Social Studies

Social Studies (X) - Elementary (X) - Middle (X)

Becoming Ben Franklin

Icon: 
Book icon
Copies: 7

In 1723 Ben Franklin arrived in Philadelphia as a poor and friendless seventeen-year-old who had run away from his family and an apprenticeship in Boston. Sixty-two years later he stepped ashore in nearly the same spot but was greeted by cannons, bells, and a cheering crowd, now a distinguished statesman, renowned author, and world-famous scientist. Freedman's riveting story of how a rebellious apprentice became an American icon comes in an elegantly designed book filled with art and includes a timeline, source notes, bibliography, and index.

Author: 
Russell Freedman
Lexile: 
1170L
Becoming Ben Franklin

Zora!

Icon: 
Book icon
Copies: 7

Even as a little girl, Zora Neale Hurston was confident, charismatic, and determined to be extraordinary. As a proud young girl who grew up in an all-black community in Eatonville, Florida, she didn't experience the prejudice that many African Americans felt at the time. In fact, she was so self-confident as a child that she thought the moon followed her wherever she went. She arrived in New York at the height of the Harlem Renaissance and quickly gained recognition for her work, making friends such as Langston Hughes and Alain Locke.

Author: 
Dennis Brindell Fradin
Lexile: 
1110L
Zora!

Stay Where You Are and then Leave

Icon: 
Book icon
Copies: 7

As the First World War rages on, Alfie Summerfield has given up hope of seeing his father again. Though his mother maintains that father is away on a secret mission, Alfie knows he must be dead. But when Alfie learns by chance that his father is in a hospital close by—a hospital treating soldiers with shell shock, whatever that might be—he resolves to rescue his father from this strange unnerving place.

Author: 
John Boyne
Lexile: 
880L
Stay Where You Are and then Leave

Holland Land Office Museum, Genesee County, NY

Icon: 
Web resource icon

This is the web site for the Holland Land Office Museum, located in Batavia, NY, and is considered the birthplace of Western NY.

A General History of the Town of Batavia

Icon: 
Web resource icon

This is a page from the Town of Batavia, NY web site.

The Dutch & New Amsterdam (1999)

Icon: 
DVD icon

These engaging presentations view the traditions of early colonial life through contemporary insights into the men, women and children who carried their dreams of a new life to the New World. Follow along as colonial life experts tour the modern-day sites of these settlements to learn the history of the people who settled them and discover what daily life was really like.

Grade Level: 
Elementary
Middle
Length: 
00:23
The Dutch & New Amsterdam

Mission US: For Crown or Colony?

“For Crown or Colony?” puts players in the shoes of Nat Wheeler, a printer’s apprentice in 1770 Boston. They encounter both Patriots and Loyalists, and when rising tensions result in the Boston Massacre, they must choose where their loyalties lie.

Mission US: A Cheyenne Odyssey

In Mission 3: “A Cheyenne Odyssey,” players become Little Fox, a Northern Cheyenne boy whose life is changed by the encroachment of white settlers, railroads, and U.S. military expeditions. As buffalo diminish and the U.S. expands westward, players experience the Cheyenne's persistence through conflict and national transformation.

Mission US: Flight to Freedom

In Mission 2: “Flight to Freedom,” players take on the role of Lucy, a 14-year-old slave in Kentucky. As they navigate her escape and journey to Ohio, they discover that life in the “free” North is dangerous and difficult. In 1850, the Fugitive Slave Act brings disaster. Will Lucy ever truly be free?

Historic USGS Maps of New York

Icon: 
Web resource icon

The image map showing the State of NewYork includes a grid marked off in 15 minute increments. Each rectangle points to a web page that lists the available images for this quadrangle. For any particular date, there will most often be four images because the maps were scanned as four sections. Each image is typically 2 megabytes, so download times are likely to be slow. The size was chosen to maintain an acceptable level of detail.

Grey blocks indicate areas where no map is available.

MyTopo

Icon: 
Web resource icon

Contains USGS (U.S. Geological Survey) topographic maps, NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) nautical and aeronautical charts and aerial photographs. Search by place name, zip code, map/chart name or number or latitude and longitude.

NYSGIS Clearinghouse

Icon: 
Web resource icon

Topographic maps accessible via map, quadrangle name, USGS (U.S. Geological Survey) code or DOT (Department of Transportation) code. Includes orthoimagery.

Northeast Regional Climate Center

Icon: 
Web resource icon

Established in 1983, the Northeast Regional Climate Center (NRCC) is located in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at Cornell University. It serves the 12-state region that includes: Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and West Virginia. Major funding is provided through a contract with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

USDA Hardiness Zones for New York

Icon: 
Web resource icon

Hardiness Zone information helps you determine which herbaceous perennials and woody trees, shrubs and vines will survive winters where you garden.

Pages