One of My Favorite US History Resources

Last summer I learned about History Animated from the excellent blog Teaching the Civil War With Technology. I thought the animations might be a bit too simplistic for today's students, but I liked the concept so I tried it out with one of my classes last fall. To my surprise, my students absolutely loved the animations complete with their sound effects and marching visuals.

History Animated provides animations of the American Revolution, the US Civil War, and the US Pacific Campaign in WWII. In each of the three series of animations you will see the animated movement of armies displayed on a map. Each animation is accompanied by captions describing the strategies of the armies as well as the results and consequences of each battle.

All of the animations on History Animated are available for free viewing on the website. That said, if you would like a CD copy of the animations sent to you, you can obtain a copy for only $15.

Applications for Education
History Animated is a fantastic resource for teachers of US History. The animations will make great supplements to classroom instruction. The animations are a significant improvement over drawing or pointing to places on a map.