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American Centuries... Views from New England
Virtually visit a great museum on New England history.
Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12

http://www.memorialhall.mass.edu/

	CONTENT: American Centuries presents an extensive library of primary resources, curricula, and interactive age appropriate student activities. These resources are provided by the Memorial Hall Museum Online.
	SITE DESIGN: This user-friendly site can be navigated in a number of ways. The homepage offers links to the major areas of the site and subsequent pages have a side menu. The collection can also be browsed by topic and searched using simple terms or by using the assisted search that employs drop down menus. Macromedia Flash Player and QuickTime are required.
	REVIEW: Anyone with an interest in American History will find a wealth of materials here to whet their appetite but it is especially a rich resource for teachers and students. The Digital Collection contains 1800 artifacts and documents from the museum's collection. The interpretive text for each article is written in both beginner and advanced language with embedded links to the glossary, includes a link to more detailed information, and an option for a closer look or of viewing the object beside another object in the collection. Students or teachers can create their own collections by using the convenient "add to my collection" link. After creating the collection, users can then put the tagged items on a customized chronology using the interactive Chronology. Chronologies can be based on New England History, US History, World History, and Art among others. Teacher created activities that are based on articles from the Digital Collection are available In the Classroom. By registering (for free) teachers can create their own activity online or edit another activity to fit into their curriculum. Lesson plans are available for elementary, middle school and secondary as well as related teacher resources. Students will enjoy the engaging interactive activities such as rotating objects, reading through a "magic lens" and viewing video demonstrations of Early American tools. If that isn't enough, two excellent interactive online exhibits are featured. The first, Turns-of- the-Centuries Exhibit, explores three past "turns of the centuries"-1700, 1800, and 1900. Five themes are explored across these time periods: Native Americans, African Americans, Newcomers (settlers, and immigrants), the Land, and Family Life. Each item in the exhibit is enhanced with interactive elements such as slide shows and rollover activities. The second, Raid on Deerfield: The Many Stories of 1704, tells the story of the 1704 raid on Deerfield from the perspectives of the five different groups who were present: Kanienkehaka (Mohawk), Wobanakiak (Abenaki), Wendat (Huron), French, and English.
	RELATED REVIEWS: History: American History History: World History Fine Arts: Art History Internet: Interactive Web Sites

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