Learning History at Home
Our editors have selected a wide variety of resources for learning history at home, for parents teaching their children as well as lifelong learners. Includes historic archives and images, interactive maps, online curriculum and resources for students and teachers, livestreaming events, history videos, games and quizzes, and more. Have one to recommend, please let us know.
And when we can, we love getting out and seeing historic sites and exhibits and history-related programs, and going on history walks. You’ll find more information on those in our Events list and our Travel section.
Updated June 1, 2020: We are no longer updating this list. We're glad that so many found this useful in the transition to at-home-only learning.
Livestreamed talks with history authors: Every Thursday at 8 pm (Eastern). Details here.
I hope you'll join us.
— Lee Wright | Founder | The History List | History Camp
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Historic archives and images
- Library of Congress: Collections of images and documents, with many ways to explore them
- Google Arts & Culture: Museums and their art and artifacts presented in many different ways. Here are a few examples:
- National WWI Museum and Memorial
- Smithsonian Air and Space Museum
- The British Museum
- Historical figures
- George Washington, presented with narrative
- Historical events
- Themes
- Streetview
- Anne Frank’s house see virtual tour for a more comprehensive look at her house to include videos
- Museum of the City of New York
- State museum of Pennslyvania
- Valley Forge
- National Museum of American History
- White House Digital Collection
- Local History
Virtual Tours
- Ellis Island
- Great Wall of China
- Eustis Estate
- Gropius House
- Pottsgrove Manor
- Heinz History Center
- Museum of the American Revolution
- Eastern State Penitentary
- Museum of Newport History
- Nathan and Polly Johnson House in New Bedford, MA
- Cliffe Caslte
- Florence as it was
- USS Constellation
- Westminster Abbey
- Route 66
- Lexington Historical Society
- Lucknow Estate "Castle in the Clouds", New Hampshire
- New Bedford Walking Tours
- New Bedford Preservation Society 2019 Holiday House Tours
- USS Cassin Young Insider Tours
- Colletion of webcames and additional virtual tours: https://virtualschoolactivities.com/
Interactive maps
Online curriculums and resources for students and teachers
- AP History Study Guides
- Classroom resources: https://www.studentsofhistory.com/
- Document your family history
- Khan Academy offers lessons on a wide variety of history-related topics, including AP history.
- Large selection of history-related teaching aids
- Maritime History resources from STEAMing into the Future
- Mount Vernon lesson plans
- National Archives: Teaching using primary documents
- White House History
- The Freedom Trail
- History Videos focusing on 1607-1865
- Learning Plunge Kids Zone
- Local History
Livestreaming events
- Mount Vernon weekly events - Mondays - Fridays at noon (Eastern)
- History At Play, LLC - See the Facebook page for various dates, times, and fees, or find more information here
- Boston Athenaeum
- Plimoth Plantation: People of the Dawn - Mondays at 11 am (Eastern) - various dates - $10
- Lexington Live Stream Events
- USS Constitution , daily live tours
- Meetings with Martha Washington (Sandy Spector), Virtual Visits are presented each Thursday via Zoom. Please reach out to Sandy Spector at marthawashington1775@gmail.
com - American Hero Webinars
Videos
- History Camp: History Camp Boston 2019
- The History List: Videos tours of historic sites
- Crash Course, including European History, World History, US History - Extremely well done
- The History Guy - Dozens of videos roughly 15 - 20 minutes long on a wide variety of topics
- American Experience, from PBS, with many excellent programs, including The Great War (3 parts) and Influenze 1918
- Interviews with Veterans
- Museum of the American Revolution Archived Museum Programs
- Yale Lectures note the link includes a variety of subjects, but there are several great history lectures available
- Documentaries
- Local History
- Sowams Heritage Area, Rhode Island
- Beverly Historical Society, Beverly, Massachusetts
- Newport Historical Society, Newport, Massachusetts
Games and quizzes
- History Plunge
- Civics in the form of online games
- The Constitution Quiz
- History flashcards, diagrams, and study guides
- White House Mobile App
- GeoPlunge-Dashing States. Downloadale app in your app store that focuses on U.S. States.
- Google Expedition Tours Mobile App
We love getting out and seeing historic sites and exhibits and history-related programs, and going on history walks. You’ll find more information on those in our Events list and our Travel section.
— Larisa
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Larisa is a contributor to The History List and helps with History Camps in Boston, Philadelphia, and Richmond.
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Updated June 1, 2020: We are no longer updating this list. We're glad that so many found this useful in the transition to at-home-only learning.