Don't let the title of this great website trick you into thinking that this is just another stagnant outline map site with large stars depicting places of battle. All Social Studies teachers vehemently deny that their entire class revolves around wall maps and colouring inside the lines of paper maps. While this is true, there is a time and place where maps DO become essential teaching tools to help provide a visual context for events.

Enter the 21st century version of such tools -- "Maps of War".  This website is a fantastic place to see 90 second flash file representations of everything from the history of religion to the spread of democracy to the imperial history of the Middle East.  These maps can be downloaded (as .swf files) and then embedded directly into SMART Notebook software for easy access in a lesson. The control features stay intact, allowing the user to pause, play and rewind the various stages of the visual.

One of my personal favourites, the history of "Leadership and War" I've embedded in this post:

These 90 second representations can spark TONS of discussion, questions and learning, but the website doesn't stop there.  Maps of War also has a library with lots of links to an abundance of other interactive map sites, grouped by region.





Spend some time to get acquainted with this site if you teach anything in a global context.  Thanks to @jfborges (from my Twitter PLN) for recommending this site.

Enjoy the weekend!
Vanessa

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