Teacher Support

Who was Albert Einstein?

Learn about Albert Einstein and all the other people, places, and events in Scott Foresman ESL 8. These links bring you to sites with more detailed information on the history and culture covered in the text. You can use these extra facts and stories to give your students a better understanding about the context of each chapter.

pages 10 and 12: American system of measurement: foot, inches, miles
These sites provide conversion charts to compare American standards of measurement to their equivalents in the metric system:

• NOVA Online.
  
• New York State Regents Exam Prep Center.
  

page 14: Pete Seeger, "Turn! Turn! Turn!"

• This site offers a biography of folk singer and songwriter Pete Seeger.
  
• Listen to an audio clip of Pete Seeger singing "Turn! Turn! Turn!" (Click on "wav" in the site.)

pages 26-37: Johnny Appleseed

• Read more about wagon trains and covered wagons.
  
• This interactive map shows the expansion of the United States, 1783-1853. When the site opens, click on the map and then click on "Start." (The page requires the Shockwave plug-in for your browser.)
  
• Print out a map of the United States with all the states labeled.
  

page 38: Waldorf Astoria Hotel
Go to the homepage for the Waldorf Astoria Hotel.

pages 70-71: weather map
In this interactive weather map, click on a state to get the local weather.

page 76: "Good Day Sunshine"
Click on the titles to hear an instrumental version of "Good Day Sunshine" and other songs by the Beatles.

page 84: Abolitionists Frederick Douglas, Harriet Beecher Stowe, etc.

• This site features an interactive portrait gallery. Click on the portraits for brief biographies of people who opposed slavery.
  
• Learn more about the abolition movement and famous abolitionists.
  

page 85: Uncle Tom's Cabin
This site describes the life of author Harriet Beecher Stowe and the significance of Uncle Tom's Cabin.

pages 86-87: Erie Canal

• Click on the topics to learn more about the history of the Erie Canal.
  
• Tour the Erie Canal. Click online tour to read about the history and visit communities along the canal route.
  

pages 88-89: Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad

• Read a brief biography of Harriet Tubman and a short history of the Underground Railroad.
• Read about Tubman and then click on the stories to learn more about her life.
  

pages 92-95: The Civil War

• View a timeline of the Civil War.
  
• The PBS site "The Civil War" provides maps, biographies, and historical documents relating to the war.

page 96: Abraham Lincoln

• Read more about Abraham Lincoln in this detailed timeline.
  
• Read this biographical sketch of Lincoln, then click on the stories to read about his youth, sense of humor, and more.
• The Abraham Lincoln Research Site has a short summary of Lincoln's life, information about his family, and various other research topics. (Created by Roger Norton)

page 97: Robert E. Lee

• This site offers a brief biography of Robert E. Lee.
  
• Read about Lee's surrender and end of the American Civil War.
  

page 98: Mathew Brady, civil war photography

• Explore the life of Mathew Brady and photography during the American Civil War. Click on the images to view the photos and read descriptions.
  
• Tour a gallery of Mathew Brady's civil war photographs. Click on the images to view the photos and read descriptions.
  

page 99: Clara Barton, American Red Cross

• Read about Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross.
  
• Learn about the history of the American Red Cross.
  

page 101: "When Johnny Comes Marching Home"
This music site gives an instrumental version of the song and all the words.

pages 102-113: Battle of Gettysburg
This site describes the overall significance of Gettysburg and offers the account of a young girl who witnessed the battle.

page 114: Gettysburg Address

• Learn about the significance of the Gettysburg Address and the context in which it was written.
  
• This site has the complete text of the Gettysburg Address.
  

pages 125, 133-135, 140-147: the solar system, names of planets

• Go to an interactive view of the solar system.
  
• Learn how the planets got their names.
  

page 126: "Here Comes the Sun," George Harrison
Click on the titles to hear an instrumental version of "Here Comes the Sun" and other songs by the Beatles.

pages 136-137: space exploration timeline

• Learn about the life of John Glenn, the first American to orbit earth.
  
• Read a brief biography of pioneering astronaut Sally Ride.
  

page 148-151: Voyager 2 spacecraft

• Learn more about Voyagers 1 and 2.
  
• The Jet Propulsion Laboratory site: Click on the planets for additional information about each mission.
  

page 154: covered wagon
Go to a detailed diagram and description of the Prairie Schooner, one of the most commonly used types of pioneer covered wagons.

page 154: oil well
This site describes the Drake Oil Well, pictured on page 154.

page 158: War of 1812
Read a short history of the war.

page 161: Transcontinental railroad
View images and read about the history of the transcontinental railroad:

• The Iron Road (from the PBS "American Experience" site).
  
• The Transcontinental Railroad (from PBS).
  

page 162: buffalo
Read a history of the American buffalo, or bison.

page 172: "Home on the Range"
Hear an instrumental version of "Home on the Range" and see the rest of the words. (Click on "midi" to hear music.)

page 177: child labor
This site has historic photos about child labor in the early 20th century.

page 178-179: industrial leaders and inventors

• Read more about John D. Rockefeller.
  
• Read about Henry Ford and the Ford Motor Company.
  
• Read about Alexander Graham Bell's invention, the telephone.
  
• This site offers a biography of Thomas Edison and descriptions of several inventions.
  

page 180: Ida Tarbell
Brief biographies describe the life and times of Ida Tarbell, a pioneer in American journalism:

• Ida M. Tarbell, Investigative Journalist par Excellence.
  
• People & Events: Ida Tarbell, 1857-1944 (in the PBS site about the Rockefellers).
  

page 181: Upton Sinclair, on meat industry
Visit this site to read more about the life of this American author and activist.

page 182: patents
Read a short history of patents in the United States.

pages 184-187: Andrew Carnegie
Visit these sites for more information on Andrew Carnegie, a leading force in the American steel industry:

• The PBS "American Experience" site.
  
• "Meet Amazing Americans" (in the Library of Congress site).
  

page 187: J. Pierpont Morgan
Read a concise biography of the industrialist J. Pierpont Morgan.

pages 188-189: songs

• Hear the melody of "The Erie Canal" (click on "Melody").
  
• Hear an instrumental version of "I've Been Working on the Railroad."
  

page 189: Transcontinental railroad

• Read more about the history of the transcontinental railroad.
  
• Learn about the Chinese immigrants who built the railroad from the West.
  

page 190: Great Depression

• This site features a timeline of events and describes life during the Great Depression.
  
• At this site, click on "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime" to hear an instrumental version of the song.
  

pages 194-199: citizenship
Go to the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Services website for detailed information on citizenship and naturalization.

page 196: Albert Einstein
Read a biography of this mathematician and physicist.

page 202-203: Statue of Liberty

• Learn more about the history of the Statue of Liberty, from the National Park Service website.
  
• Read about the life of Emma Lazarus.
  

pages 204-205, 207-209: Ellis Island

• This site features an interactive timeline about Ellis Island.
  
• Go to the official Ellis Island website (from the National Park Service).
  

page 214: "America the Beautiful"
Hear an instrumental version of "America the Beautiful."

page 217: John F. Kennedy
Read a biography of John F. Kennedy (pictured in the center of the page).

pages 218-219, pages 224-225: Constitution/Amendments/Bill of Rights

• Click on the topics to read complete versions of The Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
  
• The picture on page 218 shows the Constitutional Convention of 1787. Read about the people who were there (including George Washington and Benjamin Franklin).
  

pages 220-223: The three branches of government

• This site includes a diagram and brief description of the branches of American Government. Click on the topics to learn more about each branch.
  
• Get a brief description of the system of checks and balances.
  

page 227: Lyndon Johnson
Read a biography of Lyndon Johnson.