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Web Links
About Massachusetts
- Mass.gov
- The official state Web site is a first stop for information about the commonwealth
http://www.mass.gov/portal/index.jsp?pageID=mg2homepage&L=1&L0=Home&sid=massgov2
- Massachusetts QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau
- If you're looking for data about state, check out this page. County information is available as well.
http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/25000.html
- Massachusetts State Government
- This site features direct links to an array of Massachusetts-related information, including official government Web sites, laws, taxes, and other general resources.
http://www.govspot.com/state/ma.htm
- Interactive Statehouse
- This state Web site focuses on historical information. Click Fun Facts to learn about the state flower, dog, folk hero, muffin, and more.
http://www.state.ma.us/statehouse/
- The Big Dig
- Here you can take a virtual tour of the Central Artery/Tunnel Project and get a glimpse of how it will change Boston.
http://www.bigdig.com/index.htm
Education Resources for Massachusetts
- Massachusetts Department of Education
- The Massachusetts Department of Education Web site is an invaluable resource. Here you will find information on assessment, standards, grants, and more.
http://www.doe.mass.edu/
- Educational Resources for Massachusetts
- The U.S. Department of Education provides this list of links to state and federal educational resources.
http://wdcrobcolp01.ed.gov/Programs/EROD/org_list_by_territory.cfm?territory_id=ma
State Teacher Organizations
- Massachusetts Reading Association (MRA)
- The Massachusetts Reading Association Web site offers Internet links and information on conferences, awards and grants.
http://www.massreading.org/
- The Association of Teachers of Mathematics in Massachusetts
- The Association of Teachers of Mathematics in Massachusetts Web site contains information on scholarships, publications, professional development, and links.
http://members.ispwest.com/bowdish/atmim/
- Mass Foundation for the Humanities
- The state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities funds, grants, and provides teaching resources.
http://www.mfh.org/resources/teacher/
- Massachusetts Teachers Association
- The state teachers association provides information on topics of interest to educators, plus a list of online resources.
http://www.massteacher.org/
Maps
- Massachusetts
- Here you will find a political map showing major towns and rivers.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/nytmaps.pl?massachusetts
- Color Landform Atlas: Massachusetts
- This site contains topographical and political maps to the county level for Massachusetts, as well as a menu of links to other online information about the state.
http://fermi.jhuapl.edu/states/ma_0.html
History
- Massachusetts Historical Society
- This Web site provides glimpses into state history, plus online exhibits. Here you can view maps from the French and Indian War and learn about the Battle of Bunker Hill.
http://www.masshist.org/welcome/
- The Pilgrim Society
- This thoughtful Web site from the Pilgrim Hall Museum tells the story of the Pilgrims and the Native Americans they encountered, and examines the significance of the Pilgrim story in American history.
http://www.pilgrimhall.org/
- Places Where Women Made History
- The National Park Service takes a look at historic sites in Massachusetts and New York that are associated with prominent women. There are links to Web sites for specific locations.
http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/pwwmh/index.htm
- Boston History and Architecture
- This is a great place to meet some of Boston's distinguished residents, see some of the city's famous buildings, and learn about its history.
http://www.i
boston.org/index2.php
- Massachusetts
- The Library of Congress provides brief articles on Massachusetts history and culture.
http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/es/ma/
Revolutionary War Era
- The Murder of Crispus Attucks
- Here you can view pages from a contemporary account of British soldiers on trial for their part in the Boston Massacre.
http://rs7.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/trr046.html
- Captain Thomas Preston's Account of Boston Massacre
- A British captain tells his version of what happened on the fateful day of the Boston Massacre.
http://odur.let.rug.nl/~usa/D/1751-1775/bostonmassacre/prest.htm
- Boston Tea Party—Eyewitness Account
- In 1773, a group of Bostonians superficially disguised as Native Americans dumped tea into Boston Harbor to thwart a British tax. Here you will find a first-person account of the incident.
http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/revolution/teaparty.htm
- The Battle of Lexington and Concord
- The Department of Military Science at the Worcester Polytechnical Institute takes a look at the events of the first battle in the American Revolutionary War and the events leading up to it. There is also a link to information about the Battle of Bunker Hill.
http://www.wpi.edu/Academics/Depts/MilSci/BTSI/Lexcon/
- A Paul Revere Virtual Museum
- Meet Paul Revere: the man, the myth, and the poem. Tour his house, see a timeline of his ride, and use an interactive map of colonial Boston.
http://www.cvesd.k12.ca.us/finney/paulvm/_welcomepv.html
Native Americans
- Wampanoag
- This detailed essay tells the story of the Wampanoag, who lived in coastal Massachusetts. There are links to information on other groups, including the Massachuset.
http://www.tolatsga.org/wampa.html
- Wampanoag Indians— Boston Children's Museum
- The Boston Children's Museum provides a teaching unit on the Wampanoag, complete with information, suggested readings, and activities.
http://www.bostonkids.org/educators/wampanoag.html
- Metacom Relates Indian Complaints About the English Settlers, 1675
- A colonial official gave this account of his meeting with Metacom, also known as King Philip, during the conflict known as King Philip's War.
http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/6226/
African Americans
- Black Heritage Trail¨
- The Museum of Afro American History Boston takes you on a tour of the city's Black Heritage Trail.
http://www.afroammuseum.org/trail.htm
- Boston African American National Historic Site
- This National Park Service Web site tells the story of African Americans in Boston.
http://www.nps.gov/boaf/
- Slaves Petition for Freedom, 1777
- When the Revolutionary War broke out, some Massachusetts slaves took the opportunity to petition the new state legislature for the abolition of slavery, which eventually took place in the state in 1781. Here you can view both the original document and a transcript.
http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/6237/
- Fifty-Fourth Massachusetts Infantry
- This famous Civil War regiment was made up largely of free African Americans. This page gives a brief history of the regiment and includes pictures of several of its members, including the sons of Frederick Douglass.
http://battleofolustee.org/
History Museums
- Plimoth Plantation
- This great Web site takes you on a tour of a re-creation of the first pilgrim settlement, tells the story of the state's first English settlers, and describes the life of the Native Americans who were living in the area when the settlers arrived.
http://www.plimoth.org
- Old Sturbridge Village
- What was life like in Massachusetts after the Revolutionary War? Here you can tour a re-created central Massachusetts village from the 1830s.
http://www.osv.org
- Lowell National Historical Park
- In the mid-nineteenth century, the state and the country were transformed by a wave of industrialization. This National Historic Park Service Web site takes you to the heart of the Industrial Revolution.
http://www.nps.gov/lowe
- American History and Art from New England
- This Web site from Deerfield's Memorial Hall Museum provides teacher resources and online activities that look at life in Massachusetts from colonial times through the present.
http://memorialhall.mass.edu/home.html
- The Paul Revere House
- Built in the seventeenth century, this house was home to Paul Revere and his large family at the outbreak of the American Revolution. At this Web site you can take a look at the house and learn about Revere and his famous ride.
http://paulreverehouse.org/
Art Museums
- Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
- Here you can browse the collection of one of the nation's premier art museums.
http://www.mfa.org/
- Norman Rockwell Museum
- This Web site offers an online look at the exhibits showing at Norman Rockwell's home in Stockbridge.
http://www.nrm.org/
- Peabody Essex Exhibitions
- Located in Salem, this museum features exhibits on art and maritime life.
http://www.pem.org/exhibitions/
- Sterling & Francine Clark Art Institute
- The Clark Institute at Williams College has an extensive art collection with an emphasis on European and American paintings.
http://www.clarkart.edu/
- Mead Art Museum at Amherst College
- Amherst's Mead Art Museum's collection includes work from Europe, the United States, Africa, and Latin America.
http://www.amherst.edu/~mead/
Science
- Invention Dimension
- This Massachusetts Institute of Technology Web site features a new inventor every week. In the archives you can meet inventors of the weird and the wonderful.
http://web.mit.edu/invent
- Smith College Museum of Ancient Inventions
- This virtual museum from Smith College includes some unusual and not so
unusual inventions from ancient times. Find out who invented eyeliner, the potter's wheel, blown glass, and more.
http://www.smith.edu/hsc/museum/ancient_inventions/hsclist.htm
- Museum of Science
- Boston's Museum of Science has a fabulous array of online exhibits, including features on the Big Dig, Leonardo da Vinci, and a virtual fishtank.
http://www.mos.org/
- Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology
- This Harvard Museum features online exhibits, including several on Native Americans.
http://www.peabody.harvard.edu/
Nature and the Environment
- Northeast Fisheries Science Center: Fascinating Facts About Fish
- Find illustrated answers to the Most Frequently Asked Questions about fish and other denizens of the deep at this enormous and useful site hosted at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
http://www.wh.whoi.edu/faq.html
- Massachusetts Snakes Page
- Meet all that slithers in Massachusetts at this Web site from the University of Massachusetts.
http://www.umass.edu/umext/nrec/snake_pit/
- Web of Species
- Take a virtual nature walk at Wellesley College and learn about the history and life cycles of the plants you encounter.
http://www.wellesley.edu/Biology/Web/index.html
- Welcome to New England Aquarium on the Web
- You can go on a virtual tour of the New England Aquarium at this Web site. Animal Rescue tells you what to do if you see a stranded sea creature and introduces you to some of the animals the aquarium has cared for.
http://www.neaq.org
- MSPCA Living with Wildlife Program
- The Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals gives advice on how to deal with wild animals.
http://www.livingwithwildlife.org/
Massachusetts Presidents
- Biography of John Adams
- The country's second president, John Adam,s was the first to live in the White House.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/ja2.html
- Biography of John Quincy Adams
- John Quincy Adams' long life in public service continued for twenty years after he left the White House, and ended with a stroke on the floor of the House of Representatives.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/ja6.html
- Biography of Calvin Coolidge
- Born in Vermont, Calvin Coolidge lived much of his adult life in Northampton and served as governor of the state before he was elected President.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/cc30.html
- Biography of John F. Kennedy
- John F. Kennedy's brief presidency saw major crises in the Civil Rights movement and set the country on course for the first moon landing.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/jk35.html
For Massachusetts Kids
- Quick Facts: Massachusetts
- "Ben's Guide to the U.S. Government," from the U.S. Printing office, runs down fun state facts, including the state motto, flower, and song.
http://bensguide.gpo.gov/3-5/state/massachusetts.html
- Kids' Zone
- The Massachusetts state Web site gives students a look at their state and its government.
http://www.state.ma.us/sec/cis/ciskid/kididx.htm
- Massachusetts Fun Facts
- This is a great resource for kids, with census info made kid-friendly!
http://factfinder.census.gov/home/en/kids/funfacts/massachusetts.html
- WGBH Kids
- This Web page from Boston's public radio station has features on many popular children's shows. There are also games and activities.
http://www.wgbh.org/kids/
- New England Aquarium For Kids
- Here kids can find some hands-on activities, see penguin baby pictures, and try the interactive Be a Penguin game.
http://www.neaq.org/scilearn/kids/
- Listen Up! Pops for Kids
- What is a timpani? When should you clap? Evening at Pops introduces kids to the symphony orchestra.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pops/listenup/
- Old Sturbridge Village Kids Zone
- This Central Massachusetts museum, which focuses on rural life in the 1830s, has a Web site with plenty of articles, craft activities, brain puzzlers, and online games.
http://www.osv.org/kids_zone/index.html