Site Review: Maps of War

Those of you who know me – or read this blog occasionally – should be aware by now that I have long seen and used the potential of the Internet in the classroom. I often wish that the technology available now (it has changed a lot in the seven years since I left the classroom) had been available when I was actively teaching. I believe that there is so much that can be done through using the Web. I now have over 2000 links on the “Social Studies Resource Websites” link on my Social Studies homepage.

That said, it is time to mention Maps of War, which is one of those links.

This is a really interesting website that looks at various aspects of history through the use of a timeline and a map… all in under two minutes of imaging! The material can be used as an introduction or a summary to a topic, or a number of other ways only limited by your imagination.

Some of the maps with a brief description from the site:

• 
  The History of Religion (How has the geography of religion evolved over the centuries, and where has it sparked wars?)
• 
  The March of Democracy (Where has democracy dominated and where has it retreated?)
• 
  Imperial History of the Middle East (Who has controlled the Middle East over the course of history?)

Maps of War also links to other sites with animated maps, such as The Western Front 1914-1918 by the BBC, and both the European and Pacific battles of World War II.

All in all, an interesting site to look at and see if and how you could use it in class.