Smarthistory – a multimedia art textbook
Smarthistory.org is a free, not-for-profit, multi-media web-book designed as a dynamic enhancement for the traditional art history textbook. It “uses multimedia to deliver unscripted conversations between art historians about the history of art.” The site contains audios and videos about works of art found in standard art history survey texts, organized the files stylistically and chronologically, and added text and still images.
It’s a very impressive resource – and I am sure Art teachers will find some very useful stuff here.
Check out Smart history at http://www.smarthistory.org and let me know what you think of it in the comments section.
Thanks to Lisa Dubernard (@onboardlearning) for the link
Read More
TwHistory – historical tweeting
There have been several great time shifted (in real time) twitter feeds like British War Cabinet or the Apollo Moon Landings (from a few years ago). Or even Such Tweet Sorrow which recreated Romeo and Juliet in tweets. Also not forgetting Gunpowder Tweeting and Plot.
TwHistory provides another platform to do this. Students or volunteers pick a well-documented historical event. They pick real historical figures who were at that event, and create tweets based on those events. These tweets are then scheduled to be broadcast in real time. The end result is a virtual reenactment of a historical event, broadcast in real time.
For example the Battle of Waterloo:
Past broadcasts can be downloaded as a CSV file, so they can be accessed again in the future. It’s an interesting idea, that would make for an interesting class project. Go take a look at : http://beta.twhistory.org/
Thanks to Keri-Lee Beasley for the link.
Read More
BBC Domesday Reloaded
25 years ago the BBC launched an ambitious project to record a snapshot of everyday life across the UK for future generations. Launched in 1986 to celebrate the 900th anniversary of the original Domesday Book, the first BBC Domesday project was one of the most pioneering interactive campaigns of its time.
In an attempt to capture the essence of the UK in one place, the BBC asked the public to submit details about their local area to help compile a digital snapshot of the country. Over a million people, mainly school children, took part in the groundbreaking initiative surveying over 108,000 square km of the UK and submitting more than 147,819 pages articles and 23,225 photos. All the data – pictures, maps, video, surveys, statistics, essays and personal testimonies – were digitally etched into two high-tech laser discs.
However, due to costs and the rapid development of technology the system rapidly fell into obscurity and obsolescence, and very few people ever got to see the finished results or their contributions.
Now 25 years on, the archive has been republished onto a dedicated website giving people of all ages an opportunity to explore the images and articles from the past. It’s called Domesday Reloaded.
Use in Class
The site provides a very interesting glimpse into life in the UK 25 years ago. Teachers might want to use the resources as part of a class or school project to compare how we live today to life 25 years ago – ancient history as far as most primary school children are concerned. In 1985 the most high-tech device out there was the Sinclair Spectrum or BBC B computer! Use the site to inspire your school to make their own Domesday Book (or Blog, or Wiki) about your own local area.
Visitors will also be able to get involved and help bring the project into the present day by sending in their current stories, comments and photographs, via the website, blogs and Twitter, to compare how life in Britain has changed, and how some things have stayed the same. This could be something that your classes could get involved in.
Take a look here : http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/domesday
Read More
What Was There – Historical Google Maps
What Was There is an interesting site that looks like an alternative to History Pin which I’ve written about in the past. History teachers in particular should take a look!
It allows visitors to upload historical photographs of an area and tag them with a location and year. These are then displayed on a Google Map.
From the Explore Photos page you can move around the world to find places you’re interested in and then view photographs of what they looked like many decades ago. You can even overlay the old photograph onto Street View to compare today’s scene with the past.
The plan is that if enough people upload enough photographs in enough places, it will weave together a photographic history of the world.
The coverage of the UK is a little thin at the moment, but like all these sites it is dependent on content being uploaded by its users. I’m sure it’ll grow into a very useful resource.
As an alternative – don’t forget to take a look at History Pin.
Read More
12 whiteboard ideas for History Teachers
Following on from my posts in the past of links for Art, Music, Primary Science and Secondary Science, here are some useful sites that could be useful for teachers of History. All would be useful for their interactive whiteboard, but also for pupils to use independently.
History Pin
Historypin is an online tool that acts as a digital time machine, allowing people to view and share history in a totally new way. Historypin allows users to layer their old images onto modern Street View scenes, revealing a series of windows into the past.
BBC Timeline
Explore all of British history, from the Neolithic to the present day, with this easy-to-use interactive timeline. Browse hundreds of key events and discover how the past has shaped the world we live in today.
BBC Horrible Histories
Video clips, songs and games from the BBC TV Programme. Experience some of the more gruesome aspects of history. (UK Only)
BBC Primary History
Excellent resources on Greeks, Romans, Anglo-Saxons, Vikings, Victorians and World War 2. If your school has the Espresso service also check that out for some excellent history resources on similar topics. Secondary history resources also available.
Bayeux Tapestry Maker
This fabulous little site lets you create your own images in the style of the Bayeux Tapestry. Great fun.
Timelines.tv
Timelines.tv is a free-to-use, video-rich history resource. Scroll the timeline to find a story that interests you and then watch the videos.
Hyperhistory
HyperHistory is an expanding scientific project presenting 3,000 years of world history with an interactive combination of lifelines, timelines, and maps. It’s a slightly old-fasioned looking site, compared to some these days, but might still prove useful.
Holocaust memorial
Resources for teaching about the Holocaust. Useful for Holocaust Memorial Day lessons and assemblies. In addition also take a look at the resources provided by the Anne Frank Museum, including the Secret Annex interactive resource.
Museum Box
This site provides the tools for you to build up an argument or description of an event, person or historical period by placing items in a virtual box. What items, for example, would you put in a box to describe your life; the life of a Victorian Servant or Roman soldier; or to show that slavery was wrong and unnecessary?
National Archives (UK)
The National Archives Education Service brings history to life through their award-winning programme of taught sessions and online resources. Resources available on every aspect of British history.
Timeline Tools:
There are many tools on the web that let you create timelines. Use them in lessons to demonstrate a sequence of events, or ask students to create their own. Here are just a selection.
Timetoast
A very simple way to create timelines, plus look at timelines created by others. Also useful for other subjects, such as this timeline of the Moon Landings.
Dipity
Create very interesting multimedia timelines on different events.
See Also : xtimeline and Timeglider both of which are simple to use timeline creators.
Read MoreBritish Pathe – video and news archive
British Pathe is one of the oldest media companies in the world. Their roots lie in 1890s Paris where their founder, Charles Pathe, pioneered the development of the moving image. They were established in London in 1902, and by 1910 were producing their famous bi-weekly newsreel the Pathe Gazette. By the time Pathe finally stopped producing the cinema newsreel in 1970 they had accumulated 3500 hours of filmed history amounting to over 90,000 individual items.
The library of resources is available online for anyone to access via the free “preview” facilities on this site. There are fasciniating glimpses of life in the 20th century. I like looking at the “visions of the future” from the 60′s….
GLASS CITY OF THE FUTURE
Obvious uses are in History, but also Science, Citizenship, English, Art and Design, Technology teachers could find clips they could use.
If you are an Educational User you can:
- Download clips for free for use within the classroom by teachers and pupils.
- Publish BP footage on secure learning platforms.
- Group clips together in Learnspaces and tag as relates to the curriculum.
- Search pre-prepared Curriculum Learnspaces.
- Get an ad-free version of the site
There is information on the site to check if your school is already registered. If not, you can register via the site.
Read MoreGunpowder, Tweeting and Plot
A quick mention for a great Twitter project being led by Chris Leach, a primary school teacher in Northants. His class, along with other local schools, will be tweeting as the main characters in the Gunpowder Plot – leading up to the attempt to blow up Parliament on 5th November 1605.
Characters include: Robert Catesby, Thomas Percy, Thomas Wintour, John Wright, Christopher Wright and Ambrose Rookwood, as well as the Earl of Salisbury and even King James I himself.
The project can be followed on Twitter by going here : http://twitter.com/chrisleach78/gunpowdertweetingplot
You can also keep an eye on #gtp2010 hashtag
It’s a great idea – and one that demonstrates a novel way of using Twitter with a primary school class. I’d be interested to hear from other teachers that are trying similar projects to help their students really understand the characters involved in historical or literary events.
Read MoreThe History of Vaccines
Here’s a site that will be of interest to GCSE and A Level Biology teachers. The History of Vaccines is an informational, educational website created by The College of Physicians of Philadelphia, the oldest professional society in the United States.
The College has created The History of Vaccines to provide a chronicle of the history of vaccination, from the time before Edware Jenner, to the defeat of polio in the Western Hemisphere, to cutting-edge approaches to novel vaccines and vaccine delivery. The site aims to increase public knowledge and understanding of the ways in which vaccines, toxoids, and passive immunization work, how they have been developed, and the role they have played in the improvement of human health.
Interactive resources demonstrate how vaccines work, how vaccines are made, how to visualize risk, and more. Explore these activities to discover the past, present, and future of vaccination and infectious disease.
The site includes media-rich timelines on yellow fever, polio, smallpox, measles, diphtheria, and other diseases; the educational activities on how vaccines work, how vaccines are made, and how the scientific method is employed; the variety of articles on social and medical issues surrounding vaccination; and the gallery, which houses over 400 images and videos.
The History of Vaccines offers resources for use in biology and health courses. The content is targeted to high school students but can be adapted for use in other settings. Lesson plans are included.
It’s an excellent resource that’s well worth bookmarking: http://www.historyofvaccines.org/
Thanks to Aetiology for the link.
Read MoreBlitz Resources from History Pin
Seventy years ago this month the Blitz began. It started with the bombing of London for 76 consecutive nights, and soon cities and towns across Britain were suffering attacks, from Aberdeen to Coventry, from Birmingham to Hull.
Many homes, high streets and famous landmarks were dramatically altered by the bombings, in some cases beyond recognition. By the end of May 1941, more than a million homes had been destroyed or damaged in London alone.
HistoryPin has a selection of images of the Blitz, many superimposed over modern day streetview images of the area such as this image of bomb damage in Broadgate, Coventry. If you’ve not seen History Pin before, it is one of a series of projects created as part of We Are What We Do’s campaign to get generations talking more, sharing more and coming together more often. It’s an excellent resource bank, and still growing.
This would be a lovely resource for History teachers when teaching about World War 2. You can access the Blitz Collection here.
Read More
About Me
Danny Nicholson : Educator, Science teacher, ICT Consultant, PGCE lecturer, Author and Web2.0 / SMART Masters/ Interactive Whiteboard Trainer. Contact me for any training requests. 
Buy the book!
