Most of the history websites that I think are fun and worth looking at have it do with historic houses and museums. One site that I really like is one that’s a bit different than other museum websites because it incorporates a lot of the different fields that are important in museums. The Getty has links to their museum, research institute and their conservation institution. All of those areas are vital for museums, and The Getty does a great job of making them accessible to the public.
I also like Ben Franklin’s Interactive Timeline. I think for things like time lines, that can be really boring, this is a good example of how to make one more interesting. I had fun scrolling though and exploring different aspects of his life, and liked the little clips that were available to play. Things like this are great because so often, in this field, it can be easy to fall into telling just one linear timeline-story.
The last link isn’t really a reading… ok, so it isn’t a reading at all, but I still think it is worth looking at 🙂 Strike it Rich! is kind of like Oregon Trail, in that you chose a historic character and try to win the game by, well, striking it rich. I’m putting this in for a couple reasons. First, because it’s kind of fun. Second, I love that public history websites can be games and still educational. People seem to forget that the public gets a lot of it’s knowledge about historic events because of entertainment (I know someone who thinks they know all about World War Two because of Call of Duty… really.).
Anyway.. links for your learning enjoyment!
I really likes the Franklin timeline. Franklin was one of my favorite historical personalities and the page did a really good job of integrating various types of media. One thing that did not impress me was the loading times.
OK, they should totally make the Strike it Rich game into an interactive iPhone app. I have become re-addicted to Oregon Trail that way, and I would love a new cheesy educational game to play during my free (i.e. procrastination) time. I love that you can choose people of different backgrounds/ethnic groups and follow their experience too.
I agree with Luke, the interactive timeline on Franklin was awesome. (Although the loading times were not an issue for me.) The color coding of themes was really clever, you can go one at a time and I imagine it keeps people coming back to learn about another theme of Franklin’s life. What also struck me as fantastic is the option to choose the language on some of the videos. As a first generation American, this is an invaluable tool for those immigrating (or who have immigrated) to the US.
Strike it Rich is awesome. I love the possessions that each character brings to the table: Bible, guitar, good clothes, cooking equipment. Looks like a classic.
The Benjamin Franklin timeline is very cool. You can tell that there was an incredible amount of effort and attention to detail put into that project. The wide range of information included (from his childhood to his death) and the use of animation and audio seem like they should attract a wide audience of viewers.
I agree with Stephanie, I was very impressed that videos were available in three languages. I think that approach allows for many people to enjoy the website. It is a very creative way to display Franklin’s life. I would love to see more of these for other historic figures.