Textbook Revolution

Taking the Bite Out of Books

Digital History

Steven Mintz, Univ. of Houston

Filed under: [ high-school, history, middle school ]

http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/

This book draws extensively on the public domain to weave together a very well done story of America. It can be read linearly, but is organized in such a way that you can easily browse and bone up on a particular topic.

The book is nearly encyclopedic in its coverage, with hundreds of pages on everything from Native Americans to the 9-11 attacks. There is a very well organized search page, there are just the right number of links throughout the text, and overall the site makes very judicious use of technology. My personal favorite is the interactive timeline, one of the coolest features I’ve seen in any book. It’s easier for you to try it than for me to describe it—make sure you click on the dots to find out more about each event.

Digital History doesn’t skimp on extras for teachers, either. The teacher resource page is packed with goodies, from lesson plans to handouts to a collection of 45 resource guides.

The book is available only online, with no downloadable or easily printable versions. This is the only drawback, though, so if you’re a history teacher with access to a room full of computers, assign this book!

Submitted by Prof. John Horgan.

Link to website