Peer Review

EyeWitness to History

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Overall Rating:

Content Quality:

Effectiveness:

Ease of Use:

Overview:: An award-winning website presenting history through the perspective of those who actually lived it - from the ancient world through the 20th century. Written information, audio clips, and video clips are available for a range of different time periods in history.
Type of Material:: Collections
Recommended Uses:: The site does not specify an age level. However, this may be used in elementary school through college level. The text is written at upper to middle school age level. This site would also be useful for college and pre-service teachers to provide a resource to an abundance of history and multimedia content.
Technical Requirements:: RealPlayer for audio and video clips
Identify Major Learning Goals:: This site provides access to history from the perspective of those who actually lived it.
Target Student Population:: Students in upper elementary, middle and high school levels; college level students. Lower grades would need adult support.
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:: None

Rating:
Strengths:: The information is presented in a manner that is easy to use as a teaching tool. History seems to come alive when you hear the voices and see the videos of the past. This website provides valid concepts that are supported with references. Historical information is provided with each of the video and audio clips, the snapshots, and the historical illustrations. The content is sequential and easy to follow.
Concerns:: None

Rating:
Strengths:: The information in this website could be used in upper elementary grades through college level history classes as a resource for introductions to a period of time in history. Students could use the information to incorporate in group or individual projects and presentations. Teacher candidates could incorporate this resource in their history lesson plans for upper elementary through high school students during their student teaching. The site is designed to provide the user with access to images, video and audio primary sources.
Concerns:: None

Rating:
Strengths:: The website is easy to navigate. There are links on the top toolbar and also at the bottom of each page. The links are labeled and function correctly. The historical information is well organized and easy to locate. The information is organized by dates and/or periods of times in history. There is also an index organized by format, such as listing all of the audio clips, video clips, etc.
Concerns:: None

Other Issues and Comments:: It should be noted that this website is presented by Ibis Communications, Inc., a digital publisher of educational programming. There are numerous advertisements throughout the website.
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