Here's another interesting web-based tool for Social Studies teachers. Thinglink is a program that let's the user take a photograph and bring it to life with videos, music, text, images etc. The program allows the user to make their photos interactive by adding layers to them through website and file links. Here's an example from their website:
I have used it with my Social Studies 11 classes in the past. I had my students find images that related to specific Canadian history topics, such as the role of women during WWII. The students were instructed to create at least 5 layers (links) to their image. I feel like thinglink, and the research required to create one, helped my students learn more about their specific topic and the topics of all their classmates, but maybe more importantly, it allowed them to see history as something with depth and substance. Finally, photographs are extremely important historical tools and learning to critically analyze them is a valuable skill for our Social Studies students.
It looks like most of the basic features are all free, and I was able to upgrade my account to the premium service for free just by stating that I am a teacher. Give it a try!
Kirk Weiss, Athletics/PE (& SS/Eng) teacher
It looks like most of the basic features are all free, and I was able to upgrade my account to the premium service for free just by stating that I am a teacher. Give it a try!
Kirk Weiss, Athletics/PE (& SS/Eng) teacher