Website Worth Sharing: DSL’s American Panorama and Historical Atlas
US History Teachers,
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but an interactive map that contains a good key and added narrative information is worth even more when teaching historical topics. American Panorama, created by the Digital Scholarship Lab at the University of Richmond, is a site featuring dynamic interactive historical maps. There are currently four maps on the site: the Forced Migration of Enslaved Peoples, the Overland Trails, the Foreign-Born Population, and the Canals.
Each map has multiple features and levels of content for users to explore. With the trails map, you can choose a trail and read diaries of people’s experiences. The Enslaved Peoples maps have a narratives section that includes personal stories from slaves. The maps can all be magnified and you can zoom in on a particular location or time period. American Panorama is a work in progress with more maps to come on topics including the Great Depression, Post-War America, and Presidential Elections.
http://dsl.richmond.edu/panorama/
You might also want to check out their other project, the Historical Geography Atlas. While it is not as interactive, it contains a rich resouces of maps, charts and data that could be used to reinforce your teaching for for the students to explore time periods.
