonial
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Columbus and the Age of Discovery
Created by Millersville University, this site is part of text retrieval system that contains over 1100 text articles and other sources
1492 Exhibit(Library of Congress)
This LOC exhibit examines: What came to be Called America, the Mediterranean World, Inventing America, Christopher Columbus, Europe Claims America, and an Epilogue. There are primary sources, artifacts, drawings, maps and more
The Columbus Navigation Homepage
Examines the history, navigation, and landfall of this explorer
Vikings: The North Atlantic Saga
This Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History site was created around an exhibit commemorating the 1000th anniversary of the Viking landing in the New World. Besides a cool Flash-generated introduction, the site contains extensive documentation on the contents of the exhibit, as well as a Virtual Viking Voyage, a multimedia feature including 3D animations of ship building, runes and sagas,video interviews with leading experts in the field, and detailed histories of Viking settlements and journeys from Scandinavia to Newfoundland.
World Cultures to 1500: Cultures in America
An excellent introduction to native americans can be found at this online course, based at Washington State University. It offers clear and informative lecture notes, maps, a photo gallery, timelines, links to relevant sites, and more. Click Contents.
World Cultures to 1500: Civilisations in America
More from World Cultures, with a focus on Mesoamerican civilisations. Click Contents.
Passages: A Treasure Trove of North American Exploration
To the question "Who discovered America?" some would reply, "the earliest inhabitants, the American Indians", others would answer, "Christopher Columbus", and yet others, "Bjarni Herjolfsson". The truth is that America, and North America in particular, was discovered "one step at a time," by a number of people too great to count. In terms of geographical discoveries, it took more than four centuries of exploration, from the time of the arrival of the first Europeans, to discover and traverse a navigable passage across North America linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans - the famous Northwest Passage. This site is a historical account of the voyages of exploration to the North American Continent based on the Rare Book Collection of the National Library of Canada.
Index of Native American Resources on the Web
Many categories of links from WWW Virtual Library -- American Indians
The Earliest Americans
The National Park Service asked the Society for American Archaeology to lead an initiative to nominate archeological sites as National Historic Landmarks. This website highlights historic contexts related to Early American archeological sites for regions east of the Mississippi.
First Nations Histories
Provides a geographic overview of First Nation (Indian) histories as well as a location list of native tribes in the United States and Canada. Has a search function as well.
Native American Documents Project(Cal State)
This project was begun in 1992 by Prof. E.A. Schwartz to develop methods for making documents of federal Indian policy history accessible by computer. This site includes a number of indexes and explanatory articles as well as a search engine.
Conquistadors
The Conquistadors On-line Learning Adventure resource is geared towards middle and high school classrooms to learn about the Spanish Conquistadors in the New World and the legacy of their contact with Native Americans. There are lesson plans for teachers and in-depth online content for students available in both English and Spanish.
Ancient Mesoamerican Civilization
This is a broad site by the University of Minnesota Department of Anthropology that supplies information regarding Mesoamerican Civilizations. The primary groups addressed are the Maya, Mixtec, Zapotec, and Aztec site. Major topics include Writing Systems, Government, Religion, Mayan Calendar and more.
GB's Online Mesoamerica
A popular web site for students of Native American languages and culture, Online Mesoamerica is linked to by over 500 related sites and has over 9,000 visitors per month. Major features include Ancient Writing, Archeological Sites, Native Issues, Pre-Columbian Art, and Mesoamerican Calendar.
The Sport of Life and Death: The Mesoamerican Ballgame
The Sport of Life and Death was voted Best Overall Site for 2002 by Museums and the Web and has won a slew of other web awards. The site is based on a traveling exhibition now showing at the Newark Museum in Newark, New Jersey and bills itself as "an online journey into the ancient spectacle of athletes and gods." The Sport of Life and Death features dazzling special effects courtesy of Macromedia Flash technology and its overall layout and organization are superb. Not just stylish, the site's content is excellent and engaging as well. For instance, there are helpful interactive maps, timelines, and samples of artwork in the Explore the Mesoamerican World section. The focus of the site, however, is the Mesoamerican ballgame, the oldest organized sport in history. The sport is explained through a beautiful and engaging combination of images, text, expert commentary, and video. Visitors can even compete in a contest! A must see for Middle School or 9th-grade World History teachers.
Maya Adventure
The Science Museum of Minnesota presents Maya Adventure, a World- Wide Web site that highlights science activities and information related to ancient and modern Maya culture. Maya Adventure includes images from the Science Museum's anthropological collections and activities developed by the Science Museum's education division. Featured in the project is information from two exhibits about the Maya developed by the Science Museum of Minnesota, Cenote of Sacrifice and Flowers, Saints and Toads.
Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico
In 1519 Hernan Cortés sailed from Cuba, landed in Mexico and made his way to the Aztec capital. Miguel LeonPortilla, a Mexican anthropologist, gathered accounts by the Aztecs, some of which were written shortly after the conquest.
From the Internet History Sourcebooks
Sir Francis Drake
These pages are focused on Sir Francis Drake, and in particular on his "Famous Voyage" - the circumnavigation of the world in the sixteenth century, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth.
Mystery of the Maya
Based on the Imax film of the same name, this kid-oriented site from the Canadian Museum of Civilization features slide shows, info, links and more. There is a synopsis of the film, a feature on the People of the Jaguar, and much information on Maya civilization.
Why do Civilizations Collapse?
Part of the Annenberg/CPB exhibits, this site focuses on the fall of ancient civilizations in four areas: Maya, Mesopotamia, Chaco Canyon (southwest U.S.), and Mali and Songhai. Nice images and interesting presentation
NativeWeb
A comprehensive site for Native American studies
Henry Hudson, 17th century explorer
Provides a comprehensive account of Hudson's life and voyages
Native American Religion in Early America
Historian Christine Leigh Heyrman provides a concise overview of native American religious beliefs.
Lesson Plans, Teacher Guides, Activities and more
Conquistadors Teaching Guide: Different Views of the World
Was the fall of the Aztec Empire inevitable? Was Cortes a hero or a villain? What would the world be like today if the Aztecs had been the "conquistadors" and conquered Europe? Contains complete PBS lesson plans.
Conquistadors Teaching Guide: The What Ifs of History
Why do you think that such a well-governed and peaceful empire, which stretched 2,500 miles from Ecuador south to Chile, could have been conquered by only 200 Spanish Conquistadors? What is the legacy of the Incas? Contains complete PBS lesson plans.
Two Worlds Meet: The Spanish Conquest of America
Through primary sources, learn about early interactions between the Aztecs and Spaniards. PBS Grades 9 - 12.
Conquistadors Teaching Guide: Different Views of the World
Evaluate a fictional resolution for a United Nations Resolution to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Cortes' expedition to the New World.
Mr. Donn's Ancient History Page
Don Donn of the Corkran (Maryland) Middle School provides a complete unit with 17 daily lesson plans and unit test for sixth graders on Incas, Mayans, and Aztecs. There are also links to multiple K12 lesson plans and activities.
Digital History Resource Guides
The Digital Resource Guides provides links to American history web sites by period and provide historical overviews, readings (online textbook chapter, Reader's Companion) primary source documents (documents, maps, cartoons), teaching resources (chronologies, maps, quizzes), audio-visual resources, and additional resources. It is an excellent and comprehensive teaching resource.
Course Models: The Land and People Before Columbus
Part of the California History-Social Science content standards and annotated course which include: background information, focus questions, pupil activities and handouts, assessment, and references to books, articles, web sites, literature, audio-video programs, and historic site. Grade 5.
Course Models: The Age of Exploration
Part of the California History-Social Science content standards and annotated course which include: background information, focus questions, pupil activities and handouts, assessment, and references to books, articles, web sites, literature, audio-video programs, and historic site. Grade 5.
Native North Americans: What was early contact like between Europeans and the Natives
Using primary source evidence students investigate what the early contact was like. Were the Native Americans savage and vicious hosts? Were the Europeans unreasonable and unfair? Or did they all just get along fine? From Learning Curve of the (UK) National Archives.
Vikings in America
Discover through an activity how researchers are re-creating the Viking voyages and searching for archaeological clues along the North American coastline. PBS Nova
The World's History: Demography and Migration, 1500-1750
The online guide to Howard Spodek's The World's History features quizzes (multiple-choice questions, true/false questions, interactive review questions), primary sources, maps, a bulletin board, a Live Chat,web links, and faculty resources for each chapter/topic.
Western Civilization: Europe Reaches Out
The online study companion to Margaret King's Western Civilization: A Social and Cultural History has many features: chapter learning objectives, online quizzes, writing activities, essay questions, web links, built-in search engines, and faculty modules that include PowerPoint outlines, presentation graphics, and lecture hints and activities
The American People: Ancient America and Africa
PowerPoint Presentation as part of the online companion to The American People. Click Chapter 1.
The American People: Europeans and Africans Reach the Americas
PowerPoint Presentation as part of the online companion to The American People. Click Chapter 2.
Native Americans - Searching for Knowledge and Understanding
In this middle school lesson students will study Native Americans in order to become familiar with the contributions to and influences on American society particularly, but not exclusively, in the Western region of the United States. This lesson will focus on some of the cultural history, writings and symbols of the southwestern tribes. After researching, studying and comparing the differences among the various tribes in small groups, students will produce individual reports about a specific Native American perspective
Europe Discovers America: Multiple Choice Quiz, Fill-in-the-Blank, Flashcards, American History Glossary, American History Appendix
The Student Resources section of The American Nation companion web site features introductions to chapters, interactive quizzes, flashcards, web links, an American History Glossary, and an American History Appendix
Interpreting Primary Sources: European Discovery of the New World
Digital History provides brief excerpts from primary sources and statistics on European Discovery and questions to think about.
Digital History Resource Guides
The Digital Resource Guides provides links to American history web sites by period and provide historical overviews, readings (online textbook chapter, Reader's Companion) primary source documents (documents, maps, cartoons), teaching resources (chronologies, maps, quizzes), audio-visual resources, and additional resources. It is an excellent and comprehensive teaching resource.
HistoryTeacher.net: AP United States History Quizzes
A New York teacher has produced a great general site for history teachers that offers AP-level United States history quizzes on many different periods and topics.
The American Nation: Internet Activities
Prentice Hall's phschool.com offers internet activities based on their The American Nation textbook chapters. Middle School grades.
A History of the United States: Internet Activities and Student Self Test Questions
Prentice Hall's phschool.com offers internet activities and interactive quizzes based on A History of the United States textbook chapters. High School.
Africa-America Migration: Blank Map
The companion web site to The American People offers blank maps related to various topics in American history. The maps can be printed or placed in a PowerPoint presentation