Essay Example on American Civil War: The Comprehensive Source on Internet

Introduction

The website, 'Civil-war.net' is a collection of historical data that happened prior to the American civil war and the aftermaths that followed the war. The website was created in 1997 and it is privately owned thus the contents cannot be copied without the authorization of the owners. The civil was website is basically one of the most comprehensive source in the internet in matters concerning the American history and has a collection of several thousand pages, links to other sources and images. The website's homepage has been noted to be committed to sharing the first rate contents and a tremendous world class experience at absolutely no extra cost for visitors who want to research on history or those who want to share information or to edit. The website has been praised for its no advertisement policy which makes the visitor concentrate on their research without distractions.

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During the review time, there was airing on the contributions of African-American athletes on and off the field, a comprehensive story on low-rider culture from the Many Lenses project which is a combination of exhibitions projects by Smithsonian museums and an article about the musical sensation Blind Tom.

The website provides blogs with great information on various topics that is of considerable significance to users. During the review, there were several blogs which included celebrating Nat King Cole's 100th birthday (Nat King Cole was an African-American musical pioneer and activist) and to Freedom: Voices of the Formerly Enslaved (a story on slavery days in the United States).

The connect section enables users to connect, engage and support the museum from wherever they are. Here information on contacts, partnerships, internships, and fellowships is provided. The events section contains a calendar of public programs and upcoming events.

The website has an about section that enables users to know about the museum's history, why it was founded and the pillars it stands upon. Any important news is also posted in this section and even annual reports.

The Purpose for Website Creation

The National Museum of African American History and Culture is devoted to the documentation of African American life, history, and culture. The website was mainly established to reach out to people interested in African American culture but cannot get to the museum premises. It was also created to work as a teaching tool for teachers and parents to inform the new generation about the culture. It serves as a place of participation that engages new audiences and to work with various museums and educational institutions that had explored and preserved this important history well before this museum was created.

The website provides a lot of information to people willing to visit the museum premises. For anyone who plans to visit the museum premises. There is a visit section on the website where details on timed passes and tips on how to prepare the visit are provided. A frequently asked questions section is also offered to give answers to queries that users may as they plan the visit. There is an accessibility section that makes it easier for those planning to visit. This provides information such as when there are fewer crowds hence convenient to visit, entrances to use, restrooms, parking, and resources for families.

Importance in Learning

According to the author, the main reason for creating the website was to act as a teaching tool. This is a valid hypothesis. The site is good for learning; however, some adjustments should be made to provide even more in-depth information for students and teachers. It is essential to learn about the experiences and struggles of African-Americans in the United States. This history and culture have however been ignored, misinterpreted or ripped off from the curriculum.

The author has provided elementary documents, videos, images, and interviews so that the curriculum can be remodeled to put more emphasis on African-American history. The materials though not so detailed provide necessary information that helps identify with the African American culture

Time should be set aside to develop lessons that include the provided resources into lectures, assignments, projects and examinations or assessments. Though there are no ready curricular materials, the primary materials provided are of high quality and are well directed. The extensive collection of images and videos will arouse curiosity among students who can also take part in museum-sponsored activities on National History Day. Teachers can also take advantage of professional development events administered by the museum to learn how best to involve students on race and culture.

Teaching Tool

The National Museum of African American History and Culture website provides trusted locations where teachers can access materials which include material and media to support the teaching of African-American history and culture. It is more advisable to visit the museum in Washington D.C, but if not possible the online museum is loaded with content that can be included in the curriculum. Both the teachers and students can examine exhibitions and stories to get even more detailed information. The museum provides a collection of about 37,000 historical artifacts where teachers can search for content that fit their area of study. There are professional learning events that involve strategies for utilizing African-American primary sources in class and methods for discussing issues concerning race.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Civil War Home Page has been able to contain thousands of pages of Civil War material including Photos, Images, Battles, Documents, Southern Historical Papers, Troops Furnished, Death Stats, Associations, Letters & Diaries, Census of 1860, Maps, Official Records, Message Board, Dyer's Compendium, Fox's Regimental Losses, Regimental Histories, Genealogy, Biographical Information, Reenacting and Unit Information. This has been very useful in history research as it has enabled many scholars to get accurate information which is rare in the vast space of the internet.

Works Cited

Sitkin, Jennifer. "National Museum of African American History and Culture: Powerful stories and media centralize African-American history." Common Sense Education, 2017, www.commonsense.org/education/website/national-museum-of-african-american-history-and-culture