Pinterested in History - 14 History Pinners you should follow

Pinterest is a great resource for people to discover and share pictures, videos, and websites. While it currently ranks third behind Facebook and Twitter, it is still an excellent way to share resources. With that in mind, here are 14 Pinterest accounts that should be followed by anyone who teaches or loves history.

The National Archives 
The National Archives Pinterest page contains 45 boards with over 910 pins. As the official record keeper of the United States, the Archives are a terrific resources for anyone interested in the nation's history. If you enjoy their Pinterest boards be sure to check out their other social media outlets which can found here.

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Our Presidents
This is a Pinterest page from the National Archives that focuses on the the lives of U.S. Presidents. It contains 73 boards and over 1100 pins and features many pictures that are unique to their collection.

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The Smithsonian 
The Smithsonian has 42 boards with more than 770 pins, many of which are extremely useful to history teachers. With topics such as "presidential inaugurations" and "black history month" the Smithsonian's Pinterest page is worth a serious look.

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National Museum of American History 
The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History Pinterest site offers the greatest array of topics and resources with 58 boards with over 2070 pins. With such a large collection of resources to explore, this site is an absolute must for any fan of American history.

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Black History Web

Black History Web Pinterest pages are focused on the rich history of African Americans. They currently have 25 different boards containing over 460 pins with boards related to civil rights, slavery, and military history just to name a few.

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The History Girl

The History Girl has 78 boards and over 4800 pins dedicated to history topics. Greece, Rome, Colonial America and decades in the 20th century are just some of the boards you will encounter on her page.

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History By Zim

This Pinterest page by Jess Zimmerman has a nice selection of over 9100 pins found on 39 boards. The page is dedicated to American history with interesting topics such as the Indian Wars, World War II, Cold War and women's suffrage.

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Ms. Tucker World History

As the name suggests, this is page is dedicated to history of nations other than the United States. Her site boasts over 4700 pins that can be discovered on her 180 boards. World history teachers will be sure to find what they are looking for on this terrific Pinterest page.

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History Buff

This impressive Pinterest site has 136 boards and more than 8900 pins dedicated to American history. This site contains many of the topics you would expect such as the Civil War and Vietnam War but that's not all you will find. There are boards dedicated to the history states such as Illinois, Utah, and Virginia.

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The History Chicks

This Pinterest page is dedicated to the amazing women who have changed history throughout the world. The site contains over 2100 pins on 35 boards about people like Dolley Madison, Hellen Keller, and even Lizzie Borden.

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The History Press

This history themed Pinterest page contains 39 boards with more than  2200 pins. The site has a a large selection of vintage photographs as well as pages dedicated to women's history and even one with historical quotes.

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History Reporter

This site, which is curated by historian Tiffany Dziurman, has more than 830 pins on 52 unique boards. This Pinterest page contains many of the topics you would expect and many that may surprise you. You will find boards about Lincoln and Ellis Island but there are also ones with history memes and Christmas' in the past.

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The History Lab

The History Lab is focused on American history and the 38 boards are categorized in chronological eras, much like a textbook. The site is curated by history teacher Angela Hamblen and it has over 500 pins on topics such as Japanese American internment and the Civil Rights Movement.

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War History Online

If World War II is your topic of choice then this is the Pinterest page for you. There are more than 6200 pins on 27 boards and the vast majority are related to the Second World War. Weapons, planes, events and people are all shown in great detail on the boards found here.

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.

Must See History Themed Music Videos

Since I am a social studies teacher it should come as no surprise that I love anything history related. History is so often seen as boring and meaningless to students who can't grasp why they need to learn about events and people from the past. I previously shared these two music videos from Soomo Publishing, which have high production value and utilize current pop music songs with a historical twist on the lyrics. The first one is about the Declaration of Independence and uses One Republic's Too Late to Apologize. The second video, which won an Emmy for Best Informational / Instructional Program in 2012, is about women's suffrage and it uses Lady Gaga's Bad Romance to tell this important story. These two music videos make great additions to any history teacher's history lesson.

 Too Late to Apologize: A Declaration

 Bad Romance: Women's Suffrage

Twisted History?

Today's focus is on my favorite topic, American history. It should come as no surprise that I love the history of America since I am a social studies teacher and that is what I teach. History is so often seen as boring and meaningless to students who can't grasp why they need to learn about events and people from the past. The following web based resources will hopefully make learning history a little more interesting.

First up are two music videos from Soomo Publishing with American history themes. They have high production value and utilize current pop music songs with a historical twist on the lyrics. The first one is about the Declaration of Independence and uses One Republic's Too Late to Apologize. The focus of the second video is women's suffrage and it uses Lady Gaga's Bad Romance to tell this important story. When my 15 year old daughter showed me these videos I was instantly mesmerized. These videos are "must sees" for all history teachers and enthusiasts.

Too Late to Apologize: A Declaration

Bad Romance: Women's Suffrage

Take the time to check out a blog I discovered called Twisted Sifter. It features amazing pictures and photography which are sorted by topics such as nature, art, science, and history. There are more categories than the four I have listed and my personal favorite is the history section. The history posts are very diverse in their subject matter but each is interesting in its own way. For example, this post shows the pictures that inspired Norman Rockwell's art. This blog is worth a look for teachers, photography buffs, and anyone with a curious mind.