History & Social Science Resources

Standards of Learning Assessment Resources

SOL Sample Items – Sample items that reflect the increased rigor and higher cognitive level items that appear on the 2008 History and Social Science Standards of Learning tests.

Virginia Electronic Practice Assessment Tool (ePAT) – Released tests presented through the Electronic Practice Assessment Tool (ePAT) application, to closely simulate the online Standards of Learning assessment experience for students
Released Standards of Learning Test Items – Sample sets of Standards of Learning (SOL) tests that were administered to Virginia public school students

Outside Resources

Library of Virginia – educational material on Virginia's history, culture and people including lesson plans in the Virginia Memory Online Classroom
Jamestown Settlement and Yorktown Victory Center – curriculum materials, educational audio, video, podcasts and programs for educators
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts – student and teacher resources including online art and lesson plans
Virginia Museum of Natural History – information on professional development opportunities for teachers and resources for students
Virginia Association of Museums – a resource list of museums in Virginia that includes many online resources for teachers and students
Encyclopedia Virginia – in partnership with the Library of Virginia Encyclopedia Virginia includes online reference work about the Commonwealth
Virginia Historical Society – outreach programs, SOL tours, hands-on history options and more
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation – tools for educators related to the restored capital of Britain's largest, wealthiest and most populous 18th-century outpost
Virginia Holocaust Museum – educational materials and resources for students and teachers
Virginia Foundation for the Humanities – connects people and ideas to explore the human experience and inspire cultural engagement.
National History Education Clearinghouse - teachinghistory.org – designed to help K–12 history teachers access resources and materials to improve U.S. history education in the classroom
WorldNet Virginia - A Web Resource for SOL – standards-based resources for students and teachers, as well as opportunities to participate in study seminars in selected foreign countries

Professional Development

Geography Connects – a series of self-paced courses for Virginia teachers taught by Dr. Don Zeigler, professor of geography at Old Dominion University; may be taken to earn recertification points or for graduate credit
Virginia Government Matters – a free online teaching and learning resource highlighting active citizen involvement, the impact of state and local government on daily life, and how individuals shape their communities in the Commonwealth.
Online U.S. History Course: Hidden in Plain Sight – an online U.S. history course created for teachers. This course may be taken for recertification points or for graduate credit. 45 Recertification Points Participants
Virginia Studies: Thinking Historically about Virginia – an online course for teachers may be taken for recertification points or for graduate credit.

Professional Organizations

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