Cool+Websites

John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. (2012). We choose the moon. Retrieved April 9, 2012, from: [] We Choose the Moon is an interactive website where students can gain knowledge about the Apollo 11 mission to the moon. Apollo 11 landed on the moon on July 20, 1969, during the presidency of Richard M. Nixon. There are several interesting aspects to this site, including a complete simulation of the launch, archival photos, and actual mission audio. This site would be useful for students who are studying the 1960s in America. The Apollo 11 landing on the moon encapsulated the spirit of the 1960s and brought the nation together during the Cold War.

Yale Law School. (2012). The Avalon project: Documents in law, history, and diplomacy. Retrieved April 9, 2012, from: [] This website, run by the Lillian Goldman Law Library of Yale University, contains thousands of documents relating to world history, American history, and facets of law. When you click on a certain era, such as "21st Century Documents", a lengthy list of documents and projects appears. The documents on the site are all digitized and easy to read. This site is especially useful for students who are examining military and political treaties throughout the history of America or the history of the world.

University of Virginia Library. (2012). The valley of the shadow. Retrieved April 9, 2012, from: [] This interesting site depicts two disparate communities that existed during the Civil War. The project centers in on Augusta County, Virginia, which fought for the South, and Franklin County, Pennsylvania, which fought for the North. The Valley of the Shadow project contains primary source documents such as newspapers, diaries, photographs, maps, church records, and censuses, as well as secondary interpretations like military records. On this site, students can "write" their own histories, or they can also reconstruct stories about different minority groups, such as African Americans and women.

Center for History and New Media and American Social History Project. (2012). The September 11 digital archive. Retrieved April 9, 2012, from: [] This site is particularly useful for students who are unfamiliar with the tragedies of September 11, 2001. There are emotional and riveting first-hand accounts on the site, like audio, video, and still clips that were taken during that fateful day. There is a nice collection of emails, presentations, images, and interviews that give students an in-depth and realistic look at what happened on September 11, 2001. The site is particularly interesting because, as opposed to describing 9/11 in a textbook, this site brings the tragedy to life.