Google's Cultural Institute   

I just got a new computer even though mine really wasn't old and crusty, Jack really needed one so I made the big justification that WE needed a new computer (which of course, means he got my old one.) This is my 3^rd Mac in 6 years and I cannot believe how much technology has changed in such a short time. Six years ago, my Macbook was more expensive than my newest computer and had an 80 G hard drive. My next MacBook cost less than my first one and sported a 500G hard drive and I built the Windows side through Bootcamp with two computers in one. My new Macbook Pro is even less money than the first two with a terabyte hard drive and easy access to my Windows side through the much improved Parallels program. We live in such an amazing technological time with easy access to everything digital that I was inspired to do "tuesdays" on another amazing advance in technology that I can hardly wrap my head around. Hope you enjoy exploring.

        
   

Google's Cultural Institute is a dynamic adventure into archives of historical primary documents that come alive on your computer screen. (I was inspired because my new Mac sends my compute to our high-def TV through Apple TV - that's a whole other story!) Their present collection begins in 1905 with Imperial Exposures, photographic portraits of East Asian rulers, and extends by timeline view to Nelson Mandela and Young People in 2008. The exquisite design of the site invites you to click, drag, explore, investigate and learn from our past mistakes that we may not repeat them again. They offer a grid or list view of all the exhibits that make it easy to navigate. You can even explore or search for specific topics. It's literally an exhibition made available to all the world in the privacy of our own homes. Partnerships in the project include: LIFE magazine, DRR Museum, Anne Frank House, Getty Images and many more. These photographs and documents that would otherwise be in storage are now made available to anyone with an interest in the betterment of mankind. The goal of the Google Cultural Institute is to help preserve and promote culture online. They have built tools that make it simple to tell the stories of our diverse cultural heritage and make them accessible worldwide. It is truly a visually rich interactive experience.

I know these few weeks before Christmas are crazy busy so I won't even pretend that you may have time to investigate this marvelous site. However, bookmark it and give it your attention during your break. Even if you don't teach social studies, turning our students on to this precious resource can open doors of understanding. Real people, in real situations, in real history are the way history comes alive. Too often students think history is boring, but a gifted social studies teacher can quickly turn that into a love of history. Google's Cultural Institute is only one of their initiatives that are marvelously integrated into the web. Others include: Art Project, Dead Sea Scrolls, La France en Relief, Le Pavillon de l'Arsenal, Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory, Versailles 3D, World Wonders and Yad Vashem.

How do you make time to explore such an incredible site and how to make it a valuable teaching lesson? I would give the students access to the site as a free exploration in a 2:1 student to computer ratio (if possible) at first to peak their interest and encourage collaboration. Next I would show portions of the site in a whole group setting pausing and discussing what story the visuals are telling. A most interesting project that I did with 5^th graders years ago was Decade Detectives. In pairs, the decades of the 20^th century were studied, examined and mined for culture, geography and history. The students then acted out their time period with music, skits and visuals. We had nothing like this website (or any website for that matter) that could bring the story to life. Google's Cultural Institute is a wide open door for your students to walk through to personalize the experience of history. After all, if we don't understand our history, we are bound to repeat it.

"A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots."

Marcus Garvey

ipadio   

LiveBinders 

Doceri 

NASA's Image Gallery 

Popplet 

Zoey's Room
Finance in the Classroom
Fotopedia 

The Common Good Forecaster  

Google Earth 

UJAM 

Symbaloo.edu 

Google Science Fair 

Stossel in the Classroom
Word Sift 

Lee Kolbert