8 Incredible online museums for kids to explore

Fraboom

Fraboom is educational website organized to be an interactive museum. Students can learn about the mouth or bugs which are currently Fraboom's only exhibits. There are areas for games, online art making, and a create your own exhibit. The site also has interactive books as well as Fraboom TV which has animated educational videos. Many of the site's resources are free but they do offer more indepth learning opportunities with their paid subscription.

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Mount Vernon Online Museum

Mount Vernon Online Museum is a place where students and history buffs can discover George Washington. His life, the home where he lived and the things he enjoyed are on display at this online museum. There are four primary exhibits. each with a number of artifacts that provide more information when you click on them. If you want more information, the site does have additional information regarding the man known as "the Father of his country."

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The Science Museum
The Science Museum (U.K.) is a wonderful place to discover the amazing world of science. While the museum itself is located in London, their online museum is full of interesting and fun learning opportunities. You can start exploring the site by choosing subject, people, or museum objects and from their you will be given more options. Visitors to the site can also choose to play games or learn about the latest in science news.

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Lewis and Clark Exhibit
The Missouri History Museum offers a collection of exhibits related the rich history of the state. One exhibit in particular drew my attention and that was the Lewis and Clark Exhibit. It offers an detailed interactive learning experience about this important event in American history. Your journey begins by choosing to follow an interactive map where you will discover people and artifacts along your path. Once you have completed the map exploration you can learn more by choosing the themes category or view their image gallery. Note: the exhibit does require a Flash plug-in.

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National Women's History Museum
The National Women's History Museum offers a large collection of online exhibits where students can learn about the role of women in American history. From war, to industry, to the fight for equal rights, women have always been at the center of change in the nation. This site offers twenty exhibits with each containing a wealth a information for anyone learning about the history of women in America.

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American Centuries
The Memorial Hall Museum in Deefield, Massachusetts has an tremendously engaging website called American Centuries with a wide variety of interactive exhibits for teachers and students. You can watch colonial tools being used or use the sites "magic lens" and read historical documents. The site has exhibits on colonial clothing and objects and there is a section dedicated to kids activities. The site has sections dedicated to the Civil War, Shay's Rebellion, African American history, and so much more. The Memorial Hall Museum's online exhibits are a great resource for students, teachers, and anyone studying American history.

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Anne Frank's Secret Annex
From her journal to movies, the tragic story of Anne Frank has fascinated millions of people. Annefrank.org has a special section on their webpage called the Secret Annex Online that allows you to explore the secret annex where she and her family hid from the Nazis. From this site you can explore the apartment and all of the hiding places and learn about all the people involved. After you explore her living quarters you can view videos, read articles, and see photographs as well. The Secret Annex Online is one of the most compelling sources available to learn about the Anne Frank story.

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Colonial Williamsburg

I have yet to come across a site that shares colonial life as well as this site. When you  explore Colonial Williamsburg's history section. you can learn about the people, places, life, trades, social classes, food, politics and the list goes on. Each area of interest is accurately described but in a way that students will find interesting. Their vibrant pictures from Colonial Williamsburg are so much more interesting to kids, unlike the drab drawings or painting found on most sites. My favorite area is their food section because it includes the recipes for actual colonial dishes. The site's multimedia area is overflowing with tremendously useful and engaging tools and resources. This area of their website contain a daily jigsaw puzzle, webcams from Williamsburg, today in history, and blogs. There is a download section with wallpaper, screen savers, and even ringtones. Students can learn about life in Williamsburg with their collection of videos, podcasts, and their audio section. Finally, you can send a greeting from their e-postcard section. The final area to visit is the kids section of the website. The kids section is geared toward elementary level students and offers opportunities to learn about the people and history of Colonial Williamsburg in a a more kid friendly way.

12 World War II resources you may not have seen

World War II is one of the greatest tragedies in human history which is why it is so thoroughly studied. We are still so fascinated by it's endless tales triumphs of the human spirit amid the crushing scenes of horror. Below are twelve websites that go behind the scenes of the 20th century's defining event. Please note that a few of the categories share more than one website.

1- World War II in Color

World War II Pictures in Color is a site that contains over 30,000 photographs from history's most devastating war. As the title of the site suggests, many of the pictures are in color. You can search using their search bar or browse by category. The site also contains discussion forum for people interested in sharing information or asking questions. They also sell the photographs from their site as well as other items such as posters and videos.  If you are a history teacher or are interested in World War II, then head on over and bookmark World War II Pictures in Color.

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2- Digital Collection of WWII Propaganda Posters

Check out this  collection of historic World War II posters from the Cincinnati Digital Library. This collection of over 85 World War II propaganda posters are from both the U.S. and other nations. Since they are digital they can be downloaded and printed for use in the classroom. History teachers should race on over to this site ASAP.

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3- D-Day to Victory

D-Day to Victory takes you from the D-Day invasion to the fall of Berlin. It offers detailed stories of the soldiers and their experiences and uses stunning 360 degree animation to tell the story. This site is great for teacher, students, and any World War II enthusiast.

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4- Anne Franks' Secret Annex Online

From her journal to movies, the tragic story of Anne Frank has fascinated millions of people. Annefrank.org has a special section on their webpage called the Secret Annex Online that allows you to explore the secret annex where she and her family hid from the Nazis. From this site you can explore the apartment and all of the hiding places and learn about all the people involved. After you explore her living quarters you can view videos, read articles, and see photographs as well. The Secret Annex Online is one of the most compelling sources available to learn about the Anne Frank story.

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5- Science and Technology of World War II

The Science and Technology of World War II in an interactive site that contains information, activities and lessons about the scientific advancements that were made during the Second World War. Explore visuals in the Darkroom or learn to send a coded message in the Activities section. Lern more in the Timeline area or perhaps take a virtual field trip. The Science and Technology of World War II offers a wide variety of learning opportunities and includes lesson plans for teachers.

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6- FDR's Fireside Chats

FDR's Fireside Chats were radio addresses used by the 32nd president to inform and comfort the nation. They started during the Great Depression but he continued using them throughout the war. This site, The American Presidency Project, offers a selection of audio recording from Roosevelt's broadcasts. The Mid Hudson Regional Information Center offers transcripts of FDR's radio broadcasts which would make excellent close reads for students.

American Presidency Project - Hear FDR's Fireside Chats

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7- Photographs from the Office of War Information

For a collection of high quality color images from the American Home front, check out this impressive photo collection from The Atlantic. These images come from the Office of War Information (OWI). The agency, created by FDR, was responsible for reporting war news, promoting patriotic activities, and providing the media with audio, film, and photos of the government's war efforts. While most of the scenes were posed, the subjects were the real thing -- soldiers and workers preparing for a long fight.

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8- BBC History of WWII

BBC History has a terrific World War II section that's loaded with a variety of multimedia resources. This site contains detailed summaries of key events but keep digging because there is much more to discover. The BBC History site has animated maps, videos, audio files, quizzes, and more. This site offers a good comprehensive overview from a British point of view.

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9- Japanese-American Internment

Exploring Japanese American Internment is a site that seeks to teach about the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II. It uses video and other resources to explore this period of American History.

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10- American Home Front

Scholastic also offers a section about the internment of Japanese American but their site also explore other aspect of the American Homefront including rationing and women working in the war industry.

Americanhistory.org also has an excellent page that explains about rationing and the effects on civilians.

Explore Anne Frank's hiding place

From her journal to movies, the tragic story of Anne Frank has fascinated millions of people. Annefrank.org has a special section on their webpage called the Secret Annex Online that allows you to explore the secret annex where she and her family hid from the Nazis. From this site you can explore the apartment and all of the hiding places and learn about all the people involved. After you explore her living quarters you can view videos, read articles, and see photographs as well. The Secret Annex Online is one of the most compelling sources available to learn about the Anne Frank story.

More (cool) websites

Soothing Sounds
There are few things as soothing and relaxing as listening to rain fall outside. To enjoy the sound of rain anytime and anywhere you can go to Rainy Mood.com and enjoy mother nature's perfect white noise.

Amazing Photography
Planet Earth is an amazing place and Trek Earth wants to share it with you. This is a travel themed website that features some of the most amazing photography from all over the world. This site is not only great for travelers, it can be used by foreign language, geography, science and history teachers as well.

History in color
Speaking of history, at this site, they feature colorized versions of famous people and events from the past 150 years. It is stunning to see color photographs of Lincoln, Einstein, Anne Frank, and other iconic pictures.

DIY
Blocklayer is a site that features amazingly handy tools for the home "Do it Yourselfers" out there. Need help calculating the proper angle for stairs? Want to install a deck? This website will help you with those projects and more.

DIY the sequel
Finally, another excellent site to help you learn to do almost anything is 5 Minutes. They feature short "how to" videos on a wide array of topics. Check out this helpful site the next time you want to learn something new.