Maps of War

Maps of War is a terrific website with lots of interactive historical maps.



Here is the history of world religions in 90 seconds.

Today in History

Monday, May 10, 2010



1775 - Fort Ticonderoga captured from the British by Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys


1869 - Completion of the First Transcontinental Railroad


1924 - J. Edgar Hoover became the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)



For more fun "Today in History" trivia, along with free printable monthly and weekly calendars and planners, click here.

World War II: History of the Battle of Iwo Jima

History Annotated has a terrific video clip on the events on Iwo Jima, complete with authentic voices. Great for teachers covering World War II in the Pacific!

Looking for a teaching job?

We are here to help not only new teachers, but current teachers making career and location changes.


Due to budget cuts and other factors, many teachers are finding themselves in a position where they must consider relocating to another district. If this describes you, take a look at our page of teacher certification requirements and educator job hiring links by state, including U.S. territories and military bases.


As this school year winds down, our thoughts are with all teachers who are faced with budget cuts, and left making tough decisions.

Gap Minder

GapMinder offers lots of free statistics for students and others to use when conducting research projects.


Compare the United States to other countries, or one state to another.


Lots of fun for grown-ups, too.

Economics Today: PIGS, PIIGS, and PIIGGS - International Monetary Crisis

We are watching the news today following the economic crisis on Wall Street and rioting in Greece. There are a lot of terms being thrown around that should be explained and discussed with students by teachers covering these important current events.

PIGS: Portugal, Italy, Greece, and Spain.
PIIGS: Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece, and Spain.
PIIGGS: Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece, Great Britain, and Spain.
[The acronym has changed as more countries have been added to the group.]

Why are these countries "piiggs"? While not all of their economies are hurting like the economy of Greece, they are heavily in debt. A decrease in buying from Greece, the United States, or one another may cause severe recessions (or even depressions) in these countries. Because the world trading economy is so heavily linked, decreased spending by these countries can easily hurt the United States.

Example students can understand: Thousands (or more) American tourists visit Europe each year. These tourists buy necessities (food) and buy souvenirs (goods) when in Europe. Because of the recession in the United States, fewer American tourists have visited Europe. Debt-heavy European countries rely on tourism to support their economies. If American tourists do not visit Europe, the European economy suffers. [For older students, describe the trade goods of Europe and the United States.]

PIIGS from Marketplace on Vimeo.

The Story of Mothers Day: Story Word Search Puzzle

Can word searches be educative? We think so. In fact, as far as we know, we invented the concept of the "story word search." This is a word search puzzle that tells a story. Essentially, there is a block of text. Certain terms within the text are capitalized and bolded; these terms are hidden in the puzzle. Instead of looking for random terms in the puzzle, students are looking for terms they understand on some level (having read them in the text).



Here is a free, printable, story word search puzzle on the history of Mother's Day in the United States.