There are a fair amount of quality apps that specialize in the study of U.S. History, but these five apps form a veritable Mount Rushmore and then some. There are options for students of all ages.
Studacy – U.S. Presidents (iPhone Free)
Since America’s independence, presidents have been chronological benchmarks in the study of history: the Civil War is associated with Abraham Lincoln, the Great Depression with Herbert Hoover and FDR. Personalities are often studied alongside policies. Get effective and efficient instruction on these decisive figures with Studacy’s US Presidents. Each president’s entry includes a basic fact sheet and an extended biography, in addition to a collection of trivia and memorable quotes. Additional quizzes (such as birth places, political parties, portrait matching, succession, quotes, vice presidents and chronology) can be purchased for $0.99 each.
(Curated by Abby Nowakowski)
Today’s Document (Android Free)
The team at the National Archives presents a different primary source document from their extensive collection each day. The documents are presented as a high quality graphic that lets you to zoom in and examine its details. Today’s Document provides a great opportunity for teachers to incorporate this skill into a variety of lessons. You can access the additional information by tapping the Info icon along the top of the screen. Also located there is a share button, a favorite button and a calendar icon that allows you to see yesterday’s or tomorrow’s document, or lets you pick a specific date.
(Curated by Keith George)
African-American Studies Books (Android Free)
African-American Studies Books provides students of American history with key, decisive works from well-known figures such as Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. DuBois and Olaudah Equiano. Lesser-known authors are covered as well, all the way through the modern era. The program presents a directory of texts relevant to its category, and students can download their selections onto their device after searching by title, author, popularity of download, etc. Before you download a book, you can read a short description of its historical context, or a small text excerpt. This selection is limited to works written previous to 1929 (and are therefore in the public domain).
(Curated by Abby Nowakowski)
Smart Fish: States Run (iPhone $0.99)
Learning states and capitals is the mainstay of elementary school geography in the United States. Smart Fish makes geography a game with three levels of difficulty that test knowledge of location, abbreviation, capital, flags, monuments, parks and nicknames. The easiest level highlights a few states from which to choose making it easier for beginners. Speed matters so the game remains challenging for older students. Score is kept based on miles flown, so those cross-country trips from California to Rhode Island really pump up the score. If you’re too slow or answer incorrectly, you lose one of three planes (lives) you get each round.
(Curated by Jill Goodman)
American History Time Line (iPad Free)
American History Time Line covers all major events from American history in an engaging way. You can scroll along the timeline and view the items that interest you, or you can actively search for names or places. Anyone aged 10 or over will find the app extremely valuable. The app uses an interactive visual timeline to highlight tons of key events in American history. Topics covered include politics, famous women, wars, inventors and more. Images and text flesh out the topics, and a range of games and quizzes reinforce the material.
(Curated by Leslie Morris)
(This content was originally posted at appoLearning.)