Social Studies Middle School Guide

​Digital Tools to Support Your Content​

​Digital Tool​

​Overview​

​Inquiry & Primary Sources:​ ​Library of​ ​Congress​

​The Library of Congress provides millions of primary sources,​ ​lesson plans, maps, photographs, political cartoons, and​ ​teaching resources that support historical inquiry,​ ​evidence-based learning, and disciplinary literacy across all​ ​social studies courses.​ ​DocsTeach combines authentic historical documents with​ ​ready-to-use classroom activities that help students analyze​ ​primary sources, strengthen historical thinking skills, and build​ ​evidence-based arguments.​ ​Formerly the Stanford History Education Group (SHEG), Digital​ ​Inquiry Group offers inquiry-based history lessons, Civic Online​ ​Reasoning resources, and media literacy activities that help​ ​students evaluate evidence and analyze sources.​ ​OER Project provides free inquiry-based curriculum, engaging​ ​videos, readings, and instructional resources that support​ ​World History while promoting historical thinking and​ ​student-centered learning.​ ​iCivics provides interactive games, lesson plans, webquests,​ ​and primary source activities that help students understand​ ​government, constitutional principles, civic participation, and​ ​the responsibilities of citizenship.​ ​The National Constitution Center offers interactive lessons,​ ​constitutional resources, primary sources, and multiple​ ​perspectives that help students explore the Constitution,​ ​landmark Supreme Court cases, and civic reasoning.​

​National Archives​ ​DocsTeach​

​Digital inquiry​ ​Group (DIG)​

​OER Project​

​Civics & Government:​ ​iCivics​

​National​ ​Constitution​ ​Center​

​Geography & Data:​ ​Google Earth​

​Google Earth allows students to virtually explore locations​ ​around the world while investigating geography, historical​ ​events, migration, human-environment interaction, and​ ​cultural landscapes through interactive maps and imagery.​

​ArcGIS Online​

​ArcGIS Online is an interactive mapping platform that enables​